The Westminster Effects Piper Drive is a compact overdrive/boost pedal from Westminster Effects, a one-person shop in Lyman, South Carolina. Pedal of the Day describes it as a laid back, transparent, low-gain overdrive that can also act as a boost, and it is built to give an amp-like response modeled on Fender amplifiers from the 1960s1. It sits in the same family as the company's other drives, such as the Westminster Effects Edwards Overdrive2.
What it does to your sound
The Piper Drive is aimed at players who want a pedal that stays out of the way of the guitar's own voice. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it "definitely falls into the laid back category, but features some great tone-enhancement and a well-rounded low-gain range"1. At low settings it works as a boost: the review says it "can be used both as a tasty boost to accentuate your playing dynamics and add a bit of volume to your rig, or as a low-mid gain overdrive"1. That makes it a candidate for a first or second-stage drive slot on a board, ahead of a fuzz or a higher-gain distortion, and it sits naturally among other overdrive pedals or as a companion to a dedicated boost pedal.
The reviewer's overall verdict was that the Piper works well as a first or second-stage overdrive on a board1.
The V3 revision
In November 2022, Delicious Audio reported the release of the Piper Drive V3, a notably different pedal from the original. Paolo De Gregorio describes the V3 as a high-gain design inspired by the Fulltone OCD but optimized for metallic musical genres, saying it "goes all the way from open, transparent tones to gainy, mid-forward distortion" and that it stacks well and can push high gain amps hard. He calls it the maker's most versatile overdrive4. The V3 also adds soft touch bypass switching4.
The original Piper Drive and the V3 are different animals: the first is a transparent low-gain overdrive and boost, while the V3 reaches into high-gain territory. If you are shopping used, check which version you are looking at.
Videos
Westminster Effects
Kyle Bull
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Westminster Piper Drive true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review of the original Piper Drive notes that the pedal is true bypass, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. The later V3 revision moves to soft touch bypass switching, according to Delicious Audio's report on the new version.
Where is the Piper Drive made?
Pedal of the Day describes the Piper Drive as hand made from quality parts by one individual in Lyman, South Carolina. Westminster Effects is a small, one-person operation, which is why the pedals are built in small numbers rather than on a production line.
What changed in the Piper Drive V3?
The V3 is a substantially different pedal. Delicious Audio describes it as a high-gain design inspired by the Fulltone OCD but optimized for metallic genres, going from open, transparent tones to gainy, mid-forward distortion, and it adds soft touch bypass switching. The original Piper Drive was a lower-gain, transparent overdrive and boost.
Can the Piper Drive be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Pedal of the Day says the Piper Drive can be used both as a boost to accentuate playing dynamics and add a bit of volume to a rig, or as a low-to-mid gain overdrive, so it can sit in front of an amp as a level lift or work as a first-stage drive on its own.
Sources (4)
- Westminster Effects Piper Drive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2016-04-15
- Westminster Effects Edwards Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-10-05
- Westminster Effects Piper Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-04-12
- New Pedal: Westminster Piper Drive V3, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-23
