The Lastgasp Art Laboratories Gomorrah is an input-sensitive fuzz built around two very different voices: a Subharmonic mode (SB) and an Overtone mode (OT), selected with a Mode switch. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the pedal in May 2024, described it as "a story of two halves", with Level, Tone, Sensitivity and Mode controls on the top panel1. It sits in the maker's fuzz line alongside the Super Oscillo Fuzz, the 46 Sooper Fuzz and the Octavella Upper Octave Fuzz.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output volume; in Subharmonic mode the review found it stays under unity even maxed1 |
| Tone | Tonal shaping; set low (left of noon) for Subharmonic, cranked for Overtone1 |
| Sensitivity | Input sensitivity; set low for Subharmonic, fairly cranked for Overtone1 |
| Mode | Two-position switch: SB (Subharmonic) or OT (Overtone)1 |
The two modes: SB and OT
The Subharmonic side is the quieter, lower-voiced half. Karlsson described it as a "beautifully textured low-end burble" with the occasional deeper note locking into place, and he recommended keeping Tone and Sensitivity in the left hemisphere of those controls, say between 9 o'clock and noon1.
The Overtone side is the opposite character: with the dials cranked it produces what he called a "really blistering richly textured and loud fuzz Overtones output". His verdict on this mode was blunt: "I mostly operate this pedal in Overtone Mode with all dials maxed - and it sounds amazing."1
The Subharmonic level issue
The one drawback the review returns to is output level. In Subharmonic mode the Gomorrah stays under unity even with the Level control maxed, and Karlsson reported needing a clean boost after the pedal to bring it up to unity. With "such a markedly diminished level of output it really isn't fully usable in a live / on-the-fly situation", he wrote1. That issue is why he ranked the Gomorrah fourth of the four Lastgasp fuzzes he had reviewed, behind the Super Oscillo Fuzz 88, the 46 Sooper Fuzz and the Octavella, while noting the Overtone mode is "of course" a different story1.
If you plan to use the Subharmonic mode live, the review indicates you will want a boost pedal after the Gomorrah to make up the level difference.
Placement and availability
Because the pedal is input sensitive, the review is clear about where it belongs: "very much needs to be the first thing your guitar hits in the pedal-chain"1. That rules out putting buffers or wireless units ahead of it.
For US players, the May 2024 review names Perfect Circuit as the place to buy the Gomorrah in the USA, alongside Joe's Pedals in the UK, the Lastgasp Art Laboratories store in Australia and Effekt Boutique in Germany1.
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Questions
Where should the Lastgasp Gomorrah go in a pedal chain?
Because the Gomorrah is input sensitive, Guitar Pedal X's review says it very much needs to be the first thing your guitar hits in the pedal chain. Put it ahead of buffers, wireless systems and other pedals so it sees the guitar's signal directly.
What is the difference between the SB and OT modes on the Gomorrah?
The Mode switch selects between SB (Subharmonic) and OT (Overtone). The Subharmonic side gives a textured low-end burble with occasional deeper notes locking into place, and works best with Tone and Sensitivity low. The Overtone side is a loud, richly textured fuzz that responds well to cranked controls.
Does the Gomorrah reach unity volume in Subharmonic mode?
Not according to Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, who found that even with the Level control maxed the Subharmonic mode stayed under unity, and he needed a clean boost after the pedal to bring it up to unity level. He called this the main drawback of the pedal.
Where can you buy the Lastgasp Art Laboratories Gomorrah in the US?
Guitar Pedal X's May 2024 review names Perfect Circuit as the place to acquire the Gomorrah in the USA. The review also lists Joe's Pedals in the UK, the Lastgasp Art Laboratories store in Australia and Effekt Boutique in Germany as retailers.
What does the Sensitivity control do on the Gomorrah?
Sensitivity is one of the Gomorrah's four controls, alongside Level, Tone and the SB/OT Mode switch. The pedal is input sensitive, and the review's recommended settings place Sensitivity low for the Subharmonic mode and fairly cranked for the Overtone mode.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-10
