Wilson Effects BC109

The Wilson Effects BC109 is a booster/overdrive pedal inspired by the Colorsound Overdriver, the English circuit of 1970s fame. Wilson Effects describes it as delivering "everything from chimey boosts to saturated overdrive tones," and it is built around period-correct BC109 transistors, the same silicon type that gives the pedal its name¹. The company positions it as a modern take on a vintage design: it keeps the original's tone while adding controls the old units never had, in a compact, pedalboard-friendly enclosure¹.

The BC109 lists at $150.00 USD on the Wilson Effects site¹.

A Colorsound Overdriver with added Volume and Cut

The BC109 is based on the vintage Colorsound Overdriver, a British pedal with a long history. The Overdriver itself grew out of an earlier circuit: Aion FX describes it as an updated version of a previous design, a third revision from 1972²¹. Over the years there have been different variations and reissues of the Overdriver, some with slight modifications to the circuit or enclosure design³.

The original units had a well-known practical limitation: no volume control. Wilson Effects notes that the vintage units were "very hard to" use for this reason, and the BC109 adds a volume control to address it⁴. This was a change players had been making to the Overdriver for decades. TONEHOME notes that many users added a master volume pot to their originals, and that the reissue pedal sports one as well⁵. Analog Man's own Overdriver work follows the same logic, with a master volume added "to allow overdrive at useable volumes"⁶. The 1996 reissue incorporated an output volume pot, though it included a "minimum volume" resistor that prevented the level from going all the way to zero⁷.

Wilson Effects frames the BC109 as retaining the magic of the original while addressing its limitations, delivering classic tones with modern usability¹.

The controls

The BC109 carries the typical overdriver control set of the original, plus the additions that set it apart¹⁴.

The Cut knob is the other key enhancement over the vintage circuit. Wilson Effects describes it as taming the overdrive response so you can set your gain level on the pedal itself rather than riding your guitar's volume knob¹. Between Drive, Treble, and Bass, the core control set matches the original Overdriver¹.

The BC109 transistors

The pedal is built around period-correct BC109 transistors, which Wilson Effects credits for its rich, vintage sound¹. The BC109 is a silicon transistor type with a history in other well-known pedals. JHS Pedals, writing about Analog Man's Sun Face fuzz, notes that "the BC109, which refers to the type of transistor in it" is one of the transistor options in that pedal⁸. Analog Man describes the BC109 sound as "a little grittier and edgier than the BC108, not as smooth as the BC183," and says it "cuts really well with a band"⁹. In 2014 Analog Man also found Telefunken TFK BC109B and BC109C transistors, with the C grade offering higher gain than the B⁹.

Power, bypass, and practical details

The BC109 runs on a 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm center-negative plug, and there is no battery option¹.

Switching is true bypass, which Wilson Effects says ensures your signal remains pure when the pedal is disengaged¹. The pedal is handmade in the USA and carries a one-year warranty covering parts and labor¹. Wilson Effects ships via USPS Priority Mail and accepts returns within 7 days of receiving the pedal, with shipping costs not refunded and return shipping the customer's responsibility⁴.

Josh Klinghoffer is named by Wilson Effects as a favorite user of the BC109¹.

For players comparing overdrives, the BC109 sits in the broader overdrive pedals family alongside Wilson Effects designs like the Lusus Naturae and the Capstone, and its booster side also relates it to boost pedals.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions