The Architect V3 Overdrive + Boost is an overdrive pedal from Matthews Effects that pairs a foundational overdrive circuit with an independent boost, both under separate footswitch control. Writing about it, Guitar Pedal X's author summed up his verdict this way: "It has a lot of range on it for sure, while the default voicing is not quite as 'phat' or singing as on my favourite var"1.
Controls
The pedal splits its controls between the two circuits, each with its own footswitch1.
| Section | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | Clipping toggle | Selects Germanium, Lift or Silicon clipping1 |
| Drive | Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| Drive | Low, Mid, High | Active three-band EQ12 |
| Drive | Output | Sets the drive section's level1 |
| Drive | Drive footswitch | Engages or bypasses the overdrive1 |
| Boost | Boost Type toggle | Selects Silicon or MOSFET clipping for the boost1 |
| Boost | Boost Level | Sets the boost's volume1 |
| Boost | Boost footswitch | Engages or bypasses the boost1 |
Because the drive and boost have separate switches and separate level controls, they can be used on their own or together, with the boost acting as a clean-ish volume push or, with its own diode options, as a second gain stage1.
The three clipping voices
Delicious Audio's product page describes the clipping toggle as offering "three different clipping options to give you 3 different colors of gain which helps you dial in the Architect to work" with different setups2. The three positions, in the maker's and press's words:
- Germanium: "Compressed and tight."2
- Silicon: "Very tight and crunchy."2
- Diode Lift: "Only the slight natural clipping great for pushing a dirty amp," the most open setting of the three2
The Lift position is the one players reaching for an amp's own breakup will use most: with the diodes out of the path, the pedal contributes only light clipping and level, letting the amp do the work2.
The EQ
The Architect V3's three-band EQ is active, not passive. Delicious Audio explains: "The EQ in the Architect V3 gives you active control over the Treble, Mids and Lows. Acitvely boost or cut these frequencies" to match the pedal to your guitar and amp2. An active EQ can add gain as well as remove it, which matters when carving a place for the pedal in a band mix or compensating for a dark guitar through a bright amp.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X covered the Architect V3 repeatedly, listing it among Klon-style and compact overdrive pedals in 2019 and 2020 and noting its "3-Band EQ, and with different clipping on both the Overdrive and Boost elements"34. In a later 2025 roundup, Stefan Karlsson gave a measured verdict:
"It has a lot of range on it for sure, while the default voicing is not quite as 'phat' or singing as on my favourite variants"
That is the honest summary of the pedal: wide coverage across clipping types and EQ, with a default voicing that some players will want to reshape with the active EQ rather than take as found134.
The Architect V3 is discontinued. Earlier Guitar Pedal X listings from 2019 and 2020 quoted its price as £18934; the 2025 listing gives $1891. As a discontinued pedal it turns up secondhand rather than new.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Matthews Effects Architect V3 discontinued?
Yes. Guitar Pedal X's 2025 review listing marks the Architect V3 Overdrive + Boost as discontinued, with a last listed price of $189. The pedal first appeared publicly at the Delicious Audio NAMM 2019 Stompbox Booth, so it had a run of several years before being retired.
How much did the Architect V3 Overdrive + Boost cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed it at $189 in its September 2025 review, where it was marked discontinued. Earlier Guitar Pedal X roundups from July 2019 and March 2020 listed it at £189, so the price was quoted in pounds in those earlier pieces and in dollars in the later one.
What clipping options does the Architect V3 have?
The overdrive side offers three clipping choices via a toggle: Germanium, which Delicious Audio describes as compressed and tight; Silicon, described as very tight and crunchy; and Diode Lift, which leaves only slight natural clipping, described as great for pushing a dirty amp. The boost side has its own Silicon or MOSFET diode flavor option.
Does the Architect V3 have an EQ?
Yes. It has an active three-band EQ covering lows, mids and treble. Because the EQ is active, it can boost as well as cut those frequencies, which Delicious Audio notes lets you shape the pedal's tone to match your guitar and amp combination.
Can the overdrive and boost be used separately?
Yes. The Architect V3 has separate footswitches for the drive and boost sections, plus separate controls for each: the drive side has Gain, Output, the EQ bands and a clipping toggle, while the boost side has its own Level control and a Silicon/MOSFET type toggle.
Sources (4)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-03
- Matthews FX Architect V3 Foundational Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2019-06-05
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2019-07-23
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020-03-29
