Caroline Guitar Company Aaron Graves Overdrive

Caroline Guitar Company Aaron Graves Overdrive – Preamp/Power Amp Drive with Parabola, Météore, Haymaker and Icarus DNA

Preamp/Power Amp Drive · Parabola/Météore preamp · Mode B power-amp-style clipping · 3-position Bass selector · Plenty of gain and volume · Great for stacking · 9V–18V

The Caroline Guitar Company Aaron Graves Overdrive is a preamp/overdrive with more story and character than it first appears to have. It began as a response to players asking for the preamp from Caroline’s Parabola “pawnshop” and Météore as its own pedal, but Caroline pushed the idea further: adding another clipping voice, more gain range and a more flexible way to shape the low end.

In terms of sonic family, this is not a Tube Screamer, Bluesbreaker or Klon clone. It is much more Caroline: a characterful preamp/drive built to add clarity, weight and push, whether used on its own or stacked with other overdrives. Its first voice comes from Caroline’s classic preamp sound; the second brings back the beloved Mode B from the older Haymaker and Icarus V1, a mode many players missed for its power-amp-clipping feel.

The result is a very direct pedal with surprising depth. It can work as an always-on preamp, a character boost, a rock-and-roll overdrive or a second/third gain stage that makes other pedals and amps open up. There is clarity and heft, but it can also get much gnarlier than the compact format suggests.

The Voice selector lets you move between two behaviors: a more articulate preamp voice with musical compression, and a more aggressive voice inspired by power-amp clipping. The Bass selector offers three low-end settings, helping the pedal adapt to humbuckers, neck pickups, studio work, bass-heavy amps or rigs that need extra weight without losing definition.

The magic of the Aaron Graves Overdrive is how it balances punch and clarity. It is not “transparent” in the boring sense: it has a fingerprint, but it does not smother your playing. It adds weight where needed, keeps the note intact and has enough output to push whatever comes next.

Key features

• Overdrive / preamp inspired by Caroline’s own sonic universe
• Based on the preamp from Parabola “pawnshop” and Météore
• Second mode inspired by Mode B from Haymaker and Icarus V1
• Two voices: articulate preamp and more aggressive power-amp drive
• Plenty of gain and volume on tap
• 3-position Bass selector for low-end tailoring
• Great as an always-on pedal, boost, main drive or stacking stage
• Adds clarity and heft without losing note definition
• Works especially well with other drives and amps on the edge of breakup
• A tribute to Aaron Graves and the Fork & Spoon Records community spirit
• Made by Caroline Guitar Company in Columbia, South Carolina

Controls

• Level: overall output volume
• Gain / Hair: amount of gain and saturation
• Tone: brightness and presence shaping
• Voice: switches between preamp voice and power-amp-style clipping
• Bass: 3-position low-end selector for more body, tighter bass or fuller response

Technical specifications

• Type: overdrive / preamp / power amp drive
• Circuit: analog
• Voices: Preamp / Power Amp Drive
• Controls: Level, Gain/Hair, Tone, Voice, Bass
• Power: 9V–18V DC center-negative
• Format: compact
• Dimensions: 2″ × 6″ × 4″
• Weight: 18 oz
• Manufacturer: Caroline Guitar Company
• Made in Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Find the Caroline Guitar Company Aaron Graves Overdrive at onemorepedal.com.

A preamp that began as a tribute and ended up sounding like a little power amp with bad intentions.