Shipping and readily available, the Vox Amplification Ice 9 overdrive effect pedal can now be yours. The Ice 9 is the fourth pedal to be collaborated on with solo guitarist and producer Joe Satriani; it lists at $160 (MSRP).

As with the previously released Vox / Joe Satriani effect pedals (Satchurator, Big Bad Wah, and Time Machine), the Ice 9 has been created to provide a versatility of tone while meeting Satriani’s strict standards. The icy pedal offers two distinct overdrive modes (Vintage mode and Modern mode), a wide range of tones, and the self-explanatory "More" switch. The Ice 9's name stems from the title of one of Satriani's songs on the album Surfing with the Alien (1987).

The Vintage / Modern mode switch provides access to two completely different overdrive voices, each of which was designed according to Satriani’s exacting specifications using carefully selected components. Vintage mode employs a special op amp and premium diodes to offer an overdrive that is sweetly warm and classic, according to Vox, with just the right amount of sparkle and sustain. Meanwhile, Modern voice uses a Germanium diode to deliver an edgy, aggressive kind of overdrive.

The Ice 9 is voiced with both a custom Tone control and an extra Bass response knob. Although they both work together, each affects the tone at a different point in the signal chain. The Bass control adds extra bottom to the sound before it enters the drive stage and in turn delivers a dynamic low-end response, while the Tone control shapes the sound as it exits the drive stage. According to the manufacturer, Satriani worked with Vox engineers directly to contour the tone controls to focus on the most desirable frequency ranges of classic overdrives, while eliminating unusable extreme settings of some of those units.

Its Gain knob can dial in any amount of overdrive from warm and soft to super aggressive. Working in conjunction with the Gain control is the Volume knob, which controls the overall volume level when the Overdrive effect is engaged. Hitting the "More" button kicks in a +14 dB volume boost.

Vox Amplification is now shipping the Ice 9 overdrive pedal for $160. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at voxamps.com.