The Electro-Harmonix Percolator draws inspiration from a rare, highly celebrated pedal circuit, originating in a 1970s design from a “Cream City” audio repair shop. Using this schematic as a tonal foundation, the Percolator’s distortion profile ranges from gritty overdrive to unhinged, fuzzy meltdown. Much like its predecessor, this dirt pedal produces those sounds via asymmetrical clipping that enhances even-order harmonics, igniting your sound with touch-responsive dynamics. Guitarists praise the Percolator for its intuitive, expressive control set; three knobs and a single switch let them dial in a plethora of exquisite fuzz and drive tones. Harmonics controls the input-stage gain, Bias adjusts the gain circuit's bias to push your tone into octave and gated territory, and Balance sets the pedal's overall output level. The Drive/Fuzz switch allows you to swap between heavy fuzz and transistor overdrive voices, and an internal trimpot adds even more gain and emphasizes the sub-octave. Moreover, the Percolator features true bypass switching and both latching and momentary footswitch action, providing practical performance flexibility. Fire up the Electro-Harmonix Percolator to brew expressive fuzz and overdrive tones inspired by a classic “Cream City” design.

More gain than meets the eye

In addition to replicating the ’70s circuit, Electro-Harmonix added a second mode to the Percolator to enhance its versatility. The Drive/Fuzz switch shifts the overall gain structure from raw, organic overdrive to full-tilt fuzz by engaging the clipping diodes in Fuzz mode. If that isn’t enough, opening the Percolator reveals an internal trimpot that adds even more gain and emphasizes the sub-octave for flower-powered flair.

Electro-Harmonix Percolator Features:

• Fuzz/overdrive pedal based on a 1970s cult-classic circuit from Wisconsin
• Asymmetrical clipping enhances even-order harmonics for an explosive, interactive feel
• Harmonics and Balance controls determine input-stage gain and output level, respectively
• Bias control adjusts the gain circuit's bias to push your tone into octave and gated territory
• Drive/Fuzz switch lets you swap between open, organic overdrive and oversaturated fuzz
• Internal trimpot dials in additional gain with blooming sub-octave note tracking
• Latching and momentary footswitch action for performance flexibility
• True bypass switching maintains your tone when disengaged