VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive: Two vintage Fender-style amps in one pedal
Blackface '65 and Brownface '63 tones in one compact stompbox
4,0 / 5,0 | 
VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive combines two vintage Fender-style amps in one pedal · Source: YouTube/VS Audio
VS Audio’s new Blackbird Overdrive pedal combines two distinct tones reminiscent of two classic Fender amp types in one compact pedal. Both Blackface and Brownface voicings are both available here, giving you an amp-in-a-box overdrive that has enough variability to keep you occupied.
VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive
Classic Fender amp overdrive tones in a pedal is a recipe we’ve seen before, be it Crazy Tube Circuits’ Falcon (Brown), the Mad Professor’s Super Black (Black) or Foxgear’s Tweed 55 (Tweed). VS Audio has focussed on two of those tones in this new outing, namely the Brownface and Blackface amps. If you fancy some vintage American amp tones but don’t fancy lugging around one of these two to your next gig or rehearsal, this pedal may pique your interest.
VS Audio Blackbird Overdrive · Source: YouTube/VS Audio
Blackface ’65 and Brownface ’63
The pedal gives you the option to swap between two sounds (VS Audio is calling these Blackface ’65 and Brownface ’63) using a mini-toggle switch. They’re dialled in using Volume, Tone and Gain controls. A second mini-toggle switch selects between two stages of Compression and Gain, for added versatility. I must say the official demo videos do sound pretty good and are certainly in the ballpark, tone-wise.
Boutique Pedal
The Post-Drive EQ gives you an easy way to sculpt your tone, and the pedal has high impedance inputs along with an all-analogue signal path. Silent switching has been included, too. The Blackbird Overdrive is designed and built in Greece, so you are getting a nice boutique pedal for a very reasonable price point.
VS Audio has added a cool option that lets you run this pedal in either standard 9V or 18V operation for more headroom. The price is great for two good amp tones and certainly a lot cheaper than two vintage Fender amplifiers.
RRP – GBP 124 / EUR 179
More Information
- Product Page
- Tweed, Brownface and Blackface amp tones in a shoot-out.
Video
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