Lovepedal RedHead

Thanks to Churst for this submission.

I’m fairly sure this could be classed as a rare pedal… They don’t make it any more and it’s sold out in the only shop that ever stocked it.

Either way, I think it’s pretty awesome.

The Redhead is a limited run pedal which is based on an older Lovepedal design, the Superlead, in a new shell and with a tweaked EQ/Tone control circuit. The circuit isn’t completely original, it is said to be derived from something like an old Marshall Guv’nor (mk1) circuit, but with simplified tone shaping controls.

A high gain pedal, with a very pronounced midrange bite, it cuts through the mix as a lead tone over pretty much any blues or rock style tracks, maybe even some metal stuff. The pedal is designed to go ahead of the clean channel on a tube amp, but sounds just fine ahead of digital or solid state pre amps too. In front of my HT-5 it sounds pretty brutal as rhythm tone with the low frequencies and low mids breaking up in a nearly fuzz style, but with crisp soaring lead tones flying off anything else.

The Redhead doesn’t clean up that well though. Rolling off the volume on humbucker guitars results in quite a muddy tone which isn’t all that pleasing. With my single coiled strat it does get cleaner and clearer but this pedal isn’t really for that kind of tone. If you want it clean turn it off where it will true bypass into whatever’s next.

Noise performance is pretty admirable though. With the gain more than three quarters up, the Redhead stays pretty quiet with the strings muted. It is a screamer though so if your too close to your speaker you’re likely to find yourself with an earful of feedback unless you’ve got bit of a gate in there as noise suppression.

For more pictures of the MIII and other Classic, Rare & Vintage pedals then check out the Classic, Rare & Vintage Vault in the DirtBox forums and whilst you are there, why not submit your own?