Way Huge and Joe Bonamassa join forces for new Penny Saver Royale Modulation and Overdrive pedal

Way Huge Penny Saver Royale
(Image credit: Joe Bonamassa)

Way Huge has teamed up with Joe Bonamassa to release the Penny Saver Royale Modulation and Overdrive pedal – a new offering that seeks to combine the unique tonal characteristics of the electric guitar wizard’s favorite Way Huge pedals.

Boasting two sides that can be used independently for distinct tones – or paired together for “thick, soupy textures” – the Penny Saver Royale is composed of Bonamassa’s own Overrated Special Overdrive and Way Huge’s Blue Hippo Chorus pedal.

The result is a versatile pedal that, according to Bonamassa, “has changed the relationship between chorus and overdrive”.

On the right, the Overrated Special side offers up plenty of bite and grit, and is controlled via four control knobs dedicated to volume, drive, tone and frequency. With the original pedal being described as a souped-up Green Rhino with more midrange, the frequency knob can be used to dial in punchier low mids.

Meanwhile on the left, the Blue Hippo Chorus primary mode circuit is simply controlled by speed and depth knobs, and boasts a delay time that has been specifically tailored to Bonamassa’s taste.

Way Huge Penny Saver Royale

(Image credit: Way Huge)

While these distinct sides sound good enough to stand on their own four rubber feet, when paired together the Penny Saver Royale is said to combine “electrifying gain and sustain” with the “liquefied intensity of a rotating speaker”.

Of his new pedalboard fixture, Bonamassa said, “Combining the Overrated Special Overdrive and the Blue Hippo Chorus into one unit, with a single power source, has changed the relationship between chorus and overdrive.

“They tend to melt more into the tone giving it a very organic yet unique sound that was not there with the two singular units by themselves,” he continues. “Plus you save a penny or two with the purchase. Everyone wins!”

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The Way Huge Penny Saver Royal Modulation and Overdrive pedal is available now at Joe Bonamassa’s online store for $299.

Matt Owen
Senior Staff Writer, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.