The Gnawer Full Fat Distortion is a projected new format for the NRG Effects Gnawer, a distortion pedal. What this page describes is a mockup: in an August 2024 buying guide, Guitar Pedal X sketched out a full-fat version of the Gnawer and was clear that it was not a product anyone could buy yet. "The NRG Effects Gnawer in the new format doesn't exist quite yet - I expect it to materialise later this year," the writer stated1.
What it does
The 2024 mockup extends the Gnawer idea with what Guitar Pedal X calls "Neil's new smart 'Plus' second channel solution - which is in effect a combined Gain and Volume Boost Plus control"1. In practice, that means one knob acts as a second channel: turning up Plus pushes both the gain and the volume together, rather than splitting the two across separate controls or a footswitch. The mockup's estimated control set is Loud, Gain, Bite, Plus and Dampen1.
The estimated control layout for the mockup runs to five knobs:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Loud | Output level (estimated) |
| Gain | Distortion amount (estimated) |
| Bite | Tone or character shaping (estimated) |
| Plus | Combined Gain and Volume Boost, the second-channel control1 |
| Dampen | Estimated control, function not described further1 |
Karlsson listed the controls as "Loud, Gain, Bite, Plus, Dampen", marking the set as estimated, so the exact function of each knob beyond Plus is his projection rather than a specification from the maker1.
This page covers a mockup, not a shipping product. The estimated price of £299 / $319 for the Black Edition is the writer's projection from August 2024, not a maker's list price1.
Where it came from
The Gnawer in the new full-fat format doesn't exist quite yet, but it is expected to materialise later this year. The mockup shows controls for Loud, Gain, Bite, Plus, and Dampen, and features Neil's new smart 'Plus' second channel solution, which is in effect a combined Gain and Volume Boost. The estimated list price is £299 / $319 for the Black Edition. The released pedal is covered on the NRG Effects Gnawer page1.
Questions
Is the NRG Effects Gnawer Full Fat Distortion a real pedal?
Not at the time it was written about. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described the new-format Gnawer as a mockup that did not exist yet, writing in August 2024 that he expected it to materialise later that year. The Gnawer itself was announced in December 2023 as a Rat-inspired dual-channel overdrive, and a later 2026 edition was reviewed separately.
What is the Plus control on the Gnawer?
Karlsson describes Plus as Neil's second-channel solution, in effect a combined Gain and Volume Boost control. Rather than a separate footswitchable channel, one knob adds gain and level together, which is an unusual arrangement for a compact Rat-style distortion.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-30
