Gear Review: IRET Pedals

Sanjeev Thomas

Why would we buy gear made in India when there are so many reputed international brands available? The fact that they are on par with imported gear and affordable are two big reasons.

Absolution (overdrive pedal) from IRET Guitar Enhancements emulates a perfect Ibanez tube screamer, producing riffs of Angus Young and the likes of him. The “Thunderstruck” gives you a harder version of the SUHR Riot,  closer to the Super OverDrive Boss pedals with full drive.  The St.Anger (Fuzz Pedal) adds a powerful fuzz color to the thunderstruck distortion. So in terms of quality to price, it is commendable.

While a tube screamer can cost you INR 9,000, the Absolution costs you INR 4,000. You should understand that most of these costs add up on foreign products in India due to customs duty. So why pay duty and dollar rates when an impressive product is available to you locally?

Another key reason to opt for Indian gear like IRET pedals would be that tweaks and custom sounds are possible since the company is based here. Customization is a widespread practice is the US and elsewhere in the world today ”“ in the US especially, many stores deal with boutique versions of the stock gear alone. I got the thunderstruck (Distortion Pedal) tweaked as I thought it was a tad noisy and this was done instantly. I think that the St.Anger (Fuzz Pedal) is too noisy right now, but this can be rectified, tried and tested.

With a lot more domestic gear manufacturers setting up shop to meet the demand of a growing music industry in India, the possibilities are endless. It’s time to go local.

Watch Thomas’s video review of IRET pedals here