The Shnobel Tone Horse Power Overdrive is an overdrive pedal that, in the maker's words, "gives you lots of clean headroom to shape your tone"1. Shnobel Tone positions it below its Daily Driver in gain: the company says "it has less gain than our Daily Driver Overdrive Pedal and more output on tap so you can dial in those edge of break up sounds even with the hottest pickups"1. In other words, it is built for players who want light, controllable breakup with enough output level to push an amp or sit loud in a mix.
Gain and where it sits in the Shnobel Tone range
Shnobel Tone makes a family of overdrives built around the Daily Driver circuit, and the Horse Power is the low-gain, high-output take on the idea. Compared with the Daily Driver, it has less gain and more output on tap, which the maker says makes edge of break up tones reachable even with hot pickups1. Shnobel Tone's other overdrives include the Mid Driver and the Frank Simes Overdrive, a collaboration derived from the Daily Driver. For a wider view of the category, see Overdrive Pedals.
Power, impedance and bypass
The Horse Power runs on 9V power and draws 70mA1. Its input impedance is 576K Ohms and its output impedance is 100 Ohms1. The footswitch is true bypass, so the circuit is removed from the signal path when the pedal is off1.
At 70mA, the Horse Power draws more current than many low-gain overdrives. A power supply output rated for at least that draw is the safe way to run it.
Size, price and buying details
The pedal measures 3.7 x 4.7 x 1.7 inches1. Shnobel Tone lists it at $279.001. The pedal comes with a 30 day money back return policy, and international customers are responsible for paying customs duties and import taxes1.
Videos
shnobel
5 Stones Audio
shnobel
Questions
Is the Shnobel Tone Horse Power Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. Shnobel Tone's product page lists the Horse Power Overdrive with a True Bypass Foot Switch, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without going through the overdrive circuit. That matters if you run long cable runs or a large pedalboard and want to keep your clean tone intact when the pedal is switched out.
How much current does the Horse Power Overdrive draw?
Shnobel Tone lists the current draw at 70mA at 9V. That is more than many simple overdrives pull, so it is worth checking the rating on your power supply and avoiding a daisy chain shared with several other pedals. A dedicated output on a regulated pedalboard supply is the straightforward way to run it.
How does the Horse Power compare with the Daily Driver?
Shnobel Tone describes the Horse Power as having less gain than its Daily Driver Overdrive Pedal and more output on tap. The maker says that combination lets you dial in edge of break up sounds even with the hottest pickups, so it is aimed at players who want lower gain and higher headroom than the Daily Driver provides.
Does Shnobel Tone offer returns on the Horse Power Overdrive?
Yes. The pedal comes with a 30 day money back return policy according to Shnobel Tone's product page. Note that international customers are responsible for paying customs duties and import taxes, which is a separate matter from the return policy.
How big is the Horse Power Overdrive?
Shnobel Tone lists the pedal's size as 3.7 x 4.7 x 1.7 inches. That is a fairly compact footprint for a standard enclosure pedal, so it should fit on a typical pedalboard without taking up more than one pedal's worth of space.
Sources (1)
- Horse Power Overdrive, Shnobel Tone
