The Hotone Grass is a compact overdrive pedal with a tone based on Dumble amps, which some guitarists consider the holy grail of amp brands. MusicRadar's reviewer Michael Astley-Brown describes it as a tiny stompbox that delivers smooth dirt capable of transporting you into boutique overdrive territory, though he notes it is no transparent stomper.1
The Grass cannot run on a battery. As Astley-Brown puts it, "Unsurprisingly, it's mains power only," so plan a power supply spot on your board for it.1
The controls
The Grass keeps its control layout small, with a Voice knob and a Bright button shaping the top end1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Voice | Fine-tunes the high-end to your liking1 |
| Bright button | Adjusts for darker amps and guitars1 |
Astley-Brown found the Voice control well focused, and the Bright button gives a quick way to lift a dark-sounding amp or guitar pairing without touching a screwdriver. The pedal also ships with a metal rod to protect the controls.1
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's review is the main published verdict on the Grass, and it is positive. Astley-Brown describes the pedal's character in detail1:
"Engaged, its smooth dirt capably transports you into boutique overdrive territory. This is no transparent stomper, though."
His findings on how it behaves at gain and volume:
- At higher gain levels, the Grass can handle classic rock with a bridge humbucker, and runs hotter than expected for an overdrive.1
- Its punchy, midrange-focused tone only sounds better as it gets louder.1
- His overall verdict: "making it an awesome gig-friendly overdrive."1
For players comparing it with other dirt boxes, the Grass sits in overdrive territory rather than the heavier end covered by distortion or fuzz pedals, and its midrange focus puts it in the same broad family as the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer debate, though its stated inspiration is the Dumble amp sound rather than those circuits.1
Videos
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Questions
Is the Hotone Grass true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar's review of the Grass notes that it uses true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through without the pedal's circuit loading it.
Can the Hotone Grass run on a battery?
No. MusicRadar's reviewer Michael Astley-Brown describes the Grass as mains power only, with no battery operation. You will need a power supply to use it on a pedalboard.
Which amp is the Hotone Grass based on?
MusicRadar describes the Grass as having a tone based on Dumble amps, which some guitarists consider the holy grail of amp brands. The pedal aims to put that boutique overdrive character in a small stompbox.
What does the Bright button do on the Hotone Grass?
According to MusicRadar, the Bright button adjusts for darker amps and guitars, lifting the top end when the pairing needs it. It works alongside the Voice knob, which fine-tunes the high-end to your liking.
What is the Hotone Grass enclosure made of?
MusicRadar's review describes the Grass as having a zinc alloy enclosure, and notes the pedal ships with a metal rod to protect the controls.
Sources (1)
- Hotone Grass review, MusicRadar, 2014-01-16