Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive review

The Big F’s ever-growing effects family births its first acoustic stompbox

Fender Smolder Acoustic Overdrive review
(Image: © Future)

Guitar World Verdict

Fender's brave move to make overdrive its first acoustic pedal pays off, with a hugely musical drive complemented by a powerful EQ section that's a tone sweetener in its own right.

Pros

  • +

    Great Fender pedal build with LED-lit controls.

  • +

    The drive is excellent but Pickup Compensation is a great tool.

  • +

    EQ and blend make for an editable and versatile experience.

  • +

    Good value.

Cons

  • -

    Not much, though overdrive is not every acoustic player's bag.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

When Fender launched a brand new effects line with six pedals at the beginning of 2018, few could have predicted just how enthusiastically it would embrace expanding it; there’s now 22 pedals and counting in a consistently impressive range that brings innovative features to the table.

This is Fender’s first acoustic pedal in the family, and rather than a more ubiquitous reverb, compression or delay, they’ve gone for a dedicated overdrive. We’re intrigued! It turns out we are right to be.

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