The Volta Custom Black Tweed Plus is a handmade overdrive from the Italian builder Volta Custom that puts two amplifier-style voicings in one pedal: Blackface on one channel, Tweed on the other. Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio calls it "a handmade tweed-style overdrive" and describes the concept as "two amplifiers in one pedal"1. It is the deluxe, dual version of what was once known as the Nabla Black Tweed overdrive1.
Two channels, two voicings
Each channel carries its own amp voicing. Delicious Audio describes the gain structure changing "from the BlackFace full and elegant sound, to the Tweed one, mid-focused and crunch-happy, but still clean if played gently" when you push the TWEED button1. The overall character is what the maker's writeup calls the lush sound of a cranked classic American amplifier, where the stronger the touch, the more the harmonics bloom1.
Unlike the single-channel Black Tweed, the Plus runs both channels in parallel. Griffin Jennings, writing in Delicious Audio's roundup of tweed-style drives, noted: "There is also a Volta Black Tweed Plus that gives you both channels in parallel with extra features."3 On the Plus, "you get BOTH channels at once with dedicated gain control (Crank), volume knob and footswitches"1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Crank (per channel) | Gain control; set high enough it shapes the saturation type, simulating the response of a real tube amp1 |
| Bass, Middle, Treble (per channel) | Full EQ that works in tandem with Crank; like power tubes, it saturates the frequencies it pushes when Crank is turned up1 |
| Toggle switch (per channel) | Three settings: STOCK, MIDS or RAW, selected independently on each channel1 |
| Volume (per channel) | Level for each channel1 |
| Footswitches | One per channel1 |
The toggle switch is the same idea found on the single Black Tweed, where an "Old Tubes / New Tubes" switch changes the amount of headroom and EQ curve3. On the Plus, each channel's switch offers STOCK for the stock amplifier version, MIDS to pump up the mids, or RAW, which bypasses the EQ and dedicates the whole circuit to saturation1.
Build
Delicious Audio states the product is completely hand built1. Volta Custom also appears in Delicious Audio's coverage of the Volta 1987 V2, another pedal from the same builder3.
Videos
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Sasha Ivantic
Questions
What is the difference between the Volta Black Tweed and the Black Tweed Plus?
The Black Tweed Plus is the deluxe, dual version of the pedal once known as the Nabla Black Tweed overdrive. Where the single Black Tweed gives you one voicing at a time through a toggle switch, the Plus puts both channels in parallel with extra features, so you can run the Blackface and Tweed sides together. Griffin Jennings of Delicious Audio described it as a version that gives you both channels in parallel with extra features.
Can both channels of the Volta Black Tweed Plus run at once?
Yes. The Plus gives you both channels at once, each with its own dedicated gain control (the Crank knob), its own volume knob and its own footswitches. The two channels carry different voicings, Blackface on one and Tweed on the other, and the three-way EQ switch on each channel is selected independently.
What does the RAW setting do on the Black Tweed Plus?
Each channel's toggle switch offers three settings: STOCK, MIDS or RAW. STOCK plays the stock amplifier version of the voicing, MIDS pumps up the mids, and RAW bypasses the EQ section and dedicates the whole circuit to saturation. The switch works independently on both channels.
Where is the Volta Black Tweed Plus made?
The pedal is made in Italy by Volta Custom. Delicious Audio describes Volta as the Italian company that manufactures the pedal, and the enclosure is completely hand built.
What does the Crank knob control?
Crank is the gain control for each channel. It works in tandem with the three-way EQ section: set high enough, it shapes the type of saturation, simulating the response of a real tube amp. Like the power tubes of an amplifier, the EQ saturates the frequencies it pushes when you turn Crank up.
Sources (3)
- Volta Black Tweed Plus Dual Drive, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-04
- Black Tweed Plus by Volta Custom, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026
- Best Tweed-Style Overdrives & Fender-in-a-Box Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-13
