FENDER SMOLDER ACOUSTIC OVERDRIVE

THE BIG F’S EVER-GROWING EFFECTS FAMILY BIRTHS ITS FIRST ACOUSTIC STOMPBOX. REVIEW BY ROB LAING.

When Fender launched a brand new effects line with six pedals at the beginning of 2018, few could have predicted just how enthusiastically it would embrace expanding it; there’s now 22 pedals and counting in a consistently impressive range that brings innovative features to the table.

This is the first acoustic pedal in the family, and rather than a more ubiquitous reverb, compression or delay, Fender have gone for a dedicated overdrive. We’re intrigued! And after getting our hands (and feet) on the pedal, it turns out we’re right to be.

Like the rest of the line, the Smolder has a hardy chassis, with its simple and contemporary typeface

VERDICT

DISTRIBUTOR making everything clear. Metallic brown is an ‘unplugged’ vibe too, right?

The optional LEDS on the controls are a win for us too for dark stages – and can be switch off at the back. Fender’s effects reflect consideration in what its new circuits can offer that others on the market may not.

This goes further than you may presume; the Pickup Compensation control effectively smooths out our piezo electro-acoustic’s tone to prove a useful tool in itself, even with the drive dialled right down.ˆ

While the gain takes you from a boost to fiercer territory, the EQ effectively shapes it to become a versatile, organic tool. The Tone dials out any unwanted sizzle from your drive tone (we didn’t get much anyway, to be fair) and the Blend is the real key control here; it balances overdriven and pure piezo signal.ˆ

The combination is a highly editable, versatile and very musical acoustic pedal that’s another win for the series. If the quality of this build is to give us any indication of where Fender are heading with the next batch of their boutique pedals, we can’t wait to get our hands on them!