Lauren Audio Spitfire Overdrive Distortion

The Spitfire Overdrive Distortion is a dirt pedal from Lauren Audio that sits between the overdrive and distortion camps: Pedal of the Day describes it as a multi-clipping overdrive equipped with six discrete clipping stages, a design that gives it a wider range of gain textures than a single-clipping circuit¹. On the maker's product page, Roger Mayer describes the Spitfire Distortion as producing "the classic triode tube type distortion that is particularly rich in harmonics"². For a player, that means one pedal that can cover everything from a gentle push into a roaring lead voice, depending on where the clipping stages and filters are set.

What it does

The core idea is variety. With six discrete clipping stages on board, the Spitfire can be dialed across a broad stretch of dirt, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer heard it deliver "gorgeous dirt tones" that "drip and ooze from your amplifier," roaring and ripping "through its many options and settings"¹. If you are new to the territory, it is worth reading up on how distortion pedals and overdrive pedals differ, since the Spitfire deliberately straddles both.

Controls and the swap-able design

The front panel is kept simple:

• Filter toggle switch: a lone toggle gives access to two different filter modes for more versatility¹
• Knobs: large knobs on a big box with what the reviewer called "crazy, futuristic graphics"¹

The more unusual feature is inside. Two of the internal clipping stages and one of the filters are built on sockets, meaning you can take components out and experiment with alternatives¹. That is a level of tinkering most pedals do not offer, and it is what Pedal of the Day felt set the Spitfire apart from others in its build and design¹.

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