The Mattoverse FloraVolt is a fruit and vegetable powered audio saturator effects pedal made by Mattoverse Electronics. Instead of a battery or a power supply, you push a piece of produce onto silver and copper pegs on top of the pedal, and that produce forms a simple organic battery that powers the circuit1. Depending on the fruit or vegetable you use, Mattoverse says it is capable of everything from starved distorted tones to mild overdrive and low gain crunch2.
Guitar World described it when it launched as "an overdrive/distortion that uses fruit and vegetables as organic batteries"3. Both the FloraVolt and the smaller FloraVolt Mini are listed as sold out on the maker's product pages as of late October 202614.
How the organic battery works
The FloraVolt has no power jack and no battery compartment. To power it, you push a fruit or vegetable onto the silver and copper pegs mounted in the enclosure. The two dissimilar metals in contact with the moist produce form a simple organic battery, and that tiny cell is what drives the pedal's circuit1.
Because most fruits and vegetables provide very little voltage and current, the maximum volume output is usually close to or slightly above unity gain1. Guitar.com made the same point at launch: "due to the voltage limitation of most fruit and vegetables, the maximum volume will be close to, or just slightly over" unity gain5. Guitar World likewise noted that most fruit and vegetables will leave it operating slightly above unity gain3. In practice that means the FloraVolt is about adding saturation character, not boosting your level.
The low voltage is also what shapes the sound. A weaker piece of produce starves the circuit, which is where the starved distorted tones come from, while a better one yields milder overdrive and low gain crunch2.
The controls and jacks
The FloraVolt keeps its panel minimal. Signal goes in and out through 1/4" mono top-mounted jacks, and a single footswitch engages the circuit16.
| Control or jack | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain knob (side mounted) | Sets the amount of drive2 |
| Bass roll-off toggle switch | Trims low end2 |
| Footswitch | Engages the circuit6 |
| 1/4" input and output jacks | Top mounted, mono1 |
| Silver and copper pegs | Hold the fruit or vegetable that powers the pedal1 |
The current version has dropped the volume knob and tone cut switch that previous versions carried, because as Mattoverse puts it, "they didn't do much anyway"1. Otherwise the maker says the current version is basically the same as the earlier ones1.
The enclosure is bare aluminum with an engraved frosted acrylic faceplate, which Mattoverse says makes for easier cleanup after your produce has done its job1.
Versions: FloraVolt and FloraVolt Mini
Mattoverse also makes the FloraVolt Mini, a simpler, stripped down and more affordable version of the standard FloraVolt4. Like its bigger sibling it is a fruit/vegetable powered audio saturator, and it needs no batteries or external power: you push the pegs into a fruit or vegetable to form the organic battery4.
| FloraVolt | FloraVolt Mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | Gain knob, bass roll-off toggle, footswitch26 | None; just an input and output jack4 |
| Power | Fruit/vegetable on silver and copper pegs1 | Fruit/vegetable on pegs, no batteries or external power125 |
| Versions | Current version drops the volume knob and tone cut switch of earlier versions1 | Available in Pink and Teal colors4 |
| Best with | Guitar, bass, synths, drum machines1 | Synths and drum machines; Mattoverse suggests an apple4 |
Mattoverse says the standard FloraVolt works well with guitar or bass, and that they especially enjoy it on synths and drum machines1. For the Mini, the maker's suggestion is to "use an apple to sweetly saturate your synths and drum machines"4. The maker's product page also mentions a friend of Cory Hunt running a harmonica through the pedal1.
Which produce to use
Mattoverse says the FloraVolt works well with a variety of apples, bananas, potatoes, and citrus fruits, but is not guaranteed to work with every type of fruit or vegetable1. Guitar World reported the maker recommends apples, bananas, potatoes and citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and limes as good options3.
Mattoverse cannot guarantee results with every produce variety, so expect some trial and error in finding what works with your unit3.
Guitar.com's Daniel Seah found that trial-and-error element to be part of the appeal, and noted the FloraVolt reminds him of the Rainger FX Minibar Liquid Analyser, another pedal with an unconventional power source5.
Where it came from
The FloraVolt reached players quickly after its announcement: by January 2023 it was available to purchase at $14931, and Guitar.com reported it available to order at the same price on January 10, 20231. The fruit powered pedal is a fruit/vegetable powered audio saturator, using fruit and vegetables as organic batteries to drive an overdrive/distortion circuit13.
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Questions
Which fruits and vegetables work with the Mattoverse FloraVolt?
Mattoverse says it works well with a variety of apples, bananas, potatoes, and citrus fruits, and Guitar World reported the maker recommends citrus like oranges, lemons and limes. It is not guaranteed to work with every type of fruit or vegetable, so some trial and error is expected.
Is the FloraVolt true bypass?
Yes. The maker lists True Hardwire Bypass among the pedal's features, so your clean signal passes through untouched when the circuit is disengaged.
How loud is the FloraVolt?
Most fruits and vegetables provide very little voltage and current, so the maximum volume output is usually close to or slightly above unity gain. It is a saturator for color, not a boost for level.
Does the FloraVolt work on bass or synths?
Yes. Mattoverse says it works well with guitar or bass and that they especially enjoy it on synths and drum machines. The FloraVolt Mini is described as a good fit for sweetly saturating synths and drum machines with an apple.
Can you still buy a Mattoverse FloraVolt?
As of late October 2026 both the FloraVolt and the FloraVolt Mini are listed as sold out on the maker's product pages. The FloraVolt carried a list price of $149.00 when it was available.
Sources (6)
- Mattoverse FloraVolt, Mattoverse Electronics
- Mattoverse FloraVolt, Mattoverse Electronics
- Hear Mattoverse's fruit and veg-powered pedal, the FloraVolt, in action, Guitar World, 2023-01-09
- Mattoverse FloraVolt Mini, Mattoverse Electronics
- Floravolt is an overdrive pedal powered by fruits and veggies, Guitar.com, 2023-01-10
- Meet the FloraVolt, a fruit-powered guitar pedal, Guitar World, 2022-12-07
