Wisconsin stompbox manufacturer Mattoverse Electronics has introduced the Solar Sound, an overdrive pedal reactive to the amount of light it gets.
Described as both “beautiful and uniquely impractical,” the Solar Sound comes with an inbuilt solar panel, along with true bypass as well as gain and volume dials.
“Consisting of a simple transistor based gain circuit that has been finely tuned to take full advantage of the low current and voltage provided by the solar panel, it provides everything from starved and choked gain tones, to light overdrive, and smooth distortion,” the description reads.
In terms of hardware, the Solar Sound sports an aluminum chassis consisting of a wood faceplate and a protective plastic casing around the solar panel.
According to the brand, the stompbox works best with natural light, but bright artificial light sources also work. Tone-wise, Mattoverse’s demo video features a range of rumbling distortions and several customization options. You can hear it for yourself below.
The Mattoverse Electronics Solar Sound lists for $229.
