The Pedal Projects Growly is an overdrive/boost pedal: two effects in one enclosure, with a drive circuit on one side and a boost on the other. The boost side is the maker's Owly Boost built in, and a switch lets players choose the order the two run in, either Booster > OD or OD > Booster1. That order switch is the practical difference from owning a separate boost pedal and overdrive pedal: boost into the drive pushes it harder for more saturation, while drive into the boost keeps the drive character and lifts the level, for example for solos.
Controls and power
The drive circuit features a volume knob to set the output volume1. The pedal runs on 9V DC with a negative center pin, and it has no battery support, so an external supply is required rather than optional1.
The Growly cannot run on a battery. A 9V DC center-negative power supply is needed to use it at all1.
What reviewers said
Writing at Pedal of the Day in August 2014, Jeremy G had strong words for both the sound and the construction:
"The build quality of the Growly is just awesome."
"The Growly also has an amazing and very unique sound that I have never gotten out of any other overdrive pedals I've tried1."
The same review credits Ásgeir of Pedal Projects with "the outstanding work he puts into his pedals"1.
Videos
Brett Kingman
Curtis Kent
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
Is the Pedal Projects Growly true bypass?
Yes. Writing at Pedal of the Day in August 2014, Jeremy G described the Growly as true bypass, so the pedal is removed from the signal chain entirely when switched off. That matters on a pedalboard where several effects sit between the guitar and the amp, since a buffered pedal left on all the time can color the tone even when it is not being used.
Does the Growly take a battery?
No. The Pedal of the Day review lists the Growly with no battery support, so it runs only from an external power supply. Players who keep a battery-powered pedalboard or who rely on a battery for backup will need to plan around that, since the pedal will not work without a supply connected.
What power supply does the Growly need?
The Growly runs on 9V DC with a negative center pin, the standard arrangement used by most modern pedals. Because it has no battery support, a supply is required rather than optional. A standard center-negative 9V supply of the kind most players already own will power it.
What is the Owly Boost in the Growly?
The boost side of the Growly is the Owly Boost built in. Pedal Projects makes the Owly Boost as its own pedal, and in the Growly that same boost circuit is combined with an overdrive circuit in a single enclosure, giving players both effects in one box with the ability to switch the order they run in.
Can the boost go before or after the overdrive on the Growly?
Yes. The Growly lets players switch between Booster > OD and OD > Booster. Running the boost first pushes the overdrive harder for more gain and saturation, while running the overdrive first and boosting after keeps the drive character but lifts the overall level, for example for solos.
Sources (1)
- Pedal Projects Growly Overdrive Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2014-08-25