The Veri-Tone Mr. Heath Overdrive Distortion Fuzz is a pedal that chases one specific sound: the not-quite-fuzz, not-quite-overdrive distortion that came out of Vox's early solid-state amps, like the UL730, Defiant, Conqueror and Super Beatle. Pedal of the Day reported in February 2021 that Veri-Tone, after being out of the game for a while, was back to building pedals with this unit1.
It belongs to a family of dirt pedals that blur together. If you want to see how it sits among them, the site's pages on Overdrive Pedals, Distortion Pedals and Fuzz Pedals cover each type on its own.
What it does
Despite being a mid-gain overdrive, the Mr. Heath is voiced to place emphasis on mids and high mids, which Pedal of the Day notes allows your leads to stand out in a busy mix1. That mid-forward voicing is the heart of the pedal: it is built around pushing a guitar forward rather than scooping it.
The circuit is an approximation rather than a copy. As the review puts it1:
"not an attempt to faithfully replicate the circuitry of those Vox amps, but simply create a replica (or more precisely, an approximation)"
Controls
The Mr. Heath keeps things simple with two knobs, and the reviewer found the range of tones from just two knobs quite impressive1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive (on the left) | Sweeps from low drive to fuzz-like tones; Pedal of the Day says you can get from "Drive My Car" rhythm tones to "Helter Skelter" chaos with a few turns1 |
| Second knob | The review praises the range of tones from just two knobs, though it does not name the second control1 |
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's verdict was warm on the pedal's sweep and range1:
"We love the sweep of the dirt from low settings to high, invoking classic, vintage tones and sounds from some of the most iconic riffs and chordal progressions"
That reading frames the Mr. Heath as a pedal for players chasing vintage British-flavored dirt tones that sit between overdrive and fuzz, rather than a modern high-gain or transparent drive1.
Videos
Veri-Tone
Demos In The Dark
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What kind of pedal is the Veri-Tone Mr. Heath?
It is an overdrive distortion fuzz pedal, meaning it sits between those categories rather than squarely in one of them. Pedal of the Day describes it as an attempt to replicate the not-quite-fuzz, not-quite-overdrive distortion sound present in Vox's early solid-state amps like the UL730, Defiant, Conqueror and Super Beatle. Despite being a mid-gain overdrive, it is voiced to emphasize mids and high mids so leads stand out in a busy mix.
Is the Mr. Heath a copy of the Vox amp circuit?
No. Pedal of the Day reports that it is not an attempt to faithfully replicate the circuitry of those Vox amps, but simply to create a replica, or more precisely an approximation, of the sound. In other words, the pedal aims at the same tonal territory rather than being a circuit-accurate copy of the amp.
Sources (1)
- Veri-Tone Mr. Heath Overdrive Distortion Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2021-02-12