The Kilt Guitar Pedal

By: Andre Mosele

I recently added the Kilt pedal to my guitar rig; the last addition since I decided to invest in new pedals and revamp my outdated pedal board. I started researching what new worship bands were using for reverbs and delays and ended up coming across multiple videos and reviews for this amazing piece of gear.

Back Story

To kick things off, let’s delve into the backstory of this pedal. It’s none other than a signature creation from one of my all-time favorite guitarists, Stu G, renowned for his role in the Christian Worship Rock band “Delirious?”. I was really captivated by the idea behind it, considering my great admiration for Stu G’s distinctive tones and exceptional guitar skills. Owning a pedal that not only replicates some of his signature sounds but also empowers me to craft my own unique tones is truly remarkable.

JHS collaborated with Stu G to recreate the distinctive tone from his repertoire in an innovative pedal. The sought-after tone originated from the guitar sound featured on an album Stu G recorded in 1999, achieved with an aged Fuzz pedal he acquired from a pawnshop. The pedal’s name came from the tour associated with the same album. Because Stu G wore a kilt throughout the entire tour, he aptly chose to name the pedal “THE KILT.” I find this naming choice to be exceptionally creative.

The Build

Now let’s talk about the pedal itself. The build quality is truly impressive, with a robust construction that assures me of its durability. Despite playing mostly at my local church, the pedal’s solid structure gives me confidence that it can withstand the demands of live gigs and studio sessions, especially when I need to move my pedal board around. The design is highly intuitive, allowing for easy navigation between controls even in the middle of a performance. Beyond its aesthetic appeal – the sleek dark gray color and black lettering – it blends seamlessly into my pedal board without drawing excessive attention. This discreet presence is particularly beneficial in a church setting, where vibrant and attention-grabbing pedals might be very distracting at times.

The Sound

We have to spend most of the time talking about the sound though. The Kilt pedal is a sonic chameleon, offering a range of tones that goes from warm and bluesy to outright crunchy and aggressive. The dual gain stages provide an incredible variety of possibilities, making it suitable for various genres. Whenever I’m looking for the smooth tones of a soft worship or blues licks, or cranking it up for a heavy lead, the Kilt delivers every time. I have the pedal on most of the time because I can just roll off some gain on the guitar and it will sound soft and clean and still cut through the mix, roll the gain back up and give it a boost and you can play all the most amazing leads.

This versatility is only possible because The Kilt pedal has two distinct gain stages – overdrive and fuzz. This dual-gain built allows guitar players to find their desired tone with precision, allowing infinite sonic creativity.

What sets the Kilt pedal apart is its unique capability to seamlessly stack overdrive and fuzz. This distinctive feature contributes to a harmonically rich gain structure, elevating your tone to unparalleled heights. The Kilt truly shines in its stacked gain functionality, delivering both power and grit without sacrificing warmth and tone. This sets it apart from other pedals, making it a standout choice for musicians seeking a dynamic and versatile addition to their set up.

The Kilt pedal’s true power and versatility is revealed when it hits the stage or the studio. It not only sounds great in isolation but also plays well with other pedals in a chain. The pedal’s ability to retain clarity and definition, even in high-gain settings, is unbelievable. It pairs perfectly with reverb and delays especially Big Sky and Timeline from Strymon. It is really a pedal worth having and will definitely last for decades to come.

Conclusion

While some reviews may argue that the price is on the higher side, it’s true that you get what you pay for. The value you receive is well worth the cost, and I have no reservations about the investment. The Kilt not only produces an incredible sound, but its versatility and abundance of tones also serve as a catalyst for enhancing the creativity of any guitarist. Without a doubt, it’s a pedal that merits inclusion in your collection and has the potential to become a future classic. No wonder it is finding its place on most professional guitar players rigs.

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Andre Mosele is a husband and father, and a Guitar player, singer, sound engineer and music director for Waters Church Norwood in Massachusetts for the past seven years. He has played in multiple bands and worship ministries for the past 28 years and lead countless conferences and worship nights. He is also a Graphic Designer and owner of Mosele Agency Design and Production.