The Mad Professor 1 is an overdrive pedal made by Mad Professor, built around one specific target: the vintage "brown sound" made famous by Van Halen. Performer Magazine's reviewer, Chris Devine, wrote that it "convincingly dials in that vintage 'brown sound' made famous by Van Halen"1. What sets it apart from most overdrive pedals is that it also carries a reverb, which the same reviewer called "a great British overdrive sounding pedal with reverb"1.
What it does
The pedal's main drive control is the Brown knob. In Devine's hands, "the Brown knob controls the Overdrive, but even at zero, it still has plenty of gain. Increasing it adds high-end frequencies that can cut, but don't get harsh"1. That means the pedal never fully cleans up: even with the drive rolled off, there is gain on tap, and turning it up adds presence rather than fizz.
The reverb side is where the Mad Professor 1 differs from a typical pedal with a spring tank. Devine found "it's not a standard spring type sound, more like a studio quality hi-fi version"1. Two internal trim pots shape it:
- One adjusts the reverb's decay time1
- The other is a tone control that can brighten or darken the decay1
Both are inside the pedal, so the reverb is set-and-forget rather than adjusted on the fly1.
Devine's overall verdict was short and direct:
"Nails that circa 1978 Sunset Strip era sound at a great price."
Performer Magazine, October 20161
The pedal was also demoed by Pete Thorn in a December 2013 video, where he presented it as "the Mad Professor one pedal"2.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Mad Professor Amplification
Mad Professor Amplification
Questions
What does the Mad Professor 1 do?
It is an overdrive pedal that also includes reverb. Performer Magazine's reviewer found it convincingly dials in the vintage "brown sound" made famous by Van Halen, describing it as a great British overdrive sounding pedal with reverb.
What does the reverb on the Mad Professor 1 sound like?
According to Performer Magazine's review, it is not a standard spring type sound, more like a studio quality hi-fi version. Two internal trim pots let you adjust the reverb's decay time and a tone control that can brighten or darken the decay.
How much does the Mad Professor 1 cost?
Performer Magazine listed the Mad Professor 1 at $199 in its October 2016 review, and concluded that it nails that circa 1978 Sunset Strip era sound at a great price overall.
Sources (2)
- Mad Professor 1 Overdrive Pedal Review, Performer Magazine, 2016-10-11
- Mad Professor 1, demo by Pete Thorn, youtube.com, 2013-12-23
