Are ThorpyFX pedals actually bombproof? Watch an explosives team put it to the test

ThorpyFX guitar pedals are often touted as “bombproof”, in a nod to founder Adrian Thorpe’s former career as a British Army Ammunition Technical Officer, or explosives specialist.

But pedals in the company’s roster have likely never been tested for their ability to withstand an actual explosion. That is, until now.

In a new video posted to the Six String Tales YouTube channel, Thorpe is joined – in a suitably safe environment – by explosives company Alford Technologies, who have set bombs beside a selection of unfortunate ThorpyFX pedals, and guitarist Chris Buck, who is on hand to light the fuse with some hot-and-heavy electric guitar riffing.

It’s perhaps not at all surprising that the explosions utterly obliterate each pedal, rendering them hard to even identify beneath their charred remains. We’re sure, though, that two stompboxes that meet their fiery demise are The Bunker and The Peacekeeper, two overdrive pedals of differing specifications.

To those who feel a pang through the heart at the thought of perfectly good guitar pedals being blown up, fear not. As explained in the video’s description, the pedals were “redundant enclosures that were already damaged beyond being saleable”.

“The conclusions are that pretty much no pedal is bombproof, I guess,” Thorpe says at the end of the experiment. “However, I think guitarists can be comforted in the fact that we really do go to extreme levels to test our products, and the pedals are really robustly made. So, at the very least, you can survive many years of gigs.”

Last month, ThorpyFX partnered with guitar amp purveyor Victory to repackage its revered tube amp tones into an all-new V1 stompbox series. The line features pedal versions of Victory’s Duchess, Jack, Kraken, Sheriff and Copper amps. If you get your hands on one, please don’t stick it with C-4.