The HipKitty Oxblood is a distortion pedal from HipKitty Products, designed to do one specific thing: sound like a Vox AC15 amplifier pushed hard. Premier Guitar's reviewer explains that it "was specifically designed to emulate a Vox AC15 amplifier, with an added tube stage for greater distortion and a bigger kick," so the pedal carries an extra tube stage on top of the amp emulation to take the gain beyond what the amp itself would do1. The result, as the reviewer heard it, is warm and fuzzy British tube-amp territory rather than a modern high-gain distortion.
Controls and switching
The Oxblood keeps its faceplate simple. Premier Guitar describes the layout as "an On/Off switch, an LED indicator, in and out jacks, and three knobs for Drive, Tone and Volume"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Controls the amount of distortion and works like the volume control of an amp; clockwise takes the signal from mild overdrive to heavier distortion1 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response1 |
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| On/Off footswitch | Engages and bypasses the pedal, with an LED indicator showing status1 |
The Drive knob's behavior is worth noting for players used to overdrive pedals: because it works like an amp's volume control, low settings give mild overdrive and higher settings push into heavier distortion, which suits the AC15-style design1.
Build and power
The Oxblood is a hand-built pedal in the fullest sense. Premier Guitar reports that "it is hand constructed, the component board is hand etched and populated, and it is entirely hand wired," and that each pedal is hand painted on top of that1. Power comes from either a 9-volt battery or the pedal's 9-volt power jack1.
Because each Oxblood is hand etched, hand wired and hand painted, no two pedals look alike, and availability depends on HipKitty's build schedule rather than warehouse stock1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer came away favorable on the tone. On the overall character, the review reads: "It has a well-balanced fuzz tone, with chimey high-mids but a warm low end." The reviewer also found that chords cut through nicely and that the tone was not abrasive with humbuckers, describing the pedal overall as warm and fuzzy British tube-amp tone1. That puts the Oxblood in the same tonal neighborhood as fuzz pedals and overdrive pedals aimed at British amp sounds, while remaining, by design, a distortion pedal with its own tube stage1.
A note on the name
Players searching for the Oxblood name will also find the Keeley Electronics Oxblood Overdrive, a separate pedal from a different maker. Pedal of the Day's review of the Keeley pedal describes Level, Drive and Tone controls plus a clipping toggle with Mythical and Magical modes and a Fat switch for the bottom end, and Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson has written that "the Oxblood has always been compelling - just never particularly heavily promoted"23. The two pedals share a name and a British-amp inspiration but are not related products.
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Questions
Is the HipKitty Oxblood true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review notes that the Oxblood features true-bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the pedal's circuitry in the way. The pedal's switching consists of a single On/Off footswitch with an LED indicator, alongside in and out jacks and the three control knobs.
Is the HipKitty Oxblood hand built?
Yes. According to Premier Guitar, the Oxblood is hand constructed: the component board is hand etched and populated, the pedal is entirely hand wired, and each pedal is hand painted on top of that. That places it among the small-batch, hand-built side of the distortion pedal market rather than mass-produced production pedals.
What amp does the HipKitty Oxblood emulate?
Premier Guitar's reviewer writes that the Oxblood was specifically designed to emulate a Vox AC15 amplifier, with an added tube stage for greater distortion and a bigger kick. In practice the reviewer described the result as warm and fuzzy British tube-amp tone, with chimey high-mids and a warm low end.
How much does the HipKitty Oxblood cost?
Premier Guitar lists the Oxblood at a street price of $140, made by HipKitty Products. Because the pedal is hand built and hand painted in small numbers, availability can vary, but that is the street price the review gives.
Sources (3)
- HipKitty Oxblood Distortion Review, Premier Guitar, 2009-03-17
- Keeley Electronics Oxblood Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-13
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-06-16