Tim Pierce is an Albuquerque-born session guitarist who has worked with some of the biggest names in the music business, including Michael Jackson, Madonna and Tina Turner1. Nobels lists further recording credits including Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, The Cheetah Girls and Rick Springfield2, and Universal Audio credits him with Bruce Springsteen3. Premier Guitar described him in 2013 as "a 30 + year veteran of the session world and still one of the most recorded guitarists around"4.
Overdrives and boosts on his board
Pierce's most-used pedal, by his own account, is the Nobels ODR-1. On Nobels' artist page he says:
"The pedal I probably use most is the ODR-1, a very natural sounding overdrive"
Beyond the ODR-1, his board has carried other drives. Browne Amplification says the green side of the Protein Dual Overdrive "has been used on the pedals boards of session greats from Tim Pierce to Jerry McPherson"6, and the company's ALKENE Nashville Overdrive is described as inspired by the classic "Nashville" overdrives found on those same session players' boards7. MusicRadar reports that the Xotic AC Booster was on the pedalboards of Pierce and J.D. Simo8.
The Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost
Pierce's own signature pedal is the Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost from J. Rockett Audio Designs1. Premier Guitar announced it in 2013 as a collaboration between the maker and Pierce, "the iconic session man famed for his participation in some of the most legendary recordings of all time"4. The pedal chases the tone of one of his favorite amps, the Naylor Super-Drive 60, and is effectively two pedals in one that can be used independently or cascaded together; the power amp boost is designed to ape the big 5881 bottles in the SD60's power stage1. It carries two footswitches, overdrive on/off and power amp on/off, with true bypass switching1.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described it as "an overdrive with big punches and warm overtones, plus a power amp boost switch, making it a killer 2-In-1 overdrive," based on the Naylor SD609, and summed up: "This is really a nice OD pedal, folks"9.
On That Pedal Show, the presenters discussed the pedal's character:
"the timus isn't supposed to sound like a king of Tony it's got much more compression it's got much more kind of furriness more of a mid Scoopy type sound"
Other pedals and switching
Pierce's board extends well past overdrives. Carl Martin lists him among the artists using the Trem O' Vibe, along with the company's Compressor Limiter and Contour & Boost11. Universal Audio features him with UAFX pedals, quoting him:
"The sound quality of UAFX is on a level I've never experienced before. They're on all the time."
Voodoo Lab says Pierce uses a PX-8 PLUS switching system to wrangle his well-populated board5.
| Gear | Maker | Role on his board |
|---|---|---|
| ODR-1 / ODR-mini | Nobels | His most-used pedal, a natural sounding overdrive2 |
| Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost | J. Rockett Audio Designs | Signature pedal, two-in-one overdrive and power amp boost1 |
| Protein Dual Overdrive (green side) | Browne Amplification | Session-player overdrive used on his board612 |
| AC Booster | Xotic | Overdrive on his pedalboard8 |
| Trem O' Vibe, Compressor Limiter, Contour & Boost | Carl Martin | Modulation, compression and boost11 |
| UAFX pedals | Universal Audio | Echo and other effects, "on all the time"3 |
| PX-8 PLUS | Voodoo Lab | Switching system for his board5 |
Questions
What overdrive does Tim Pierce use?
Tim Pierce says the Nobels ODR-1 is the pedal he probably uses most, calling it a very natural sounding overdrive2. His board has also included the Browne Protein's green side and the Xotic AC Booster68, and he collaborated with J. Rockett Audio Designs on the Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost, a signature pedal based on his Naylor Super-Drive 60 amp1.
Where is Tim Pierce from?
Tim Pierce is Albuquerque-born, according to guitar.com's review of his signature Rockett pedal1. He went on to become a session guitarist with credits including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Crowded House and the Goo Goo Dolls12.
Who has Tim Pierce recorded with?
Tim Pierce has worked with Michael Jackson, Madonna and Tina Turner1, and Nobels lists further credits including Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, The Cheetah Girls and Rick Springfield2. Universal Audio also credits him with Bruce Springsteen3.
What overdrive does Tim Pierce use?
Tim Pierce says the Nobels ODR-1 is the pedal he probably uses most, calling it a very natural sounding overdrive. His board has also included the Browne Protein's green side and the Xotic AC Booster, and he collaborated with J. Rockett Audio Designs on the Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost, a signature pedal based on his Naylor Super-Drive 60 amp.
Who makes the ODR-1 Tim Pierce uses?
The ODR-1 is made by Nobels, and Tim Pierce appears on the maker's artist page for the ODR-1 and ODR-mini. He is quoted there saying it is the pedal he probably uses most and that it is a very natural sounding overdrive.
Where is Tim Pierce from?
Tim Pierce is Albuquerque-born, according to guitar.com's review of his signature Rockett pedal. He went on to become a Los Angeles session guitarist with credits including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Crowded House and the Goo Goo Dolls.
Who has Tim Pierce recorded with?
Tim Pierce has worked with Michael Jackson, Madonna and Tina Turner, and Nobels lists further credits including Crowded House, Goo Goo Dolls, Alice Cooper, Johnny Hallyday, Phil Collins, The Cheetah Girls and Rick Springfield. Universal Audio also credits him with Bruce Springsteen.
Sources (12)
- J Rockett Audio Designs Pedal Reviews, guitar.com, 2015-07-14
- Referenzen, Nobels
- Starlight Echo Station Pedal, Universal Audio
- Tim Pierce Overdrive by J. Rockett Audio Revealed, Premier Guitar, 2013-09-27
- Guitar Effects Switching System Guide, Voodoo Lab, 2026-06-24
- Protein Dual Overdrive V3, Browne Amplification
- The ALKENE Nashville Overdrive by Browne Amplification, Browne Amplification
- “Sets a new standard and dynamic and expressive drive pedals”: Xotic's AC Booster v2 is a feature-packed but compact overdrive that promises amp-like touch sensitivity and dynamics, MusicRadar, 2025-03-18
- J. Rockett Audio Designs Tim Pierce Overdrive/Boost, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-03-22
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2016-03-25
- Trem O' Vibe, Carl Martin (carlmartin.com), 2026
- Browne Amplification Protein V3 Dual Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2025-07-15