The Westminster Effects Edwards Overdrive is an overdrive pedal from Westminster Effects, a builder based in South Carolina. It is built around three standard knobs, Gain, Volume and Tone, plus two toggle switches that change the clipping character of the circuit. Pedal of the Day described its range as going "from a high-quality clean boost all the way up to a warm and angry overdrive, with a nice range in between"1.
The controls and the two toggle switches
The control section is fairly standard for an overdrive: Gain, Volume and Tone knobs, each playing its own role in how the Edwards sounds1. What sets it apart are the two toggles:
- Left toggle: selects hard or soft clipping1
- Right toggle: a diode selector with three options, LEDs, silicon, or diode lift1
Clipping is what turns a boost into distortion: overdrive pedals provide softer clipping than distortion pedals, which is a large part of why they respond more like a pushed amp3. Being able to switch between hard and soft clipping on the Edwards lets you move between those two feels on one pedal, and the diode selector changes the clipping components themselves for further tonal options1.
Clean boost use
Like many overdrives, the Edwards works at the low end of its Gain range as a clean boost. As BOSS's buying guide puts it, "An overdrive pedal works well as a clean boost": roll the Drive or Gain back and turn the Level up, and the pedal pushes your amp while preserving its clean sound3. Pedal of the Day's review backs this up on the Edwards specifically, calling the bottom of its range a high-quality clean boost1. For more on this use, see Boost Pedals and Overdrive Pedals.
Where it came from
Videos
Westminster Effects
Westminster Effects
Westminster Effects
Questions
What do the two toggle switches on the Edwards Overdrive do?
The left toggle selects between hard and soft clipping, which changes how the pedal compresses and shapes the overdriven signal. The right toggle is a diode selector with three positions: LEDs, silicon, or diode lift. Together they give the Edwards a wider spread of clipping characters than a single-knob drive, letting you tailor the feel from open and dynamic to firmer and more compressed.
Can the Westminster Edwards Overdrive be used as a clean boost?
Yes. As Pedal of the Day put it, the Edwards ranges from a high-quality clean boost up to a warm and angry overdrive. In practice, rolling the Gain control back and turning the Volume up pushes the front of your amp harder while leaving its clean sound intact, the same way an overdrive pedal works as a clean boost in general.
How is the Edwards Overdrive different from the Piper Drive?
The Edwards expands on the Westminster Effects Piper Drive, the company's earlier overdrive/boost, with more options and tones. The main additions are the two toggle switches: one for hard or soft clipping and one diode selector offering LEDs, silicon or diode lift. The Piper Drive has since continued on its own line as the Piper Drive V3.
Does the Edwards Overdrive have hard and soft clipping?
Yes. The left toggle switch lets you select hard or soft clipping. Hard clipping generally gives a firmer, more compressed drive character, while soft clipping is more open and dynamic. Overdrive pedals in general provide softer clipping than distortion pedals, and the Edwards lets you choose between the two on the pedal itself.
Sources (3)
- Westminster Effects Edwards Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-05
- Westminster Effects Edwards Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-09-30
- Getting the Most Out of Your Overdrive Pedal, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2023-01-31