The XTS Imperial Overdrive is a clear, open-voiced, wide-bandwidth overdrive from XTS Custom Pedals, optimized for low gain to higher-mid gain tones. XTS describes the controls as having wide sweet spots that make the pedal easy to dial in, and the pedal is made in the USA at a list price of $249.001.
The controls and the Dynamics switch
The Imperial's most distinctive control is the Dynamics (Dyn) switch, which changes the pedal's compression and feel rather than its gain level. XTS's own primer describes the two positions this way2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dyn switch | One setting: slight low-mid compression, softer response. Other setting: open and uncompressed, fast, articulate response2 |
| Gain | Its taper makes it easy to dial in just a touch of grit, or apply crunch with a formidable low-mid presence, described as great for classic open-back combos3 |
| Color | Adjusts the EQ for a big variation in response without getting overly dark or painfully bright3 |
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio summed up the switch in playing terms: "The up position gives you a classic Nashville overdrive while the down position gives you a more articulate, faster voice"3. That Nashville voicing is no accident: XTS says the pedal was developed with input from its Nashville clients3.
Demos and development
Delicious Audio's post on the Imperial points to a demo by Gearmandude, noting that "Gearmandude returns with a new demo of the XTS Pedals Imperial Overdrive, check it out!"3. The pedal's voicing, from the low-gain end of the Gain knob up through crunch with low-mid presence, reflects that development work with Nashville players3.
How it compares
The Imperial shares its name with an earlier pedal, the FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive, which Pedal of the Day's Mike B reviewed in 2015 as one of FoxPedal's signature overdrives. That pedal has a different layout: Volume, Drive and Tone knobs plus a Force knob controlling a Boost section activated by a second stomp switch on the right side of the pedal, with Drive running from low-to-mid gain settings up to sustained overdrive that pushes the amp4. The XTS Imperial is a single-footswitch design with the Dyn switch as its character control instead.
If you are weighing the Imperial against other low-to-mid gain drives, the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers the classic overdrive voicings, and XTS's own Precision Multi-Drive is the company's other drive design.
Videos
Covey The Boston Terrier
Shawn Tubbs
xacttone
Questions
Is the XTS Imperial Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. XTS lists the Imperial Overdrive as true bypass, meaning the pedal takes itself out of the signal path entirely when off, so your guitar's signal reaches the amp unaltered. It runs on 9 VDC through a 5.5 x 2.1mm center-negative plug, the standard pedalboard power connector.
Where is the XTS Imperial Overdrive made?
The Imperial Overdrive is made in the USA by XTS Custom Pedals. The company has Nashville roots: Delicious Audio quotes XTS saying the pedal was developed with a great deal of input from the company's Nashville clients, which shaped its classic Nashville overdrive voicing in the switch's up position.
What does the Dyn switch do on the XTS Imperial Overdrive?
The Dyn (Dynamics) switch changes the pedal's compression and response. One position gives slight low-mid compression and a softer response; the other is open and uncompressed with a fast, articulate response. Delicious Audio describes the up position as a classic Nashville overdrive and the down position as a more articulate, faster voice.
How big is the XTS Imperial Overdrive?
XTS lists the Imperial Overdrive at 2.4 x 4.5 x 1.9 inches and 0.8 lbs, so it fits a standard pedalboard enclosure footprint and adds little weight. It is a single-footswitch overdrive with no second boost switch.
Sources (4)
- Imperial Overdrive, XTS (xacttone.com)
- iod_one_sheet, XTS Custom Pedals, 2026
- XTS Pedals Imperial Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-05
- FoxPedal Imperial Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-12-13
