The God City Instruments Onslaught is a one-knob analog pedal that works as both a booster and a distortion. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as "a simple yet highly useful one-knob distortion for pushing medium-gain tube amps" and "an awesome transparent boost for guitar or bass," so it suits players who want to drive an amp harder or add a clean level lift without changing their core tone1.
Controls and the Mode switch
The single knob sets the level of the effect. What the pedal does to the signal is chosen with a three-position Mode switch, which is the difference between this updated version and the original Onslaught1.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| B (boost) | The original sound, a transparent boost1 |
| D (distortion) | Adds hard clipping to increase distortion and decrease output1 |
| S (sub) | Applies hard clipping to only the high frequencies, for a perceived sub frequency boost1 |
This version expands on the original Onslaught with the addition of the Mode switch. The original did not have it1.
Where it sits on a board
As a boost that pushes a medium-gain tube amp, the Onslaught belongs alongside other boost pedals, and its D mode puts a hard-clipped distortion on tap without a separate distortion pedal. The S mode's high-frequency clipping approach is aimed at a perceived sub frequency boost, which the maker suggests works for bass as well as guitar1. Players looking for a bigger, more feature-heavy God City Instruments distortion can compare it with the GCI Brutalist, a high-gain distortion with boost-only Baxandall EQ2.
Videos
Rawwwburrrt's Reviews
Sources (2)
- Onslaught by God City Instruments, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- New Pedal: CGI Brutalist Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2024-02-09
