The Malaise Forever Golden Guillotine is a hand-made, heavy distortion pedal with a pre-gain boost and a post gain knob, built by a very boutique one-man builder based in Columbus, OH1. Its core idea is two gain stages in one box: one knob drives a pre-distortion boost stage that pushes the distortion stage behind it, and the second knob sets that distortion stage itself.
Two gain stages and how they stack
Malaise Forever describes the pedal as "a massive distortion with two gain knobs: one for a pre-distortion boost stage to absolutely demolish the distortion" stage that follows it1. The boost stage works like an internal boost feeding the main distortion circuit, so the two controls interact: more boost means a harder-driven distortion stage, not just more volume.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described the result of combining the two stages1:
"Combining them results in a massive wall of distortion that is almost too much to handle, but still stays within the realm of harmonic clarity."
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain (boost stage) | Sets the pre-distortion boost stage feeding the distortion stage1 |
| Gain (distortion stage) | Sets the distortion stage itself1 |
| Post gain knob | Output level after the gain stages1 |
| Three-way clipping switch | Hard clipping diode control, plus a clipping bypass position for uncompressed high output1 |
The clipping switch is the third main voicing control. With the diodes engaged, the pedal clips harder; in bypass, the output is uncompressed and louder1.
Power
The Golden Guillotine takes only center negative 9V DC power and has no battery snap, which Delicious Audio frames as no batteries to throw away1. It can run with a daisy chain gang, so it can share a supply with other pedals on a board1.
There is no battery option: the pedal has no battery snap, so a 9V DC center negative supply is required1.
Malaise Forever
Malaise Forever is a one-man operation in Columbus, Ohio, and the Golden Guillotine is hand-made1. The pedal takes only center negative 9VDC power, with no battery snap, so no batteries can be used1.
Videos
collector//emitter
Pedal Friends
Hondo Felder Music
Questions
Does the Malaise Forever Golden Guillotine take a battery?
No. The Golden Guillotine has no battery snap, so it cannot run on batteries. Delicious Audio describes this as meaning no batteries to throw away. It runs only on 9V DC center negative power from an external supply.
What does the clipping switch do on the Golden Guillotine?
It is a three-way switch for hard clipping diode control, plus a clipping bypass position that gives an uncompressed high output. In bypass, the pedal does not clip the signal with the diodes, so the output stays louder and less compressed.
Can the Golden Guillotine run from a daisy chain power supply?
Yes. Delicious Audio notes the pedal can run with a daisy chain gang, so it can share a multi-output supply with other pedals, provided the output is 9V DC center negative.
Where is the Malaise Forever Golden Guillotine made?
Malaise Forever is a very boutique one-man builder based in Columbus, Ohio, and the Golden Guillotine is hand-made there.
What is the pre-distortion boost stage on the Golden Guillotine?
It is a gain stage placed before the distortion stage, with its own knob. Turned up, it pushes the distortion stage hard; Delicious Audio describes the combination as a massive wall of distortion that is almost too much to handle, but still stays within the realm of harmonic clarity.
Sources (1)
- Malaise Forever Golden Guillotine Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2020-06-04