Friedman BE-OD Overdrive Pedal

Submitted by Mason Hoberg on Feb. 5, 2020..

95

GEARANK

95 out of 100. Incorporating 325+ ratings and reviews.

Gearank Recommendation

The BE-OD appeared on our now defunct recommended list for Overdrive Pedals Under $300 from January 2018 until February 2020.

Overview

The most important thing to know about the Freidman BE-OD is that in a way it’s not really an overdrive, or at least not in the same way that a lot of the other overdrives we’ve covered are. Rather, it can be thought of as a pedal that emulates the Friedman BE-100 amplifier.

The BE-100 is a British-voiced amplifier (Marshall), so think Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin, and pre-Fender amps Eric Clapton. The BE-OD is a pedal that somewhat simulates the response of the BE-100, including the tonal footprint as well as the overdriven tone.

So essentially, the Friedman BE-OD is a great way to add some Marshall-esque flavor into an existing rig. The cool part of the pedal is that it also has a powerful EQ, allowing you to dial in your tone with a bit more fidelity than many other overdrives. The inclusion of the presence control is also a nice touch, as it lets you change the “flavor” of the high-end present in your tone.

The only thing to be aware of with this pedal is that it does not take batteries, so if you choose to purchase it you will need a power supply.