The GarageTone Chainsaw is a distortion pedal from Truetone. It carries three controls, Drive, Tone and Volume, in a compact enclosure measuring 3.2" × 4.75" (81 × 120mm), and Truetone describes its sound as "Creamy, full-bodied, with a well-balanced frequency response that keeps the low-end powerful without getting muddy, the mids present without becoming harsh"1. The pedal runs on 9VDC with a center pin negative supply, drawing 5 to 13mA1.
What it does
Truetone's pitch for the Chainsaw centers on its frequency balance. The maker says "The frequency balance is deliberately calibrated to sound correct at any volume," a design choice it presents as separating the pedal from budget distortions that only sound good at bedroom volumes or at full stage output1. The maker's fuller description of the sound is "Creamy, full-bodied, with a well-balanced frequency response that keeps the low-end powerful without getting muddy, the mids present without becoming harsh"1.
In practice that means the Drive knob sets the amount of distortion, the Tone knob shapes the treble balance, and the Volume sets the pedal's output level, the standard arrangement for a three-knob distortion1.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's review of the pedal, published under its earlier Visual Sound name, took a favorable view of the sound despite the aggressive name. The review called it "a unique and very musical distortion, in contrast to its name"2.
The Visual Sound connection
The pedal appears on Truetone's site under its GarageTone line, and MusicRadar reviewed it as the Visual Sound Garagetone Chainsaw12. Readers comparing it with other pedals from the same maker will find related designs in the company's history, including the Visual Sound Garagetone Chainsaw page and the dual Truetone V3 Jekyll & Hyde overdrive and distortion.
The GarageTone Chainsaw is an archived product, not part of Truetone's current range. Its specifications here come from the maker's archive page1.
Videos
Truetone
Ernie Williamson Music
MarshallGTV2
Questions
Is the GarageTone Chainsaw still in production?
No. Truetone lists the GarageTone Chainsaw Distortion in its Truetone Archive legacy section rather than its current lineup, so the pedal is archived. Players looking for it will generally be looking at second-hand units, and the maker's own page remains the reference for its controls and power requirements.
How is the GarageTone Chainsaw powered?
It runs on 9VDC with a center pin negative plug and draws 5 to 13 mA, according to Truetone's product page. That low draw is modest by pedal standards, and the pedal's dimensions are 3.2 by 4.75 inches (81 by 120 mm).
Sources (2)
- GarageTone Chainsaw Distortion, Truetone, 2026
- Visual Sound Garagetone Chainsaw review, MusicRadar, 2011-06-17
