Xvive Sweet Leo

Cool for cats

Does Xvive’s latest roar like a lion? Well, maybe – but the Leo here actually refers to Mr Fender. No surprise, then that this mini pedal – designed by renowned German axe-slinger Thomas Blug – has more than just a hint of what some of those early tweed and blackface amps were famous for, with a range from a glassy clean boost, through subtle grittiness to cranked combo raunch. The tone knob offers a practical range that perfectly focuses your guitar’s upper-mid presence, but the secret weapon is the Growl knob, which dials a gorgeous extra dimension of harmonic complexity into the driven sound. With oodles of nuance this is a versatile asset for any pedalboard.