Summer School Electronics Science Fair Overdrive Pedal

The Summer School Electronics Science Fair is a flexible dual overdrive and distortion pedal that lets you blend two classic gain flavours into one inspiring sound. With independent drive and tone controls for each side, plus a central blend and master volume, it is designed to help you dial in anything from subtle grit to aggressive distortion while keeping your core playing dynamics intact.

On the left, the Lab Rat circuit delivers a hard clipping, crispy distortion that excels at punchy riffs and saturated leads. On the right, the Test Tube circuit offers a softer clipping, mid focused overdrive with a pronounced mid hump to help you cut through a busy mix. Run in parallel and mixed to taste, these two voices give you a huge palette of tones that can be fine tuned for studio sessions, live work or simply finding your own signature sound.

By turning the blend control fully to one side, you can use each circuit on its own as Summer School Electronics take on these much loved classics. But the real magic of the Science Fair lies in the space between those extremes. Blending the two sides lets you combine the clarity and note definition of one with the aggression and sustain of the other, so your chords stay articulate and your single notes stay expressive even at higher gain settings.

Hand built by working musicians in Syracuse, New York, the Science Fair is put together with attention to detail and is designed to be a dependable creative tool on your board. Running from a standard 9 volt centre negative power supply and backed by a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, it is a practical, gig ready pedal that rewards experimentation every time you step on it.

Lab Rat Hard Clipping Distortion

The Lab Rat side of the Science Fair, controlled by the black knobs, is voiced as a hard clipping distortion with a crisp, cutting edge. It is ideal when you want tight, aggressive rhythm tones or focused lead sounds that stay controlled and articulate, giving you the bite and saturation needed for rock and heavier styles without losing definition.

Test Tube Soft Clipping Mid Hump Overdrive

The Test Tube side, accessed via the green knobs, is a soft clipping overdrive with a mid range hump that helps your guitar sit perfectly in a band mix. This side is great for pushing an amp, adding touch sensitive grit, or giving solos a vocal like presence so they naturally rise above the rest of the instruments without needing excessive volume.

Parallel Blend for Signature Tones

Both circuits run in parallel and are controlled by a central blend knob, allowing you to mix the two voices to taste. This means you can keep the clarity and note separation of a lower gain sound while layering in as much extra aggression as you like, or smooth out a harsh distortion by adding in warmer, softer clipping. The result is a wide range of nuanced tones that can be tailored precisely to your playing style.

Independent Drive and Tone Controls

Each side of the Science Fair has its own drive and tone controls, so you can sculpt the character of each circuit before blending them together. This level of control lets you fine tune the low end, top end and gain structure of both voices independently, making it easy to adapt the pedal to different guitars, amps and musical contexts without compromising your preferred feel.

• Dual Classic Inspired Gain Circuits - The Science Fair combines the Lab Rat hard clipping distortion and Test Tube soft clipping overdrive in a single enclosure, giving you two distinct, tried and tested gain flavours that can cover everything from edge of breakup crunch to saturated distortion.
• Parallel Blend with Master Volume - A central blend control lets you mix the two circuits in parallel, while the master volume sets your overall output level. This makes it easy to balance your sound with the rest of your rig and to create layered tones that retain clarity even at higher gain settings.
• Independent Drive and Tone per Side - Separate drive and tone knobs for each side allow you to shape the response of each circuit before blending them. You can dial in tight, bright distortion on one side and warmer, mid pushed overdrive on the other, then combine them to taste for highly personalised tones.
• Hand Built with Lifetime Warranty - The Science Fair is hand built in Syracuse, New York by working musicians, with a focus on reliability and real world usability. It runs from a standard 9 volt centre negative power supply and is backed by a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer for long term peace of mind.

General

• Product: Summer School Electronics Science Fair Overdrive Pedal
• Type: Dual overdrive and distortion
• Circuits: Lab Rat hard clipping distortion and Test Tube soft clipping overdrive
• Configuration: Parallel operation with blend control

Controls

• Lab Rat: Drive, Tone
• Test Tube: Drive, Tone
• Global: Blend, Volume

Power

• Power Requirement: 9 volt DC
• Polarity: Centre negative

Construction

• Build: Hand built
• Location: Syracuse, New York
• Warranty: Lifetime (manufacturer)