The Pettyjohn Electronics CoreX FIVE is a low to medium gain overdrive pedal. The maker describes it as their take on the sound and feel of vintage low watt amps being pushed into sweet saturation, the kind of drive you get when a small tube amp is turned up past its clean headroom. It sits in the overdrive camp rather than the heavier end of the distortion or fuzz range, so it is aimed at players chasing amp-like breakup from a pedal.1
What it does
Pettyjohn states plainly where the FIVE sits on the gain scale: "We consider the FIVE to be a low to medium gain overdrive." The stated goal is the character of an old small tube amp working hard, which places it among overdrive pedals rather than high gain designs.1
The designer behind it is Nate, described on the maker's product page as the one who "cooked this one up, looking to get that old small tube amp sound."1
One visible feature of the pedal is its Purple Knobs, as listed on the maker's product page.1
Discontinued
Pettyjohn describes the FIVE as its take on the sound and feel of vintage low watt amps being pushed into sweet saturation, and the company considers it a low to medium gain overdrive. Designer Nate cooked this one up, looking to get that old small tube amp sound.1
The FIVE was part of a CoreX series that also included the CoreX ODI and the CoreX GLASS.1
Where it fits in the Pettyjohn range
Pettyjohn's overdrive catalog runs wider than the CoreX line. The Foundry Series includes the CHIME and its updated CHIME3, the GOLD and GOLD3, and the IRON V3 and IRON3, alongside the PettyDrive and the ODI.1
Questions
Is the Pettyjohn Electronics CoreX FIVE still in production?
No. Pettyjohn Electronics discontinued the CoreX series as of October 1, 2026. The company explained that the power supply the pedal series is designed around is being discontinued, forcing Pettyjohn to discontinue the CoreX series until a suitable replacement is found. That applies to the whole CoreX line, including the FIVE, the CoreX ODI and the CoreX GLASS.
Sources (1)
- CoreX | Pettyjohn Elec, Pettyjohn Electronics
