The Way Huge Smalls WM28 Overrated Special Overdrive is an overdrive pedal that takes the circuit from the full-size Overrated Special and puts it in a smaller, pedalboard-friendly enclosure. Dunlop says the circuitry is a "hot-rodded" version of that found in the older Green Rhino pedal, and guitar.com describes it as "a sauced-up version of the Green Rhino overdrive, with punchier mids"1. It was designed by Jeorge Tripps with some input from Joe Bonamassa, and it is one of Bonamassa's signature dirt pedals2.
A compact Overrated Special
The WM28 is the Smalls-format incarnation of the Overrated Special Overdrive. Dunlop and Way Huge say it gives the same tones as its big brother, just in a more compact format2. The Smalls line exists to fit more onto a pedalboard without giving up the circuit, and this pedal is that idea applied to the Overrated Special.
The Smalls WM28 was limited to 2,000 units worldwide, so it is a limited-edition run rather than a standard catalog pedal2.
Controls
The control set is a standard overdrive layout plus one extra knob that sets this circuit apart from the Green Rhino it is based on12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level2 |
| Tone | Tone shaping2 |
| Drive | Amount of overdrive2 |
| Freq | Fine-tunes the pedal's midrange emphasis; per Dunlop, tweaks the low-mids12 |
The Freq control is the addition that distinguishes the WM28 from the older Green Rhino circuitry. Since the circuit is described as having punchier mids than the Green Rhino, the Freq knob lets a player dial in where that midrange push sits in the low-mids12.
Price and availability
The two published prices are close but not identical. At the Summer NAMM 2018 announcement, gearnews.com listed the RRP as USD 169.99, and its reviewer wrote, "I think the price is reasonable"2. In March 2021, guitar.com reported the WM28 Overdrive available for $1701.
Questions
How is the Way Huge Smalls WM28 different from the full-size Overrated Special?
Dunlop and Way Huge say the WM28 gives the same tones as the full-size Overrated Special Overdrive, just in a more compact, pedalboard-friendly format. It is described as the latest incarnation of the Overrated Special in a smaller enclosure, and it adds a Freq control for tweaking the low-mids that the standard control set of Volume, Tone and Drive sits alongside.
What does the Freq control do on the WM28?
The Freq control is an added frequency parameter that fine-tunes the pedal's midrange emphasis. Gearnews describes it, per Dunlop, as a control for tweaking the low-mids, which matters because the WM28's circuit is a hot-rodded version of the Green Rhino with punchier mids, so the Freq knob lets a player shape where that midrange push sits.
How many Way Huge Smalls WM28 pedals were made?
The Smalls WM28 was limited to 2,000 units worldwide, according to gearnews.com's Summer NAMM 2018 report. That makes it a limited-edition run of the Overrated Special Overdrive circuit in the smaller Smalls enclosure.
How much does the Way Huge Smalls WM28 cost?
At its 2018 launch, gearnews.com listed the RRP as USD 169.99, and the reviewer thought the price was reasonable. In March 2021, guitar.com reported the WM28 Overdrive available for $170.
Who designed the Overrated Special Overdrive?
The WM28 Overrated Special Overdrive was designed by Jeorge Tripps, with some input from Joe Bonamassa, according to gearnews.com's 2018 report. Bonamassa's connection goes further: guitar.com notes the WM28 Overdrive is one of his signature dirt pedals.
Sources (2)
- Joe Bonamassa teams up with Way Huge on the Penny Saver Royale OD/chorus pedal, guitar.com, 2021-03-04
- Summer NAMM 2018: Way Huge Smalls WM28 Overrated Special Overdrive, gearnews.com, 2018-07-01
