The Pause & Effects Thalassa is a harmonic overdrive pedal, part of the maker's Greek Alphabet Pedal Series. It is built around germanium OA1150 diodes and red LEDs for clipping, with a central NE5532P op-amp, and it pairs its overdrive circuit with a two-band active EQ. In 2026 it received what Guitar Pedal X called a very significant format upgrade, shaped with input from the reviewer Stefan Karlsson and Attila of Pause & Effects1.
Controls
The Thalassa keeps its control set to four knobs: the usual Volume and Gain, plus active bass and treble bands that cut or boost by up to 18dB1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive1 |
| Active Bass | ±18dB, centerd around 70-80Hz1 |
| Active Treble | ±18dB, centerd around 3-4 kHz1 |
Because the bass and treble controls are active rather than passive, each band can cut as well as boost, and the centers sit low and high enough to shape the whole range of a guitar signal rather than one narrow band1.
The upgraded format
The 2026 format upgrade changed the pedal's look as well as its footprint. Attila extended the fascia plate to full length, which the reviewer said gives the pedal a more formidable and dominant look, and the finish is a deep blue matt or satin. A blue-lit Pause Symbol LED serves as the indicator1.
What reviewers found
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reviewed the upgraded Thalassa in September 2026. On the clipping, he wrote1:
"those Germanium OA1150's deliver a really beautifully harmonically textured output - leading to a wonderfully textured c..1."
Stefan Karlsson, Guitar Pedal X1
His description of the pedal at higher gain settings was a harmonically rich, wonderfully textured crunch. On the EQ he was equally positive: "That 2-Band Active EQ is really formidable - in fact for me there's quite a bit of low-end content in the core signal"1.
The reviewer noted a noise floor when both Volume and Gain are raised above 2 o'clock, and suggested the pedal possibly could do with some further internal filtering. Players running the Thalassa near full tilt may want a noise gate after it.
Price
As of 30 September 2026, the Thalassa listed at $125 in US dollars, which the reviewer called "a quite fantastic price". The same review gave the price as €109 EUR and, in the currencies as stated, £951.
If you are weighing the Thalassa against more conventional drives, it sits apart from the familiar overdrive pedals in its use of germanium diode clipping and a full active EQ, closer in spirit to some preamp pedals than to a straight boost or fuzz1.
Videos
Pause&Effects
the wetter bass
the wetter bass
Questions
Is the Pause & Effects Thalassa noisy?
Guitar Pedal X's reviewer noted that you get something of a noise floor when you crank both the Volume and Gain controls, raised above 2 o'clock. He added that the pedal possibly could do with some further internal filtering. At everyday settings the pedal was not described as noisy, and the reviewer's overall verdict on the pedal's output was positive.
How much does the Thalassa cost in US dollars?
As of 30 September 2026, Guitar Pedal X listed the Thalassa at $125 in US dollars, which the reviewer described as a quite fantastic price. In the same review the price was given as €109 EUR and £95 in the currencies as stated.
What diodes does the Thalassa use?
The Thalassa uses tiny glass and copper wire germanium OA1150 diodes for clipping, alongside red LEDs. The reviewer credited those germanium OA1150s with delivering a really beautifully harmonically textured output, which is where the pedal's harmonically rich, textured crunch at higher intensities comes from.
What is the Pause & Effects Greek Alphabet series?
The Greek Alphabet Pedal Series is the family of pedals from Pause & Effects that the Thalassa belongs to. The Thalassa, named for the Greek sea, is the series' germanium diode harmonic overdrive, and it received a significant format upgrade in 2026 shaped with input from reviewer Stefan Karlsson and Attila of Pause & Effects.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-09-30