Words by Adam Buttigieg
Fender Australia | Price: $ 199
Fender’s adventure in the effects pedal market in recent years has been exciting, not only for fans of the brand, but also for guitarists in general. Fender’s initial effects pedal launch was introduced in 2018 and was a huge success with the launch. However, these pedals are usually located at the highest end of the monetary scale. They had a lot of controls by which beginners and newcomers to the effects pedals could be overwhelmed.
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To combat this, Fender introduced the Hammertone effects pedal line, which is a slightly cheaper option and has a simpler tone control system for players of any level. The Hammertone Overdrive is part of this new series of Fender effects pedals capable of crafting a wide range of competitive tones with other pedals within its price range. Overdrive pedals are very diverse although they are all labeled as such, and are usually built with five different types of overdrive circuits, each with its own unique tonal and gain properties. The proven and true overdrive circuit is known as soft-clipping and has been used in abundance in hundreds, if not thousands, of overdrive pedals since the 1970s. Based on the sound and controls implemented on this pedal, this is what Fender has used for its Hammertone Overdrive.
The Hammertone Overdrive comes in a sturdy hammer-style aluminum housing (hence the name Hammertone) and its strength is evident when you take the pedal out of the box. With easy-to-read metal spheres with colorful Fender brand pots, the Hammertone is designed to be used reliably, concert after concert. The input socket, output socket and power supply input are mounted on top of this and all other pedals in the Hammertone series, which is atypical compared to the vast majority of pedal constructions where the input and output jacks are on the right and left. faces respectively. This can make the top faces of your pedals look overpopulated on your dashboard, but it offers different mounting and cable management options.
The pedal can be opened at the back with a coin, a useful feature that can save your concert in a live setting where you may need to change a battery quickly if you do this route to power the pedals. Interestingly, the Hammertone Overdrive has an adjustable jar hidden once the cover has been removed. This control can only be adjusted with a screwdriver and will darken the tone even more and make the pedal sound as if it were going through a kind of damping filter. While it’s an interesting little feature, it’s not something I’d say can be used practically. However, who knows what can be discovered with a little experimentation!
Without a doubt, the Fender Hammertone seems to complement single-reel guitars. This is to be expected with most popular Fender models with single coil pads. The overdrive seems to respond best when placed in front of an amplifier that is just about to break, in order to complement the sound of the amplifier’s natural unit instead of altering it. The tone of the pedal is generally rather dark and serious when placed below six, and sounds better when pressed to 10, where it really cuts with its brilliance and great response.
Undoubtedly, pre-average impulse control makes this pedal higher compared to its competitors in the same price range. This addition of pre-average thrust control can do what other overdrives of this price might lack. It’s a pretty subtle tone control in this overdrive. When placed above seven, it gives the pedal an older overdrive sound from the 80s, similar to that of a Tube Screamer. With the reduced pre-media boost, the overdrive has a more open feel. The pre-mid boost control can also sculpt the tones depending on the type of guitar you play, whether you have humbuckers or simple reels.
The level control works exactly as it should, it doesn’t have a volume jump when set to half and happens naturally in this setting without an unwanted volume increase. With the level raised from there, the pedal really comes to life and can push the amplifier to a higher pitch capacity. Overall, the profit profile of Hammertone Overdrive is relatively high compared to other overdrives on the market. Even with low settings of three or less, the pedal seems to really want to go.
The pedal appears to have an underlying compression that comes out as the gain control changes further. Even when you tap lightly or tap hard, the output is balanced. Despite starting with a relatively high gain profile, the gain control still has a noticeable smooth sweep from the rocky overdrive to the tip distortion line. There’s a sweet spot within gain control that can adapt to anything you need from an overdrive. If you’re the type of player who likes to keep the guitar volume control at 10, don’t expect to get any soft, clean, or transparent tone from that pedal. With a little experimentation between guitar volume control and pedal gain and level control, you can get a clean overdrive, but it’s not what the pedal does naturally in any way.
The Fender Hammertone Overdrive can be an exciting addition to your pedalboard. This pedal moves forward with its extra midrange and wants to be heard. If you’re chasing an overdrive that sculpts your tone with a bit of granular richness and a medium stroke, this overdrive will fit wonderfully on your board.
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