The Stone Deaf PDF-1X Ghost is a parametric overdrive and distortion pedal from Stone Deaf, a British effects company. What sets it apart from most gain pedals is that its tone control is a parametric EQ: instead of a fixed treble roll-off, you pick the frequency being cut or boosted and how wide that cut or boost is. MusicRadar described the range of the PDF-1X as covering "wah and phase tones, overdrive, distortion, fuzz, EQ and volume boost/cut all in one pedal"1.
Stone Deaf positions the pedal as much as a tone shaper as a gain box. The maker describes it as "a tone shaper, a sweetener at the end of your pedal chain to enhance the tone of your rig"2. The Ghost edition is a reissue of the original 2019 limited edition, and Stone Deaf marks it as the last batch before the pedal is discontinued2.
A parametric overdrive and tone shaper
The PDF-1X combines gain and a parametric filter in one box. Delicious Audio called it "an original design offering Parametric EQ, Clean Boost, Distortion and Fuzz"4, and noted that the limited edition circuit "includes the PDF-1 and PDF-2 set of features"4. In practice that means the pedal can serve as a clean boost, an EQ, or a gain stage, with the filter interacting with the clipping.
The filter side is what gives the pedal its range. On the original PDF-1X, That Pedal Show demonstrated the control set, including "the five position switch which gives you the bandwidth or the cue of that cut"5. That five-position switch sets the Q, the width of the frequency cut or boost, so the same knob can work as a broad tone control or a narrow, surgical notch.
MusicRadar also highlighted the pedal's "set-and-forget" gain trim feature that lets you tune the clipping mode for overdrive, distortion or fuzz1. On the Ghost, that trim lives inside the enclosure.
The internal trim pot
Inside the Ghost there is an internal trim pot, set at the factory to low gain. Stone Deaf says you can increase it "to get heavier barkier tones" and describes it as a set-and-forget adjustment2. For a player, that means the pedal's baseline clipping character can be matched to your amp and pickups once, then left alone, with the external controls doing the day-to-day work.
Limited edition and the Ghost reissue
The PDF-1X story starts in 2019. Stone Deaf originally launched the pedal "with a limited edition of 200 signed pieces by McBess and a unique merchandise package"2. McBess is the illustrator who painted the enclosure artwork; MusicRadar reported that "the first 200 units come with assorted swag and are signed by McBess, the artist who painted the enclosure"1, and Delicious Audio noted the 200 units carried "custom graphics and signatures from Stone Deaf and illustrator McBess"4.
The pedal drew attention partly for its association with Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age. Gearnews described the PDF-1X as "based on the model that is used by Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age"6.
Delicious Audio reported at the time that the limited edition circuit "introduces a few intriguing updates, which will be permanent in an upcoming standard version for the pedal"4.
The Ghost is the reissue of that edition. Stone Deaf describes it as returning "this time as a reissue without the original merchandise but still retaining all the excellent features and tones" of the first batch2. So the Ghost gives you the same pedal as the 200 signed originals, minus the merchandise package and signatures.
The Ghost is marked by Stone Deaf as the last batch before discontinuation2. Players wanting a PDF-1X new are looking at a closing window; the related Stone Deaf PDF-1X page covers the original edition.
Power and practicalities
The PDF-1X runs on 9V DC, center negative3. The two maker-affiliated sources disagree on current draw: Stone Deaf's Ghost page lists 100mA2, while the RockBoard PedalPedia entry for the PDF-1x lists 55mA3. Both figures are given here as stated.
Stone Deaf asks that you use an isolated power supply with the Ghost, and does not recommend daisy chains or single wall warts2. If you run a shared-supply pedalboard, budget an isolated output for this pedal.
Other practical details from the maker: the pedal carries a 1-year warranty covering defects from purchase, non-transferable, with no refunds offered under warranty; returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery for unused items in original packaging, with an RMA required and the buyer covering return shipping2.
What reviewers and players made of it
Stone Deaf positions the PDF-1X as a shaping tool rather than a conventional effect, describing it as "a tone shaper, a sweetener at the end of your pedal chain to enhance the tone of your rig"52. That framing matches how the pedal's filter and gain controls are meant to work together, letting a player dial in the overall character of a rig rather than adding a single processed layer on top of it2.
"these are special edition there's 200 of these right"
Mick, That Pedal Show5
The demo covers how the five-position bandwidth switch and the frequency control shape the cut or boost, and how the pedal behaves across its gain range5.
Stone Deaf's own product page shows 36 reviews, 35 positive and 1 negative2. Those are buyer ratings rather than published reviews, so they are noted here only as the maker presents them.
Where it sits among gain pedals
Against a conventional overdrive or distortion pedal, the PDF-1X trades a fixed tone stack for a sweepable parametric filter, which is what lets it reach wah- and phaser-like territory as MusicRadar described1. It also covers fuzz and boost ground, and its EQ function relates it to equalization pedals. Players interested in Stone Deaf's take on filter-based tone shaping may also want to look at the Stone Deaf Warp Drive.
Videos
Rabea Massaad
AndyDemos
HarryAndAGuitar
Questions
Is the Stone Deaf PDF-1X Ghost true bypass?
Yes. Stone Deaf lists the PDF-1X Ghost as true bypass, so with the pedal off your signal passes through without active buffering. The circuit itself is analog, and the pedal is designed and built in the UK.
How much current does the PDF-1X Ghost draw?
Stone Deaf's product page for the Ghost lists a current draw of 100mA, while the RockBoard PedalPedia entry for the PDF-1x lists 55mA, so the two sources disagree. Either way it runs on 9V DC center negative, and Stone Deaf recommends an isolated power supply rather than a daisy chain or single wall wart.
Who is McBess?
McBess is the illustrator who painted the enclosure artwork for the original 2019 PDF-1X limited edition. The first 200 units came with assorted merchandise and were signed by McBess and Stone Deaf. The Ghost reissue keeps the pedal's features and tones but drops the original merchandise package.
Is the Stone Deaf PDF-1X Ghost discontinued?
It is on its way out. Stone Deaf's product page marks the Ghost as the last batch before discontinuation, so once this run sells through the PDF-1X is finished. The Ghost is a reissue of the 2019 limited edition without the original merchandise.
What does the internal trim pot do on the PDF-1X Ghost?
Inside the pedal there is an internal trim pot, set at the factory to low gain. You can turn it up for heavier, barkier clipping character. Stone Deaf describes it as a set-and-forget adjustment, so you dial it once to suit your rig rather than tweaking it from the outside.
Where is the PDF-1X Ghost made?
Stone Deaf states that the PDF-1X Ghost is designed and built in the UK. Stone Deaf is a British effects company, and the PDF-1X line has been UK-made since the original 2019 limited edition.
Sources (6)
- Stone Deaf unveils updated hybrid boost, drive and EQ pedal inspired by Josh Homme, MusicRadar, 2019-09-18
- PDF-1X GHOST, Stone Deaf
- PDF-1x by Stone Deaf Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Stone Deaf PDF-1X Limited Edition, Delicious Audio, 2019-12-23
- Boss MD-200, Stone Deaf PDF-1X, GCP Comfortably Plum, TC Flashback II x4, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2019-11-05
- Stone Deaf Effects limited edition PDF-1X, gearnews.com, 2019-09-18
