The Very Thing is a booster and overdrive pedal from Snake Oil Fine Instruments. It carries an RRP of GBP 1491 and draws 10mA of current2. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a "BOOSTER OVERDRIVE"2, a pedal built to push an amp or add grit on top of the guitar's own tone.
Controls
The Very Thing keeps things to three knobs, laid out the way most players expect from an overdrive312:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive2 |
| Volume | Sets the overall output2 |
| Tone | Shapes the tonal balance2 |
Guitar.com's reviewer, Richard Purvis, found the Tone control carries a lot of brightness: "there's bags of treble on tap, in fact, our advice is to start with the tone fully off and treat it as an optional top boost"3. That is worth knowing as a starting point: rolling the Tone back is part of how the pedal is meant to be dialed in.
Circuit and clipping
The pedal uses a 4558 dual op-amp for symmetrical clipping1. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the circuit as a dual-op amp design that produces smooth symmetrical clipping and a responsive feel2. Symmetrical clipping clips the signal evenly on both the top and bottom of the waveform, the approach behind many familiar overdrive designs, and it sits the pedal in the same broad family as other mid-focused overdrives you can compare on the overdrive and boost pages.
Background
Snake Oil Fine Instruments lists The Very Thing as a booster overdrive with an RRP of GBP 1491 and a current draw of 10mA2. The pedal's stated effect type, "BOOSTER OVERDRIVE", places it among the boost and overdrive designs players use to add gain and push an amp harder2.
Videos
Peter “Danish Pete” Honoré
Perfecto De Castro
Chris Benton
Questions
Is The Very Thing an analog pedal?
Yes. Snake Oil Fine Instruments describes The Very Thing as an analog boost and overdrive pedal, with an analog circuit type. It was made in the UK and debuted at NAMM 2019 alongside the Marvellous Engine distortion as one of the brand's first two pedals.
What power does The Very Thing need?
The Very Thing runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 10mA. That is a light enough draw for any standard pedalboard power supply, and the pedal's analog circuit takes the usual center-negative barrel connector.
What chip does The Very Thing use?
The Very Thing uses a 4558 dual op-amp, the same chip family found in many classic overdrive designs. Snake Oil Fine Instruments describes the circuit as a dual-op amp design that produces smooth symmetrical clipping and a responsive feel.
Does The Very Thing use symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping?
The Very Thing uses symmetrical clipping. Gearnews reported at its NAMM 2019 launch that it uses a 4558 dual op-amp for symmetrical clipping, and the maker describes the circuit as producing smooth symmetrical clipping with a responsive feel.
Who makes The Very Thing?
The Very Thing is made by Snake Oil Fine Instruments, the pedal brand founded by Rob Chapman and launched at NAMM 2019. The pedals are made in the UK, and The Very Thing debuted alongside the Marvellous Engine distortion.
Sources (3)
- NAMM 2019: Rob Chapman's Snake Oil Fine Instruments pedals, gearnews.com, 2019-01-25
- The Very Thing by Snake Oil Fine Instruments, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Review: Snake Oil Fine Instruments Marvellous Engine and The Very Thing, Guitar.com, 2019-08-22