Classic Analogue Tones, Refined Modern Control
Introducing Thorn Soundlabs’ new “Flex” range of pedals. With nine models, including two aimed squarely at bass, this lineup stands out immediately for its unique controls and its broad approach to shaping tone.
Even before diving into each pedal, you’ll notice controls you don’t usually see on stompboxes. Terms like Damping and Headroom are printed right on the facades, and they’re more than just cosmetic.
Damping cuts boomy low-end frequencies, letting players add sag for vintage-style looseness or tighten things up for modern precision. Most pedals force a fixed low-end response, but Thorn gives you that choice on every drive, fuzz, and boost.
Headroom is another key tool. At lower settings, it compresses and reins in the sound. At higher settings, it opens up, but unlike an amp, increasing headroom here doesn’t reduce gain; it actually nudges it upward. It’s a unique twist that gives Thorn pedals a very different feel under the fingers.
Basstard
One of the most anticipated pedals in the Flex lineup is the Basstard.
Bassists have been calling for new drive tones for years, and Thorn has answered with a machine that offers both individuality and flexibility. Every player can craft their own sound or dial in tones reminiscent of their favourite artists.
A 3-band EQ and Mid Freq switch let you set your foundation, while a blend knob allows you to mix in just the right amount of grit. Designed to behave like an amp, it also includes subtle but important options like tube class and clipping type controls, features you feel as much as hear.
Already on tour in the bass section of Michael Schenker, the Basstard was proving itself worldwide even before its official release.
Magma
A tagline on the pedal itself reads “Flex Metal Distortion”, and that’s exactly what Magma delivers.
Alongside the signature Thorn controls of Damping and Headroom, which tighten the lows and reshape the gain’s character, Magma adds mid-frequency control and a built-in noise gate.
Scooping or boosting the mids defines so many metal tones, and that flexibility makes Magma an obvious draw. But it’s not just a one-trick high-gain pedal. Run it into a clean amp and it can serve up ’80s hair-metal tones, or pair it with a tube amp on the edge of break-up, and it sings. The Headroom control is particularly effective here, changing the gain structure in a way that feels natural and amp-like.
Most importantly, Magma somehow manages to sound different in every player’s hands, a rare quality in high-gain pedals.
Bad Cash
Bad Cash takes on low-gain overdrive with some unusual tools. It includes an AB/A amp-class switch, a 3-band EQ, presence control, and both symmetrical and asymmetrical clipping. On paper, it’s a bluesy, amp-like overdrive, but in practice, it’s much more.
Most low-gain pedals can push an amp, but Bad Cash gives you finer control. Damping defines exactly how tight the low end sits, while Headroom adjusts the gain structure with precision.
Keep the drive low and the volume high, and it transforms a good high-gain amp into something special, letting you sculpt compression and response in a way most pedals can’t touch.
Black Swamp
The Black Swamp keeps surprising us. By now, it’s clear that Thorn’s Flex concept allows for wide tonal variety, but this pedal pushes it further. It delivers fuzz tones with a huge range of textures.
From smooth ’60s fuzz to Foxx-like velcro rips, Muffy walls of gain, modern rock crunch, and even doom-level saturation, the Black Swamp covers it all. The key is in the Damping, Mid Freq control, and mode switches, which change clipping and overall character.
Few fuzz pedals attempt this much, and fewer still succeed across the board, but Black Swamp makes every setting feel usable.
Silver Spurs
Silver Spurs sits humbly between Bad Cash and Magma, and though it’s one of the simplest pedals in the Flex range, it’s earned plenty of praise. Why? Because it nails the sound of a famously exclusive British amp.
Its tones are brighter than the average British stack, leaning slightly toward American overdrive, but the EQ and shaping tools give players room to tailor it. Whether chasing AC/DC crunch or RHCP snap, Silver Spurs has it covered.
For a certain type of player, this straightforward drive could be the clear favourite of the bunch.
Tremonator
The Tremonator is currently Thorn’s only modulation pedal, and its design steps outside the standard tremolo formula.
A Multiplier knob lets you set the general tempo range quickly, while Rate fine-tunes it. Add in tap tempo, and it’s flexible for live use as well.
It also brings in studio-style tricks. Switch between sine and sawtooth waves for smooth or choppy pulses, then use the symmetry knob to offset them.
The result is not just unique rhythmic feels, but familiar tremolo, the kind that makes you suddenly realise, “so that’s how they got that sound on my favourite record.”
The FreaQ
The FreaQ may be the most useful pedal in the range, and also the most affordable. It combines a boost and an EQ, effectively giving any rig two extra channels.
On the boost side, you can adjust the level, and use Damping to control low-end response. On the EQ side, you select a frequency between 220 Hz and 3.4 kHz and cut or boost as suits your rig.
Together, the two sides can tighten a boomy amp, carve space for vocals in a mix, or add punch for solos.
It’s a clever blend of utility and tone shaping that makes The FreaQ more exciting than other boost/EQ pedals.
Steam & Steam Bass
Steam and Steam Bass share the same layout, tuned for guitar and bass, respectively.
At first glance, they look straightforward, with familiar Threshold, Amount, Attack, and Release controls. But Thorn has added more nuance with a Detail knob that dials back in specific frequencies of your core tone, avoiding the blunt wet/dry balance found on most blend controls.
Add Auto mode, which adjusts Attack and Release dynamically as you play, and these pedals feel alive rather than clinical.
For players who usually avoid compression pedals, Steam and Steam Bass could change that, offering natural, musical control at competitive price points.
A complete toolbox, ready to experiment
With their striking designs and inventive approaches, Thorn Soundlabs’ Flex pedals are built to push boundaries while remaining player-friendly. Slightly wider than an average compact pedal but with top-mounted jacks, they take up no more board space. Drives and boosts can run at 9–18V, offering more headroom and flexibility.
It doesn’t take long to dial in familiar tones or stumble on something entirely new, and the pedals pair together naturally. From fuzz to tremolo to compression, the Flex series feels like a complete toolbox for players ready to experiment.
https://youtu.be/UAzr5qftVJA?si=Yu_JhcPP-j53u220https://youtu.be/Sgkfg616WSc?si=kyGiFNe_DybHoCsIhttps://youtu.be/eYBuomTubXU?si=wtuI0TSJQDNaPqvDhttps://youtu.be/gso4RJkGmaM?si=65Jk8Os77cmXgRaihttps://youtu.be/EQVlRjjWgDI?si=LmGQxE7TyqS7fG0Zhttps://youtu.be/6pfAP9NG2os?si=ZJfHOUVeCP1wlAAE