JAM Pedals Tiny Amp Destroyer Stu Mackenzie Signature Overdrive

Product Description

Created in collaboration with Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the Tiny Amp Destroyer is a three-footswitch gain machine combining two independent drive stages with a standalone treble booster. Capable of everything from focused low-gain drive through raw, boxy distortion to dense, blown-out saturation, TAD is built for players who like their drive sounds with plenty of personality.

The concept began with Stu pushing two Boomsters into his favourite pawn-shop amplifier until the amp stopped behaving as intended and started sounding enormous. Rather than simply cloning that setup, its unstable breakup and unruly response became the inspiration for an entirely new circuit.

Two independent gain stages form the core of the pedal. G2 is the more restrained of the pair, covering lower-gain breakup and driven tones, while G1 runs hotter for heavier overdrive and distortion. Each can be used independently, or the two can be stacked when you want to push the Tiny Amp Destroyer into its most saturated territory.

Active Bass and Treble controls provide boost and cut for substantial tonal shaping, while MAGIC shifts the response towards the compressed, boxy instability of a small amplifier being driven far beyond its limits. The Notch control offers another layer of experimentation, progressively removing a key frequency band to move from a full, forward sound towards increasingly scooped, hollow and unconventional textures.

A third footswitch controls an independent treble booster based on the Rooster. Positioned before both gain stages, the booster can tighten the bottom end, sharpen attack and fundamentally change how G1 and G2 respond. It can push either drive individually, hit the complete stack harder, or operate independently as a standalone treble booster. An internal DIP switch provides Full and Standard booster voicings, with the pedal shipping in Full mode.

For live use, G1 Global Bypass allows the G1 footswitch to control the entire pedal. This means you can leave G2 and the treble booster engaged and bring your complete stacked sound in or out with a single press.

Completing the pedal is original artwork by Jason Galea, King Gizzard's longtime visual collaborator responsible for much of the band's distinctive album artwork, posters and stage imagery.

TAD is not an amp in a box. It is the sound of the box losing the fight.

Key Features

• Created in collaboration with Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
• Three independently controlled gain sections
• Two independent drive stages: G1 and G2
• G2 covers lower-gain breakup and driven tones
• G1 provides heavier overdrive and distortion
• Stack G1 and G2 for dense, saturated gain
• Independent Rooster-based treble booster
• Active Bass and Treble controls with boost and cut
• MAGIC voicing for compressed, boxy and unstable small-amp character
• Notch control for progressively scooped and hollow sounds
• Two internal treble-booster voicings: Full and Standard
• G1 Global Bypass mode for single-switch control of the complete pedal
• True bypass
• Original artwork by Jason Galea

Controls & Functions

G1 & G2 Drive Stages

G2 provides the more restrained side of the pedal, ranging through lower-gain breakup and driven sounds. G1 runs hotter and extends into heavier overdrive and distortion. Both can operate independently or be stacked together.

Active Bass & Treble

The two drive stages share an overall Level control along with active Bass and Treble controls capable of both boost and cut. These allow you to add weight, tighten the low end or increase definition to help the guitar sit in a mix.

MAGIC

Engaging MAGIC shifts the response towards the compressed, boxy and unstable character of a small amplifier being pushed beyond its limits. For the strongest small-amp effect, use lower gain settings, engage MAGIC and shape the resulting character with the Notch control.

Notch

Starting from a neutral position, turning Notch progressively removes a key frequency band. This can transform a full and forward drive sound into increasingly scooped, hollow and unconventional textures.

Treble Booster

The independent treble booster sits before G1 and G2 in the signal path. It tightens the low end and sharpens attack while changing the way the following drive stages respond.

An internal DIP switch provides two voicings:

• Full: Broader response with greater low-frequency content
• Standard: More focused, traditional treble-booster response

The Tiny Amp Destroyer ships with the booster set to Full mode.

G1 Global Bypass

G1 Global Bypass allows the G1 footswitch to switch the entire pedal on or off while leaving G2 and the treble booster pre-engaged.

Hold G1 while connecting power to select the operating mode:

• Two LED blinks: Normal operation
• Three LED blinks: G1 Global Bypass

Signal Flow

Input → Treble Booster → G1 → G2 → Output

Bass, Treble, MAGIC and Notch affect G1 and G2 only. The treble booster remains fully independent.

Specifications

• Bypass: True Bypass
• Power: 9V DC, Centre Negative
• Maximum Current Draw: 90 mA with all circuits engaged
• Input Impedance – Treble Booster Off: Approx. 500 kΩ
• Input Impedance – Treble Booster On: Approx. 50 kΩ
• Output Impedance: Less than 5 kΩ
• Dimensions: 14.5 × 12.4 × 5.9 cm
• Weight: 0.511 kg