The PedalworX Megalith is a fuzz/distortion pedal from PedalworX, described by Premier Guitar's reviewers as "a massive sounding Fuzz/Distortion Pedal"1. It was not a general-release design at first: the pedal was built for Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Wino of The Hidden Hand, to be used on their project Shrinebuilder1. Premier Guitar listed it at a street price of $1991.
The controls
The Megalith's top panel carries four knobs and one rotary switch, each aimed at shaping a heavy, low-focused distortion voice1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Output | Overall level of the pedal1 |
| More Heavy | A booster circuit that increases the low end and volume; the further right you turn it, the more low-end volume it adds1 |
| Input | Gain feeding the distortion circuit1 |
| Slope | Adjusts the high/low frequency balance1 |
| Notch | Cuts the frequency as you turn the knob to the left1 |
| Notch Shift | A 3-way rotary switch that changes the frequency of the Notch Control1 |
The More Heavy side has its own footswitch alongside the Engage switch, so the boost can be brought in and taken out while playing1.
To hear the Notch Shift switch change anything, the Notch Control must be turned almost all the way counterclockwise. Clicking noises while turning the Notch Shift switch are normal, according to the owner's manual1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer came away emphatic about the pedal's sheer weight of sound1:
"It's definitely the heaviest pedal I have ever had the pleasure of plugging in to"
A shared name, a different pedal
The Megalith name also belongs to an unrelated pedal: the MI Audio Megalith Delta, a high-gain distortion from the Australian maker MI Audio (MI Effects). Its control set is different, with Volume, Gain, Contour, Treble, Middle, Bass, an EQ Shift switch and a Boost footswitch, and it was released at $249.9523. The two pedals share a name and a taste for heavy gain, but they come from different makers and are different circuits.
Questions
What does the More Heavy footswitch do on the PedalworX Megalith?
The second footswitch engages the More Heavy circuit, a booster that increases the low end and volume of the pedal. The More Heavy knob sets how much: the further you turn it to the right, the more low-end volume the boost adds on top of the base distortion sound.
What does the Notch Shift switch do?
Notch Shift is a three-way rotary switch that changes the frequency of the Notch Control. To hear the difference between its three positions, the Notch Control itself needs to be turned almost all the way counterclockwise.
Why does the Megalith click when I change Notch Shift?
Clicking while turning the Notch Shift switch is normal behavior, according to the owner's manual, as covered in Premier Guitar's review. It is a switching artifact, not a fault.
Who was the PedalworX Megalith built for?
PedalworX built the Megalith for Scott Kelly of Neurosis and Wino of The Hidden Hand, to be used on their project Shrinebuilder, a doom-leaning band where a very heavy low-end distortion would be at home.
How much does the PedalworX Megalith cost?
Premier Guitar's review listed the Megalith at a street price of $199.
Sources (3)
- Stomping Grounds: 25 Pedals Reviewed, Premier Guitar, 2009-10-21
- Store | MI Audio, MI Audio, 2020-04-11
- MI Effects Launches Megalith Delta High Gain Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2012-06-18
