The Spaceman Apollo VII is a medium-gain overdrive pedal from Spaceman Effects, hand-wired and built in Portland, Oregon1. Its circuit is lifted from another Spaceman pedal: as the maker puts it, "Inspired by the incredible response to the Voyager I tremolo, we've carefully extracted the drive and tone-shaping elements" of that pedal1. Spaceman describes the result as "a rich, medium-gain overdrive with an intuitive layout and diverse sound palette"1.
Where the circuit came from
The Apollo VII is a drive pedal with a tremolo for a parent. Spaceman built it by taking the preamp and tone-shaping parts of the Voyager I tremolo and turning them into a standalone overdrive1. Guitar Pedal X's launch coverage framed it the same way, as a Voyager-tremolo-derived overdrive2.
The name is a tribute rather than a circuit description. As Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio explained, "As a tribute to the Apollo VII, NASA's first three-person space mission, there are three controls: level, gain and tone"3.
Spaceman's own later product page for the Apollo VIIb is candid about how the original landed with fans: "The original Apollo VII is a fine overdrive, but it's not the Voyager preamp that Spaceman fans had asked for"4.
The controls
The control layout is three knobs and one toggle1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume1 |
| Gain | Sets the drive amount, up to 40dB of gain on tap1 |
| Tone | A wide-ranging tone control that delivers different tonalities12 |
| Toggle | Selects the clipping mode: LED, silicon diode, or no diodes1 |
Spaceman says each of the three knobs "has been optimized to offer a wide variety of sounds"1, and Delicious Audio's write-up echoes the same point about the Level, Gain and Tone controls being optimized for a wide variety of tones3.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the pedal in December 2019, noted "an incredible amount of headroom on this pedal too with up to 40dB of gain on tap"2.
The three clipping modes
The toggle switch is where most of the pedal's character lives. Each position changes how the signal is clipped, and each has a distinct personality as Spaceman describes it1.
- LED clipping: "mid-range focused grit - this is the sound of the Voyager I," the mode that keeps the pedal closest to its tremolo-preamp parent1.
- Silicon diode clipping: "a more compressed and aggressive sound with a smoother decay tail"1.
- No diodes: with no clipping diodes in circuit, the pedal "becomes much more touch-sensitive and will growl and bark with astounding dynamic variation"1.
Delicious Audio's write-up describes the same three modes and the same behaviors, including the touch-sensitive growl of the no-diode setting3.
Karlsson's overall read on the pedal's character was that it sits between categories: he presented it "as an Overdrive with an articulate, fuzzy-drive character," with a distinct fuzzy edge on all modes and a warm fuzzy texture running from smooth to raspy2. He also admitted he had not been a fan of the preceding Spaceman release, the Saturn VI Harmonic Booster, "which wasn't quite" inspiring to him2.
Power and switching
The Apollo VII runs on 9V to 18V DC, drawing 38 mA engaged and 15 mA in bypass, with a 1 Meg Ohm input resistance1. Switching is true-bypass relay with a soft-touch footswitch1.
The 2019 version has no battery snap, so it needs a DC power supply5. The higher 18V end of its input range gives it more headroom than a 9V-only pedal.
Versions and editions
Spaceman offered the Apollo VII in two build variations: Limited Edition and Standard Edition1. Guitar Pedal X reports that the 2019 Standard edition was an SMD build, using surface-mount components rather than through-hole parts5. At launch there were five editions: Purple Sparkle, Blue Starlight, Black, White, and a Raw Steel Standard2.
The pedal sits in a cast-aluminum enclosure with a durable, engraved vinyl faceplate and a jewel indicator light1.
The Apollo VII versus the Apollo VIIb
The VIIb line has since expanded, with the Apollo VIIb Voyager and the Apollo VIIb Cadet carrying the circuit forward. Players comparing the two should treat the VIIb as a redesign rather than a reissue.
Videos
AndyDemos
R.J. Ronquillo
collector//emitter
Questions
Is the Spaceman Apollo VII true bypass?
Yes. The Apollo VII uses true-bypass relay switching with a soft-touch footswitch, which Spaceman describes on its product page. Guitar Pedal X, covering the 2019 version, calls it a digitally controlled relay bypass. The 2019 version also has no battery snap, so it runs on a power supply only.
What is the difference between the Apollo VII and the Apollo VIIb?
The original Apollo VII uses fully symmetrical diode clipping, while the Apollo VIIb revises the circuit. Spaceman founder Zak Martin returned to the company in 2024 and found the released Apollo VII circuit had been altered from his intended design, which led to the Apollo VIIb. Spaceman has said the VIIb circuit is about 80 percent different from the 2019 original.
What does the no-diode setting on the Apollo VII sound like?
With no clipping diodes in circuit, Spaceman says the Apollo VII becomes much more touch-sensitive and will growl and bark with dynamic variation. It is the most open and responsive of the three toggle positions, reacting to how hard you pick rather than clamping the signal with diodes.
What is the difference between the Limited Edition and Standard Edition Apollo VII?
Spaceman offered the Apollo VII in two build variations: Limited Edition and Standard Edition. Guitar Pedal X reports that the 2019 Standard edition was an SMD build, meaning surface-mount construction rather than hand-wired through-hole parts. At launch there were five editions, including Purple Sparkle, Blue Starlight, Black, White and a Raw Steel Standard.
Sources (5)
- Apollo VII, Spaceman Effects
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2019-12-13
- Spaceman Effects Apollo VII Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-30
- Apollo VIIb Cadet: Preamp / Overdrive, Spaceman Effects
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-04-11
