Great Eastern FX Co. Small Speaker Overdrive Pedal

Retailing in the region of £219.00

On the menu for January 2026 are the Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the Guitar Pedals today.


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On the menu for January 2026 are the Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the Guitar Pedals today.

Bored of conventional overdrive pedals and want something different? Well, the Small Speaker Overdrive (SSO) from Great Eastern FX Co. might tickle your fancy! This low-gain stompbox is designed to emulate traditional "small-amp-in-the-studio" tones — essentially making your big amp sound tiny!

But why would you want to shrink your guitar tone? Well, some of the most iconic guitar sounds of all time were recorded using surprisingly small, low-wattage amps — like the famous tweed "Champ". These types of amplifiers may not be ideal for live applications but, in the studio, they're absolute dynamite and have been adored by recording engineers for decades! Mic'd up, a compact amp just has that tight mid-range "bark" and break-up which really cuts through in a mix and, actually, sounds anything but small.

The SSO is not an "amp-in-a-box" simulator of one particular amplifier per se, but its unique and discrete transistor circuit harnesses some of the most coveted characteristics synonymous with small-speaker, vintage valve combos. It's super-punchy, focused, and allows all of your expressive playing dynamics to gloriously shine through!

Flexible Controls

The Great Eastern FX Co. Small Speaker Overdrive comes equipped with four controls that give you plenty to play with:

  • GAIN: Takes the pedal from almost clean, through edge-of-breakup tones to saturated overdrive. The SSO is very sensitive to playing dynamics and volume knob adjustments. With GAIN set low, the SSO can be used as a boost, preamp and tone-shaper. Driven hard, it mimics the mid-range "honk" of a simple Class-A amp circuit driving a small speaker. If you wish, you can use the GAIN control to set the maximum amount of overdrive then explore a range of clean and dirty textures directly from your guitar's volume knob.
  • LOW: Lets you add more bass and body to the tone, or rein in that low-end for classic, characterful small amp sounds. From a starting point around 9 o'clock, there's plenty of scope to boost lows if required.
  • HIGH: Provides precise control over presence and bite. Starting from 12 o'clock, turn the control clockwise to boost highs. Conversely, rolling off the high-end lets you emphasise the mid-range; great for smooth, singing slide tones.
  • LEVEL: Sets the output of the pedal. Simple!

Reviews

"The Small Speaker Overdrive does something special — sometimes it’s the difference between ‘nearly there’ and ‘just right’ in a recorded guitar sound." — Dave Lockwood, Sound On Sound

"This is the tweed channel our Fender Princeton never knew it had, and single-note runs on a Les Paul are as sweet and stretchy as sonic bubblegum." — Richard Purvis, Guitar.com

Specifications

  • Size: 125 x 66 x 55 mm (4.9 x 2.6 x 2.2 inches)
  • Weight: 320g (0.7lb)
  • Current Draw: <10mA
  • Power Requirements: 9V DC mains adaptor only (not included)
  • Top-Mounted Jacks: Saves precious pedalboard real-estate!
  • Made in Cambridge, England, UK.

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg

Category

Guitar Pedals

Tags

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New

This is brand new, fresh in, and a UK warranty is included. New Gear always comes from trusted UK music retailers.

Overdrive

Like a golden layer of melted cheese — warm, gooey, and just put it all over. It adds just the right amount of richness and grit, turning a clean signal into something smooth and savoury. Designed to mimic the natural breakup of a tube amp pushed to its sweet spot, overdrive delivers the flavour of classic rock and blues in every bite. From creamy mid-gain warmth to crisp edge-of-breakup sparkle, it’s the comfort food of guitar tone — simple, satisfying, and endlessly versatile. Whether it’s a mild crunch or a full-bodied roar, overdrive is where good taste begins.

Preamp

A preamp pedal shapes and boosts your guitar’s signal before it reaches your amp or recording interface, giving you control over tone, gain, and headroom. It acts as the first stage of amplification, adding warmth, clarity, and character while preparing your signal for the next part of the chain. Some preamps emulate the response of classic valve circuits, while others offer clean, transparent tone shaping ideal for acoustic instruments or direct recording setups.

Used on its own, a preamp pedal can serve as the foundation of your tone, providing a consistent core sound wherever you play. When combined with other effects, it enhances dynamics and helps each pedal sound more defined and natural. Whether you’re looking to push your amp harder, bring life to a dull signal, or refine your sound for the studio, a good preamp pedal adds presence, punch, and musicality to any rig.

used

Volume

Volume pedals control the output level of a guitar signal using a foot-operated treadle. They allow smooth volume swells, dynamic control during playing, and easy muting between songs. Volume pedals can be placed at different points in the signal chain to either control overall loudness or adjust gain and drive behaviour when positioned before distortion or overdrive pedals.