Read our expert review of the new Revv Amplification G2 Preamp/Overdrive/Distortion Pedal below.
In June of 2019 we got a chance to review Revv Amplification’s G4 Pedal, which is based off of the Red Channel of their Generation series of amps. Now they found a way to distill the lower gain sounds into their new pedal, the G2.
It has a similar layout to their other G series pedals; a three band EQ, volume and gain, and the three way voicing control with red or blue modes. Now, when the term ‘low gain’ meets a pedal that’s green, it’s easy to assume TS style response. Not here; this pedal has its own thing going on.
First off, it’s one of those pedals that likes clean amps, as in, don’t run your amp slightly dirty. The best response is running into a clean, non-distorted source. Yes, you could use it as a boost, with low gain and high volume, but you would be missing out on what this pedal can offer. Plugging in front of an amp is the most traditional situation, but it can be put in the effects loop of an amp and using the power amp section, as well as running into a DAW with an amp sim/IR. Our test rigs included a Fender Blues Jr, a Boss Katana, as well as running it into Radial’s JDX Direct Drive/Amp Simulator into PreSonus Studio One.
The sounds that came out of this lil wonder were beyond awesome. We really liked the high gain tones from the G4, but the G2 really had a nice and open quality, without any over saturation. The gain is plentiful for leads, especially for players who like to hear a lot of pick dynamics and overtones. There aren’t a lot of lower gain pedals with a three band EQ, most have just a “tone” knob that always seems to be a compromise, but here the three band EQ seems tailored for guitarists, where it’s actually practical. It’s hyper flexible enough to work with single coils that won’t get too sharp, or humbuckers that might get muddy. A lot of overdrives seem to get flabby, but here that bass can be tightened up for a better low end response.
The other EQ controls work in the same fashion, and in this case it adds up to tailoring a tone without having to rely on gain for dynamic punch. For extra added tweak-ability, the voicing knob’s red mode offers up a big amp-like richness that just feels and responds beautifully.
In all of the rigs we used it with, it truly blew us away. There’s an element of underlying clarity as well, where it’s not over-coloring anything. Big open sounding chords with articulation, and leads just sang. It felt and responded like a great, natural amp. Players who seem to ride between multiple pedals for overdrives/distortions/boosts could easily clean up their board with one of these, and wouldn’t be missing out on any usable drive tones that are big, responsive and practical.
PROS:
Great overdrive, beautiful 3-band EQ, excellent tonal options.
CONS:
None
STREET PRICE:
$229