There's a particular kind of amp failure that sounds better than the amp ever did when it was working. Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard found that failure by running two JAM Boomsters into a cheap pawn-shop combo until it stopped behaving and started sounding enormous. JAM didn't clone that setup. They used it as a reference point for something new.
The result is the Tiny Amp Destroyer — three footswitches, two independent drive stages, and a standalone treble booster. We're pleased to be carrying it.
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Where It Fits
The overdrive and boost market is crowded, and most pedals in this space make a clear choice: transparent drive that preserves your amp's character, or colored drive that imposes its own. The TAD doesn't fit neatly into either camp. Its MAGIC voicing and Notch control are specifically designed to introduce instability and character — the compressed, boxy behavior of a small amp being pushed past its limits — rather than to flatter whatever you're already running. If you're after something that sounds like a well-behaved Tube Screamer variant, this probably isn't it. If you want something with more personality and less predictability, it's worth a close look.
Two Stages, One Stack
G2 is the more restrained of the two drive circuits, covering lower-gain breakup and driven tones. G1 runs hotter, into heavier overdrive and distortion. Use either independently, or stack them for the TAD's most saturated sounds.
Both stages share active Bass and Treble controls with boost and cut. MAGIC shifts the overall response toward small-amp compression and sag. The Notch control progressively removes a key frequency band as you turn it up — from subtle scooping to something genuinely hollow and unconventional.
The Treble Booster
The third footswitch activates an independent treble booster based on JAM's Rooster circuit, positioned before G1 and G2 in the signal chain. It tightens the low end, sharpens the attack, and changes how both drive stages respond. An internal DIP switch offers Full (broader, more low-frequency content) or Standard (more focused, traditional) voicings. The TAD ships in Full mode.
G1 Global Bypass
G1 Global Bypass mode lets the G1 switch control the entire pedal — useful for bringing a pre-configured stack in and out with a single press rather than managing three footswitches.
The Artwork
The graphic finish was created by Jason Galea, King Gizzard's longtime visual collaborator and the artist behind much of the band's album artwork and stage imagery.
Jam Pedals Tiny Amp Destroyer Specs
- True bypass
- 9V DC centre-negative 90 mA max
- Input impedance: ~500 kΩ (booster off) / ~50 kΩ (booster on)
- Dimensions: 14.5 × 12.4 × 5.9 cm / 5.7 × 4.8 × 2.3 in
- Weight: 511 g / 1.13 lb
- Made in Greece
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