The Rockett Animal Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from Rockett Pedals, built to capture the sound of a cranked British Plexi-style amp. In his demo of the pedal, guitarist Pete Thorn described it as "basically modeled after a 1968 Plexi" and as "that big wide open British crunchy overdrive"1. It sits among the overdrive pedals aimed at amp-like grit rather than flat-out distortion2.
Controls and the Snarl switch
The Gain knob sets the amount of overdrive gain. The pedal's other main feature is the Snarl switch, which when kicked in gives increased gain and harmonics along with an upper mid cut1. Thorn found the Snarl-engaged gain was "plenty of gain for me for my style to solo with"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive gain1 |
| Snarl switch | Engages increased gain and harmonics with an upper mid cut1 |
How it sounds and pairs with amps
At lower gain settings, Thorn found the Animal does a lower gain, uncompressed, wide open grind like a 1968 Plexi set on four very well1. With gain around seven and humbuckers in a 335, he said the tone reminded him of jumping the channels on an old 50 watt Plexi with the volumes above half1.
For amp pairing, Thorn used it as his main overdrive into a clean amp and said it "just sounded terrific," and found it "works really well into a variety of amps," including an amp with the bright switch on1.
The Animal OD variant
In December 2017, Premier Guitar reported that J. Rockett Audio Designs introduced the Animal OD, a variant sharing many characteristics of the original Animal Overdrive. Speaking for the company, Chris Van Tassel described its "enhanced gain structure to cover all of the original Animal overdrive tones and beyond without the need for the original" Snarl Switch3. The original Animal remains its own page: see the J. Rockett Audio Designs Animal.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Brett Kingman
Questions
What does the Snarl switch do on the Rockett Animal?
The Snarl switch engages increased gain and harmonics along with an upper mid cut. In a demo video, Pete Thorn described the Snarl-engaged sound as plenty of gain for his style of soloing, so players who want a hotter lead voice can get it without turning up the Gain knob.
Is the Rockett Animal based on a Marshall Plexi?
Yes. In his demo of the pedal, Pete Thorn said the Animal was basically modeled after a 1968 Plexi, and he described its character as that big, wide open British crunchy overdrive associated with those amps.
Does the Rockett Animal work with a clean amp?
Pete Thorn used it as his main overdrive into a clean amp and said he really dug it, finding it sounded terrific. He also found it worked really well into a variety of amps, including an amp with the bright switch on.
Can the Rockett Animal do low-gain overdrive?
Yes. At lower gain settings, Thorn found it does a lower gain, uncompressed, wide open grind like a 1968 Plexi set on four, very well. With gain around seven and humbuckers, he said the tone reminded him of jumping the channels on an old 50 watt Plexi with the volumes above half.
Who uses the Rockett Animal Overdrive?
Guitarist Pete Thorn took the Animal out on a small fly pedalboard for dates he was playing with Melissa Etheridge, and used it as his main overdrive on that rig, according to his own demo video of the pedal.
Sources (3)
- Rockett Animal Overdrive, demo by Pete Thorn, YouTube (Pete Thorn channel), 2014-03-25
- Animal by J. Rockett Audio Designs, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- J. Rockett Launches Animal Overdrive Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2017-12-13
