![Hungry Robot [hg]](/img/overdrive/hungry-robot-hg.webp)
The Hungry Robot [hg] is a high gain overdrive pedal from Hungry Robot, built around an original circuit that the maker describes as designed to push the limits of what a high gain overdrive can do1. Despite the shared name, it is a different pedal from the low gain original Hungry Robot: the maker states plainly that the [hg] circuit travels far beyond its low gain namesake, and that the two should not be confused1.
What it does
The [hg]'s tonestack works to tighten the low end and emphasize the mids and highs, a voicing the maker says helps the pedal sit well in a mix1. Beyond the external controls, the pedal carries its own set of 6 internal dipswitches, which the maker says allow you to drastically shape the overall sound of the pedal to fit any rig and playing style1. That makes the dipswitch bank the main tool for tailoring the [hg]: opening the pedal and setting the switches changes its character in ways the outside knobs cannot.
"The tonestack in The Hungry Robot [hg] works to tightens the low end and emphasize the mids and highs."
Availability: the Classics program
The [hg] was a discontinued model, but Hungry Robot brought it back under its Classics program1. Classics pedals are direct-only offerings, sold through Hungry Robot itself rather than through dealers, and each is built one by one as orders come in rather than pulled from warehouse stock1.
Because Classics builds are made one at a time as orders arrive, the [hg] is not a stock item at retailers. It is available only direct from Hungry Robot1.
Where it sits in the Hungry Robot range
Players comparing high gain options from the maker have a few related pedals in the line. The Hungry Robot LG is the low gain counterpart, and the two circuits were also combined in the Hungry Robot [hg+lg] and the Hungry Robot Dual Overdrive. Elsewhere in the range, the Hungry Robot Mosfet Breaker and Hungry Robot Mosfet Screamer cover overdrive territory of their own, as does the newer Hungry Robot The Lumen. For a wider view of the category, see Overdrive Pedals.
Questions
Is the Hungry Robot [hg] still available?
The [hg] was a discontinued model, but Hungry Robot brought it back under its Classics program, launched at the company's ten year anniversary in 2022. Classics pedals are direct-only, meaning they are sold through Hungry Robot itself rather than dealers, and each one is built one by one as orders come in rather than held in stock.
How is the [hg] different from the original Hungry Robot?
The maker is explicit that the two are separate circuits. The original Hungry Robot is a low gain overdrive, while the [hg] is a high gain overdrive built on an original circuit designed to push the limits of what a high gain overdrive can do. The maker warns players not to confuse the [hg] with its low gain namesake.
Sources (1)
- Hungry Robot HG, Hungry Robot
