Redbeard Effects Angry Rhubarb Paradynamic MKII

The Redbeard Effects Angry Rhubarb Paradynamic MKII is an analog overdrive pedal from the UK-based boutique maker Redbeard Effects, and it takes an unusual approach to the format: instead of one drive stage with a tone knob, it runs two overdrive circuits with a single-band parametric EQ sitting between them. A low-to-medium drive circuit sits in front of the EQ, and a second, higher-gain drive circuit sits behind it, so you can shape the frequencies that feed the second stage rather than just shaping the end result¹.

That topology is what the "Paradynamic" name refers to. Guitar World described the EQ as offering "a surgical approach to sculpting your tone"², and with the EQ able to boost or cut any frequency between 80Hz and 4kHz by up to 6dB, the pedal works as much like a tone-shaping tool as a straightforward overdrive. The circuit is all-analog, the pedal is true bypass, and it is hand-built in the UK¹³⁴.

Two overdrives with a parametric EQ between them

The core idea of the Angry Rhubarb is the signal path order. Most overdrive pedals put a passive tone control after the clipping stage. Here, the chain runs: Pre Drive circuit, then the EQ, then Post Drive circuit¹.

• Pre Drive: a low-to-medium overdrive circuit placed in front of the EQ¹
• Parametric EQ: single-band, 80Hz to 4kHz, up to 6dB of boost or cut¹⁷
• Post Drive: a second drive stage MusicRadar describes as "medium-to-more," placed behind the EQ¹

What that means in practice, according to MusicRadar's review, is that the two drive stages have distinct characters. "Dialling in some Pre Drive gives you a natural gritty breakup that jives nicely with the EQ," while "There's more gain on tap with the Post-Drive; it's a more effervescent drive voicing"¹. Because the EQ sits between them, you can cut or boost a chosen frequency band before it hits the second stage, tightening a muddy low end or pushing a midrange hump into the second drive.

Guitar Pedal X's reviewer, Stefan Karlsson, called the frequency range itself remarkable: "the frequency range goes from 80Hz to 4kHz which is an immense range. And via the Frequency Gain knob you can boost or cut"⁷. Guitar.com's review of the original pedal summed up the shape section as "up to 6dB of cut or boost centred on the frequency of your choice"⁸.

The pedal also has a high-gain mode and a clipping toggle, which MusicRadar found work well together: "High-gain mode takes things even further and works very well with the clipping toggle"¹.

The controls

The control set is small, six knobs and a footswitch, but each one maps directly onto the pre-EQ / EQ / post-EQ architecture¹⁵.

Karlsson also noted that the dial tapers have been precision calibrated, which he credited for "effortless and intuitive on-the-fly tweaking," and suggested a starting point: Post Drive dialled right down and the Pre Drive set to noon⁶.

History and versions

Redbeard Effects is a British boutique pedal company headed by Skindred guitarist Mikey Demus and built with Adrian Thorpe, known as Thorpy³⁹. The Angry Rhubarb Paradynamic Overdrive MKII, introduced in June 2021, was the brand's third pedal, following the Red Mist MKIV drive pedal and the Honey Badger Octave Fuzz⁵⁶. Guitar Pedal X noted that with the Angry Rhubarb added, the three pedals completed what the site called the Redbeard gain pedal Trifecta of overdrive, distortion and fuzz⁶.

The MKII designation reflects a development process rather than a public version history. As Delicious Audio put it: "An obsessive amount of tweaks, modifications and refinement landed us at the MKII model"⁴. The pedal is housed in the pink and black enclosure that had become the recognizable Redbeard style by mid-2021⁷⁹, and each unit is hand-built in the UK³.

On price, the UK figure at launch varies between reports: Gearnews gave a UK RRP of £185 on 8 June 2021³, while Guitar Pedal X listed £199 as of June 2021⁶. Later coverage, including Guitar World's review, lists the price as $249 / £199⁵.

What reviewers said

Published reviewers were positive about the Angry Rhubarb across the board.

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson framed it as an everyday tool rather than a one-trick pedal: "I've called this an Everyday Overdrive as it is supreme in its wide coverage and so quick to dial in"⁶. Guitar.com's review of the original went further, with a headline asserting that "modern overdrive pedals don't get much better than this"⁸. Gearnews named the Angry Rhubarb among its ten favorite effect pedals of 2021⁹.

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