Guitar maestro Cory Wong has joined forces with Jackson Audio for a new signature dual overdrive stompbox, The Optimist.
Combining Timmy- and Klon-style circuits with the brand’s MIDI control and a three-band EQ, Cory touts The Optimist as arguably “the most versatile overdrive pedal I’ve ever used.”
“My goal was to design a pedal that could give me the full range of drive levels for punchy rhythm to soaring lead guitar lines,” he added.
Equipped with “impossible to find” germanium diodes, The Optimist comes as a meticulously made clone of the iconic Klon Centaur circuit, featuring a bypass-able, active EQ to boot. On the other hand, the rhythm-focused, Timmy-esque OD2 stays perfectly flat across the entire guitar range and serves as a harmonic enhancer.
“When the two of them [the overdrives] pair together,” the guitarist details, “it creates an even more boosted drive that doesn’t squeal because they’re both mid-level drives.”
Ultimately, the three-band EQ spec’d from a Baxandall EQ is accessible by pressing and releasing the OD1 and OD2 footswitches simultaneously.
You can now get your hands on The Optimist for $349.
