The brand's first Community Pedal puts two popular stompbox sounds in one unit, but does so with a few unique twists
(Image credit: Cornerstone)
Italian boutique effects specialist Cornerstone has introduced the Colosseum – an overdrive pedal that seeks to deliver updated tones of not one, but two, hugely popular drive stompboxes.
Klon Centaur clones and Marshall Bluesbreaker boxes are not uncommon, but what is decidedly less common is finding them both in one unit – and Cornerstone only set about pairing the pedals together as a result of player requests.
See, as well as being notable for its tonal objectives, the Colosseum is also noteworthy for being Cornerstone’s first Community Pedal, meaning it was designed via a series of polls that were open to the public.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that players wanted to see a Klon and a Bluesbreaker in the same pedal, although Cornerstone has been quick to shoot down suggestions that the Colosseum is a cut-and-paste copy of the two circuits.
While genuine Klon and Bluesbreaker pedals were used as sound references for the Colosseum, the two-in-one unit adds in a few extra tweaks of its own.
(Image credit: Cornerstone)
The right-hand is concerned with all-things-Bluesbreaker, though has ditched the clipping diodes while simultaneously adding Cornerstone’s Clean knob, lifted from its Dumble-inspired Gladio pedal, and tweaking the tone controls.
The alterations, according to the brand, help negate issues associated with original Bluesbreakers, such as low volume and dark tones.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Furthermore, the presence of the Gladio’s Clean control adds a clean sound atop the overdrive, which vows to restore touch and pick sensitivity, as well as a healthy bottom end.
Other controls for the Bluesbreaker half include the standard Tone, Gain and Volume parameters, which perform exactly as you’d expect.
As for the Klon side, regular Tone, Gain, and Volume knobs are joined by another new addition – a Clip blender control, which lets players navigate between Klon-standard 1N34A Germanium diodes and a pair of hand-selected silicon diodes.
A final circuit-switching toggle, used to determine the signal flow of each separate pedal, completes the spec sheet.
The concept of a Community Pedal is certainly an interesting one, and one we’ll be keeping a close eye on in the future. Who knows what Cornerstone will be asked to pair together for its next build? The possibilities are endless.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
