The Oneder Effects Red Ryder is a RAT-style distortion pedal made in Michigan, originally designed as a bass pre-amp drive pedal. Oneder says it became one of the maker's all-time favorite guitar dirt boxes along the way, and the maker describes V1 as "a bass-friendly, low-gain-loving sleeper in the Rat-style distortion world"1. What sets it apart from a straight RAT clone is a clean blend and a pre-gain low-end control, both aimed at players who want dirt without losing their low end.
The pedal is currently back in production in two forms: a reissue of the original circuit and a redesigned V2. Both are listed at a regular price of £153.00 on the maker's site12.
What the Red Ryder does
The circuit is based on the RAT, hosting the LM308 chip found in vintage RAT pedals in its earlier form5. Oneder has since redesigned the internals: the maker says it "swapped out the overrated LM308 chip for the more reliable and available OP07" and redesigned the guts to be more road-ready2. Delicious Audio found the pedal has a more amp-like sound than the original RAT5.
The bass-friendly design comes through in two places. A Wet/Dry blend lets you mix your clean signal back in, which Oneder describes as useful for emulating a two-amp bass rig, adding clarity, or blending with other pedals5. A pre-gain Weight control adds low-end heft before the drive stage2. The enclosure carries a laser-etched acrylic faceplate, and the reissue gets an updated Red Sparkle finish that Oneder calls "more red, and more sparkly"25.
The controls
The control set covers gain shaping, tone, and how much of your clean signal survives. Guitar Pedal X listed the controls as Level, Drive, a Clipping toggle (Asymmetrical / LED), Tone, Low End, and Wet/Dry Mix6, and in a RAT-style roundup described the same knobs as Range (Dark to Bright), Blend (Wet to Dry), and Weight (Pre-Gain Lows)7.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of distortion |
| Level | Sets the output volume |
| Tone / Range | Tone sweep, dark to bright67 |
| Weight / Low End | Pre-gain control that tailors in more low-end heft25 |
| Wet/Dry (Blend) | Mixes clean and distorted signal; the knob lights up5 |
| Clipping toggle | Selects between two clipping modes5 |
The clipping toggle is where the character changes happen. The stock up position is asymmetrical silicon diode clipping, which Oneder describes as amp-like breakup; the down position is LED diode clipping, described as louder and crunchier with a more open, crunchy tone25. The V2 adds a third option: a "V2" clipping mode with pure op-amp clipping, which Oneder says unlocks more volume and definition with less compression1. V2 also gets a larger, more intuitive blend knob1.
History and versions
The Red Ryder was discontinued for some time, as Guitar Pedal X noted in a 2024 review of the related Onederbolt3, before Oneder brought it back. The reissue keeps the original circuit with the OP07 chip swap and the updated finish2. The V2 goes further: Oneder says it "takes everything great about the original and refines it for more versatility, tweakability, clarity, and power," with an expanded lower-gain range alongside high-gain capability1.
A note on pricing history: Guitar Pedal X listed the Red Ryder at $169 in its 2024 best-of-year distortion piece6 and at $199 in its RAT-style roundup, where it was already marked discontinued7. The current maker listing is £153.001.
Power is 9V DC center negative, isolated power only, with no battery snap15. A standard 2.1mm barrel supply is required and not included, and the isolated-only requirement rules out a shared daisy chain5.
What reviewers said
Reviewers have had favorable things to say about the Red Ryder's control set. One reviewer wrote that "it has one of the most perfect complement of controls"7. On tone, another was more measured, comparing it against a rival:
"It's not quite up at the level of the Sentimental Bob Tephra, but it's very decent nonetheless!"
The same reviewer who weighed the Red Ryder's tone against the Sentimental Bob Tephra listed it at $1696. Players interested in Oneder's other dirt pedals can also look at the Oneder Effects Onederbolt.
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Questions
Is the Oneder Red Ryder true bypass?
The current reissue and V2 use clickless relay bypass footswitching12. The earlier version was described by Delicious Audio as true bypass5. Relay switching gives true bypass behavior without the mechanical click.
Does the Oneder Red Ryder take a battery?
No. There is no battery snap, and the pedal requires a 9V DC center negative power supply, which is not included5. Oneder specifies isolated power only1.
What chip does the Oneder Red Ryder use?
The current version uses an OP07. Oneder says it swapped out the LM308 chip found in vintage RAT pedals, calling the OP07 more reliable and available2. Earlier units hosted the LM3085.
Is the Oneder Red Ryder good on guitar as well as bass?
Yes. It was originally designed as a bass pre-amp drive pedal, but Oneder says it became one of the maker's all-time favorite guitar dirt boxes81. Guitar Pedal X included it in both a RAT-style distortion roundup and a best-of-year distortion list43.
Sources (8)
- Red Ryder Distortion V2 RED, Oneder Effects
- Red Ryder Distortion, Oneder Effects
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-03-06
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-01-19
- Oneder Effects Red Ryder Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2023-09-18
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-08-30
- Red Ryder Distortion V2 WHITE, Oneder Effects
