The Tonefreak Severe is a distortion pedal from Tone Freak, a Californian firm that hand-builds its pedals. The bronze-finished Severe is the company's answer for heavy distortion, and it carries Guitarist magazine's Gold Award for Effects, as noted in a MusicRadar review by Dave Durban published on 3 January 20101. It sits in the same family as other distortion pedals, with a gain character aimed at heavy rock and metal.
Controls and the clipping switch
The Severe's distinguishing control is a three-way toggle switch that offers asymmetrical, symmetrical and no-clipping options. These settings change the way the pedal clips the guitar signal, giving three distinct distortion voices from the same circuit: two flavors of clipping, and a position with no clipping diodes in the path at all. Alongside the toggle there is a gain control, and a bright blue LED shows when the pedal is on1.
Power
Power is via a single 9V battery or a 2.1mm center negative pin power adaptor, which is not included with the pedal1. The center negative standard means it will run from most pedalboard power supplies fitted with a 2.1mm barrel plug.
The power adaptor is not included, so players who do not want to run a battery need to have a 2.1mm center negative supply on hand.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's Dave Durban reviewed the Severe in January 2010 and found a high-gain sound suited to heavy styles, with enough control to handle more than rhythm work1:
"With the gain control creeping over halfway, the Severe delivers a tight, musical distortion that will set sparks flying"
His verdict covered both rhythm and lead use, describing "versatile metal rhythm and Van Halen-style soloing ability" from the pedal's high-gain sound1. The same review noted the award: "Here's the current holder of Guitarist magazine's coveted Gold Award for Effects"1.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Tonefreak Severe run on a battery?
Yes. Power is via a single 9V battery or a 2.1mm centre negative pin power adaptor, which is not included with the pedal. The adaptor option means it can also be run from a standard pedalboard power supply with a centre negative output.
What size power adapter does the Tonefreak Severe use?
The Severe uses a 2.1mm centre negative pin power adaptor at 9V. The adaptor is not included with the pedal, so players using a power supply rather than a battery need to supply their own.
What do the three clipping positions on the Tonefreak Severe do?
The Severe has a three-way toggle switch that offers asymmetrical, symmetrical and no-clipping options. These change how the pedal clips the signal, giving three different distortion characters from one pedal.
Who makes the Tonefreak Severe?
The Severe is made by Tone Freak, a Californian firm. The bronze-finished pedal is hand-built, and MusicRadar described it as Tone Freak's answer for heavy distortion.
Did the Tonefreak Severe win an award?
Yes. Writing in January 2010, Dave Durban of MusicRadar described the Severe as the current holder of Guitarist magazine's Gold Award for Effects.
Sources (1)
- Gold Awards: Effects, MusicRadar, 2010-01-03
