The Way Huge Red Llama 25th Anniversary Overdrive (WHE206) is a limited-edition version of the Red Llama, an overdrive pedal that Way Huge first put out in 1992 and that ranks among the very first production boutique overdrives12. Released in 2017, the 25th Anniversary kept the circuit's character but moved it into a more pedalboard-friendly enclosure and added a third control, a Hi Cut knob, to the two knobs the original carried2.
The Red Llama itself is a mid-gain, crunchy, Tweed-style drive that built a solid fan base after it became Tom Petty's go-to overdrive3. It is a pedal with a reputation for volume and touch response, and the 25th Anniversary is the version that gives that sound a tone control for the first time.
Red Llama versions, from the original to the MkIII Smalls
The Red Llama story runs across four main versions, and knowing which is which answers most questions about the 25th Anniversary's place in the line561.
| Version | Year | Knobs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Red Llama (RL2) | 1992 | Two | Way Huge's first production pedal; among the first production boutique overdrives178 |
| Red Llama Overdrive MkII | 2012 | Two | Straight reissue of the original by Jeorge Tripps29 |
| Red Llama 25th Anniversary (WHE206) | 2017 | Three | Adds Hi Cut, smaller enclosure2 |
| Red Llama MkIII Smalls (WM23) | 2022 | Two | Compact Smalls enclosure, 30th anniversary edition2 |
The original dates to the early to mid 90s, with 1992 the year given for its release as a production pedal51. On Sweetwater's demo of the later MkIII, Mitch Gallagher walked through the lineage: "there was a mark ii there was a 25th anniversary version and now we have the mark iii smalls version"5.
The 2012 MkII was a straight reissue of one of Tripps's most famous stompboxes, and Premier Guitar noted that fans of the original could rejoice, since its high-volume capabilities were fully intact in the MkII9. The 25th Anniversary followed in 2017 as the third iteration, released in a more pedalboard-friendly unit featuring a third knob labeled Hi Cut2. Then in 2022, for the 30th anniversary of both Way Huge and the Red Llama, the MkIII arrived in the compact Smalls enclosure, described by Way Huge as a painstaking recreation of the original and by MusicRadar as more compact than ever210.
The JHS Pedals blog sums up the split players most often run into: "You have the original vintage unit that came out in the '90s. It costs roughly 1.2 bajillion dollars now, has two kn[obs]" versus the reissued 25th Anniversary version with three knobs, more options and a smaller enclosure116.
Controls: what the Hi Cut knob does
The 25th Anniversary carries three knobs. Two are the same as every Red Llama before it2411:
- Volume: sets the overall effect volume8
- Drive: sets the amount of overdrive8
- Hi Cut: tames the high frequencies if you are finding them a bit too aggressive4
That third knob is the whole point of this version. The original and the MkII gave you no tone shaping at all, just volume and drive on a bright, pinkish-red front panel9. Gearnews described the Hi Cut's job plainly when the pedal was announced: it is there "to tame the high frequencies if you're finding them a bit too aggressive"4.
The DIY community has even worked out how to retrofit the effect. On the Guitar FX Layouts blog, builders discussed adding a treble cut control "as in the new 25th anniversary version that Dunlop has issued," with a documented mod of a 27k resistor and a 33nF cap to match the 25th Anniversary's Hi Cut at its maximum setting11.
What the drive knob does across the line is consistent: one build report on the same blog describes it as going "from a gentle grind all the way up to massive distortion"11.
How the 25th Anniversary differs from the MkIII
The key difference is the tone control. Premier Guitar's MkIII Smalls review puts it directly: while the MkII and the limited 25th Anniversary rendition did feature a tone control, the MkIII Smalls does not1. So a player who wants the Red Llama sound with a way to roll off brightness has, in the family covered here, only the 25th Anniversary.
The other difference is size. The 25th Anniversary was already more pedalboard-friendly than the MkII2, but the MkIII Smalls went further, shrinking into Way Huge's compact Smalls enclosure, which Guitar.com also noted makes it easy to take on the road210. Guitar World observed that with the MkIII "the design is even more simple, with just two knobs for Volume and Drive on the front"12.
On the MkIII, the drive control rolls from fat boost to a hairy high-gain overdrive, and the volume control can push an amp's front end to the point of distortion1. Premier Guitar's review video found a sweet spot there: "i really like this with the with the drive way down and the volume up to me that's a real ampy overdrive"13.
What reviewers and players made of it
Published verdicts on the Red Llama line have been consistently positive. Premier Guitar's MkIII review concluded that "The Red Llama MkIII Small's juicy, succulent, and dynamic overdrive make it suited for just about any rig in any style," calling it distinct, characterful and loveable even after 30 years1. Sweetwater's demo found it very responsive to touch sensitivity5.
On tone, Premier Guitar's MkII review offered a useful comparison for players weighing alternatives: the Llama is "more like the slightly fuzzy nature of an old MXR Distortion+ with a fuller low end and a much brighter top," and not as transparent as a vintage TS9 Tube Screamer9. A DIY builder's report on Guitar FX Layouts called it "really nice, open, massively boosting, clear and articulate overdrive," bound to open up any amp with its massive volume11.
The Tom Petty connection is the pedal's best-known user story, with Delicious Audio noting the drive "found a solid fan base after it ended up becoming Tom Petty's go-to overdrive"3.
The 25th Anniversary was a limited edition. When it was announced in 2017, dealers had not yet received stock and pre-orders were being taken sight unseen4. It has since been followed by the MkIII Smalls, so the 25th Anniversary is the version to look for on the used market if you want the Hi Cut knob.
Videos
Sweetwater
The Bass Channel
Hugo Helmer Music, Inc.
Questions
What does the Hi Cut knob on the Red Llama 25th Anniversary do?
It tames the high frequencies when they are sounding too aggressive4. The original 1990s Red Llama and the 2012 MkII both had only Volume and Drive72, so the 25th Anniversary's third knob is the one control that lets you darken the pedal's bright top end without touching your amp.
What is the difference between the Red Llama 25th Anniversary and the MkIII?
The 2017 25th Anniversary has three knobs, Volume, Drive and Hi Cut, in a smaller, pedalboard-friendly enclosure2. The 2022 MkIII Smalls goes back to two knobs, Volume and Drive, dropping the tone control, and shrinks the pedal further into Way Huge's compact Smalls enclosure built for the line's 30th anniversary182.
Sources (13)
- Way Huge Red Llama MkIII Small Guitar Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-08-23
- Way Huge celebrates 30th anniversary with the Red Llama Overdrive MKIII, MusicRadar, 2022-07-05
- Best Tweed-Style Overdrives & Fender-in-a-Box Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-13
- Way Huge Electronics Red Llama 25th Anniversary: A silver jubilee of dirt, gearnews.com, 2017-05-19
- Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive MkIII Smalls Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2022-07-06
- MY FAVORITE WAY HUGE PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- WAY HUGE® SMALLS™ RED LLAMA, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- WM23.pdf, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com), 2022
- Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive MkII Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-01-25
- Way Huge goes way small with a compact Red Llama overdrive for its 30th anniversary, Guitar.com, 2022-07-04
- Guitar FX Layouts: Way Huge Red Llama, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2023-04-12
- Way Huge celebrates 30 years of pedalboard goodness with the WM23 Smalls Red Llama overdrive, Guitar World, 2022-07-04
- Way Huge Red Llama Overdrive MkIII Demo, Premier Guitar, 2022-07-15
