The Spruce Effects Giganteum Drive is a two-channel overdrive pedal announced on July 13, 2017. Its two independent channels are built around different transistor types: a Germanium side and a Silicon side, each with its own gain stage. Spruce Effects describes the combination as vintage Germanium sounds paired with a modern Silicon circuit, covering everything from boost to light grit to heavier drive1.
The two channels
The Germanium side carries a "girth" control that switches between a treble boost and a full-range boost. Spruce Effects says it can slam an amp with 20dB of boost for creamy Germanium breakup, so it works as a clean boost into a cranked amplifier as well as a gain stage of its own1.
The Silicon side is an all-original circuit using a combination of discrete MOSFET and BJT gain stages. In plain terms, that means the gain comes from separate transistors rather than an op-amp chip, which is a common approach in boutique drive designs1.
Stacking the channels
The two channels can be stacked, and the character of the stacked sound depends on the girth setting. According to Premier Guitar's announcement1:
"with low 'girth' settings you can get tight distortion, and with high Girth settings you'll get unexpectedly heavy fuzz"
That puts the pedal's range across overdrive, distortion and fuzz territory in one box, depending on how the channels are set and combined. For context on how those effect types differ, see Overdrive Pedals, Distortion Pedals and Fuzz Pedals.
Versions and hardware
Spruce Effects offered two Germanium transistor options for the pedal: a NOS Standard option or a NOS Mullard OC42 Germanium transistor option. Both use new-old-stock transistors, which matters with Germanium parts since production of them largely stopped decades ago1.
The pedal has a small, pedalboard-friendly footprint with top-mounted jacks, so it takes up little room and keeps cables tidy. True-bypass switching means the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off1.
The Giganteum Drive was announced on July 13, 2017 as part of Spruce Effects' line of boutique pedals1. Two Germanium transistor options were offered: a NOS Standard or a NOS Mullard OC42 Germanium transistor option1.
Related pedals from the maker
Spruce Effects has built other drives and gain pedals, including The Arborist V2 and the Yosemite. The Giganteum stands apart in the line as the two-channel design with Germanium and Silicon sides1.
Videos
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Julien Bitoun - Guitare Obsession
Questions
Is the Spruce Effects Giganteum Drive true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's announcement of the pedal lists true-bypass switching among its features, so the pedal passes your guitar's signal untouched when it is off. It also has top-mounted jacks, which helps it fit on a crowded pedalboard.
What voltage does the Giganteum Drive run on?
The Giganteum Drive runs on normal 9V DC operation, according to Premier Guitar's announcement. That means it works with a standard pedal power supply, though the announcement does not give a current draw figure.
What does the girth control do on the Giganteum Drive?
The girth control sits on the Germanium side of the pedal and switches between a treble boost and a full-range boost. At low girth settings the stacked channels give tight distortion, while high girth settings produce unexpectedly heavy fuzz.
Where is the Giganteum Drive made?
Spruce Effects builds the Giganteum Drive by hand in California, using premium components according to the company's announcement. The company is based in San Jose, California.
Can you stack both channels of the Giganteum Drive?
Yes. Stacking the Germanium and Silicon channels is a designed feature of the pedal. Premier Guitar's writeup says low girth settings give tight distortion when stacked, while high girth settings deliver unexpectedly heavy fuzz.
Sources (1)
- Spruce Effects Unveils the Giganteum Drive, Premier Guitar, 2017-07-13
