The Taurus Servo is a compact pedal from Taurus Amplification that works as a booster, preamp and compressor in one unit1. It is not a conventional effects pedal: Guitar.com described it as a stompbox that "enhances the harmonics of the instrument's signal, in effect saturating and enriching your tone"2. Taurus's own description is that "the device makes the sound very vivid and saturated while it does not interfere with the original guitar sound"1. Players looking at it usually compare it against a straightforward clean boost, and the distinction matters: Delicious Audio, reviewing the Servo 3 version, wrote that "although it could be described as a boost pedal, the Servo is certainly NOT a clean type of boost"3. If you want a plain volume lift, that is the territory of Boost Pedals; the Servo sits closer to the territory of Preamp Pedals and Overdrive Pedals, where some saturation is part of the point.
What it does to your signal
The Servo's job is to add saturation, harmonic content and compression while keeping the guitar's own voice. Guitar.com framed it as a pedal that "takes your tone and elevates it" rather than an effects unit in the usual sense2. Delicious Audio's reviewer, Paolo De Gregorio, noted a practical bonus of the Servo 3: "It can also be used to record guitar direct to your audio interface," meaning it can stand in for an amp in a direct-recording setup3.
The controls
The Servo concentrates its work into few controls. Guitar.com described the main knob this way2:
"The former is a rotary knob that controls pretty much everything the pedal has to offer: saturation, brightness, resonance and sustain"2
In other words, one rotary knob governs saturation, brightness, resonance and sustain together, without disturbing the rest of the signal2. On the Servo 3, the boost circuit has its own Boost/Headroom knob3, and the Servo 2 generation added a Level Correction knob to fine tune the pedal's volume from -9 to 0 dB3.
Versions
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| Servo 1 and 2 | Boost triggered by a toggle switch3 |
| Servo 2 | Added the Level Correction knob, -9 to 0 dB of volume fine tuning3 |
| Servo 3 | Toggle switch replaced by a footswitch; 9V or 12V operation, the latter for extra headroom3 |
The footswitch for the boost is a Servo 3 change. Delicious Audio called it "an improved function from the toggle switch found in V1 and V2," so earlier versions require reaching down to a toggle to engage the boost3.
Power
The Servo runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 40mA1. Delicious Audio adds that the Servo 3 can also run at 12V, which the reviewer notes is "for extra headroom"3. At 40mA it is within reach of most pedalboard power supplies, but it is above what the lowest-current outputs on some supplies provide, so plan its outlet accordingly.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio's review of the Servo 3 is linked from the maker's own product listing1, and the same listing points to a review and demo by Phillip McKnight1. Guitar.com's 2018 coverage treated the Servo as a tone-shaping preamp rather than an effect, emphasizing the single-knob approach to saturation, brightness, resonance and sustain2.
Videos
TaurusAmp
TaurusAmp
Phillip McKnight
Questions
What power supply does the Taurus Servo need?
The Servo runs on 9V DC, center negative, drawing 40mA. Delicious Audio notes the Servo 3 can also run at 12V for extra headroom, so a supply with a 12V option gives that choice. Because it draws 40mA, a standard low-current daisy-chain output may not be enough; a dedicated supply output is the safer route.
Is the Taurus Servo analog or digital?
It is analog. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the circuit type as analog, and Delicious Audio describes the Servo 3 as having a fully analog circuit.
Does the Taurus Servo change the guitar's own tone?
Taurus describes the Servo as making the sound vivid and saturated while not interfering with the original guitar sound. Guitar.com likewise describes it as enhancing the harmonics of the instrument's signal rather than acting as a conventional effects unit, so the guitar's basic character stays intact.
How much current does the Taurus Servo draw?
RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the current draw at 40mA at 9V DC.
Sources (3)
- Servo by Taurus, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- The Servo stompbox subtly saturates your tone, Guitar.com, 2018-02-21
- Updated Pedal: Taurus Pedals Servo 3 Tone Enhancer, Delicious Audio, 2025-06-12
