The Hamstead Odyssey is an all-analog overdrive and distortion pedal from Hamstead Soundworks, a builder based in Cambridge, England. Designed by Peter Hamstead as one analog circuit, it launched in 2018 as a stand-alone drive pedal, and it was the company's debut in gain pedals12. Its aim is range: the clipping settings allow it to go from a pure transparent clean boost to heavy distortion3, and Delicious Audio describes it as covering "clean boost with tone shaping, to classic rock, through to heavy metal, and all the way to oversaturated fuzz"1.
For a player, that means one box can serve as a boost, a low-gain overdrive, a high-gain distortion or even a saturated fuzz, with the controls to shape each of those voices4.
Three clipping circuits and five modes
The core of the Odyssey is its three clipping circuits, which the player selects with a C1/C2/C3 switch65. Premier Guitar's review breaks down what each position does5:
| Position | Clipping behavior |
|---|---|
| C1 | Symmetrical gain |
| C2 | Asymmetrical gain, which applies clipping to half the signal |
| C3 | A pair of gain circuits, using two clipping circuits at once |
That third position is where much of the pedal's character lives. MusicRadar's reviewer notes that C3 uses two clipping circuits7, and Pedal of the Day found that C3 "uses two clipping circuits to produce an extremely natural-sounding, amp-like drive and distortion, with a wide dynamic range and attention to touch response"4. MusicRadar's overdrive buying guide made a similar observation, noting that in the amp-like modes "clipping set to a two-stage model and the EQ section before the gain stages" is where the pedal shines8.
On top of the clipping options, the Odyssey delivers a spread of gain characters through its many knobs and switches, with interactive controls1. Delicious Audio lists the territory it covers1:
- Transparent Overdrive
- Mid Boost Overdrive
- Medium Gain Overdrive
- Rock Overdrive & Distortion
- Metal & Doom Distortion
- Fuzz
- Clean boost with tone shaping
Pedal of the Day summed up the same idea from the player's side: "A boost, tone shaper, overdrive, distortion and fuzz and more all rolled into one," with transparent, mid-gain and full-on overdrive tones easily accessible and a powerful EQ section giving Treble and Bass cuts and boosts4.
The pedal also carries some distinctive hardware. It uses the GigRig OptoKick optical footswitch, which Pedal of the Day called out directly: "we had never seen one of these before, and they are niiiiiice"4. On That Pedal Show, the hosts noted Hamstead was the first pedal manufacturer using the up-the-kick footswitches, and that the pedal offers "the three different clipping diode options as well"9.
An original design, not a clone
MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, addressed the question every drive-pedal buyer asks eventually: what is it based on? "An original design, it doesn't seem to be based on any particular drive pedal"7. Premier Guitar's 2018 launch coverage made the same point from the maker's side, reporting that the Odyssey drive pedal reflects Peter Hamstead's clean-sheet approach2.
Guitar World's distortion-pedal buying guide places the Odyssey at the top of the maker's own range, noting that "the Odyssey is the highest-gain pedal Hamstead do"10.
The Odyssey family
What reviewers said
Published reviewers have been consistent about the Odyssey's strength: versatility.
"If you want a supremely flexible, pedalboard-friendly drive pedal, this is it."
Guitar World's review of the related Walrus Audio Ages, written by the same reviewer, referenced the Odyssey as a benchmark, describing it as having "a versatility that's truly remarkable"11. Premier Guitar's quick-hit review listed quality build among the pedal's pros and called it "this heftily built overdrive/distortion from South Cambridgeshire, England"5.
The strongest praise came from the demo itself. On That Pedal Show's Pick'N'Mix episode, Dan and Mick plugged the Odyssey in alongside three other pedals, and Dan's verdict was blunt:
(Quotation block removed: the quote could not be verified against the source's own words.)
Mick's judgement on the pedal's core sound was that it is "a strong strong strong overdrive"9.
In that episode the hosts combine the Odyssey with the Mythos Golden Fleece, Subdecay Proteus V2 and ZVEX Lo-Fi Loop Junky, working through the gain control on the overdrive side and the three clipping diode options9.
Videos
Hamstead Soundworks
Shawn Tubbs
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
Is the Hamstead Odyssey analog or digital?
It is all-analog. Hamstead Soundworks describes it as an all-analogue design, and reviewers including Guitar World and Delicious Audio confirm the circuit is fully analog, built around one analog circuit designed by Peter Hamstead.
Who designed the Hamstead Odyssey Overdrive?
Peter Hamstead, founder of Hamstead Soundworks, designed it. The maker's product page credits one analog circuit by Peter Hamstead, and Premier Guitar reported that the Odyssey reflects his clean-sheet approach rather than being based on an existing drive pedal.
Can the Hamstead Odyssey go from clean boost to heavy distortion?
Yes. Its clipping settings allow it to run from a pure transparent clean boost to heavy distortion, and Delicious Audio describes a range covering clean boost with tone shaping, classic rock, heavy metal and oversaturated fuzz, all from one pedal.
What is the Hamstead Subspace and how does it relate to the Odyssey?
The Subspace is a mid and low-end focused drive pedal Hamstead launched at NAMM 2020, based on the Odyssey Intergalactic Driver circuit. A later Subspace Drive was profiled as a re-voiced Odyssey Overdrive with a parallel dry control optimized for low frequencies.
Was the Odyssey the first pedal Hamstead Soundworks made?
It was the company's debut gain pedal. Delicious Audio reported in 2020 that the Odyssey Overdrive represents Hamstead Soundworks' first entry into gain pedals, though the maker had already built a reputation with other products before it.
Sources (11)
- Hamstead Odyssey Intergalactic Driver, Delicious Audio, 2020-11-02
- Hamstead Soundworks Unveils the Odyssey Drive Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2018-03-05
- Best distortion pedals: Our top high-gain stompboxes, Guitar World, 2022-06-09
- Hamstead Soundworks Odyssey Intergalactic Driver, Pedal of the Day, 2019-10-05
- Quick Hit: Hamstead Odyssey Review, Premier Guitar, 2019-10-30
- Odyssey | Hamstead Soundworks, Hamstead Soundworks
- Hamstead Soundworks Odyssey review, MusicRadar, 2018-08-14
- 5 overdrive pedals guitar players need to try, MusicRadar, 2021-02-15
- TPS Pick'N'Mix, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2017-12-05
- Best distortion pedals for metal: get the ultimate metal tone, Guitar World, 2022-04-26
- Walrus Audio Ages Five-State Overdrive review, Guitar World, 2020-08-24
