ThorpyFX GUNSHOT MAUD JCM Edition

The ThorpyFX GUNSHOT MAUD JCM Edition is a limited version of the ThorpyFX Gunshot overdrive pedal. ThorpyFX positions the GUNSHOT as "the overdrive to beat all others," and the MAUD JCM Edition carries the same circuit in a different shell: an enclosure design the company tried out before settling on the vortex design used on the standard pedal. ThorpyFX says of the earlier look, "We gave this design a try before settling on the current vortex design, we still think it's very cool though."¹

Only two of these were made available, so it exists as a collector's piece as much as a working pedal. For a player who wants the GUNSHOT sound in a regular production format, the standard versions remain the practical route¹².

What it does to your sound

ThorpyFX describes the GUNSHOT's range as covering "overdrive flavours from subtle through to searing, think slightly hairy blues to hard rock." In other words, it is built to span the whole overdrive spectrum rather than specialise in one corner of it, from a light edge on a clean amp up through harder rock drive.²

At the heart of the pedal is what ThorpyFX calls a proprietary cascading "gain engine," tuned "to deliver maximum tonality for as wide a range of amps as possible." A cascading design means multiple gain stages run in series, each feeding the next, which lets the pedal build drive progressively rather than all at once. The maker's stated goal is that the pedal works with many different amplifiers rather than needing one specific amp to sound right.²

V1, V2 and the limited JCM Edition

The GUNSHOT line has three versions, and the differences between them are worth knowing before shopping secondhand or comparing listings¹.

The MAUD JCM Edition sits closest to the V1. ThorpyFX states plainly that "This is sonically identical to the V1," so a player comparing the two is choosing on looks and collectability, not tone. The V2 is the one that behaves differently in practical terms: it is smaller, which saves pedalboard space, but it drops battery-free portability expectations by accepting only a 9V power supply.¹

Build and dimensions

The enclosure is a custom engineered design combining a stainless steel laser etched center console with a tough baseplate. ThorpyFX's approach here is a two part construction: a decorative and durable steel top section, and a base built to take the knocks of gigging.²

The pedal measures 65mm wide, 125mm long and 53mm high measured to the top of the knobs, as listed by the maker. That footprint is compact enough to fit comfortably on a small pedalboard while leaving room for the knobs to be adjusted by hand.²

Where it sits in the ThorpyFX range

ThorpyFX's overdrive lineup extends well beyond the GUNSHOT. The company has released the Peacekeeper and its lower gain Peace2Keeper variant, the Kudu and Greater Kudu drives, the tube driven Electric Lightning signature pedal with Chris Buck, and The J tweed preamp pedal. Within that range the GUNSHOT is the maker's flagship general purpose overdrive, with the MAUD JCM Edition as its limited, visually distinct offshoot²¹.

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