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Photo provided by: Browne Amplification
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When Browne Amplification releases a new pedal, the guitar world pays attention. The Ethane Dual Overdrive isn’t just another stompbox — it’s a handcrafted fusion of two distinct tonal worlds: the Carbon V2, a refined take on the classic Bluesbreaker circuit, and the Gritador, a reinvented Tube Screamer-style drive. Together, they offer a combination of warmth, grit, and clarity that instantly caught our attention here at Guitar Thrills Magazine.
During our hands-on test with a Gibson Les Paul, the Ethane delivered one of the most dynamic and harmonically rich drive experiences we’ve heard from a boutique pedal in its class. Its transparency allowed the natural resonance of the Les Paul’s humbuckers to shine through — never muddy, always musical.
Dual Personality, Singular Purpose
The Carbon V2 side of the Ethane is Browne’s nod to the British amp heritage of the early ’90s. It’s glassy, responsive, and perfectly suited for players who live in that “edge-of-breakup” sweet spot. Whether playing rhythm or lead, the pedal reacts to pick attack with remarkable nuance — from crisp articulation to smooth saturation.
The Gritador channel brings a bold, mid-forward character — that familiar Tube Screamer punch, but with more body and less compression. The low-end stays intact, even through dense Les Paul chords, and the asymmetrical clipping gives a touch of vocal presence ideal for solos. Together, these two circuits form a tonal partnership that covers nearly every gain stage a guitarist could need, from light breakup to roaring sustain.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Browne - Carbon X Review
Compared to Other Overdrives
In a landscape dominated by high-end drives like the Analog Man King of Tone, Browne Protein, and JHS Double Barrel, the Ethane stands apart for its stacking synergy and component precision. While many dual overdrives simply place two circuits side-by-side, the Ethane’s internal architecture allows seamless stacking — meaning both sides retain their character when engaged together.
Unlike the King of Tone’s more vintage-leaning compression or the Protein’s slightly darker voicing, the Ethane feels more modern and open. Its three-way hi-cut toggle and internal routing options make it adaptable to a variety of rigs — from single-coil clarity to humbucker heft. The result is a dual drive that doesn’t just emulate boutique tone — it elevates it.
For players using a Gibson Les Paul, this clarity is crucial. The Ethane prevents the low end from collapsing under the guitar’s natural thickness, instead sculpting the frequencies to keep every note defined, even with heavier gain stacking.
Finding Its Place in the Signal Chain
Placement is everything — and the Ethane proves it. During testing, we found the pedal performed exceptionally well when positioned after boosts and compressors, but before modulation and delay. Placing it early in the chain allowed its transparency to shine; the Carbon side responded beautifully to volume-knob dynamics, while the Gritador side gained extra sustain without overpowering the rest of the board.
If you use an amp-in-a-box or preamp pedal, consider placing the Ethane just before it. This positioning lets you drive the preamp naturally, producing amp-like sag and warmth without adding harshness. For those who love stacking, the Ethane’s dual configuration makes it a natural “core drive hub” — the heart of your gain structure.
Finding Its Place in the Signal Chain
Placement is everything — and the Ethane proves it. During testing, we found the pedal performed exceptionally well when positioned after boosts and compressors, but before modulation and delay. Placing it early in the chain allowed its transparency to shine; the Carbon side responded beautifully to volume-knob dynamics, while the Gritador side gained extra sustain without overpowering the rest of the board.
If you use an amp-in-a-box or preamp pedal, consider placing the Ethane just before it. This positioning lets you drive the preamp naturally, producing amp-like sag and warmth without adding harshness. For those who love stacking, the Ethane’s dual configuration makes it a natural “core drive hub” — the heart of your gain structure.
Why the Ethane Belongs on Every Serious Player’s Board
The Browne Amplification Ethane isn’t about reinventing overdrive — it’s about perfecting it. Its dual-channel design, top-mounted jacks, true bypass, and premium US build quality make it as practical as it is inspiring. For the studio guitarist, it offers two meticulously tuned flavors of drive in one box. For the live player, it delivers consistency, control, and reliability gig after gig.
What sets it apart is the way it interacts with the instrument itself. With the Gibson Les Paul, every nuance — from soft jazz phrasing to aggressive riffing — came through with the kind of harmonic layering that few pedals manage. It’s a tool for tone-chasers, session players, and anyone who values authenticity over hype.
INTERVIEW WITH BROWNE AMPLIFICATION AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: What was the initial inspiration behind combining the two circuits — the “Carbon V2” side and the “Gritador” side — into one pedal?
Dave: Amazingly enough, this was the original inspiration for The Protein for me. I've always been a huge fan of tube screamer and OD1 style circuits and the version that I had developed with all of the modifications that ended up in the Gritador and the ETHANE is my favorite drive circuit. We wound up using the modified ODR1 circuit in The Protein because of the way it was being used, it typically did better job of imitating an amp or a more well-rounded amp. Especially If you are working with some bad back line.
Guitar Thrills: How did you decide on the tonal characteristics of each side (e.g., the Carbon’s “Bluesbreaker-perfected” quality and the Gritador’s “vocal mid-range” drive)?
Dave: The blue side is my interpretation of that classic blues breaker thing. I always loved what that pedal could do but didn’t like how it functioned. I also wanted more glassy air on top and lots of output to drive the amp. I needed to the tone to be a bit more versatile and functional. The Gritador does some of that classic TS thing but without the annoying low end loss and less mid hump - the mid boost is great if its in the right spot eq wise and isn’t overwhelming. I love when the notes start to bloom into feedback nicely so I also modified the clipping
Guitar Thrills: In terms of stackability (running both sides together), what were the key engineering hurdles or compromises you had to address to ensure the Ethane performs well in both single and stacked modes?
Dave: One of the things I've learned in stacking pedals is that running lower gain in multiple stages is more interesting to my ear, then just getting gobs of gain from one stage. So I tried to design things that sound good at lower gain settings and are easy to dial in. Also, you have to EQ things in such a way that you maintain the low and the high end without it getting mushy or ice picky. Sharing power is also complicated because some circuits sound better with some sag, but others with stiffer power supply. I don’t like compromise 🙂
Guitar Thrills: The pedal boasts premium components, top-tier build, and “road-ready durability” — could you walk us through some of the specific parts, layout or construction practices that reflect this?
Dave: I’d say that component wise I always chose the parts that sound the best to my ear not what is the least expensive. We build things in such a way that stress isn't getting put on high failure rate components and if we find that a component is prone to failure, we eliminate it and use something else. We have very few issues or failures. Having your gear go bad on you during a show or on tour is a real bummer and I hate it.
Guitar Thrills: How does the 3-way high-cut toggle on the Carbon side (for shaping highs when stacking or with brighter rigs) influence how you’d recommend players dial it in?
Dave: That high cut switch was implemented when I was designing the carbon X for David Ryan Harris and wanted to stack those two bright Carbon circuits without it getting piercing. I'd say that if you're using an amp that's dialed in very bright or just brighter style amps like an AC30 or a Matchless DC30, (which I love) the high-end cut can allow you to turn the tone up and take some of that brilliance out which can be shrill through those circuits.
Guitar Thrills: What kinds of guitars, amps and musical styles do you envision the Ethane being most at home with — and conversely, are there setups you’d recommend using it with more caution?
Dave: I really love how it works with almost any style guitar. I haven't found anything that I don't like it with. I would say that stylistically that particular Gritador drive circuit is more of a lead or melody style circuit than a rhythm circuit although I use it a lot when playing big open chords. if I was trying to chunk out big power chords that probably would not be my first choice. The Protein or the ATOM (now the ALKENE) really shines there.
Guitar Thrills: The Ethane is described as being “designed in Kansas City” and “proudly made in the USA” — how does your location, manufacturing philosophy or team culture feed into the tone and design of your pedals?
Dave: I guess I’m proud of the city I live in and have a strong value for keeping the manufacturing in the United States. Its not the cheapest way to do things but it definitely allows me to maintain the quality we strive for.
Guitar Thrills: Limited batch production and wait-lists are mentioned for this model. Can you talk about the rationale behind limited builds, batch releases, and how you view supply/demand dynamics in the boutique pedal world?
Dave: I guess for this one we just did some smaller initial runs because we wanted to see how this pedal would be received and used. I think new color ways kind of enhance the uniqueness and collectibility that’s stuff that I really like so I think it's exciting to do that sort of thing.
Guitar Thrills: For players already owning other Browne models (e.g., the Carbon or Gritador separately), how would you position the Ethane — what makes it “worth it” even if they own one or both of the circuits already?
Dave: Well because these pedal stack so well together the more combinations you have the more colors you have to paint with as it were. I love the way the carbon X stacks, and I love the way the Ethane stacks and being able to have four drive circuits in two pedals really gives you a lot of options. I feel that way about all our pedals. They all play really nicely together and I definitely enjoy being able to have all of the unique sounds at my disposal.
Guitar Thrills: Looking ahead: How does the Ethane fit into the broader Browne lineup in terms of your brand’s tone-vision for overdrive? Are there future dual-drive hybrids or other pedal innovations you’re excited about?
Dave: Drive and sound sculpting pedals are just so important to nearly everything I play that I tend focus on them a lot. I always have five or six different things I'm working on it any given time so there's definitely lots of future products coming! I love to solve what I see as problems or problem areas with live or studio playing so I'm always trying to find creative solutions for those things as well
Final Thoughts
The Ethane Dual Overdrive is a masterclass in design and tone — a pedal that respects its heritage while redefining what a modern dual overdrive can be. It’s not just for players seeking more gain — it’s for those who want more dimension, more texture, and more control.
From subtle breakup to stacked firepower, Browne Amplification has built something that genuinely competes with — and often surpasses — other boutique drives in its tier. For Gibson Les Paul players especially, it’s a match made in tone heaven.
“The Browne Ethane isn’t just another overdrive — it’s a conversation between circuits. Transparent, articulate, and built for tone purists, it captures the essence of what every guitarist chases: personality and precision in perfect balance.”
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