The Mr. Black ThunderClaw Black Widow is a distortion pedal with a 100% pure-analog, high-headroom signal path. Mr. Black describes it as "one mean, heavy and powerful distortion pedal," and when people ask what it sounds like, the company says: "like a pressure washer spraying napalm." Its mean, aggressive and graceful.1
It is an original design, not a copy of an existing circuit. Mr. Black puts it directly: "No sir, this is no clone, nor even a derivative."1 It sits alongside the company's other distortion designs such as the Mr. Black Thunderclaw, the Mr. Black CAT Distortion and the Mr. Black Black LTD. Distortion, and more broadly with other Distortion Pedals.
Controls
The ThunderClaw Black Widow keeps things simple with four controls: Treble, Bass, Volume and a distortion gain control. The treble and bass controls are active, meaning they offer both boost and cut of select treble and bass frequencies rather than only rolling them off. Mr. Black says the four controls "react just as you'd hope them to."1
Power and technical details
The pedal runs on a 9VDC 2.1mm negative center-pin power supply, the standard connector type for most pedalboard power supplies. Inside, it uses an internal split-rail power supply with +/- 9V internal split-rail operation, which Mr. Black says provides "incredible dynamic content and detail."1
Current draw is approximately 27mA, with an input impedance of ~480KΩ and an output impedance of ~1KΩ.1
The ThunderClaw Black Widow is sold as a sale item with all sales final, listed at $199.95 USD against a regular price of $219.95 USD as of 26 October 2026.1
Enclosure and documentation
The pedal comes in a custom powder coat finish with a blood graphic. A manual for the ThunderClaw is available as a PDF from Mr. Black, linked from the product page.1
Videos
Lance Seymour
thegearshark
Quimper Sound Records and Guitars
Questions
Is the Mr. Black ThunderClaw Black Widow true bypass?
Yes. Mr. Black lists the ThunderClaw Black Widow as a True-Bypass pedal, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without going through the pedal's circuitry. It runs a 100% pure-analog, high-headroom signal path when engaged.
Is the ThunderClaw a clone of another pedal?
No. Mr. Black states plainly that the ThunderClaw is an original circuit: "No sir, this is no clone, nor even a derivative." It is the company's own design, not a copy of another maker's distortion.
What power supply does the ThunderClaw Black Widow need?
The ThunderClaw Black Widow runs on a 9VDC 2.1mm negative center-pin power supply, the same connector type used by most standard pedal power supplies. Inside, it uses a split-rail power supply with +/- 9V internal split-rail operation, which Mr. Black says gives the pedal incredible dynamic content and detail.
How much current does the ThunderClaw draw?
Mr. Black lists the current draw at approximately 27mA. That is modest by modern pedal standards, but it is worth checking against the per-output budget of your power supply before adding it to a daisy chain.
Is there a manual for the Mr. Black ThunderClaw?
Yes. Mr. Black hosts a manual for the ThunderClaw as a PDF on its site, linked from the pedal's product page.
Sources (1)
- ThunderClaw Black Widow, Mr. Black
