The Radial North-Star is a dual-function pedal that combines a transparent overdrive circuit with a Class-A clean power booster. Radial describes the overdrive as designed to maintain clarity for maximum note articulation, generating everything from smooth bluesy textures to fat lead tones with harmonically rich saturation, while the separate boost circuit adds up to +24dB of clean gain for solos or for pushing the front end of an amp harder1.
The North-Star belongs to Radial's ToneBone series of compact drive pedals, and press coverage at launch aimed it squarely at modern country players, for whom that much clean gain on tap is useful2. It was announced in January 2017 with a MAP of $169.99, and Radial's product page now lists it as discontinued and no longer shipping31.
The North-Star has been discontinued and is no longer shipping, according to Radial's product page1. It launched at $169.99 MAP in January 20173.
What it does: overdrive plus clean boost
The two circuits do different jobs. The overdrive side has drive and level controls that set the amount of distortion and the output level to your amp, with a tone knob to tailor the frequency response of the overdrive. Premier Guitar's press coverage called the overdrive circuit "both rich and musical"3.
"The overdrive circuit is both rich and musical"
The boost side is a separate Class-A circuit providing up to +24dB of clean gain. Gearnews noted that this level of clean gain marked a departure from the rest of the ToneBone range2. What makes the North-Star unusual is that kicking in the boost simultaneously activates a built-in effects loop, so other effects can be brought in only when the boost is engaged12.
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the amount of distortion in the overdrive circuit3 |
| Level | Sets the output level to your amp3 |
| Tone | Tails the frequency response of the overdrive3 |
| 3-position range switch | Compensates for overly bright or dark amplifiers3 |
| Boost footswitch | Activates the power booster and the effects loop5 |
The range switch is the voicing tool: it shifts the pedal's character to match amps that run bright or dark, rather than forcing you to fight the tone knob against an unbalanced amp3.
Power and connections
The North-Star runs on a standard 9V DC power supply with a center-pin negative PSU jack, drawing 60mA45. The output is a ¼" jack for connection to your amp5.
Radial specifies a 9VDC center-pin negative supply and a 60mA draw4. No battery operation is listed in the specifications.
The enclosure is a 14-gauge steel I-beam design, which Radial says makes it impossible to torque the PC board, eliminating cold solder joints5.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Audio circuit type | Class-A discrete4 |
| Gain | +3dB to +24dB (Boost), +3dB to +30dB (Overdrive)4 |
| Maximum input | +20dBu4 |
| Noise floor | -82dBu4 |
| Input impedance | 220kΩ4 |
| Output impedance | 1kΩ with effects engaged4 |
| Frequency response | Shaped for guitar use4 |
| Size (L x W x D) | 4.25" x 4.1" x 2" (108 x 105 x 50mm)4 |
| Weight | 1.5lb (0.7kg)4 |
| Operating conditions | Dry locations only, 5°C to 40°C4 |
| Warranty | Radial 3-year, transferable4 |
Where it came from
Radial announced the North-Star in January 2017, with shipping starting that month at a MAP of $169.993. MusicRadar reported it available for $169.99 in March 20176, and Guitar Interactive Magazine confirmed it was shipping by mid-March6.
The North-Star sits in the ToneBone series of compact drive pedals alongside the Radial Regency and the Radial ToneBone Texas Pro, the latter another overdrive and clean booster with an effects loop launched the same season2. If you are comparing boost and drive options generally, see the boost pedals and overdrive pedals pages.
Videos
Radial Engineering
Wall of Sound
Ben Coombs
Questions
Is the Radial North-Star discontinued?
Yes. Radial's product page states the North-Star has been discontinued and is no longer shipping. It was announced in January 2017 with shipping starting that month, so remaining units are secondhand or leftover retailer stock.
Is the Radial North-Star true bypass?
Yes. Radial specifies true-bypass switching, which the company says retains the pure tone of your guitar as if it were plugged directly into your amplifier when the pedal is not engaged.
What is the effects loop on the North-Star for?
The North-Star has a built-in effects loop that engages automatically when you kick in the clean power booster. This lets you place other effects, such as delay, in the loop so they only appear in your signal when the boost is active.
How much boost does the Radial North-Star give?
The boost circuit provides up to +24dB of clean gain, variable from +3dB to +24dB in boost mode. The overdrive circuit is variable from +3dB to +30dB. Radial positions the clean gain for high-output solos or pushing an amp's front end harder.
What does the range switch on the North-Star do?
The 3-position range switch compensates for overly bright or dark amplifiers, shifting the pedal's voicing so it matches amps with different tonal balances. A separate boost footswitch activates the power booster and the effects loop.
Sources (6)
- North-Star, Radial Engineering, 2021-03-17
- Radial North-Star Overdrive and Power Booster: Drive with a twang!, gearnews.com, 2017-03-14
- Radial Launches North-Star Overdrive & Power Booster, Premier Guitar, 2017-01-19
- North-Star Specifications, Radial Engineering, 2018-04-18
- North-Star Features, Radial Engineering, 2018-06-19
- Radial unveils North-Star overdrive and power booster pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-03-15
