The Jackson Audio Belle Star is a low to mid gain overdrive pedal, and the result of a several months-long collaboration between the Houston based company and Drew Shirley from the band Switchfoot. Instead of the silicon diodes used in most overdrive circuits, it clips with MOSFET transistors, which Jackson Audio describes as a unique clipping circuit. The company says the pedal has the smooth and natural breakup characteristic of smaller, non-negative feedback amps, and it is explicitly not a high-gain design1.
Shirley's own rig shaped the pedal. He has always run super small, low-wattage amps wide open to get his sound, and the Belle Star was built to deliver that kind of response from a pedal1. It sits among Jackson Audio's other drive designs, such as the Golden Boy, Asabi and The Optimist, and alongside the wider field of overdrive pedals.
Controls
The Belle Star keeps its control set simple: gain, volume, and two tone-shaping controls, one active and one passive, each with a center detent for a flat response1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| GAIN | Controls the gain of your tone and how overdriven the pedal is. Running the GAIN control low with all other controls at 12:00 gives a transparent boost. |
| VOLUME | Sets the overall level. With low GAIN and high VOLUME settings, the pedal acts like a very powerful boost complete with tone controls. |
| BODY | Active EQ adjusting the low frequencies with a +/-15dB boost/cut, with a center detent for a neutral or flat response. |
| TONE | A passive tone control adjusting the treble frequencies, voiced much like the CUT control on a Vox amp, with a center detent for flat. |
All control descriptions from Jackson Audio via Delicious Audio1.
Gain range and clipping
Jackson Audio says the overdrive range is spread evenly across the GAIN control, going from above clean into medium gain with no unusual jumps in dynamic response. That even taper is a deliberate part of the design, aimed at players who push small amps and want the pedal to respond to their playing rather than jump between gain levels1.
The clipping is where the Belle Star departs from the usual overdrive formula. Where pedals like the Boss SD-1 or Ibanez TS9 clip with silicon diodes, the Belle Star uses MOSFET transistors in its clipping circuit, the part of the circuit that distorts the signal. Jackson Audio ties this to the pedal's smooth and natural breakup, in the character of smaller, non-negative feedback amps1.
Power and bypass
The pedal runs from 9V to 18V DC, center negative, so a standard 9V supply works and the circuit tolerates higher voltage supplies up to 18V. The bypass switch is a mechanical true bypass switch, meaning the overdrive circuit is removed from the signal path when the pedal is off1.
The Belle Star takes 9V to 18V DC at center negative. There is no indication of a battery option, so plan on a DC supply on your board.
Videos
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Questions
Who designed the Jackson Audio Belle Star?
The Belle Star came out of a collaboration lasting several months between Jackson Audio and Drew Shirley, guitarist for the band Switchfoot. Shirley's own rig informed the design: he has long run super small, low-wattage amps wide open to get his sound, and the pedal was built around that kind of low to mid gain breakup.
Is the Belle Star true bypass?
Yes. Jackson Audio describes the bypass switch as a mechanical true bypass switch, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the overdrive circuit in the path.
What power supply does the Belle Star need?
The Belle Star runs on DC power between 9V and 18V, center negative. That range means a standard 9V pedal supply works, and the pedal can also safely run at higher voltages such as 18V if your supply offers that option.
Is the Belle Star polarity center negative?
Yes. The pedal uses a center negative DC input, the same polarity as standard guitar pedal power supplies, so it works with typical 9V center negative bricks and daisy chain supplies.
What does the Body control do on the Belle Star?
The Body control is an active EQ that adjusts the low frequencies with a boost or cut of up to 15dB. It has a center detent for a neutral, flat response, so you can add low end or trim it without changing the pedal's overall character.
Does the Belle Star use diodes or MOSFETs for clipping?
The Belle Star uses MOSFET transistors for clipping rather than the traditional silicon diodes found in many overdrive circuits. Jackson Audio describes this as a unique clipping circuit, and it is central to the pedal's smooth, natural low to mid gain breakup.
Sources (1)
- Jackson Audio Belle Star Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-07-20
