heavy distortion pedal Empress Limited Edition Heavy Menace Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal – Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

heavy distortion pedal Empress Limited Edition Heavy Menace Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal – Chuck Levin's Washington Music CenterCrush Every Mix The Empress Limited Edition Heavy Menace Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal With its wide range of high gain tones, advanced EQ, and adaptive noise gate, the Heavy Menace has carved out a spot as one of the most versatile distortion pedals around. For Halloween 2025, Empress has dressed it up in a limited edition opalescent blue purple sparkle colourway that draws the eye like a scrying pool. Three versatile distortion modes: Lite(ish),

Crush Every Mix - The Empress Limited Edition Heavy Menace Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal

With its wide range of high-gain tones, advanced EQ, and adaptive noise gate, the Heavy Menace has carved out a spot as one of the most versatile distortion pedals around. For Halloween 2025, Empress has dressed it up in a limited-edition opalescent blue-purple sparkle colourway that draws the eye like a scrying pool.

• Three versatile distortion modes: Lite(ish), Heavy, and Heavier
• Footswitchable noise gate
• Three-band EQ with sweepable mid frequency
• Weight control to sculpt low frequency response
• Linked or independent switching of the distortion and gate
• Gate key input (⅛” TS or TRS)
• True bypass or buffered bypass

The artwork comes straight from the original sketches that Ottawa tattoo artist Kaylie Seaver created for the Heavy Menace, making this not just stunning, but a collectible piece of Empress history.

There are only 350 units of the Heavy Menace Limited Edition available worldwide. Empress’ last two limited runs (ParaEq MKII Deluxe Black and ZOIA 10k) vanished in days. Miss this one, and you’ll be haunted by it forever.

Fans of the ParaEq pedals know Empress is obsessed with EQ, and the 3-band circuit on Heavy Menace is one of their best.

The Weight control adjusts a high-pass filter in the distortion circuit to shape low-end character. Turn it up for a thick, full sound, or turn counterclockwise for a tight response that’s perfect for palm muting and extended-range guitars.

Midrange is a key element of a great distorted sound, so the mid frequency is sweepable from 200 Hz to 2.5 kHz to dial in the sweet spot for your guitar and amp. Scoop for a tight, aggressive sound, or push to add definition and cut through a mix.

Adaptive Gate

Players loved the gate on the original Heavy. Envelope followers in the circuit respond to your playing, letting sustained notes decay naturally but clamping down quickly during fast stops.

On the Heavy Menace, this gate is now footswitchable, with two available modes of operation. In normal bypass mode, the gate doesn’t affect the signal if the distortion is off, while independent bypass mode is like having separate distortion and gate pedals.

Empress has also added a key input so you can optionally trigger the gate with an external signal. This is particularly useful if you have additional pedals before the Heavy Menace in your signal chain, such as a low-gain pedal for stacking. Split a clean signal with a pedal like the Empress Buffer+ and connect it to the Gate Key Input, and the gate will behave consistently regardless of changes at the main input.

True Or Buffered Bypass

The Heavy Menace offers both true bypass for maximum transparency, and buffered bypass to protect against signal loss over long cable runs.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Product Depth: 5” / 129 mm
• Product Width: 2.6” / 66 mm
• Product Height: 2.5” / 64 mm
• Product Weight: 0.72 lb / 326 g

We are Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

Since 1958, Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center has been the trusted destination for musicians and audio professionals across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Family-owned and operated, our legendary music store delivers Everything in Music®—from instruments and recording gear to pro audio, rentals, and repair services.

Our team of musicians and industry experts lives and breathes gear, helping you build the perfect setup for your next performance, studio session, or installation. As an authorized dealer for top brands, we also offer our award-winning CHUCKSCLUSIVE line—exclusive, limited-edition instruments and collaborations recognized with the NAMM Top 100 Dealer Innovation Award for redefining what a music retail experience can be.

Chuck Levin’s isn’t just a store—it’s a community built by players, engineers, and creators who share a lifelong passion for sound. Stop by our legendary Wheaton, MD showroom or contact us anytime for expert advice, product questions, or the best possible deal on your next piece of gear.