The PRS Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive is a transparent overdrive pedal made by PRS. It sits somewhere between an overdrive and a medium-gain distortion: GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson called it "a rich-sounding medium-gain distortion box with flexible EQ and lots of output"1.
What it does to your sound
The Horsemeat's selling point is transparency. Thompson found that it "lives up to the transparent overdrive part by sounding true to the guitar driving it," with a clear and balanced core tone and no excess midrange coloration1. He also noted it has "plenty of output to overdrive an amp's front end, and it doesn't compress either, which makes it feel" responsive in a tube-like way in both output and feel1. In other words, it is designed to push an amp rather than to impose its own character, which is what players generally mean by a transparent overdrive.
The circuit is an original PRS design, but its lineage shows in one place. Thompson observed that "the Horsemeat's treble and voice controls also bring to mind the old Hermida-designed pedal," referring to the Zendrive, "in the way they interact"1. The voice control shapes the character of the gain rather than just the volume, which is why it gets its own knob here alongside the standard gain and level.
Controls and construction
The pedal carries five knobs and is switched on the pedalboard like a conventional stompbox1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive |
| Level | Sets the output volume |
| Voice | Shapes the character of the gain, in the manner of the Zendrive's control of the same name1 |
| Treble | Treble EQ |
| Bass | Bass EQ |
GuitarWorld's Chris Gill described the build in favorable terms: "The control knobs are metal and have ridged edges to facilitate grip, and the potentiometers have the firm but smooth feel" of the controls on high-end studio gear. He also noted the enclosures are "pretty sizeable by modern standards"3. Component quality is a priority, with parts connected to the circuit boards using through-hole soldering, which is more labor-intensive than cheaper surface-mount construction3. Pedal of the Day put the reason plainly: "through-hole soldering enables PRS to utilize the best-sounding parts"2.
Power and connections
The Horsemeat runs on a standard-size 9VDC barrel jack mounted on the upper side surface, drawing 16mA, and it can also be battery powered13. Input and output are mono 1/4-inch jacks3. At 16mA it is a light load for any pedalboard power supply, and because it can run on a battery it does not demand a dedicated outlet.
Who is using it
Blues guitarist Eric Gales named the Horsemeat on his pedalboard in 2024, calling it "a [PRS] pedal I started using within the last couple of months"4.
Availability
Pedal of the Day noted in June 2024 that PRS's pedals "are all available now"2, and the Horsemeat remains part of the current PRS lineup at a $249 street price3.
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Questions
Can the PRS Horsemeat run on a battery?
Yes. GuitarPlayer's review lists battery power among the pedal's extras, alongside true bypass. It also takes a standard-size 9VDC barrel jack mounted on the upper side surface, so it can be run from either a battery or a 9V power supply, which GuitarPlayer reports draws 16mA.
Is the PRS Horsemeat true bypass?
Yes. GuitarPlayer's review lists the Horsemeat as true bypass, meaning the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path when it is switched off.
How much current does the PRS Horsemeat draw?
GuitarWorld's review gives the power requirement as a 9V power supply drawing 16mA, which is light enough for most pedalboard power supplies.
Is the PRS Horsemeat based on the Zendrive?
Not exactly, but GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson notes that the Horsemeat's treble and voice controls bring to mind the old Hermida-designed Zendrive pedal in the way they interact. PRS describes the Horsemeat as an original circuit.
Where is the PRS Horsemeat made?
GuitarPlayer reports the pedal is designed and assembled in the USA, and Pedal of the Day notes it was designed by PRS Guitars in Stevensville, Maryland.
Sources (4)
- PRS Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive, Mary Cries Optical Compressor and Wind Through the Trees Dual Analog Flanger Reviews, GuitarPlayer, 2022-12-14
- PRS Guitars Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2024-06-27
- PRS Horsemeat, Mary Cries and Wind Through the Trees pedals review, Guitar World, 2023-01-24
- “There's nothing that over-washes the natural sound of the guitar and amp, Guitar World, 2024-07-23
Eric Gales
