The Messiah Guitars Eddie Haddad BoostDrive is a signature overdrive designed with Eddie Haddad, built around a Tube Screamer style symmetrical soft-clipping overdrive circuit with a MOSFET boost on the same board. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer described it as "a supremely versatile screamer style symmetrical-clipping overdrive with amazing dynamics and fantastic guitar knob" response, covering what he called "clean enhancement, Tweed-style fuzz, Marshally crunch, metal, and further gain combinations"1. For players, that places it in the extended-range corner of the overdrive field: a boost and a distortion-adjacent gain stage in one enclosure, rather than a single-voiced screamer.
Controls and voicing modes
The pedal carries two footswitches, one for the boost and one for the drive, so either side can be used alone or stacked. The full control set, as listed by Guitar Pedal X2:
| Control | What it is |
|---|---|
| Drive | Overdrive gain knob |
| Boost | Boost level knob |
| Level | Output level |
| Tight | Switch mounted on the side of the pedal |
| Mode | Silicon (Green) or LED (Red) voicing |
| Low, Mid, High | Three-band EQ |
| Boost Footswitch | Engages the MOSFET boost |
| Drive Footswitch | Engages the overdrive |
The two voicing modes are the heart of the extended range. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer wrote that "The two Voicing Mode options - Silicon and LED give you even further range - where each has its own distinctive character", and grouped them with the Tight switch, the three-band EQ and the Drive, Boost and Level knobs as offering "broad, dynamic control and guitar knob gain" shaping1. The reviews describe what the modes do in character terms but not at the component level, so a player choosing between them is choosing between two distinct clipping voicings rather than a documented technical difference.
Versions and availability
Two versions were made:
- Blackout Limited Edition, a run of 150 units. Reviewer Stefan Karlsson wrote in July 2023 that he believed he had gotten "one of the last of the Blackout Limited Editions of 150", and that only the standard version remained available1.
- Army Green Standard Edition, priced at $279 and available for order from the Messiah Guitars webstore at the time of the July 2023 review1.
The Blackout Limited Edition was capped at 150 units and had sold through by July 2023. The Standard Edition was the version still on sale at that date1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X reviewed the pedal in July 2023 and returned to it in its December 2023 roundup of the year's distortion pedals, where it was listed at $2792. The reviewer's verdict there: "An incredible versatile pedal - really well calibrated for maximum impact. One of my favourite from the year for sure"2.
He also placed it against a known multi-gain pedal: "For me it's somewhat reminiscent of the Jackson Audio Broken Arrow - which has a similar extended range concept of core" gain stages expanded in both directions1. For a player weighing the BoostDrive, that comparison frames it as a wide-range gain pedal in the same spirit as the Broken Arrow, built on a screamer core rather than a new circuit.
Haddad's own suggested presets give a map of the pedal's range: Maximum Overdrive, Tweed on Fire, Buttah Drive, Riffs of Rover, Thrash and Burn, and Clobber Drive. The reviewer credited him with "a superb job with suggesting useful and highly musical presets"1, and the names track the sounds described, from clean enhancement through Tweed-style fuzz and Marshall-style crunch to metal.
Videos
R.J. Ronquillo
Sean Pierce Johnson
Eddie H 🎸
Questions
What is the difference between the Silicon and LED modes on the BoostDrive?
The BoostDrive has two voicing modes, Silicon and LED, selected by a Mode control that shows Green for Silicon and Red for LED. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer found that each mode has its own distinctive character and gives the pedal further range beyond the core screamer-style overdrive, working alongside the Tight switch and the three-band EQ to shape the gain.
What does the Tight switch do on the Messiah BoostDrive?
The Tight switch is a control mounted on the side of the pedal, listed by Guitar Pedal X alongside the Drive, Boost and Level knobs and the Low, Mid and High EQ. The published reviews describe it as part of the pedal's broad, dynamic control over gain and tone, but they do not give a detailed account of its circuit function.
Is the Blackout Limited Edition BoostDrive still available?
No. The Blackout Limited Edition was a run of 150 units, and by the time of Guitar Pedal X's July 2023 review the reviewer believed he had gotten one of the last of them. Only the standard Army Green edition was available at that time.
How does the BoostDrive compare to the Jackson Audio Broken Arrow?
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer compared the two in concept rather than circuitry, writing that the BoostDrive is somewhat reminiscent of the Jackson Audio Broken Arrow, which has a similar extended range concept. Both pedals aim to cover a wide span of gain beyond a single overdrive voicing.
What presets are suggested for the Eddie Haddad BoostDrive?
Designer Eddie Haddad suggested a set of named presets for the pedal: Maximum Overdrive, Tweed on Fire, Buttah Drive, Riffs of Rover, Thrash and Burn, and Clobber Drive. The reviewer called these useful and highly musical, and they map onto the pedal's range from clean enhancement through fuzz, crunch and metal.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-07-24
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-17
