The Swell B-Peg V3 is a bass overdrive pedal made by SWELL Pedals, a builder known for tube-based stompboxes. It is a fully analog unit built around an internal 12AX7 tube, the same preamp tube found in countless amplifiers, and it offers two separate gain settings that you select with a footswitch1. Premier Guitar reviewed it in September 2026 at a street price of $3491.
For a bass player, the appeal is a drive tone that keeps the low end full. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that the B-Peg V3 "filled up and rounded out the pickups on my Jazz with a fuller and warmer tone," describing a huge sound reminiscent of a mid-'70s SVT1. That is the classic Ampeg bass-amp territory many players look for in an overdrive pedal.
SWELL Pedals is no longer in business. Mike Olienechak closed the company in 2012 after the 2008 economic downturn took its toll, so the B-Peg V3 is a discontinued pedal that turns up on the used market rather than in shops.
What the reviewer said
Premier Guitar's review, published September 2026, is the fullest published account of the pedal. The reviewer used it straight out of the box at four live shows, two in small clubs and twice in festival settings, playing a Fender Jazz bass through a Trace Elliot GP12 SMX 4001 head and an SWR 4x10 cab1. The verdict was positive on tone, usability and construction:
"Pros: Great tone with plenty of control. Easy to use and well constructed."
The reviewer's live-use detail matters here: a pedal judged across club and festival stages, on a standard jazz bass into a full bass rig, is being assessed in the conditions a working player cares about, not just on a bench1.
Controls and connections
The B-Peg V3 keeps its control set simple. The standout feature is the pair of separate gains, selectable via true-bypass footswitching, which lets you set two drive levels ahead of a gig and move between them with one press1.
| Control or jack | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain-1 knob | Adjusts the first gain; the review recommends settings below 12 o'clock1 |
| Gain footswitching | Two separate gains selectable via true-bypass footswitching1 |
| On/off footswitch | Illuminates in red to show the pedal is powered up1 |
| Input and output | Gold-plated Switchcraft jacks, top-mounted1 |
| Record-out jack | Speaker-simulated output, top-mounted, for recording or direct-to-desk use1 |
The record-out with speaker simulation is the feature a recording bass player will notice. It sends a processed tone that behaves like a mic'd cabinet, so you can capture the driven sound without an amp, in the same spirit as dedicated speaker simulation pedals1.
Build and power
The pedal is housed in a sturdy, powder-coated metal encasement, and its die-cast aluminum construction and interlocking lid provide complete RF shielding, which helps keep radio-frequency noise out of a tube circuit1. The on/off footswitch lights up red when the pedal is powered1.
Power comes from an external supply only: the pedal does not run on battery power1. If you find one used, plan on a pedalboard power supply rather than assuming a battery compartment, and budget for it alongside the $349 street price when weighing a purchase1.
How it compares with other third-generation pedals
The B-Peg V3 sits in a crowded field of pedals that have reached a third revision. Compared with its contemporaries, its combination of an internal 12AX7 tube and a 100 percent analog signal path is the distinguishing trait: many V3 pedals are analog but tube-free, or digital from the ground up1.
| Pedal | Type | Circuit | Bypass |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWELL B-Peg V3 | Bass overdrive | 100 percent analog, internal 12AX7 tube | True bypass1 |
| Walrus Audio Iron Horse V3 | Distortion | Not stated | True bypass2 |
| Aclam Dr. Robert V3 | Overdrive | Not stated in the manual | Relay true bypass3 |
| JET Pedals Revelation Reverb V3 | Reverb | Analog | Not stated4 |
| Emma Electronic DiscumBOBulator DB-3 | Envelope filter plus boost | All-analog proprietary circuit | Not stated5 |
The comparison is loose, since these are different effect types, but it shows where the B-Peg V3 stands: true bypass is common across the V3 generation, while a real tube inside an analog bass overdrive is not1.
Where it came from
The B-Peg V3 is a bass overdrive from Swell Pedals, one of the builder's later designs, and Premier Guitar reviewed it after it arrived1. The reviewer put it to work at four live shows, two small clubs and twice in festival settings, running a Fender Jazz through a Trace Elliot GP12 SMX 4001 head and an SWR 4x10 cab1.
Questions
Is the Swell B-Peg V3 true bypass?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review describes the pedal's two separate gain settings as selectable via true-bypass footswitching, so the signal path is out of the circuit when the pedal is off.
Does the Swell B-Peg V3 use a real tube?
Yes. The pedal contains an internal 12AX7 tube, the same dual-triode preamp tube used in countless guitar and bass amplifiers, as part of its overdrive circuit.
Can the B-Peg V3 run on a battery?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes that it does not run on battery power, so it needs an external power supply and cannot share a daisy chain that assumes battery-backed pedals.
Does the B-Peg V3 have a speaker-simulated output?
Yes. Alongside its gold-plated Switchcraft input and output jacks, the pedal has a top-mounted record-out jack with speaker simulation, useful for sending the drive tone straight to a recording interface or desk.
Is the Swell B-Peg V3 analog or digital?
It is 100 percent analog, according to Premier Guitar's review, with an internal 12AX7 tube in the signal path rather than a digital model of one.
Is SWELL Pedals still in business?
No. Mike Olienechak closed SWELL Pedals in 2012 after the 2008 economic downturn took its toll, so the B-Peg V3 is a discontinued pedal found on the used market.
Sources (5)
- Swell B-Peg V3 Bass Overdrive Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-05-09
- Walrus Audio Iron Horse V3 review: Rat-like tones with more transparency, Guitar.com, 2021-12-03
- Dr-Robert-V3.pdf, Aclam Guitars, 2026
- Revelation Reverb V3 by JET Pedals, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Emma Electronic DISCUMBOBULATOR v3 (DB-3), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
