Mad Professor 1 Overdrive PCB Pedal

£189.99

Also available on Andertons, Amazon, eBay & Reverb

Fresh on the menu for 2026 are the Mad Professor 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 Mad Professor Guitar Pedals today.


Description

Fresh on the menu for 2026 are the Mad Professor 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 Mad Professor Guitar Pedals today.

The ‘Brown Sound’ is one of the most sought after guitar tones in the world. While you can still get this tone from using similar gear to the orignal recordings made but this requires multiple thousands of pounds and tracking down some precious vintage gear. Now You can get that sound in one pedal with the Distortion/Reverb ‘1’ pedal by Mad Professor.

One Pedal, All Of The Tone

The joy of pedal designs like this is that you only need this one thing to completely transform your small clean amp in to a screaming, distorted British style stack with a huge stadium filling reverb.

The Distortion

This side of the pedal is controlled by Brown, Level and Presence controls. The Brown is your overdrive which goes from a mid gain crunch to high gain saturated distortion with a bit of 80’s flare. This is not a hyper modern sounding pedal it is still very much set in its decade of tone. The level acts as you would expect and the Presence control is your tone control, mainly focused on the high end and how much that is being pushed through the amplifier.

Reverb

On the front you just have a single Reverb control which acts as your level. The prest decay and tone of the pedal is made to perfectly match the screaming solos of this generation of players but if you need to change it up there are two small trim pots inside the pedal so you can adjust this further.

Here’s what Mad Professor say about the 1 Overdrive

“1” IS A DISTORTION/REVERB PEDAL DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE SOUGHT AFTER “BROWN” GUITAR SOUND OF THE LATE 70’S EARLY 80’S, WHEN PLAYED THROUGH A CLEAN AMPLIFIER.
Like that legendary tone, this pedal produces intense drive while retaining high definition. The pedal also includes a built in reverb circuit to add ambience and depth to your sound.

“1”‘s gain ranges from medium to very heavy distortion. The amount can be easily controlled via the volume control of your guitar. (Input impedance is set to facilitate this, and is somewhat negated if a buffer or buffered effect is used ahead of “1”.)
The Brown knob controls the amount and harmonic overtones of the distortion. Getting the exact tonal quality is the key to this legendary sound and “1”‘s Brown and Presence controls help it appropriately interface with a wide variety of pickups and amplifiers.
“1”‘s built in Reverb circuit with a Level control for setting the ambience. The sound is modeled after the studio reverb found on classic recordings from the 80’s. The decay time is preset so as not to mess the rhythm of your playing. The preset decay time and tone can be modified with trimmers inside the pedal.

Additional information

Weight 0.5 kg

Brand

Mad Professor

Mad Professor crafts boutique pedals with a strong focus on feel, clarity, and musical response. Known for touch-sensitive overdrives, warm modulation, and expressive dynamics, the brand blends vintage-inspired tone with refined modern design. Each circuit is built to enhance your core sound rather than overpower it.

Choose Mad Professor when you want character without compromise. From transparent drive to smooth, organic modulation, their pedals respond beautifully to your playing and sit naturally in the mix — subtle when needed, rich and full when pushed.

Category

Guitar Pedals

Tags

Buffer

A buffer pedal protects your tone when your signal has a long journey to travel. As cables and multiple pedals build up, high frequencies can fade and your sound can lose clarity. A buffer restores strength and sparkle, keeping your signal full, punchy, and consistent from guitar to amp.

Use a buffer at the start of a large pedalboard, after vintage true-bypass chains, or anywhere your tone feels dull or weak. It doesn’t add gain or colour — it simply preserves what you already have, making sure your core sound arrives exactly as it should.

Distortion

Distortion pedals take your clean guitar signal and transform it into something bigger, bolder, and full of attitude. By clipping the waveform, they add sustain, bite, and aggression, creating that thick, compressed tone that’s powered rock music for decades. From the growling crunch of classic hard rock to the tight, saturated roar of modern metal, distortion is all about energy and presence. It gives every note weight and authority, pushing your amp to its limits and beyond.

There are countless flavours of distortion, each with its own texture and edge. Some sound smooth and creamy, others raw and gnarly like tearing fabric. It’s the sonic equivalent of turning up the heat until the sound cooks — rich, sizzling, and perfectly seasoned to taste. Whether used for rhythm muscle or soaring leads, a good distortion pedal doesn’t just add volume; it adds personality, grit, and that unmistakable sense of power under your fingers.

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.

Reverb

A reverb pedal is like the rich sauce that ties every flavour on the plate into one smooth experience. It adds depth, warmth, and atmosphere — the sonic equivalent of a perfectly reduced glaze that lingers on the tongue. Whether you’re after the subtle ambience of a cosy café (spring or plate reverb) or the grand echoes of a cathedral (hall or shimmer reverb), this is where your tone breathes and expands. A touch of reverb can turn a dry sound into something lush and inviting — but pour on too much, and it’s all you can taste. Used with finesse, it’s the finishing touch that transforms your tone from plain to unforgettable.

used

Used pedals bring character, value, and often a bit of history to your board. Whether it’s a well-loved classic or a recent release looking for its next home, a used pedal offers the same core tone at a more accessible price. Fully tested and described clearly, it’s a chance to grab great gear without paying brand-new money.

Go used to explore different sounds, track down discontinued favourites, or build your setup more affordably. Sometimes a pedal with a few marks on the casing still delivers flawless tone — and might even have a story or two behind it.

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.