The One Control Persian Green Screamer is a compact overdrive pedal designed by Bjorn Juhl of One Control. It is built around a typical Tube Screamer circuit combined with one of Juhl's own designs, what the maker calls "BJF magic," and it aims to deliver two contradicting sounds from one small box: a vintage Tube Screamer-style overdrive and a modern, more transparent one1.
The pedal is currently listed as sold out at One Control's regular price of $144.99 USD, with a second listed price of $181.99 USD on the same page1.
What it does: a Tube Screamer with BJF circuitry
Juhl describes the design plainly: "I've combined a typical tube screamer circuit with one of my own designs." The circuit uses a dual op amp and symmetrical diode clipping, the same broad topology that made the original Ibanez Tube Screamer family what it is: an op amp stage that clips the signal against a pair of diodes to generate smooth, mid-focused overdrive rather than the harder clipping of a distortion pedal1.
The Tube Screamer lineage itself goes back further. The classic circuit was based on the old germanium treble boosters and shares a very similar frequency response with them, which is part of why Tube Screamer-type pedals push the midrange the way they do2. Independent circuit analyses of Tube Screamer-style builds show the same building blocks One Control lists: an input buffer set for unity gain, and an output buffer and mixer that provides extra gain so the circuit has plenty of output signal3.
The Persian Green Screamer's twist is the two modes. In Vintage mode, the maker says it creates distortion similar to the TS-808: a creamy, warm, solid tone with emphasized midrange, suited to single coil pickups or P-90s. Modern mode is described as a transparent overdrive that can serve as a clean boost, preamp or compressor, with a wide-range, high response that works with any guitar1.
MusicRadar's review, published under Total Guitar, confirmed the split: "Vintage gives you the valve-like overdrive and midrange emphasis of a classic TS-808"4.
The controls: Drive, Level and Tone
The front panel keeps the classic three-knob layout of the Tube Screamer family, the same Drive, Tone and Level arrangement found on pedals from the Ibanez Tube Screamer to the Tube Screamer Mini and the Nu Tube Screamer5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Sets the amount of overdrive; at minimum, with LEVEL at maximum, the pedal acts as a booster1 |
| LEVEL | Sets the output volume; at maximum it turns the pedal into a booster1 |
| TONE | Adjustable in Modern mode only, with a limited range; fixed in Vintage mode1 |
| Mode switch | Slide switch on the side of the body, selecting Vintage or Modern1 |
The Tone knob's behavior is the detail worth knowing before buying. As One Control puts it: "In Modern mode, you can adjust the TONE setting whereas in Vintage mode, you cannot." In Vintage mode the tone is fixed to the pedal's TS-808-style voicing, and the knob only shapes the sound when the pedal is switched to Modern, where its range is deliberately limited1.
For a clean boost, the maker's instruction is simple: "Simply set DRIVE to minium and LEVEL to maximum."1
Size and placement on a pedalboard
The Persian Green Screamer is a mini-pedal, part of One Control's BJF Series of small-format effects designed by Bjorn Juhl1. MusicRadar identified it as one of the BJF Series mini-pedals and noted its compact size as a selling point for players with crowded boards4. Its high quality aluminum enclosure keeps the weight down while standing up to pedalboard use1.
It runs on a 9V battery or a standard DC power supply at 9V, with true-bypass switching so it leaves the signal chain alone when off1.
Stacking with other pedals
One Control suggests pairing it with the Granith Gray Booster. With a humbucker or high-output pickup, the maker says the pedal "sounds vintage when placed before Granith Grey Booster," so running the Persian Green Screamer first in the chain and the booster after it is the recommended order for that vintage result1.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's review, under Total Guitar's byline, was positive on the essentials, listing "Superb sound quality" among the pedal's strengths4.
"Vintage gives you the valve-like overdrive and midrange emphasis of a classic TS-808"
Videos
Mike Hermans
Hans Johansson
David Henriksson
Questions
Can the Persian Green Screamer be used as a clean boost?
Yes. One Control says to set DRIVE to minimum and LEVEL to maximum, which turns the pedal into a booster. In Modern mode the pedal is described as a transparent overdrive that works as a perfectly clean boost, preamp or compressor with any guitar.
Why does the Tone knob not work in Vintage mode?
The Tone control is only adjustable in Modern mode, where it has a limited range. In Vintage mode the tone is fixed, so the pedal delivers its TS-808-style creamy, warm sound with emphasized midrange without any tone shaping from the knob.
Is the Persian Green Screamer true bypass?
Yes. One Control lists the pedal as using true-bypass switching, so when it is off the guitar signal passes through without the circuit coloring the tone.
How big is the One Control Persian Green Screamer?
It measures 39mm wide by 100mm deep by 31mm high excluding protruding parts, or 47 by 100 by 48mm including them, and weighs about 160 grams. MusicRadar measured it at 48 x 47 x 100mm (HxWxD), calling it a BJF Series mini-pedal.
Can I stack the Persian Green Screamer with the Granith Grey Booster?
Yes. One Control says that with a humbucker or high-output pickup the pedal sounds vintage when placed before the Granith Grey Booster, so the two stack well in that order.
Sources (5)
- PERSIAN GREEN SCREAMER (OC-PGSn), One Control USA
- dm-t.pdf, treblebooster.net, 2025
- UBE Screamer, runoffgroove.com, 2006-08
- One Control Persian Green Screamer review, MusicRadar, 2015-09-17
- Best overdrive pedals: Find new inspiration, MusicRadar, 2022-05-25
