The Moth Electric C. Regalis is an overdrive pedal that also covers boost and mid-gain distortion. Premier Guitar's announcement describes it as "capable of massive boost, natural, singing overdrive, and searing mid-gain distortion," and it carries a $179.99 price, available from mothelectric.com1. It sits in the wider family of overdrive pedals, with enough output on tap to push an amp or act as a boost pedal in front of other drives.
Controls
The C. Regalis has five knobs: Bass, Treble, Blend, Volume and Drive1. The tone section is active, meaning the Bass and Treble controls can both cut and boost rather than only roll off.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| Volume | Output level; the maker claims "more volume than you'll ever need"1 |
| Blend | A clean blend for mixing in your amp's natural character or another effect1 |
| Bass | Active control, plus or minus 15 dB of boost and cut1 |
| Treble | Active control, plus or minus 15 dB of boost and cut1 |
Premier Guitar's buying guide later summed up the tone section as "the C. Regalis' powerful +/-15 dB bass-and-treble EQ"3. That range is wide for a drive pedal, and the active design means the knobs can add as well as remove bass and treble.
The pedal also has two voicing modes, Smooth and Crunch. Premier Guitar's announcement describes them as a subtle change in feel, with Smooth increasing sustain and Crunch introducing high-order harmonics for additional texture1.
How it sounds and how it compares
The circuit runs on six op-amps, which the announcement credits with powering "a dynamic, crunchy overdrive circuit"1. Premier Guitar's reviewer came away well disposed to it:
"the C. Regalis has a drive section that sounds great and is very versatile by itself and makes the whole very special"
The same review compared it with a klone, the family of Klon-style drives, and found the C. Regalis "generally airer and less compressed than the klone, which translates to a lot of headroom and range"2. In practical terms, that positions it as its own design rather than a Klon copy, with the active EQ and clean blend giving it controls a Klon-style pedal does not offer. For players weighing it against more conventional drives, the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers the classic overdrive pair it sits apart from.
Power, bypass and build
The C. Regalis runs on 9-volt DC from an external power supply and has no battery compartment, so it needs a spot on a standard pedalboard supply1. Switching is true bypass, and the jacks are top-mounted, which the announcement notes is for easy placement on crowded pedalboards1. The pedal is designed and hand-built in the USA using through-hole components, the larger and older style of parts rather than surface-mount miniatures1.
Because there is no battery compartment, the C. Regalis will not run on a 9-volt battery. Plan for a power supply output on your board.
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Questions
Does the Moth Electric C. Regalis take a battery?
No. The C. Regalis runs on 9-volt DC power from an external supply and has no battery compartment, so you will need a standard pedalboard power supply or a 9-volt adapter to use it.
Is the C. Regalis true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses true-bypass switching, and its jacks are mounted on top of the enclosure, which makes it easier to fit into a crowded pedalboard without wide right-angle plugs.
Does the C. Regalis work with bass guitar?
Yes. Premier Guitar's announcement describes it as equally suited for guitar and bass, and the clean blend control is useful for keeping low-end fundamentals intact while the drive circuit works.
How is the C. Regalis different from a Klon?
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the C. Regalis generally airier and less compressed than a klone, which translates into a lot of headroom and range. It is its own design rather than a Klon copy, with active EQ and a clean blend the Klon layout does not have.
Where is the Moth Electric C. Regalis made?
It is designed and hand-built in the USA using through-hole components, the larger style of parts that many players associate with easier servicing and classic pedal construction.
Sources (3)
- Introducing C. Regalis Overdrive by Moth Electric, Premier Guitar, 2025-02-12
- Moth Electric C. Regalis Overdrive Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2025-06-21
- The Year In Gear 2025, Premier Guitar, 2025-11-07