The Wounded Paw Audio Hellhound Distortion is a high gain guitar distortion pedal with two separate drive stages and a powerful EQ. Pedal of the Day, which reviewed it in February 2023, described it as "yet another original, fierce, brutal distortion" from the maker, one that "somehow makes you feel all warm and fuzzy at the same time."1
It is one of several distortions from Wounded Paw Audio that Pedal of the Day has featured; the same publication later called it "the awesome Hellhound Distortion" when reviewing another pedal from the builder.2 For more pedals of this kind, see Distortion Pedals.
Circuit and sound
The Hellhound's signal path runs through two drive stages in series. The first Drive stage is Muff-style and transistor based. The second Drive stage is an op-amp stage with its own More Drive knob. After the drive stages comes the EQ, then the output Volume.1
Pedal of the Day summed up its range of sounds this way:
"With a wide range of sounds emitting from a cacophony of parameters, this one is sure to get the knob-turners blood"1
The controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive (first stage) | Sets the Muff-style, transistor based first drive stage1 |
| More Drive | Sets the second, op-amp based drive stage1 |
| Mid | Sweepable Mid band EQ with plenty of boost or cut1 |
| Bass | Bass band EQ with plenty of boost or cut1 |
| Treble | Tames the high end fizziness1 |
| Volume | Output level1 |
The EQ is the section most players will spend time in: the Mid band is sweepable, meaning you can choose the center frequency before boosting or cutting it, and both the Mid and Bass bands offer plenty of range in either direction. The Treble control sits at the end of that chain as a way to dial back the harshness that high gain circuits can add on top.1
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Dome
Questions
What does the More Drive knob do on the Hellhound?
The More Drive knob controls the Hellhound's second drive stage, which is an op-amp based stage. The pedal's first drive stage is Muff-style and transistor based, and the second stage adds its own gain on top with the More Drive knob, followed by the EQ section and an output Volume knob.
Is the Hellhound a Muff-style pedal?
Partly. According to Pedal of the Day, the Hellhound's first Drive stage is Muff-style and transistor based, but the pedal as a whole is not a Muff clone. It pairs that stage with a second, op-amp based drive stage controlled by a More Drive knob, plus a powerful EQ section.
How does the Treble control tame fizz on the Hellhound?
Pedal of the Day describes the Treble control as the knob that tames the high end fizziness of the distortion. It sits alongside the sweepable Mid band, the Bass band, and the output Volume knob in the pedal's control layout.
Who makes the Hellhound Distortion?
The Hellhound Distortion is made by Wounded Paw Audio, a builder whose pedals Pedal of the Day has reviewed more than once, describing the Hellhound as another original, fierce, brutal distortion from the maker.
Sources (2)
- Wounded Paw Audio Hellhound Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2023-02-22
- Wounded Paw Audio Siege Engine II Bass Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2026-09-07
