Shawn Tubbs and the masterminds at REVV team up for an overdrive like no other. With its original design and unique controls, the Tilt overdrive promises a powerful tone-shaping tool with live and studio-ready sounds. But is it good?
Disclaimer: REVV sent me this pedal, and I get to keep it as compensation for my work. However, REVV has no say in the content of the video or this post.
Specifications
- Overdrive / Boost
- Shawn Tubbs signature model
- Dynamic drive circuit based on the sound of turned up vintage amps plus boosts with tilt EQ and a 3-way tight switch for better bass control at higher boost settings
- Controls: Volume, Tone, Treble, Bass, Boost, Tilt EQ
- Switch: Tight
- Power consumption: 30 mA
- Power supply via 9 V DC
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 111 x 108 x 51 mm
- Weight: 318 g
- Made in Canada
What Is REVV Tilt Overdrive?
REVV Tilt Overdrive is a collaboration between the Canadian mastermind of REVV, Dan Trudeau, and a Nashville session and live guru Shawn Tubbs. The pedal’s sound is based on Shawn’s favorite vintage amps that can be further tweaked using the innovative Tilt control.
First Impressions
As with other REVV pedals, the Tilt Overdrive is built to the highest standards. Everything feels premium. From the packaging to the included candy (gummy bears), you get a feeling that this pedal is made by people who really want you to enjoy their product and that it will last you a long time.
Even though I had watched a video or two of Tilt before receiving mine, it did still take me a few minutes to figure out how the Tilt control works. Once I got the hang of it, I was creating great sounds in no time.
How Does The REVV Tilt Overdrive Sound?
The sounds you get with Tilt OD are exactly what’s promised: studio and live-ready vintage tones. This isn’t your traditional ‘tubescreamer’ or ‘transparent overdrive. To me, the pedal sounds just like advertised: a cranked-up vintage tube amp that is highly responsive to your playing.
This isn’t your high-gain drive pedal though, as the gain range goes from clean to vintage rock sounds. But those low-to-mid-gain sounds are so good that it doesn’t really matter. While I liked how the pedal sounded with my semi-hollow humbucker guitar, using the pedal with my Tele was next level. Anything from slightly broken-up cleans to raunchy blues was achievable within seconds, and the Tilt EQ control allowed me to dial in the exact midrange I wanted.
What I like And What Could Be Improved
Overall, I found the REVV Tilt Overdrive an interesting release from REVV: it feels a bit more ‘niche’ than their other pedals, but the people in that niche will absolutely love it. As I mentioned earlier, the tones you get from this pedal are fantastic, but the range of those tones is also more limited than with some other pedals.
I think the best way to think of the REVV Tilt Overdrive is to see it as a tool: you get your favorite amp & guitar combination and then use the Tilt EQ and Tight switch to fine-tune the sound to perfection. Add the option to boost and you might have all the drive sounds you need for your live set.
I also find it hard to come up with anything I would improve about this pedal. Once you know what it’s designed to do, all the design choices make a lot of sense. If I were to go full nitpicking mode, I might say that the motorcycle-inspired branding doesn’t resonate incredibly well with a guy whose only ‘motorcycle’ was a Honda Monkey moped at the age of 15. 😉
If you’re looking for a road-worthy versatile pedal that allows you to adjust your sounds to perfection, the REVV Tilt Overdrive is a very solid choice.
If you’re interested in getting your own REVV Tilt Overdrive and support what I do, you can use the affiliate links below:
►►Get Your Tilt Overdrive at Thomann: https://thmn.to/thoprod/542708?offid=1&affid=394
►►Get Your Tilt Overdrive at Sweetwater: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/xkEWG3
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