Ogre: Thunderclap

It is forgiven if you dismiss this as an over-sized belt buckle or an attention-grabbing ashtray for that matter but this is a legitimate distortion pedal by Korea's Ogre brand. No traditional control knobs here but spiky horns as controls instead. A rocker-type switch doubles up as the jaw of this hideous creature & those LED eyes- you know what they are for.

If the Ogre crew thinks bewitching players with looks exclusively will win them fans then I'm here to tell you to stay away from gimmicks. This one adds considerable weight to the pedalboard (flashback Line 6 Uber Metal- you think that's heavy? Please handle this one) & it doesn't come cheap. But I'm also here to tell you to cast aside skewed perceptions pertaining to  looks because the tone on board is worth it.

Despite featuring only bass & treble controls, the overall tone isn't acutely scooped. This gets my thumbs up. The volume control is a beast. It lets loose some ferocious distortion at upper end settings & this is where I pay homage to satisfaction- an imposing sweep to say the least. With many distortion pedals out there, it seems that 'distortion' per se implies no obligations to manifest intensity. We have the BOSS DS-1 to refer to for this understanding. The Thunderclap here gives you some traditional voicings because that's how distortion is sold- a harder interpretation of the overdrive without going overboard- then it maneuvers itself into harder, thumping territory without being metal & predictable. The plus factor is indeed the Thunderclap's very amp-like gain sweep. Dialing up more dirt here means it gets more extreme while staying appealing. You won't hear that pointed treble response manifested by pedals at the budget end. This is the very reason why the thunderclap is just worth it. 

How things are at the in/ out access points. Neat top access, all laid square for your connection pleasure.

This is quirky & it's gonna get to some people but it's a very functional application; the battery access is merely a rubber cap. My advice to you is a simple one- do not add any more weight to the pedal, run it through a power supply.

All in all, an average Ogre pedal isn't easy on the wallet, no doubt about that. There's this real danger of buying it for its looks if it's any cheaper but it's all about the tone. These guys don't get away with wimpy tones, it's some serious distortion here & it warrants some good money for that. Simply put, it's a deserving, boutique-type distortion, regardless of that somewhat immature presentation :-)

Ogre: Thunderclap distortion

Availability: SV Guitars

Price: $320