Hughes & Kettner Warp Factor

The Hughes & Kettner Warp Factor is a high-gain distortion pedal from the 2000s. It delivers aggressive, metal-oriented tones with powerful low end, making it suitable for heavier rock and metal styles¹. Players comparing it with other circuits will find it sits on the high-gain end of the distortion pedal range, rather than in overdrive or fuzz territory.

Controls

The pedal shapes tone through three knobs and one switch¹:

Control	What it does
Gain	Sets the amount of distortion
Level	Sets the output volume
Warp	Tonal shaping
Sub switch	Extra low-frequency boost

The Sub switch adds extra low-frequency boost on top of the pedal's already powerful low end, which is where much of its metal character comes from¹.

Videos

**Hughes & Kettner Warp Factor Distortion Pedal Demo**
Simon Smith

**A look at the Hughes and Kettner warp factor pedal**
Guitars, Music and Tech

Sources (1)

Warp by Hughes & Kettner, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026

Type	Distortion pedal¹
Maker	Hughes & Kettner¹
Era	2000s¹
Controls	Gain, Level, Warp, Sub switch¹