This pedal offers a broad sonic palette, from bright ’60s treble boosts to heavy, Sabbath-like sludge, thanks to its variable input capacitance and finely tuned 2-band active EQ. Though it demands more from your amp and produces slightly more noise due to its germanium transistors, the tradeoff is a vastly more dynamic and impactful tone. The Cult Germanium Channel runs on standard 9-volt power supplies and features interactive PRE and DRIVE controls, along with LOWS and HIGHS EQ knobs and a TRIM master volume.

Joe Gore Cult Germanium Channel Pedal Controls

• PRE Control
  • Shapes tone at the input.
  • Full right: Fat, full-frequency sound.
  • Rotated left: Cleaner, brighter signal.
  • Interactive with DRIVE control.
• DRIVE Control
  • Adjusts gain.
  • Provides cool sounds throughout the range.
  • Highly interactive with PRE control.
• LOWS and HIGHS Controls
  • Active EQ stage not found on ’60s pedals.
  • Usable tones in all positions.
• TRIM Control
  • Master volume control.

Joe Gore Cult Germanium Channel Pedal Specs

• Variable Input Capacitance: Ranges from bright ’60s-style treble boosting to Sabbath-like sludge.
• 2-Band Active EQ: Tuned for good, usable sounds at every setting.
• Dynamic and Impactful: Vastly more dynamic with explosive impact and no nasal midrange hump.
• Germanium Transistors: A bit noisier than op amp chips but offer unique dynamic range.
• High Praise:
  • Guitar Player: “The most dynamic overdrive we’ve heard.”
  • Vintage Guitar: “One of the most flexible fuzz units we have ever tested.”
  • Tone Report: “Cult’s dynamic range is freaking ridiculous.”
• Notable Users: Richard Fortus (Guns N’ Roses), Brent Paschke (Pharrell Williams), Brian Ray (Paul McCartney).

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