The Fifth Gear is an analog transistor overdrive pedal from Southampton Pedals. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as their take on a transistor OD that "goes from barely-there overdrive to a distortion that toes the line of fuzz, and excels when pushing other pedals or an amp"1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it as a video in October 2014, filed under Overdrive / Distortion2.
What it does to your sound
Southampton Pedals positions the Fifth Gear as an overdrive that reaches toward distortion and, at its extreme, brushes against fuzz territory. RockBoard's PedalPedia says it excels when pushing other pedals or an amp, which makes it a candidate for stacking with other overdrive pedals or driving a tube amp into breakup1. Pedal of the Day categorized it as Overdrive / Distortion, reflecting that range2.
The controls: Gain, Heat and Volume
The Fifth Gear keeps things simple with three knobs, but RockBoard's PedalPedia says the Gain and Heat controls are "extremely interactive"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | With Heat off, sets your drive level with a relatively flat EQ1 |
| Heat | Adds some midrange and a lot more grit, pushing the overdrive into a huge wall of distortion; extremely interactive with the Gain knob1 |
| Volume | A passive volume roll off to tame the pedal when the other knobs are cranked1 |
The practical upshot: with Heat low, the Gain knob behaves like a fairly transparent drive control, and turning Heat up shifts the pedal into midrange-forward, high-gain territory. The passive Volume control lets you dial the output back when both drive knobs are maxed1.
Power
The Fifth Gear runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug and draws 5mA, per the maker's product page1. That draw is low enough to share a power supply output with other pedals on most boards.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day published a video review of the Fifth Gear Overdrive on October 12, 2014, presented by Kyle2.
"We've got another VIDEO review for you today: The Fifth Gear Overdrive from Southampton Pedals!"
Videos
Mike Hermans
All Things Weatherly
The Guitar Corner Kitchener
Questions
How much current does the Southampton Pedals Fifth Gear draw?
The Fifth Gear draws 5mA and runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, according to the maker's product page. That low draw means it sits comfortably on a pedalboard power supply alongside other pedals without straining a shared output.
Is the Fifth Gear an overdrive or a fuzz?
It is an overdrive. Southampton Pedals describes it as a transistor overdrive that goes from barely-there overdrive to a distortion that toes the line of fuzz, and excels when pushing other pedals or an amp. Pedal of the Day filed it under Overdrive / Distortion.
Who reviewed the Southampton Pedals Fifth Gear?
Pedal of the Day published a video review of the Fifth Gear Overdrive on October 12, 2014, presented by Kyle. The maker's own description of the pedal's sound and controls appears on its RockBoard PedalPedia product page.
Sources (2)
- Fifth Gear by Southampton Pedals, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Southampton Pedals Fifth Gear Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-10-12