The Kenny B Pedals William Overdrive is a boost, overdrive and distortion pedal in one box, built around three knobs and a three-way toggle switch. Pedal of the Day's reviewer called it "a seemingly simple 3-knob, 1-toggle affair, but beneath the surface lies a powerhouse boost overdrive distortion," and described it as a transparent type pedal aimed at classic dirt tones with a wide range to experiment with1. It sits in the same territory as other overdrive pedals and distortion pedals, with a boost mode folded in.
Circuit and clipping
The William Overdrive is a modified Blues Breaker circuit, and a modified version of "half" of the famous King of Tone. Pedal of the Day notes it was inspired by the Prince of Tone1. For clipping, it uses 1N4148 and 1N4001 diodes, which the reviewer ties to its classic dirt tones, and the pedal runs on a JRC4580D chip1.
Controls and modes
The three knobs (Volume, Tone and Drive) interact with the external 3-way toggle switch to change gain modes1.
| Toggle position | Mode | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Overdrive | Normal overdrive1 |
| Middle | Boost | Clean boost with a little overdrive, less compression than Overdrive mode1 |
| Bottom | Distortion | More compressed, with a bit of hard distortion1 |
There is also an internal trimmer that works as a treble/presence control, for tweaking the pedal to your liking beyond the front-panel knobs1. The pedal features true bypass switching1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's review (September 2021) summed up the design this way1:
"Basic knobs, basic labeling, one switch, TONS OF TONE."
The same review suggested that players looking for "a great transparent type pedal this may be it"1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Kenny B Pedals William Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review notes that the William Overdrive features true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through without any buffering in the way.
What circuit is the William Overdrive based on?
According to Pedal of the Day, the William Overdrive is a modified Blues Breaker circuit, and a modified version of "half" of the famous King of Tone. The review also says it was inspired by the Prince of Tone.
What does the toggle switch do on the William Overdrive?
The external three-way toggle changes the gain mode. The top position is normal Overdrive, the middle position is a clean Boost with a little overdrive and less compression than the Overdrive mode, and the bottom position is Distortion mode, which is more compressed with a bit of hard distortion.
What does the internal trimmer do?
Inside the pedal there is a trimmer that acts as a treble/presence control, letting you tweak the pedal's top end to your liking beyond what the external Tone knob offers.
What diodes does the William Overdrive use?
The William Overdrive uses 1N4148 and 1N4001 diodes for clipping, which Pedal of the Day credits with delivering classic dirt tones with a wide range to experiment with.
Sources (1)
- Kenny B Pedals William Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2021-09-22