Fender Smolder Acoustic ODFrom real comments

Name: Fender Smolder Acoustic OD
Rating: 2.8 (15 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 15 mentions across 9 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment53%

PROS 53%

CONS 47%

Rank based on 15 mentions across 9 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want to add solo-worthy overdrive tone to an acoustic rig
You like combining overdrive with built-in modulation effects like chorus and phaser
You need a feedback control feature for live acoustic playing

What users love

Pairs well with other effectsNotable0 mentions

Widely praised

Great for beefy acoustic solos0 mentions

Strongly positive

Useful feedback control0 mentions

Widely praised

Good tone compared to alternatives0 mentions

Widely praised

Skip this if...

You're sensitive to footswitch click noise or bypass hiss
You need strongly driven distortion tones even with drive and blend maxed
Your pickup system (e.g. certain Fishman setups) may limit the pedal's feedback suppression

What users complain about

Weak or hard-to-dial overdrive0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Noisy footswitch0 mentions

Frequently criticized

Limited feedback suppression for some pickups0 mentions

Generally negative

Knobs lack detents0 mentions

Generally negative

Bypass noise0 mentions

Generally negative

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice

1Mid

Roland Blues Cube Artist

Lightweight and gig-friendlyTube-like tone and feelExcellent clean channelExpensive, hard-to-find Tone CapsulesInconsistent or harsh crunch channelNo included footswitch

Roland Blues Cube Artist

Lightweight and gig-friendly

Tube-like tone and feel

Excellent clean channel

Expensive, hard-to-find Tone Capsules

Inconsistent or harsh crunch channel

No included footswitch

2Premium

Friedman Little Sister

Exceptional tonal versatilityGreat cleanup via guitar volumeBig, huge-sounding tone for its size/wattageDark, bass-heavy voicing for somePrice relative to alternativesRequires volume-knob technique, not true multi-channel

Friedman Little Sister

Exceptional tonal versatility

Great cleanup via guitar volume

Big, huge-sounding tone for its size/wattage

Dark, bass-heavy voicing for some

Price relative to alternatives

Requires volume-knob technique, not true multi-channel

Best value

3Mid

Orange OR15

Exceptional versatilityGreat with pedals / clean platformLong-term keeper ampCleans not its strongest suitFizzy or excessive gain out of the boxStock preamp tubes considered weak

Orange OR15

Exceptional versatility

Great with pedals / clean platform

Long-term keeper amp

Cleans not its strongest suit

Fizzy or excessive gain out of the box

Stock preamp tubes considered weak

4Mid

Marantz PM7000N

Detailed, warm sound qualityGood speaker pairing versatilityHEOS streaming and internet radio convenienceAirPlay over Ethernet reliability issueDAC only active via optical/coaxial inputsLacks classic gold Marantz aesthetic

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Detailed, warm sound quality

Good speaker pairing versatility

HEOS streaming and internet radio convenience

AirPlay over Ethernet reliability issue

DAC only active via optical/coaxial inputs

Lacks classic gold Marantz aesthetic

5Budget

TC Electronic BH250

Powerful for its sizeTonePrint effects built inClean, full, realistic toneAlways-lit tuner displayInsufficient power for loud full bandsSingle effect slot limitation

TC Electronic BH250

Powerful for its size

TonePrint effects built in

Clean, full, realistic tone

Always-lit tuner display

Insufficient power for loud full bands

Single effect slot limitation

6Premium

Mesa Boogie Badlander

Tight, modern high-gain toneBuilt-in CabClone IR / direct outBuild quality and versatility praised by ownersHigh priceMissing third channel and solo boostNo EL34 as originally expected / power tube gripes

Mesa Boogie Badlander

Tight, modern high-gain tone

Built-in CabClone IR / direct out

Build quality and versatility praised by owners

High price

Missing third channel and solo boost

No EL34 as originally expected / power tube gripes

7Mid

iFi xCAN

Strong power for demanding headphonesCompact, high-quality buildEnjoyable Bluetooth sound qualityEarly sound-mode switching bugLimited single-ended power for some planarsNot fully wireless

iFi xCAN

Strong power for demanding headphones

Compact, high-quality build

Enjoyable Bluetooth sound quality

Early sound-mode switching bug

Limited single-ended power for some planars

Not fully wireless

8Premium

Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

Exceptional tonal versatilityOwner satisfaction and 'best amp ever' sentimentSmooth, musical high-gain distortionHigh priceOverwhelming number of optionsSome find it too polished or lacking rawness

Friedman BE-100 Deluxe

Exceptional tonal versatility

Owner satisfaction and 'best amp ever' sentiment

Smooth, musical high-gain distortion

High price

Overwhelming number of options

Some find it too polished or lacking rawness

9Mid

Vox AC15CH

Built-in reactive attenuator

Vox AC15CH

Built-in reactive attenuator

10Mid

Roland JC-22

Great pedal platformLush onboard chorusExceptional clean toneBackground hiss/humWeak onboard distortionSome pedals don't pair well

Roland JC-22

Great pedal platform

Lush onboard chorus

Exceptional clean tone

Background hiss/hum

Weak onboard distortion

Some pedals don't pair well

You are here

31Mid

Fender Smolder Acoustic OD

Pairs well with other effectsGreat for beefy acoustic solosGood tone compared to alternativesNoisy footswitchWeak or hard-to-dial overdriveBypass noise

Fender Smolder Acoustic OD

Pairs well with other effects

Great for beefy acoustic solos

Good tone compared to alternatives

Noisy footswitch

Weak or hard-to-dial overdrive

Bypass noise

Pedal friendly
1. Roland JC-22arrow_upward9
2. Orange OR15arrow_upward8
3. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward5
Versatile tone
1. Orange OR15arrow_upward10
2. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward8
Lightweight
1. Roland Blues Cube Artistarrow_upward8
2. TC Electronic BH250arrow_upward3
3. Orange OR15arrow_upward2
Great cleans
1. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward6
2. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_upward5
Build quality
1. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_upward6
2. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_upward4
Expensive
1. Friedman Little Sisterarrow_downward2
2. Friedman BE-100 Deluxearrow_downward3
3. Mesa Boogie Badlanderarrow_downward5

Overall Impression

Great for solo tones and layered effects in live acoustic settings. Multiple users highlight the Smolder's ability to deliver a beefier, electric-like solo sound for acoustic guitarists, useful for songs needing extra punch. Others praise how well it pairs with delay, reverb, chorus, tremolo, and phaser to build a fuller live rig sound, with one calling the combination demonstration particularly valuable before purchasing.

Some users can't dial in a satisfying overdrive or feedback suppression. One player with a Martin GPC-15ME and Fishman pickup found the drive weak even with drive and blend maxed, and feedback suppression only marginal. Another had a similar issue getting an overdriven tone they liked, noting that maxing drive and blend removes clean tone, and considered an A/B box workaround to blend clean and driven signals separately.

Noisy switch and non-detented knobs bother several owners. Multiple commenters criticize the footswitch's audible click, comparing it unfavorably to other noisy stompbox designs, and one asks why an LED indicator isn't enough. Another owner reports the knobs lack click-stops, meaning they can shift accidentally underfoot during a performance. A separate user describes a cyclical, phase-shifter-like noise occurring when the effect is bypassed.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

tunePairs well with other effectsNotable

4 mentions

Widely praised

Commenters appreciated seeing the overdrive combined with delay, reverb, chorus, tremolo, and phaser, saying it gave a good sense of the pedal's tonal variety. This encouraged some viewers to decide to purchase.

@officialjohnnybronze

Best Freaking Review Ever!!!! \nWanna hear it in a \"live situation\" as most gonna hear it not DI to sound like a recording, plus you made us hear solid chords as an acoustic guitar player would play with delay and reverb! And bonus with actual modulation effectss like like chorus and tremolo and my fav, Phaser! Good stuff. I wanna buy this and I'm kool😊

smart_display

January 3, 2024

@captnb8036

I got this pedal a couple months ago. Fantastic addition to my acoustic rig. Very useful and the feedback control is a lifesaver. ??? Were you running the other effects pre or post of the OD. ?

smart_display

March 22, 2022

@learnfromthemastersmusicou7241

Quite helpful review. I’m considering buying this pedal for my acoustic board and I found it particularly valuable to see how you put the overdrive together with other effects. Gave a good sense of the variety and tonal texture that this pedal would enable. Thanks for your work!

smart_display

March 31, 2021

@brianshank1419

Thank you for this terrific review! The various combinations of pedals with the Smolder that you demonstrate are really helpful. I had been thinking about buying one, and I'm going to definitely order one now.

smart_display

December 3, 2020

music_noteGreat for beefy acoustic solos

2 mentions

Strongly positive

Players use the Smolder to get an electric-like solo sound out of an acoustic rig, useful for covering songs that need more punch during live sets. One guitarist specifically cites needing this tone for songs like 'Behind Blue Eyes' and 'Lola'.

@frankoconnor8141

Great, at last, a pedal that I can get a half decent solo sound from, I`m the sole guitarist in our band, and we do a few acoustic numbers, that occasionally \nrequire the beefier solo sound of an electric, such as The Who`s, \"Behind Blue Eyes.\" or The Kink`s \"Lola.\" so to have a pedal I can stomp on to get that is brilliant, \nwell done Fender, that`s now on my GAS list. 😎🎸

smart_display

March 10, 2023

@JasonLynne2010

Yes, thank you for the great review. You were strumming hard, playing real chords - just like musicians do when they play solo in a bar. It's so frustrating watching endless noodling when all you want to hear are full chords & strumming. This pedal is a winner.

smart_display

November 1, 2019

volume_offUseful feedback control

1 mentions

Widely praised

One long-term owner calls the feedback control feature a lifesaver for their acoustic rig, describing the pedal overall as a fantastic addition.

@captnb8036

I got this pedal a couple months ago. Fantastic addition to my acoustic rig. Very useful and the feedback control is a lifesaver. ??? Were you running the other effects pre or post of the OD. ?

smart_display

March 22, 2022

thumb_upGood tone compared to alternatives

1 mentions

Widely praised

One user found it a big improvement over a Boss Super Overdrive they'd been using for acoustic, especially when played loud.

@MrLamar-vs6el

Thank you for playing it loud !!… sounds very handy…. Way Better than the Boss super overdrive I’ve been using …for acoustic..

smart_display

January 2, 2024

warningWeak or hard-to-dial overdrive

2 mentions

Frequently criticized

Some players struggled to get a satisfying overdriven tone even with drive and blend maxed out, with one noting that maxing both settings removes any clean tone entirely.

@briangupton1619

So I picked one of these up. While it does sound nice, I cannot seem to get much of an overdriven sound even with the drive and blend turned all the way up. Also, I was thinking this pedal would help solve feedback issues I am having, but seems to help only marginally there. What gioves?\n\nI should note that I have a Martin GPC-15ME Streetmaster. I believe it has Fishman pickups, but I haven't been able to identify exactly what is in there. I'm running this into two tube-based electric guitar amps rather than direct to a PA since I don't have a PA. I kinda thought there'd be a lot more dirt and feedback suppression with the Smolder.\n\nIs the Fishman pickup the likey issue?\n\nhttps://www.guitarcenter.com/Martin/Special-Grand-Performance-Cutaway-15ME-Streetmaster-Style-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar.gc

smart_display

May 21, 2021

@glisteningkabana8154

That final chord sounded epic👌. I’ve got it but haven’t been able to get an overdriven tone I’m overly happy with. Noticed you had blend and distortion dimed which removes any clean tone. Maybe I should do the same but using an A/B box to mix the clean and overdriven tones together, so the pedal is just doing the complete distorted sounds. What do you think?

smart_display

February 21, 2021

volume_upNoisy footswitch

2 mentions

Frequently criticized

Multiple commenters criticize the audible click of the footswitch, comparing it to similarly noisy designs from other brands and questioning why an LED indicator alone isn't sufficient.

@T2184H

Nicely restrained and tasteful playing. I heard the switch on the smolder is super noisy?

smart_display

November 26, 2022

@mainsblanches8793

YEP!!...why do they put on those noisy clic buttons?...EHX does the same thing with the KEY9 / B9 series!!...there is a light indicator to see if the pedal is on or off so why the need for those noisy clic buttons?...

smart_display

September 1, 2020

report_problemLimited feedback suppression for some pickups

1 mentions

Generally negative

One user expected stronger feedback suppression but found it only marginally helpful, suspecting their Fishman pickup setup might be the cause.

@briangupton1619

smart_display

May 21, 2021

tuneKnobs lack detents

1 mentions

Generally negative

An owner notes the knobs don't click into place, so they can be accidentally shifted by foot during use.

@vzeller

My only issue is that the knobs don't click. I find that since they aren't locked in place, your foot can shift them accidentally.

smart_display

June 23, 2021

error_outlineBypass noise

1 mentions

Generally negative

One user reports a cyclical, phase-shifter-like noise occurring when the pedal is not engaged.

@bathizargupta249

I'm getting a lot of noise when my smoldering is not engaged. Kind of a cyclical phase shifter noise. Thoughts?

smart_display

April 23, 2022

Fender Smolder Acoustic ODchat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

thumb_up_off_altBuy this if...

What users lovefavorite_border

thumb_down_off_altSkip this if...

What users complain aboutheart_broken

Compare in seconds

Who wins on what

Pedal friendly

Versatile tone

Lightweight

Great cleans

Build quality

Expensive

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

Fender Smolder Acoustic ODFrom real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression