MXR Il Torino Overdrive CSP033 review

Custom Shop drive with a license to IL

  • £102
  • €168
  • $120
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Carlo Sorasio designed the circuit and equipped the pedal with a three-band EQ, plus switchable OD and boost modes

MusicRadar Verdict

If you have a craving for high-fidelity dirt, the Il Torino could be what you need; it's a different, boutique-y overdrive that deserves a play.

Pros

  • +

    Boutique build and style. Three band EQ. New take on MOSFET tones. Responsive to dynamics.

Cons

  • -

    Not much.

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One of the most difficult aspects to pin down on your 'board is dirt pedals: they have to work with the rest of your rig to make the cut. MXR's Custom Shop bods have been turning out stompboxes that fit the bill for a few years, and with the Il Torino Overdrive they reckon they've cracked the secret of overdrive that blends with your amp's natural break-up.

"The pedal's MOSFET transistor-based design provides a tight, glassy, almost hi-fi crunch"

The company drafted in Carlo Sorasio, Italy's top boutique amp and pedal builder, who designed the circuit and equipped the pedal with a three-band EQ, plus switchable OD and boost modes.

The pedal's MOSFET transistor-based design provides a tight, glassy, almost hi-fi crunch, but keeps your core tone uncoloured and intact. That also makes it less forgiving of mistakes than compressed Marshall-style drive.

Punching in the boost mode and a low gain level adds an earthy break-up that's hugely responsive to playing dynamics, and makes for a great 'always-on' overdrive, especially with an already-cooking valve amp.

This is where the Il Torino shines: delivering valve-aping shimmer, rather than grittier higher gains, nearing fuzzier RAT-like sounds.

Michael Brown
Michael Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.