The TWA FB-05 Metal is a compact distortion pedal from TWA (Totally Wycked Audio), part of the company's Fly Boys line of mini pedals. Guitar World described it at launch as an "'80s-style high-gain distortion with Lo/Hi Boost switch," which is the core of what it does: a high-gain distortion voiced toward the hard-rock and metal sounds of that decade, with a boost switch to shape the low and high end1. Pedal of the Day placed it within "Totally Wycked Audio's Fly Boys lineup," of which the FB-05 Metal is one model2.
Status and availability
The FB-05 Metal is no longer in production. The maker's product page at Godlyke Distributing carries the notice "*SORRY, THIS MODEL HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED*" and lists the pedal as "Sold out"3. Players looking for a current TWA distortion will not find this model there; the page remains as a reference to what the pedal was.
Price and what was included
When Guitar World reported the Fly Boys line's introduction in November 2013, the FB-05 Metal carried a list price of $89 with a street price of $691. Every Fly Boys purchase also included a bonus: "FREE C-BAT/R cable with every Fly Boys purchase," according to the maker's product page3.
Where it sat in TWA's range
The FB-05 Metal was one of several distortion-voiced pedals in the Fly Boys mini series, alongside the TWA FB-01 Distortion, a general-purpose distortion companion to the Metal's '80s high-gain voicing. TWA's wider catalog has since grown to include larger distortion designs such as the TWA SH9 Scott Henderson Signature Distortion and the TWA Triskelion TK-01, but the FB-05 Metal remains the Fly Boys entry for this kind of gain. For the broader category, see Distortion Pedals2.
Videos
The Tone King
gearmanndude
Godlyke Inc.
Sources (3)
- Godlyke Introduces TWA Fly Boys Mini Effect Pedals, Guitar World, 2013-11-14
- TWA Fly Boys FB-05 Metal, Pedal of the Day, 2015-08-14
- FLY BOYS®, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
