The Pushking Axel 'Ironfinger' Ritt Signature Distortion is a signature distortion pedal designed by Axel 'Ironfinger' Ritt, a journeyman guitarist whom Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described as having "a keen ear for sizzling metal tones"1. Pushking built the pedal around drive and distortion sounds that start at relatively gainy crunchy rock and run upward, with high-gain metal as the target territory1. For players weighing it against other pedals in the same territory, it sits alongside the wider field of Distortion Pedals and can overlap with Overdrive Pedals at its lower gain settings.
Controls and tone shaping
The pedal's tone controls are its distinguishing feature. It carries a 3-band EQ that includes parametric mids, giving players more control over the midrange than a simple mid cut or boost1. Alongside that sits the Q-control, which Karlsson described as a dial "with wider spread anti-clockwise, and narrower focus in the clockwise direction"1. In practical terms, that dial changes how broad or focused the mid shaping is, which matters for dialing in rhythm sounds that sit in a band mix.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's review, published on 7 July 2019, was strongly positive. Karlsson wrote that Pushking "has produced a really phenomenal Hard Rock and Metal style pedal" with a huge range of convincing tones1. As a reviewer's characterization of the range, he suggested the pedal could reach convincing tones in the ballparks of Eddie Van Halen, Grave Digger, Judas Priest, Metallica, Pantera, Rammstein or ZZ Top1.
"whether you are a fan of Eddie Van Halen, Grave Digger, Judas Priest, Metallica, Pantera, Rammstein or ZZ Top even"
Availability
The pedal was listed at Effekt-Boutique.de at €1691. Karlsson noted that the first batch of pedals seemed to have sold out by the end of play on the day he spotted the listing1.
The first batch sold out on the day it was spotted at Effekt-Boutique.de in July 2019, so availability has been limited since launch1.
Videos
Axel Ritt
Hughes & Kettner
EytschPi42
Questions
What kind of tones is the Ironfinger Distortion aimed at?
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson described it as fully primed for drive and distortion sounds from relatively gainy crunchy rock upward, aimed at high-gain metal tones. He found it capable of convincing tones in the ballparks of Eddie Van Halen, Grave Digger, Judas Priest, Metallica, Pantera, Rammstein and ZZ Top.
What does the Q-control dial do?
The Q-control is a dial that shapes the focus of the mids: turning it anti-clockwise gives a wider spread, while turning it clockwise narrows the focus. It works alongside the pedal's 3-band EQ, which includes parametric mids.
Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2019-07-07
