The Way Huge Angry Troll is a boost pedal from Way Huge Electronics, the brand owned by Jim Dunlop, that pumps up to +50dB of gain into your signal1. Way Huge bills it as a Linear Boost Amplifier, and its two controls are designed to interact the way a vintage mic preamp's do: turning one changes how the other behaves2. Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed up the character as "a vintage mic pre amp type of sound, with a little dirt foe extra good measure"1.
What it does to your signal
The Angry Troll serves up volume and gain to push the input of your amp. Guitar FX Layouts describes it as adding "bite and punch while transforming your mild mannered tone into a beastly sonic onslaught"2. Because the gain comes from an op-amp stage rather than a diode clipping section, the dirt is a byproduct of the boost rather than a separate overdrive voice, which is why it sits in the boost category rather than alongside overdrive pedals or distortion pedals12.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume of the boost |
| Anger | A rotary switch with six "Fists of Fury" positions that adjusts the amount of gain created by the pedal's op-amp1 |
The two controls interact like a vintage mic preamp, so the setting of one shapes the effect of the other2. On the circuit level, the Anger rotary adds between 1.5 and 60k of resistance between pin 6 of the op-amp and ground, which sets the gain range; the analysis on Guitar FX Layouts puts the minimum gain at about 3102.
Under the hood
The circuit analysis published on Guitar FX Layouts describes the Angry Troll as "Basically a buffered Dist+/OD250 gain stage without clipping diodes"2. That lineage matters to players: the Dist+ and OD-250 gain stage is a familiar op-amp design, and removing the clipping diodes leaves a clean-to-gritty gain block instead of a full overdrive. The pedal uses an 833 dual op-amp, with the 4558 suggested as a substitute; the analysis notes the 833 clips more gracefully than some other duals2.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the build quality in line with the rest of the range: "As with all Way Huge Pedals, the Angry Troll is built like a tank, and you'd really have to try hard to damage this thing," adding that it should last for years1. The same reviewer noted, with some amusement, that "the version we got to review was missing a knob, too"1.
The pedal has found a place on working stages. Asked by Guitar World which single pedal he would pick for a full show, Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes chose the Angry Troll: "I guess I'd go with the Angry Troll. I like that I can set it to where it gives me a good lift and boost during a solo." Guitar World's write-up describes it as a perfect, versatile boost that does not overdo it3.
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Questions
How much gain does the Way Huge Angry Troll provide?
Pedal of the Day describes the Angry Troll as a boost capable of pumping up to +50dB of gain into your signal. The amount of gain is set with two controls: a level knob and the Anger rotary switch, which adjusts the gain created by the pedal's op-amp in six positions. The two controls interact like a vintage mic preamp, so how you set one shapes what the other does.
What does the Anger rotary switch do?
Anger is a rotary switch with six positions, each named Fists of Fury, that adjusts the amount of gain created by the pedal's op-amp. Together with the level control it shapes how hard the Angry Troll pushes your amp, in the manner of a vintage mic preamp's interacting controls.
Does the Angry Troll have clipping diodes?
No. According to the circuit analysis published on Guitar FX Layouts, the Angry Troll is basically a buffered Dist+/OD-250 gain stage without clipping diodes. That is why it behaves as a boost with a little dirt rather than a full overdrive: the gain stage adds grit, but nothing hard-clips the signal.
What op-amp does the Angry Troll use?
The Guitar FX Layouts analysis identifies an 833 dual op-amp in the Angry Troll, with the 4558 suggested as a substitute. The writer noted the 833 clips more gracefully than some other dual op-amps, which suits the pedal's gain-into-dirt character.
Is the Angry Troll an overdrive or a boost?
It is a boost, marketed by Way Huge as a Linear Boost Amplifier. Because its gain stage is a Dist+/OD-250 style op-amp stage without clipping diodes, it adds a little dirt on top of the volume lift, but it has no diode clipping stage of its own. Players looking for a dedicated overdrive would look at a different pedal type.
What is the Way Huge Angry Troll Boost?
The Angry Troll is a boost pedal from Way Huge Electronics, the Way Huge brand owned by Jim Dunlop. It provides up to +50dB of gain, with a level control and a six-position Anger rotary switch that set how much gain the op-amp creates, in a red enclosure.
Sources (3)
- Way Huge Electronics Angry Troll™ Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2016-11-03
- Guitar FX Layouts: Way Huge Angry Troll, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-04-12
- Rich Robinson reveals what's on his pedalboard, Guitar World, 2023-12-12
Rich Robinson