The Spaceman Effects Redstone is a preamp pedal with a 3-band tone stack, powered by a hand-selected vintage NOS germanium transistor in a discrete opamp gain cell. Spaceman describes it as a flexible preamp that functions as a boost, a line driver, or an overdrive, and positions it as a multipurpose reimagining of the company's Mercury platform1. It was released in May 2022 at $249 in the US2.
The design idea behind the pedal is tube-amp-like behavior in a box: the first stage and tone stack are built to closely emulate the input stage of a tube amp. Spaceman says this combination yields rich, detailed layers of harmonic sparkle, lending dimension and muscle to your tone when pushed1. Delicious Audio, covering the pedal in March 2023, framed it the same way, as a redesign of the Mercury Harmonic Boost with the tube-style input stage delivering rich and detailed harmonics3.
What the Redstone does to your sound
The Redstone is built around a single gain cell: a discrete opamp with high headroom, capable of 40dB of gain, featuring the hand-selected vintage NOS germanium transistor1. Guitar Pedal X, reporting on the launch, described the concept as Spaceman extending its Mercury Series idea by combining a NOS germanium transistor with an articulate opamp2.
Because it has a full 3-band EQ rather than a single tone control, it can shape tone as well as add gain. Delicious Audio laid out the range of roles it can fill3:
- A clean or colored boost
- An overdrive when pushed
- A tone shaper at the start of the signal chain
- A line driver and boost at the end of the pedalboard
The 1 meg ohm input resistance1 matches a typical tube amp input, so passive pickups keep their full top end when the pedal sits first on the board.
Controls and switching
The control set is five knobs: Volume, Gain, Low, Mid and High2. The three-band tone stack is the main thing that separates the Redstone from the simpler boosts in Spaceman's line, such as the Mercury Harmonic Boost it grew out of3.
Switching is true-bypass relay based, with a soft-touch footswitch1. The relay approach gives true-bypass transparency when the pedal is off while avoiding the wear and pop of a purely mechanical switch.
Where it came from
The Redstone's lineage runs through Spaceman's Mercury Series. Guitar Pedal X reported at launch that Spaceman had extended the Mercury concept by combining the NOS germanium transistor with an articulate opamp2. The same reviewer noted that the pedal's Volume, Gain, Low, Mid and High controls give it a full three-band EQ, and said of the pedal's role: "I'm most interested in this really as a Harmonic Overdrive," with plans to compare its harmonic generation to the Mercury IV and Aphelion2.
The pedal is hand-wired and built in Portland, Oregon1, and sits in a cast-aluminum enclosure with a durable, engraved vinyl faceplate and a jewel indicator light1.
Versions and finish
Guitar Pedal X noted at launch that the Redstone came in a Yellow / Carbonado variety with gold or copper accents2. Spaceman pedals are typically produced in limited runs, and the maker's page listed the Redstone as sold out as of October 20261.
If you are outside the US, availability has historically lagged: at launch, Guitar Pedal X reported a typical 1 week to 6 weeks' delay between US availability and international stock, with no UK price posted at the time2.
What reviewers said
Published coverage of the Redstone has been positive about its flexibility. Delicious Audio highlighted the tube-style input stage and the range of roles from tone shaper to line driver3. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson was clear about his own interest:
"I'm most interested in this really as a Harmonic Overdrive."
Stefan Karlsson, Guitar Pedal X2
He added that he planned to compare its harmonic generation against the Mercury IV and Aphelion overall2, which points to where the Redstone sits among Spaceman's gain pedals: more EQ than a Mercury, more germanium character than a plain opamp boost.
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Questions
Is the Spaceman Effects Redstone true bypass?
Yes. The Redstone uses true-bypass relay switching with a soft-touch footswitch, so the signal passes straight through when the pedal is off. The relay-based switching also avoids the audible pop of a simple mechanical true-bypass switch.
Where is the Spaceman Redstone made?
It is hand-wired and built in Portland, Oregon by Spaceman Effects. The pedal sits in a cast-aluminum enclosure with an engraved vinyl faceplate and a jewel indicator light, consistent with the builder's other hand-made pedals.
How much gain does the Spaceman Redstone have?
The core gain cell is a discrete opamp with high headroom, capable of up to 40dB of gain. That is enough range to run it as a clean or colored boost, push an amp into overdrive, or drive a long signal chain as a line driver.
What polarity does the Redstone's power jack use?
It takes 9 to 12V DC, negative center, via a 2.1mm jack. That matches the standard center-negative power supplies most pedalboards already use, and the higher voltage option gives more headroom.
What is the Redstone's input impedance?
The input resistance is 1 meg ohm, the same as a typical tube amp input. That keeps the full top end of passive pickups intact, which matters when the pedal sits first in the signal chain.
Is the Spaceman Redstone still available?
As of late October 2026 the maker's product page lists the Redstone as sold out. It launched in May 2022 at $249 in the US, and Spaceman pedals are typically made in limited runs, so availability comes and goes.
Sources (3)
- Redstone, Spaceman Effects
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2022-05-06
- Spaceman Redstone Preamp, Delicious Audio, 2023-03-17
