The Gainsaw Distortion is a distortion pedal from JPTR FX built around a single volume control and a built-in noise gate. The gate limits the feedback and noise that can seep through high-gain pedals, which is a common problem in this territory1. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it in September 2017, called it the reviewer's first foray into the maker's lineup of eccentric and unusual pedals1.
What it does
The Gainsaw covers a wide gain range from one knob. Pedal of the Day described it as "giving off everything from a mid-range drive to a maxed out field of distortion will rattle your windows, bleed your ear"1. The same review noted that the pedal has "a really nice range within that one volume control, going from overdrive to fuzz to distortion all in one"1, so a player can sweep from lighter drive tones into fuzz and full distortion without touching anything else.
"Excellent clarity even at high levels. Check."
That clarity at high gain is the review's main verdict: even at the pedal's heaviest settings, the notes stay defined1. For players who find gated, high-gain pedals noisy, the built-in gate is the distinguishing feature here, doing the work a separate noise gate pedal would otherwise handle1.
Where it sits in the JPTR FX range
JPTR FX makes several high-gain and fuzz pedals with unusual approaches, including the Silbermaschine Fuzz, a parallel two-stage fuzz distortion drawing on the Tone Bender and Fuzz Face circuits, and the Bleach. The Gainsaw is the gated, one-knob entry in that lineup1.
Videos
EytschPi42
Sofa Jams
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What kind of pedal is the JPTR FX Gainsaw?
It is a distortion pedal with a built-in noise gate. The gate limits the feedback and noise that can seep through high-gain pedals, which is a common issue in this territory. Pedal of the Day described it as one of JPTR FX's eccentric and unusual pedals, and noted that its single volume control covers a wide range of gain, from overdrive through fuzz to full distortion.
How much gain does the Gainsaw have?
According to Pedal of the Day's review, the pedal ranges from a mid-range drive to a maxed-out field of distortion, all from one volume control. The same review found the clarity excellent even at high gain levels, so the heavier settings stay defined rather than turning to mush.
Sources (1)
- JPTR FX Gainsaw Gated Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2017-09-11
