“A very responsive pedal that will deliver an excellent range of rich, cranked-amp style drive”: Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive review

On this evidence, there's nothing mad about this professor, which offers plenty of gain but remains a dynamic and persuasive pedalboard option

Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive
(Image: © Future / Neil Godwin)

Guitar World Verdict

Like the Sweet Honey Overdrive, this is another very responsive overdrive pedal that delivers an excellent range of rich, cranked-amp style drive.

Pros

  • +

    It's a compact pedal.

  • +

    Great sound quality.

  • +

    Ergonomic knobs.

  • +

    No-fuss control setup.

Cons

  • -

    Not much, but side-mounted connections bother some.

  • -

    Need a screwdriver to change/use the battery.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Mad Professor Amplification debuted in 2002, and ever since it released its first guitar pedal there have been many additions to its catalog, some of which have remained in the range while others have been discontinued. 

One of the last Mad Professor pedals we took a look at was the Loud’n Proud, which offered the sound of a vintage Marshall amp with a fuzz pedal causing mischief in front of it. That is one of those now-discontinued models, but the Royal Blue Overdrive we’re looking at today has never been out of production. 

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Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.