Interview With A Builder: Nick Diener

Nick Diener is the one-man force behind Oneder Effects; (pronounced one-der) builder, studio owner, and former touring member of The Swellers.

I caught up with him ahead of the new Oneder Drive launch, a release marking five years of the brand, just as we also gear up to bring the Oneder Effects lineup to the UK for the first time.

So Nick, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself?

I live in a little farm town outside of Flint, Michigan. I used to tour in a punk rock band called The Swellers, then when we hung up our touring boots, I started recording and producing bands full time in my studio.  Around the start of the covid pandemic, I started building pedals in my kitchen for friends. That grew into being my full time job within a couple years! Also, I was kicked out of my kitchen.

What inspired the name "Oneder Effects," and how does it encapsulate your brand's philosophy?

My studio is called Oneder Studios, and I figured the pedals I made could be called Oneder Effects. Sort of like, these are the tools I use to make records. Never imagined it’d be a brand or a “line” of pedals, but here we are, and I’m stuck with a confusing, yet memorable name.

During your days with The Swellers, what was your rig setup of choice?

Believe it or not, VERY few pedals. High gain head, a guitar with humbuckers.. that’s about it. I had a Big Muff for some time, as well as a Carbon Copy Delay and TR-2 Tremolo pedal that I rarely ever used. During our last few years, I loved the Boogie Mark V head into my trusty Marshall 412 with Greenbacks. I was mostly playing Music Man guitars back then. I might be most known for rocking the Albert Lee signature model with two humbuckers.. which by the way.. I think I’m responsible for them offering that in their lineup!

Can you share a personal highlight moment from those touring days?

I was looking through photos the other day and so many memories came flooding back. The times I got to collaborate with bands I loved.. I’d say those are the coolest things that I got to do. I sang No Use For A Name songs with Strung Out (and sometimes members of No Use) on the Strung Out/Swellers tour. I got to sing on an MXPX record. That stuff, plus traveling the world in general, are definitely highlights. I appreciate it even more now that it is ten years behind me and I’m older, and somewhat wiser.

How did you begin to transition your own tone from those touring and recording days, into the pedals you make under the Oneder Effects brand?

The first pedals to become Oneder pedals were sounds I loved to use in my studio, which were the Red Ryder (distortion with a clean blend so it’s awesome on bass) and the Oneder Drive (sort of a fuzzy, gnarly power pop distortion). I make a lot of dirt pedals, so I like to have several types of rigs at my disposal. High gain head boosted by an Old Blue Overdrive, or a loud clean Fender-style amp with all my dirt from pedals!

You’re celebrating 5 years of Oneder Effects this year.  So on reflection, what are some pivotal moments that have defined your journey?

I think being accepted into the pedal world, by customers AND companies, was a surreal feeling. When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you don’t belong. Made some really great friends here. That, and getting to do pedals with NOFX, Less Than Jake, The Get Up Kids, and New Found Glory.. bands I grew up with.. pretty surreal!

What motivated the decision to re-release the Oneder Drive for the 5th anniversary and what changes have been made?

The circuit is the same as what was in the Onederwall pedal, and also briefly did a run with it renamed Onederbolt. Both are modified Oneder Drives, with an external tone control (the old one had an internal trim pot, but users wanted it external) and a second toggle switch that kicks it into MKII mode, which gives it more top end and gain. Brought it back because I’ve missed it, but also because the build process is so much different now for me than it used to be. I’m using better parts, better board designs.. it’s a pleasure to assemble these things now. Figured I’d bring it back for anyone who missed out back in the day, or whomever wants to celebrate 5 years with me!

What have been some of the most challenging aspects of running an independent pedal company, and how have you navigated them?

Aside from the obvious aspects, like crazy tariffs or fronting all the money yourself, it’s tough to figure out how to utilize your time when you’re the one doing everything. Build time, recording audio, shooting video, editing, social media, A&R, R&D, inventory/ordering, packing and shipping.. the list goes on and on. But I LOVE it. Just need to make sure I keep my sanity sometimes.

Are there particular artists or genres that have significantly influenced your pedal designs?

I think my pedals lean toward the punk and indie rock world. Some can be great for metal, blues, country.. but the punk rock world is where I come from. The alternative rock from the 90s spans so many different guitar sounds, from fuzz to high gain chuggy distortion, to mild overdrive, so there influences from that era are endless.

You’re making a pretty strong case for having some of the best artist signature pedals in your lineup (Less Than Jake, Harms Way, The Get Up Kids and so on), was this a conscious brand decision when you started Oneder Effects, or has it just unfolded that way?

My first collaboration pedal was with Danhausen, a professional wrestler. Through him, I met Bo from Harms Way. I ended up doing a Harms Way pedal. Through that pedal, I got in touch with Chad from New Found Glory. Now I’m doing a New Found pedal. Kinda funny how that worked, it’s almost like networking and curating sounds that these artists want to hear and have available to their fans. Also, we toured a lot with Less Than Jake back in the day, so getting to do a pedal with them felt awesome and full circle. The Get Up Kids found me through instagram, and to be honest, I was surprised they started playing my pedals and wanted to work on the dual drive pedal together. So while it wasn’t the plan all along, these things just keep happening and it has been super fun.

With so many great options, if you had to pick a personal favourite pedal from the Oneder Effects lineup, what would it be?

This changes frequently, but right now, it’s the Oneder Drive. My baby, the first circuit. Sludgy, melodic pop music is my favourite style to play, and that pedal does it perfectly for me.

How has the community's response shaped the direction of Oneder Effects over the years?

Really, their support (and demand) has kept me going and kept me excited about all of this. And still, I’m only making what I want to make. People send me ideas for pedals all the time, and my reply is usually “that sounds fun, you should make that.” Anyone can start a pedal company! But I’ll admit.. it’s pretty tough.

Yes for sure, running an independent business is hard.  So what drives you and keeps you motivated to continually deliver?

I have a never-ending pool of ideas and I’m the kind of person that NEEDS to try to see it all through. Even if it fails, it’s fine, at least I tried. I have plans to make a line of Oneder guitars again (we did for a minute), more and more pedals, and even something silly like a line of fragrances. When I love something, I go for it.

So 5 years down, where do you envision Oneder Effects heading in the next five years?

I really take it year by year. There’s no guarantee that the market will still demand that small companies make pedals. Heck, who knows where tariffs will be. Trade wars, war-wars.. things certainly seem to be a mess. But right now, music is the escape. People make music and take in music to get away and calm their minds. People deserve something nice. Some new toys. So I hope in 5 years, Oneder looks the same, but I’ll have more people working with me so I can relax a bit more and keep coming up with silly ideas.

If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring pedal builders, what would it be?

Sometimes, when a circuit doesn’t work, it can be such a crushing blow. But nothing beats the feeling of when one finally works, and sounds great. Even just that LED coming on gives me a high still.

And lastly, how do you take your coffee!? (just had to ask...)

Black as midnight on a moonless night. Coffee is quite the gift from the earth!

Thanks to Nick for taking the time out to speak with me, especially during a very busy release, it's massively appreciated.


I'd love to hear about your experiences with Oneder Effects if you have any? Drop a comment below and tell us about any of them.

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