WHEN TRANSPARENT OVERDRIVE ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH
We have taken our most legendary overdrive to a new level and redefined what it means to be transparent. Clearer pick attack, improved lows, and more versatile gain stacking.
This is the ultimate first-stage overdrive pedal.
IT STARTED AT SOUND CHECK
I watched Julian Lage dial in his sound during a soundcheck in Chicago. Vintage Fender amp. Collings semi-hollow guitar. He adjusted pickup height, moved around the stage, chasing the perfect balance. It was captivating.
Julian has used a Morning Glory for years — he is a big reason why it ended up on jazz pedalboards all over the world. After the soundcheck, we discussed what he looked for in an overdrive. One thing led to another. My mind began to wander to different ideas. Could we make the Morning Glory even better?
THE PROBLEM WITH TRANSPARENT
When you add overdrive — any type of clipping — you lose nuance. Pick attack is compressed. Dynamics tighten up. All overdrives shape the frequency response, even the most transparent ones.
So we tried something no one has done: we took our Morning Glory (a Bluesbreaker-style topology) and completely rebuilt it around a studio-quality parallel clean blend. Not just a modification, a complete redesign.
On paper, it seemed unnecessary — why blend a clean signal into something already transparent?
Here is why. The magic of the Morning Glory happens when you turn up the Drive; the circuit increases upper harmonics and adds gentle compression. Brilliant. Perfect in a mix. The parallel clean circuit lets you keep all of that while reintroducing the natural lows — all the sound, all the character. Nothing compromised.
THIS IS NOT A CLEAN KNOB ADDED TO A MORNING GLORY
For those wondering — let’s talk about what is actually happening inside.
The Clean control uses a dual potentiometer. By turning it, the clean gain evolves proportionally with the drive signal — it is perfectly designed from the start. Most clean blends are an afterthought — a simple mix knob added to an existing circuit. This one was designed so that both signals track together at all gain levels. No volume jumps. No phase issues. Just a smooth blend from the Morning Glory to the pure signal and everything in between.
The power section runs on ±9V dual power — the same topology as our V4 — which gives you more headroom than the original V1 circuit and any other Bluesbreaker-style pedal. That is where most clones get it wrong. Think of it as the voicing of the Morning Glory Version 1 with the engineering improvements of the V4.
The Tone control only affects the overdrive path. Your clean signal remains parallel and untouched. For those who care about these details: this is the most thoughtful and sophisticated Morning Glory we have ever built.
ENDLESS HEADROOM, AT ANY VOLUME
Endless headroom. Those huge clean guitar sounds you love on records — most were made at volumes that would get you evicted. The Morning Glory Clean gives you the stiffness and authority of a high-wattage amp on the edge of breakup — without the earplugs.
Think of the Clean control as adding power, clarity, and impact.
IT GOES ON EVERYTHING
Stack a distortion in front and the sustain opens up instead of closing down. Place it after a delay to explore new series/parallel texture territories. First-stage overdrive? It’s the best we’ve ever designed. Period.
It also breathes in front of amp modelers. The overdrive and presence of the classic Morning Glory, with your attack and lows reintroduced — magical in front of a Kemper, Quad Cortex, UAD, or Helix.
Bassists: the original Morning Glory cuts bass like a final mix. That is why you love it — and why it has become a standard for so many pro bassists. The clean blend allows you to reintroduce those lows on demand according to your bass and amplification needs. This might be the best bass overdrive we have ever created.
WHO THIS IS NOT FOR
This pedal is not for everyone, and we are okay with that. If you want the dopamine hit of a totally crazy sound, look elsewhere. If you want tons of controls and options — this is not it. This pedal does less while giving you more. No bad sounds. Immediate satisfaction. Leave it on and forget it’s there.
CONTROLS
Volume — Adjusts the overall volume in relation to drive and clean
Clean —
Left: original Morning Glory
Right: pure clean signal
Start with Clean and Drive at max, then reduce the Clean until you find your balance
Drive — Saturation. Turn it up and use the Clean as a balance
Tone — Classic Morning Glory EQ. Affects only the saturated signal. Left = warm, right = bright
CLEAN BOOST TIP
100% Clean + increase Drive = pure volume boost without clipping
SPECIFICATIONS
- ±9V dual power (high headroom)
- Top-mounted jacks
- 9V DC center negative
- Silent buffered bypass
Dimensions: 2.6” x 4.8” x 1.6”
Current draw: 60 mA
Do not use more than 9V DC (risk of damage and voiding warranty)