The Red Witch Galvinium is a limited-edition headroom overdrive pedal, built by hand in New Zealand in a run of 79 units, each one slightly different from the next. It is listed as Sold Out on the maker's product page, at a list price of 599 USD1.
What it is and how it sounds
Red Witch describes the Galvinium as a headroom overdrive, an approach to overdrive pedals built around clean headroom as much as grit. Its defining feature is the wide supply voltage range: the designer states that "I designed Galvinium to be able to accept a wide range of voltages," and the pedal runs on anything from a standard 9 volt DC supply up to 30 volts DC1.
Voltage is not just a power spec here, it is a tone control in itself. According to the maker, at a lower voltage like 9 or 12 volts the Galvinium is a grittier sounding drive, and as the voltage increases it gains more clarity and bloom1. Players with a supply that offers 12, 15, 18 or even 30 volt outputs can dial in that side of the character simply by changing where the pedal is powered from.
"Operating at a lower voltage, like 9 or 12 volts, Galvinium will be a grittier sounding drive, as you increase the volt"
Controls and circuit
The Galvinium has four front-panel knobs and one internal adjustment1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Overdrive | Sets the amount of drive |
| Prescence | Presence control for the top end |
| Body | Shapes the body of the tone |
| Output | Master volume |
| Internal trimmer | Sets the high end roll off point |
At the heart of the circuit is a Burr Brown OPA2134 op-amp, and the designer used premium, pro level WIMA capacitors in critical positions in the signal path1.
The Galvinium was a limited edition of 79 units and is listed as Sold Out. Each unit was adjusted individually, so examples differ slightly from one another.
Warranty and origin
Each of the 79 units was made by hand by the Red Witch designer in New Zealand1. The pedal carries a lifetime guarantee for the original purchaser, according to the maker's product page1. Red Witch has built other drives in house as well, including the Red Witch XENIA Overdrive Engine, the Red Witch Epiphanous Overdrive and the Red Witch Seven Sisters Scarlett Overdrive.
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Questions
Is the Red Witch Galvinium sold out?
Yes. Red Witch lists the Galvinium as Sold Out on its product page. The pedal was a limited edition of 79 units, each made by hand by the designer in New Zealand, so once the run was gone there were no further units to buy. A used unit or a retailer's remaining stock would be the only routes to one.
How much did the Red Witch Galvinium cost?
The Galvinium carried a list price of 599 USD, as stated on the Red Witch product page. Because it was a hand-built limited edition of 79 units, that price reflected a small-run pedal rather than a mass-produced one.
What op-amp does the Galvinium use?
At the heart of the Galvinium is a Burr Brown OPA2134 op-amp, according to Red Witch. The designer also used premium, pro level WIMA capacitors in critical positions in the signal path.
What does the internal trimmer on the Galvinium do?
Alongside the four front-panel knobs, the Galvinium has an internal trimmer that sets the high end roll off point. It lets the player tailor where the top end rolls off without opening the pedal during a gig.
Where is the Red Witch Galvinium made?
The Galvinium is made in New Zealand. Each of the 79 units was made by hand by the Red Witch designer, who also made small adjustments to each unit so that no two pedals are exactly alike.
Does the Galvinium have a warranty?
Yes. Red Witch states that the Galvinium has a lifetime guarantee for the original purchaser.
Sources (1)
- GALVINIUM, Red Witch Pedals
