Since the dawn of amplification, engineers have sought a better mousetrap – a more-transparent signal chain that preserves signal and adds less noise. With its new Acoustic Pedal, Orange takes inspiration from its past advances and packages them neatly in a preamp that gets the most out of an acoustic/electric guitar’s signal.

The Orange Acoustic Pedal looks exactly as an acoustic preamp should, with controls for Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume along with a balanced XLR out. It also has a buffered effects loop to manage outboard effects. The Middle control offers two additional measures; Notch selects the knob’s center frequency (68 Hz to 1.2 KHz), while Q Factor selects its width of the frequency range. The intuitive interface allows easy control of a guitar’s tone.

Inside its rugged metal chassis, the Orange Acoustic Pedal really flexes. The single-ended JFET circuit makes the pedal whisper quiet when dialing up the treble frequencies. The pedal also operates at 18 volts, providing ample headroom for faithful amplification of an acoustic/electric signal – whether from active or passive electronics. The balanced XLR eliminates the need for a separate direct box, and both the XLR and 1/4″ outputs can run simultaneously.

A better mousetrap is here. Orange’s Acoustic Pedal is an effective, affordable way to get the most out of an acoustic/electric.

This article originally appeared in VG’s November 2021 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.