The Okko Diablo GH is a signature overdrive and boost pedal from German maker Okko FX, built with blues guitarist and guitar collector Gregor Hilden and released in April 20171. Okko FX describes it as a "super-dynamic overdrive and clean boost" that offers "exceptional dynamic qualities and super-clear, warm tone in a precisely adjustable 2-in-1 Overdrive and Boost pedal"2.
What sets it apart from many overdrives is the boost side. The BOOST section is a completely independent circuit located after the drive section, so it pushes whatever the overdrive is already doing rather than feeding into it. Okko FX also says that, unlike many other overdrives, it works perfectly with clean amps2. MusicRadar called it a "clean boost for tone connoisseurs" at launch1.
A Gregor Hilden signature version of the Diablo
The Diablo GH is a variant of the Okko Diablo, the company's long-running overdrive. Okko FX says the GH model is "based on the classic Diablo but comes with a few tweaks and a set of new controls that affect the 'feel' of the pedal"2.
The signature model exists because of a long relationship. Gregor Hilden was one of the first players to buy an Okko Diablo when the company started out more than ten years before the GH's release, and he kept the Diablo as his main overdrive ever since, playing it in hundreds of shows and in the numerous guitar demo videos on his GregsGuitars YouTube channel3. Okko FX frames the pedal as a thank you: "High time to say THANK YOU with this signature model"2. Gearnews noted he had been using the pedal on his channel continually for over ten years to demonstrate vintage guitars3.
Okko FX is a German pedal manufacturer known for its overdrive pedals, and the Diablo GH Signature is its signature model made as a thank you to Gregor Hilden3.
The controls and mini-switches
The GH carries the Diablo's unusual control set plus the new feel-oriented controls. Okko FX's descriptions of each control2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| FEED | Controls low frequencies in the input signal, allowing tight and transparent sounds even with fat-sounding neck pickups |
| BODY | Different from the regular Diablo: adds low mids in the first gain stage for thick, singing lead sounds |
| MIDS | Changes frequencies in the tone control, for matching pedal and amp tone |
| DYN | Adjusts an internal voltage doubler from six to 18 volts |
| INPUT mini-switch | Three positions, setting the sensitivity of the input gain stage for best interaction with your guitars |
| BOOST knob | Master volume for the boost section, with gain set fixed |
| TONE (boost) | Controls treble content of the boosted signal; dial back for sweet boosted lead sounds |
The input mini-switch is a practical touch for players with more than one guitar: Gearnews described it as letting you "set the level for the input, in turn allowing you to dial in the optimum sensitivity depending on the output of your guitar's pickups"3. MusicRadar's launch coverage listed the input and mids mini-switches, Feed for adjusting lower frequencies, and Body to add low mids1.
What the DYN control does
DYN, short for Dynamic, adjusts an internal voltage doubler from six to 18 volts, which lets you tweak sag and compression1. According to Okko FX, "Increasing the headroom results in less compression, tighter bass and more punch"2. In practice it is a feel control: lower internal voltage for a softer, more compressed response, higher voltage for a tighter, more open one.
How it differs from the regular Diablo
The core Diablo is, in the words of an independent technical analysis on the Guitar FX Layouts blog, "a versatile low to medium gain overdrive with an exceptionally dynamic response" that preserves the character of your instruments and is sensitive to your playing technique4. Its control set is Gain, Tone and Level knobs plus FEED, BODY and a headroom switch4.
The GH keeps that foundation but changes the BODY control, which on the regular Diablo takes effect on mids and compression2, and adds the new feel controls and the post-drive boost. On the original Diablo, the Presence and Bass controls were internal trimmers; a popular DIY mod, the "Modded Monster Pot Edition," brought them out as external knobs for an eight-knob version4.
Price and availability
At launch in April 2017, the Diablo GH was available immediately at €249/$2491, with Gearnews reporting a European RRP of €2493. Okko FX's own store currently lists the Diablo GH Signature at €209,24 excluding shipping, and shows it in stock2.
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Questions
Who designed the Okko Diablo GH?
The Diablo GH was created by German pedal maker Okko FX in collaboration with German blues guitarist and guitar collector Gregor Hilden. Okko FX released it in April 2017 as a signature model, which the maker describes as a thank you to Hilden for playing a Diablo in hundreds of shows and in his GregsGuitars YouTube demo videos.
How is the Diablo GH different from the Okko Diablo?
The GH is based on the classic Diablo but adds a few tweaks and a set of new controls that affect the feel of the pedal. The BODY control is different from the regular Diablo, adding low mids in the first gain stage for thick, singing lead sounds, and the GH also carries an independent clean boost section after the drive circuit.
What does the Dyn control do on the Diablo GH?
Dyn, short for Dynamic, adjusts an internal voltage doubler from six to 18 volts. Raising the internal voltage increases headroom, which Okko FX says results in less compression, tighter bass and more punch, while lowering it lets you dial in more sag and compression.
How much does the Okko Diablo GH cost in the US?
At launch in April 2017 the Diablo GH sold for $249 in the US, alongside a European price of 249 euros. Okko FX's own store currently lists the Diablo GH Signature at 209.24 euros excluding shipping, and shows it in stock.
Sources (4)
- Okko unleashes Diablo GH Gregor Hilden Signature Overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-04-20
- DIABLO GH Signature, OKKO FX
- Okko FX Gregor Hilden Diablo Signature Overdrive, gearnews.com, 2017-04-21
- Guitar FX Layouts: OKKO Diablo, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2012-09-14
