Falconhawk – aka Ian Fowles – has teamed up with Rude Tech pedals for the zany unit, which boldly promises a vast array of blues, pop, indie, punk and metal sounds
(Image credit: The Aquabats)
California rock outfit The Aquabats have teamed up with Rude Tech pedals founder Jesse Rhew to create a signature two-in-one effects overdrive/distortion pedal for electric guitar player Eaglebones Falconhawk – aka Ian Fowles – dubbed The Falcondrive.
An online fundraiser – launched via the band’s crowdfund-supported product incubator, the Gloopy Mystery Machine – has been established to support production of the pedal, which requires 150 sales by April 15 for preorders to launch on March 14.
The wacky-looking pedal – which is right at home with the rest of the band’s zany comic-esque aesthetics – was built based on Fowles’ desire to create a professional-grade pedalboard unit that would cater to both beginners and pros alike.
And, in true Aquabats style, The Falcondrive has also been dubbed “the coolest pedal in the universe”, designed in a bid to offer two stalwart gain sounds in one unit.
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(Image credit: The Aquabats)
(Image credit: The Aquabats)
(Image credit: The Aquabats)
(Image credit: The Aquabats)
"I've taught a lot of lessons over the years and students always asked me what a good first pedal to buy was," Fowles said. "I would suggest an overdrive or a distortion.
“So with The Falcondrive, I thought it would be nice to have both effects in one pedal so that no matter what guitar or amp you had, it could be useful,” he continued. “And I wanted it to be a professional-grade pedal built with even the beginner in mind."
Rude Tech founder Rhew is a self-professed Aquacadet – the tag given to loyal fans of The Aquabats – and as such was brought on board to help out with the project.
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“Jesse knows pedal history and circuits very well,” Fowles added, “and going back and forth really understood what kind of pedal I wanted to develop: something well built, easy to use, and accessible to all skill levels.”
In terms of its operation, the pedal features just a single bypass switch and four control knobs. Volume, Tone and Gain function as you’d expect, while the Blend knob is used to change between overdrive and distortion sounds.
Turned fully counterclockwise, the pedal promises the tones of Fowles’ own modded overdrive pedal. Distortion sounds, meanwhile, are said to be accessed by turning Blend all the way clockwise.
At the time of writing, 10 pedals have been ordered out of a total target of 150. Full preorders will open March 14 if the fundraiser has been successful by April 15.
As an added bonus, those who buy a pedal through the fundraiser will receive a Falcondrive with limited-edition pink control knobs. All pedals will arrive with a bagged crystal to "center your inner rock spirit", satin pedal pouch, glow-in-the-dark guitar pick and more.
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.
