The LPD Pedals Fifty5 is a compact overdrive pedal voiced after the Fender Tweed amps of the 1950s. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio describes it as Lawrence Petros's take on the Fender Tweed-style amp, and Premier Guitar's news item says low, medium and high output sounds are all accessible from it12. It arrived in 2022 with a simple three-knob layout and a pair of toggle switches that expand its range well beyond what three knobs suggest32.
What it does
The Fifty5 belongs to the "amp-in-a-box" family of overdrive pedals: instead of a generic boost or grit circuit, it aims to reproduce the breakup character of a specific amplifier, in this case a '50s Fender Tweed. Delicious Audio has also listed it among its best Tweed-style overdrive pedals, alongside other Fender-in-a-box designs4. LPD Pedals builds a whole range of amps-in-a-box overdrives around classic circuits, including the One20Three, the Broiler and the Sixty8 Overdrive4.
The controls: Level, Drive, Tone, Voice and HDRM
The front panel carries the three classic controls, Level, Drive and Tone, familiar from any overdrive pedal12. What sets the Fifty5 apart are the two toggle switches, Voice and HDRM, which sit on top of those knobs2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output level1 |
| Drive | Amount of overdrive, interactive with the HDRM toggle1 |
| Tone | Tone shaping1 |
| Voice toggle | One of two toggles delivering tonal variations2 |
| HDRM toggle | Shifts between high and low headroom, interactive with the Drive control to bring in more or less power amp drive1 |
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley summed up the layout when the pedal was announced: "The Fifty5 arrives a compact enclosure with a simple three-knob layout" with "a pair of toggle switches for Voice and HDRM (headroom), you can access four core sounds, before even touching thos[e]" knobs3.
Delicious Audio explains the HDRM switch in more detail: it "adds more headroom to the circuit, raising the internal level threshold where the signal starts breaking up"2. In practice, that means the HDRM toggle decides how early or late the pedal breaks up as you push the Drive control, which is the same behavior a Tweed amp shows when you lean on its volume control.
The two toggles work together: Voice and HDRM give four core sounds before you touch the knobs, and Delicious Audio describes the switches as delivering "a few tonal variations" on top of the three-knob layout32.
Power and bypass
The Fifty5 runs on an external power supply, and Premier Guitar notes there is no battery compartment, so a pedalboard power supply or DC adapter is required1. Signal routing is True Bypass Switching, so the pedal is out of the signal path when switched off1.
Background and availability
LPD Pedals is the pedal company of Lawrence Petros, who Delicious Audio describes as having been "methodically working on creating overdrive pedals"2. The Fifty5 was announced in May 20223, and Premier Guitar reported it was available at the LPD Pedals website1. Delicious Audio's later buying guide to Tweed-style overdrives listed it at around $1995.
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Questions
Does the LPD Fifty5 take a battery?
No. The Fifty5 runs on 9-volt operation using a standard external supply, and Premier Guitar's news item notes it has no battery compartment. You will need a 9V DC pedal power supply or adapter to use it.
Is the LPD Fifty5 true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar lists the Fifty5 with True Bypass Switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without loading the front end of your amp or other pedals.
What does the HDRM switch do on the Fifty5?
HDRM stands for headroom. Delicious Audio describes it as adding more headroom to the circuit, raising the internal level threshold where the signal starts breaking up. Premier Guitar describes it as shifting between high and low headroom, interactive with the Drive control to bring in more or less power amp drive.
How many sounds do the Fifty5 toggles give?
Four core sounds. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley wrote that with the pair of toggle switches for Voice and HDRM, you can access four core sounds before even touching the knobs.
Where is the LPD Fifty5 made?
The Fifty5 is made in Mesa, Arizona, in the United States, according to Premier Guitar's news item on the pedal.
Sources (5)
- LPD Pedals Unveils the Fifty5 Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2022-07-07
- LPD Pedals Fifty5 Tweed-Style Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-14
- LPD Pedals' new Fifty5 presents all kinds of '50s Tweed tone mojo from one compact stompbox, MusicRadar, 2022-05-24
- LPD Pedals One20Three, Delicious Audio, 2025-01-10
- Best Tweed-Style Overdrives & Fender-in-a-Box Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-13
