In late 2025, I picked up a Mashed Voltaire fuzz pedal from Gigahearts, a small builder based in Manchester, England. It sounds great, has superior build quality, and was shipped quickly. I was so impressed with Gigahearts’ work that I emailed the company to see if it could build the dual-overdrive pedal that has been floating around my head for more than a year. The overdrive pedal of my dreams has become a reality in the Gigahearts Silva Bell.
Combining Two Relatively Uncommon Dirt Pedals
The Gigahearts Silva Bell combines modernized versions of the circuits found in the Bixonic Expandora and the Colorsound Power Boost. The Power Boost was designed by Gary Hurst, creator of the Tone Bender fuzz, and was released in the late 1960s. Many consider it to be the first overdrive pedal. Jeff Beck and David Gilmour are two of the most famous guitar players that used the Colorsound Power Boost extensively.
The Expandora was released in 1994 and based on the popular RAT distortion pedal, but with some key differences. It used two LM308 op-amps compared to the RAT’s one. It also made use of an optocoupler, which made the circuit more dynamic and touch-sensitive; you can get very different sounds based on your pick attack and guitar’s volume knob. Like the RAT, the Expandora is extremely versatile, capable of light overdrive, hearty crunch, and gnarly distortion. Famous Bixonic Expandora users include Billy Gibbons, Joe Satriani, and St. Vincent.
While the Bixonic Expandora and Colorsound Power Boost certainly have their fans, they’re not nearly as popular as the Tubescreamer, Bluesbreaker, Klon, and Blues Driver overdrive pedals. Thousands of those pedals (or products inspired by those pedals) are sold every year. There are a few “inspired by” Expandora and Power Boost pedals made by small builders, while the former only has one modernized version sold by a larger company (as far as I know) – the JHS Kilt.
So Why the Expandora and Power Boost Circuits?!?
There are a few reasons why I wanted the Expandora and Power Boost circuits in the Gigahearts Silva Bell. Some of them make sense and some of them are silly thoughts from my silly head.
- I love how the Expandora and Power Boost sound individually
- I’ve gone through a few dual-overdrive pedals and I dig how they save space, but haven’t found my “Goldilocks” pedal
- While I’m a fan of the Bluesbreaker and Klon circuits, they’re so ubiquitous that it’s a bit of a turn-off (I told you some of my reasons were silly)
- I appreciate that each overdrive is versatile and stacking two versatile, but different, dirt pedals can result in some unique tones
- I also appreciate touch-sensitive amps and pedals (even though they expose my garbage technique)
While there are many fantastic dual-overdrive pedals on the market, I don’t know of any that use either of these circuits, let alone both. Maybe there are good reasons for that, but in my head this combination should be lots of fun.
The Gigahearts Silva Bell Honors Two Manchester City Legends
As some of you know, I’m a massive Manchester City fan, so it was kismet for the Gigahearts Silva Bell to be made by a builder in Manchester. In my head, Gigahearts indulged my initial inquiry and numerous questions/suggestions/revisions because I’m CTID. Also in my head, the two circuits used in the Silva Bell match perfectly with the footballers they’re named after.
Colin Bell | Colorsound Power Boost
- This City legend was right-footed, so his number 8 being on the right makes sense
- He was the platonic ideal of a box-to-box midfielder, bossing the midfield in powerful transitions (power boosts!) from defense to attack
- Though his pace and stamina were first class, he also had impeccable timing on runs and was a smart passer, showing versatility just like the Power Boost
- The original Colorsound Power Boost was made in England, just like Colin Bell (assuming his parents didn’t conceive him during a Scandinavian holiday)
David Silva | Bixonic Expandora
- “El Mago” is my favorite footballer of all time; he favored his left foot so 21 had to be on the left side of the Silva Bell
- David was the platonic ideal of a creative midfielder, executing passes that most players wouldn’t even dream of attempting
- Mimicking the Expandora’s versatility, David was more than just a wondrous assist machine; he could score, press, and (occasionally and surprisingly) throw in a crunchy tackle
- He was also a master of “pausa,” expanding (Expandora!) the pitch by varying the speed of his passes and holding the ball for the perfect amount of time
- The original Bixonic Expandora was made in Japan and David Silva is purported to be part Japanese (though there are conflicting stories on this)
Like many guitar nerds, I can get precious and romantic about my gear. It just feels right that the Gigahearts Silva Bell was made by a builder in Manchester, England. Actually, I take that back. It doesn’t just feel right; it feels perfect.
Thanks to Gigahearts for the Gigahearts Silva Bell!
In addition to sounding amazing and helping me actualize the tones in my head, the Silva Bell makes me happy when I see it on my pedalboard. I love how it sounds. I love how it looks. I love that it honors two Man City legends. And, to be honest, I love that it’s different from the majority of dual-overdrive pedals on the market. All of these things add up to making me want to play more guitar. As a hobbyist, that’s really what you want, yeah?
Big, big, big thanks to Ian at Gigahearts for taking the idea in my head and executing it brilliantly. The updates and information he provided were more than I could’ve asked for, making this venture a delight.
If you have a moment, please let me know what you think of the Gigahearts Silva Bell. Is there a dual-pedal in your head that doesn’t exist on the market? If so, I wholeheartedly recommend dropping Gigahearts a line to see if it can make your dreams come true similar to Hall and Oates how this pedal realized one of my dreams. Hmmmmm, I wonder if a dual-pedal with a Benson Germanium Boost running into an Analogman Bi-Comp makes sense as the Silva Kompany. To be continued….