Way Huge Smalls Overrated Special

The Way Huge Smalls Overrated Special is a compact overdrive pedal from Way Huge, the smaller version of Joe Bonamassa's full-size Overrated Special. Announced at Summer NAMM 2018, it puts the same circuit in the smaller Way Huge Smalls housing so it takes up less room on a pedalboard¹². Dunlop and Way Huge say it gives the same tones as its big brother, just in a more compact format².

The pedal is a legacy product and is no longer in production¹. At its announcement, Guitar World reported that the price and release date had yet to be determined³, and Guitar.com likewise noted that availability and pricing had yet to be announced⁴.

What it is and what it does

Dunlop describes the Overrated Special's sound as a range of bold, punchy grit. The maker suggests running it in front of a clean amp for a gritty boost, or slamming an already distorted channel for what Guitar World called a massive surge of gain and sustain¹³. The pedal was designed in conjunction with bluesman Joe Bonamassa, with the circuit hot-rodded by Way Huge's Jeorge Tripps¹.

The circuit is essentially a hot-rodded Green Rhino OD with more midrange. Tripps took an old school Green Rhino OD and modified it for a more pronounced midrange, adding a Freq control so you can punch up the low mids¹. Gearnews reported Dunlop's description of the circuitry as a "hot-rodded" version of that found in the older Green Rhino pedal².

The Smalls version is the latest incarnation of the Overrated Special Overdrive, this time in a smaller, pedalboard-friendly enclosure². MusicRadar called it a downsized Smalls version of Joe Bonamassa's Overrated Special, adding that "Now in a Way Huge Smalls housing, this little box of dirt will find an easy home on your pedalboard"⁶.

The controls

The user interface is straightforward: Volume, Tone and Drive controls, plus the Freq control that sets this version apart¹³.

The Freq control is the addition over the core three-knob layout. Dunlop describes it as a way to tweak the low-mids, giving the pedal a voicing control the original Green Rhino circuit did not have¹².

Power

The pedal can be powered by a 9-volt battery or a Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter. It is also compatible with the DC Brick, Iso-Brick and Mini Iso-Brick power supplies, which are not included¹.

Where it came from

Way Huge unveiled the Smalls Overrated Special at Summer NAMM 2018, alongside the rest of Dunlop's pedal line-up for the show³⁶. At the time of the announcement, neither the price nor the release date had been set³⁴.

The Overrated Special itself sits in a Way Huge range that, as gearnews.com counted it in 2017, ran to around six or seven overdrive pedals, including the Doubleland Special and Overrated Special Overdrive, Saucy Drive, Red Llama, Pork Loin, Green Rhino and the Camel Toe twin overdrive pedal, plus the Swollen Pickle fuzz⁷. The Smalls series shrinks those circuits into smaller enclosures, and the Smalls WM28 Overrated Special Overdrive carries the WM28 designation in that line².

What the press said

Coverage at launch was brief but positive on value. Gearnews' writer commented on the limited run and the price²:

MusicRadar highlighted the practical appeal of the smaller format, noting the pedal would find an easy home on a pedalboard in its Smalls housing⁶.

Repairs and parts

Dunlop offers a parts listing for the Smalls Overrated Special Overdrive, aimed at qualified technicians. The maker states that Dunlop Electronic Parts are offered for sale with the qualified technician in mind, and that installation or repair should be performed by a qualified technician for those without experience installing electronic parts⁵.

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