Reviewing Solar Guitars CHUG Distortion Pedal

Hello, I’m Yosh, a gear blogger and music store employee.
I’ve come across an incredible effect pedal that I’d love all metal guitarists to try out, so let me introduce it to you.

The quest for the perfect distortion pedal has ended, and this metal distortion pedal is so powerful that it might even eliminate the desire to own an amp head!

Benefits of CHUG

Benefits

1. ①：Amp-like Modern Metal Distortion
2. ②：5-Band EQ that can replace my amp
3. ③：Two Gain Filters that refine guitar characteristics
4. ④：Noise Gate that enhances riff clarity
5. ⑤：Compact size for easy board integration

Benefit①：
Amp-like Modern Metal Distortion

Solar Guitars is a metal guitar brand founded by Ola England, the guitarist of The Haunted and a well-known YouTuber. The CHUG is a distortion pedal specifically designed for metal, developed by the company that creates guitars equipped with humbuckers that offer specifications suitable for technical playing and deliver a powerful sound.

Solar Guitars / CHUG

Unlike the sound of typical distortion effects, this pedal creates a high-gain amp sound, even with the cleanest amps. It offers an analog-like sound distinct from the digital sounds of multi-effects units.

The sound is a modern metal tone often heard since the 2000s. It has a solid yet organic character reminiscent of Peavey, Diezel, and ENGL, producing a sound that is both rich in distortion and has a solid pressure.

In a good way, it provides a stable sound in any environment; in another sense, it can mask the uniqueness of the amp. However, it still allows the characteristics of the guitar and pickups to shine through.

It works comfortably with down-tuning and extended-range guitars.

Benefit②：
5-Band EQ that can replace my amp

The CHUG features a 5-band EQ with Bass, Middle, Treble, along with ultra-low Depth and ultra-high Presence.

With its fine-tuning capabilities, it can easily serve as a substitute for my amp. This means you can create a solid modern high-gain sound whether you’re using combo amps like the Roland JC-120 or Fender Twin Reverb, or stack amps like the Marshall JCM800.

For those who can’t achieve satisfactory metal sounds with studio or live venue gear but find carrying their amp too cumbersome in terms of size or cost, this is a recommended pedal.

You can connect it to the clean channel of an amp, to the effects return, or even use it as a preamp combined with an IR for line recording.

Benefit③：
Two Gain Filters that refine guitar characteristics

In addition to the standard Gain knob that determines the amount of distortion, the CHUG includes LF (low-frequency) Gain and HF (high-frequency) Gain filters. However, cranking everything up doesn’t mean it will distort excessively.

The LF Gain adjusts how much low-end from the guitar is sent to the gain circuit, while the HF adjusts the high frequencies.

Since lowering these knobs narrows the range, it’s easier to shape the sound by starting with them fully open and then adjusting.

For instance, if the pickup or guitar has a bit of a boomy feel, reducing the LF Gain can tighten things up nicely. This approach makes it easier to refine the sound compared to cutting with the BASS or DEPTH controls, providing unique control not found in other distortion pedals.

Benefit④：
Noise Gate that enhances riff clarity

The CHUG is equipped with a single-knob noise gate, effectively addressing noise issues commonly encountered with high-gain settings.

You can visually monitor its effectiveness through the ON/OFF LED indicator that changes color.

Despite its simple one-knob setup, the gate works wonderfully without altering the sound, making it comparable to high-end noise gates.

In silent moments, it remains noise-free while still allowing for feedback, and with deeper settings, it can tighten up muted phrases in 16th-note riffs or support percussive djent styles.

Benefit⑤：
Compact size for easy board integration

Despite being a high-quality distortion pedal, it fits within a compact size similar to a BOSS compact pedal (120mm x 70mm x 58mm / 600g).

This makes it easy to integrate into a pedalboard, making it suitable as a main distortion or for musicians who play multiple genres to use it as a metal option.

Drawbacks of CHUG

Drawbacks

1. ①：Too many knobs can be confusing for those who struggle with sound design
2. ②：Stack knobs make it hard to see the knob positions
3. ③：Limited distribution makes it difficult to try before buying

Drawback①：
Too many knobs can be confusing for those who struggle with sound design

The CHUG has ten control knobs for a wide range of sound shaping.

Beginners who don’t fully understand the meaning of amp knobs may find it challenging.

Particularly when combining the LF/HF Gain with the 5-band EQ, one might feel lost. A good starting point is to set all the EQs at the 12 o’clock position and keep the LF/HF Gain fully open.

Drawback②：
Stack knobs make it hard to see the knob positions

Most knobs are stack knobs, meaning the inner and outer portions control different parameters, and the indicator for the knob positions is just a small dot.

The visibility of the outer knob positions is particularly poor on dark stages. You might need to rely more on your ears than the knob positions for adjustments.

Drawback③：
Limited distribution makes it difficult to try before buying

The official importer for Solar Guitars in Japan is Sound House.
The CHUG is not widely available in general music stores, making it nearly impossible to try before purchasing.

I’m a music store employee, but I bought it online without trying it first. I’m satisfied with my purchase, which is why I’m writing this article.

Conclusion: Highly recommended if you’re looking for a distortion for metal

Amp heads are heavy and expensive, and carrying them is a hassle, but digital amp modeling just doesn’t cut it for me. For metal, I’ve been relying on compact pedals for distortion.

Previously, I used Friedman BE-OD and REVV G3, G4 Pedals, but compared to CHUG, the BE-OD lacks tightness, and the CHUG offers more controls for fine-tuning than REVV. So, CHUG has now become my main pedal.

I recommend it to those who, like me:

• Want a solid and tight modern metal tone
• Don’t want to carry their amp
• Find digital modeling insufficient
• Want a noise gate to improve riff clarity

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