Jack White is not only an iconic musician, he has also been a visionary effects pedal designer for many years . Under the aegis of his brand Third Man Hardwarebrand, he has designed a whole host of pedals that reflect his raw, experimental sound aesthetic.
Often identifiable by their highly polished and accomplished design, and that instantly recognizable yellow color, these pedals represent the vision of this rock genius, who has certainly not finished surprising us with his creations.
Jack White’s equipment
Before going into detail about the equipment designed by Jack White, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at the pedals that have marked his sonic productions since his early days with White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and in his solo career.
Jack White, famed for his minimalist, inventive approach, has forged an instantly recognizable sound by mixing vintage gear and a few iconic pedals, not to mention a unique playing style and feel!
DigiTech Whammy
The DigiTech Whammy is an iconic pitch-shifting pedal that has left its mark on guitar history thanks to its ability to expressively alter note intonation .
Used by Jack White, this pedal is most famous for its octave-shifting effects, creating high, distorted tones perfect for punchy solo passages and whammy bar effects without the need for a vibrato bar. The Whammy allows you to transpose the guitar’s pitch up to an octave higher or lower, offering a wide range of effects from slight offsets to dramatic tone changes. It also includes pitch interval control and a modulation mode for more subtle effects. In Jack White’s case, using the DigiTech Whammy, particularly on tracks like “Seven Nation Army”, enabled him to add a surreal dimension to his riffs and experiment with sounds he couldn’t have achieved otherwise.
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Almost the foundation of Jack White’s sound, the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi is one of the most legendary fuzz pedals, known for its heavy, creamy, saturated distortion, ideal for creating intense, thick guitar tones.
Featuring volume, tone and fuzz controls, it lets you adjust the texture of the sound, from a light crunch to extreme, abrasive distortion. Very popular with rock and metal guitarists, this pedal was a key element in Jack White’s raw, energetic sound, notably with the White Stripes, where it was used to achieve powerful, saturated tones, perfect for his punchy riffs.
Voodoo Lab Tremolo
The Voodoo Lab Tremolo is a pedal that faithfully reproduces the tremolo effect of vintage amplifiers from the 60s.
Thanks to its analog circuitry, it offers warm, organic modulation, ideal for subtle sounds or strong pulsating effects. Its controls let you adjust intensity, speed and waveform (from sinusoidal to triangular), offering a wide variety of textures. Jack White used it to enrich his compositions with rhythmic and atmospheric movements, notably on The Dead Weather. Versatile and intuitive, this pedal fits in perfectly with his retro and experimental sound aesthetic.
MXR Micro Amp
The MXR Micro Amp is a simple but effective boost pedal, highly prized for its ability to increase output level without altering tone.
With a single gain potentiometer, it amplifies the signal to compensate for variations in volume between different instruments, or to bring out solos in a mix. Jack White, for example, uses this pedal to balance the sound level of his vintage guitars, often equipped with low-output pickups, and to give his live signal a boost.
ZVex Woolly Mammoth
The ZVex Woolly Mammoth is a fuzz pedal originally designed for bass, but much sought-after by guitarists, including Jack White, for its unique and versatile distortion.
It offers a dense, powerful sound, with settings that allow you to switch from tight, sharp fuzz to greasier, more abrasive textures. With controls for volume, tone,pinch and fuzz intensity, it excels in environments where raw, textured tones are required.
Electro-Harmonix POG2
White is a heavy octaver user. The Electro-Harmonix POG2(Polyphonic Octave Generator) is an iconic pedal for creating rich textures by superimposing octaves and harmonies on your signal.
With its intuitive controls, it offers up to 4 simultaneous octaves (two above and two below), a modulating attack mode for organ-like effects, and a memory function for saving presets. Highly appreciated for its precise note tracking, even in chords, it is used by Jack White to enrich his sound with unique harmonic layers.
The various pedals designed by Jack White x Third Man Hardware
Bumble Buzz – Union Tube & Transistor the essence of raw, powerful fuzz
The Bumble Buzz is a minimalist fuzz pedal launched in 2018 by Third Man Hardware in collaboration with Union Tube & Transistor, under the supervision of master Mr. White. Designed by Chris Young (who made the effects used for Jack White’s guitar sounds on “Sixteen Saltines” and the vocals on “I’m Shakin'” from the 2012 Blunderbuss album), it offers a raw, uncompromising fuzz sound, perfect for incisive riffs. With its minimalist, tuneless design, this pedal produces immediate, aggressive distortion, true to the spirit of Third Man Records. Its yellow and black casing embodies Jack White’s bold aesthetic, which favors authenticity and simplicity in his performances.
Triplegraph – CopperSound Pedals: mastering octaves
The Triplegraph, designed by Third Man Hardware in collaboration with CopperSound Pedals, is a unique octave pedal tailored to Jack White’s needs. The name and design are obviously inspired by the devices used to send messages in Morse code. It has three levers: the first for the low octave, the second for the high octave, and the central one which can be used as a killswitch or to activate an auxiliary loop for external effects. These levers can be used in on/off or momentary mode for added flexibility. Replacing the Whammy and POG in White’s pedalboard line-up, the Triplegraph offers a pure, powerful sound with additional options, while boasting a bold, functional design.
Plasma Coil – Gamechanger Audio: futuristic electric distortion
It’s not a pedal, it’s a work of art! Gamechanger Audio’s Plasma Coil, developed in collaboration with Third Man Hardware, is a rather extraordinary pedal, as it exploits high-voltage distortion (yes, yes…). It amplifies the audio signal to 3500 volts, creating a unique distortion using a visible xenon tube. The sound generated by the pedal is rich, crushed and distinguished by an electromagnetic resonance, visible through the tube, which reacts to the musician’s attack. Compared with its predecessor, the Plasma Pedal, the Plasma Coil introduces several improvements. It features octave circuitry that adds low and high octaves, creating a more complete sound texture. It also includes a footswitch that activates a special effect (such as glitchy modes and the ability to combine different octaves for more complex sounds). The pedal also offers finer EQ control , with settings for bass and treble.
Flex – Mantic Conceptual: chaotic creativity
The Mantic Flex is a pedal that left its mark on Jack White’s sound history, most notably with his daring solo on the track Why Walk a Dog? from the album Boarding House Reach (2018). This monophonic synth-fuzz, designed by Denver boutique brand Mantic, was introduced in 2014 and quickly distinguished itself by its ability to create sounds as varied as thick square waves, brutal octaves, theremin screams and vibrant basses. The Flex works like a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) oscillator, generating unique subharmonics and unpredictable sound interactions. Equipped with six knobs on its original model, the Mantic Flex has been revised by Third Man Records to simplify its interface while retaining its rich sound. The revised model features three main knobs: Level, Focus and Pump, as well as two switches mysteriously named & and $, allowing intuitive control while leaving room for experimentation. This pedal excels in creating sonic textures impossible to reproduce elsewhere, from aggressive fuzz to mechanical tones and other unpredictable effects.
Triple Threat – Donner Music: all the sound of Jack White in just 1 pedal
The Triple Threat is an analog multi-effects pedal developed by Third Man Hardware in partnership with Donner Music, and specifically designed to meet Jack White’s needs. This compact model combines three essential effects: high-gain distortion, phaser and analog echo, offering a varied range of sounds suitable for all types of music. The distortion lets you sculpt a punchy rock sound with volume, gain and tone controls, while the phaser, enhanced from Donner’s Pearl Tremor, allows extended modulations for richer textures. The echo, inspired by Donner’s Yellow Fall Delay, brings analog warmth and depth to your sound. Designed to be an affordable yet quality pedal , the Triple Threat is particularly aimed at novice musicians, as Jack White emphasizes, who wanted to create an accessible model without sacrificing sonic performance.
Double Down – MXR : the Micro amp 2 amp version
The Double Down is a boost and distortion pedal developed by Third Man Hardware in collaboration with MXR, aimed at providing a practical and powerful solution for guitarists on stage. Jack White, always keen to design pedals to suit his own needs, wanted to create a pedal that would facilitate the use of two amps. In concert, he frequently uses a 2 amp system , one with a saturated sound and the other cleaner. To achieve this, he uses two MXR Micro Amp boosters (mentioned above). The Double Down thus combines two independent Micro Amp circuits, allowing each boost to be individually controlled with up to +26dB gain for each output. In addition to these two separate boosts, the Double Down offers a phase switch that inverts the signal of the second output, creating a marked stereo effect, as well as a buffer switch, essential for maintaining sound quality over long effects chains. Designed for ease of use, this pedal is straightforward to operate, with intuitive controls and the ability to produce a powerful sound while preserving tonal clarity.
La Grotte – Anasounds: Reverb with a capital R
Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s French!!! The Grotte is an analog spring reverb pedal created by Anasounds in collaboration with Jack White and Third Man Hardware. It combines a 3-spring reverb with a warm, vintage preamp designed by the equally talented Tampco brand. What sets this pedal apart is its ingenious approach to volume control. Instead of a single mix control, Jack White has opted for two separate volume controls: one for the direct sound and one for the processed sound, giving you greater freedom of adjustment. This not only creates a warm, enveloping ambience, but also allows you to subtly modulate the intensity of the reverb signal. The Grotte takes its inspiration from the Element, a spring-loaded reverb pedal that brought this technology back into fashion in 2019, while incorporating White’s specific requirements for an even richer, more nuanced sound.
Knife Drop – Eventide: sub-octave fuzz and analog synths
The Knife Drop from Eventide and Third Man Hardware is much more than just a delay and modulation pedal. It fuses sub-octave fuzz and analog synth effects , creating powerful, bizarre and experimental“Jack White” sounds. Thanks to its Synth, Drive and Level controls, this pedal lets you manipulate the balance between fuzz and synth, with adjustable saturation and output level. The Attack, Resonance and Cutoff controls offer additional flexibility, allowing you to sculpt your tones. This model also includes an octaver with 2 octave options, and a switch to invert the order of effects (fuzz before or after the filter). With two stereo outputs and guitar/line inputs, the Knife Drop offers an infinite palette of sounds. It stands out for its ability to create extreme sonic textures, both subtle and brutal, in the manner of Jack White.
