Durham Electronics Sex Drive

Easy....a dumb monkey can make it work.

There's only three things I need to know.
Does it sound good? Check.
Does it suck tone? No.
Does it make me sound better? Yes. Check.

Man, there has been a disturbing trend for gear reviews in the last ten years that make it sound like the review for a frickin' bottle of wine. Woody notes redolent with spicy aftertones and a blooming finish.....
Crap....plug it in, turn it on and up and hit those strings hard!! You sound good or you don't.

Built like a tank...Built like a tank...Built like a tank...Built like a tank...Built like a tank...GAH!!!
A tank is a bigass thing with armor and gun....you need seriuos explosives to crack it open. This thing is a sturdy little metal box that's built like a....sturdy metal box. Everything breaks! Be careful.

Why the hell do people always call these pedal makers with stupid questions? They have work to do. If it breaks, I'll send it back.

I play loud aggressive blues rock....that's it. I like all music played well. This pedal makes me sound better but lets me sound like me. Me Me Me. Stunningly simple, no nonsense, killer tone.

It's been impossible for me to get a bad sound out of this pedal. It's easy to use: knobs for volume, gain and tone, a soft/hard/off compression switch and the on-off footswitch. The manual's just an A4 page, but you really don't need more than that.

It looks very pretty too, I've got the newer smaller version and it looks very polished and carefully designed.

I've used the pedal with a 52-style ash-body Fender Telecaster, then plugged straight into a 5F1 5-Watt vintage Fender tweed Champ clone, and with a Les Paul Junior guitar plugged into the clean channel of a Peavey Classic 30 amp.

With the Telecaster/5F1 amp you wouldn't believe the kind of great chime you can get with this pedal, and with an amp like that the possibilities are almost endless - you can crank the amp and push it with the pedal, get some pedal compression/drive as well, pretty much everything you can think of, you can do it (within the constraints of the bluesy tone the tweed Champs have). Initially I was afraid that it might not have all the high-end shimmer I wanted, but as it turned out it has more than that - I can back up the tone knob and still have plenty.

With the Les Paul Junior into the Peavey, again I managed to get some sparkle out of an amp that just wasn't built to provide sparkle. And as I didn't use a lot of distortion from the amp, the same ammount provided by the pedal sounds better to my ears. Yes folks, I think it distorts better than a mid-level full tube amp. The Les Paul Junior pedal tests tend to be a bit irrelevant though, because the kind of pedals I usually use don't modify the guitar signal very much, and the Les Paul Junior is a tone machine that obliterates anything in it's (signal) path.

Overall, you can use this to coax your amp into doing things it wasn't designed to do, and sound almost the same by just using the pedal and your guitar with any number of different tube amps. I have not tried it with a solid state amplifier, so I can't say anything there.

The pedal can also go below unity gain, in fact on the default setting (compression off), you need to turn up the gain knob after the volume knob is all the way up to go over unity gain. Once you toggle the compression switch to "soft" or "hard" the gain starts to get gritty.

It's a subtle effect, but not subtle as in "it doesn't do anything at all so we call it subtle and you won't tell your friends you can't hear any difference because you'll be scared you'll sound incompetent". You CAN hear it, and you can FEEL it. The grit I get from it is about the maximum ammount of overdrive I was aiming for in most of my playing, so I can do it all only with this pedal and the clean channel of a tube amp that has a volume knob. What more could I ask for?

As a reference point, with the guitar volume knob dimmed at about 5-6, the tone on the pedal at 8-9, volume all the way up, gain about 3/4 up, hard compression, and 5F1 amp volume about halfway up I can get pretty close to Keith Richards' tone on the album version of Midnight Rambler. With the Telecaster.

It's not true-bypass, but I was never on the "only true-bypass" bandwagon. It's got excellent buffers, I can hear no tone sucking whatsoever when it's off, none.

I've only had it for a month and a half so I can't really know how reliable it will turn out to be. It does have Switchcraft jacks, teflon coated wiring, it's in an aluminum enclosure, and you can just feel that it's got quality pots just by turning them up and down. So it's got good potential for reliability.

I've exchanged a couple of emails with mr. Durham, he's been prompt to reply and answer all my questions. The only problem I have with this pedal is that the PCB is covered with a solid white plastic epoxy blob, and so the only way to get the pedal fixed if it has a PCB problem is to send it back to mr. Durham, where I assume they just throw away the PCB and put a new one in. Unfortunately I live in Europe, and the cost of sending it back to the US is pretty prohibitive, so that's a definite minus. Will just have to hope that it'll never break, or that I'll only have problems that I can service myself (change the jacks or the on-off switch).

Mind you, all things considered, I still believe that it's worth taking that risk for the tone I get out of the pedal.

I play all kinds of things, mostly clean/only slightly overdriven. I like to use my hands to shape the tone and use tube amps as an extension of my guitar. I will try to make them respond via harder/softer playing, and I'm primarily a rythm-guitar player so I prefer boosters to mids-enhancing tubescreamer-type overdrives. But I do like a quality treble booster every now and then, and the Sex Drive pedal delivers all that brilliantly.

I've been playing since about 1993. Pedals I've owned or still own include Jim Dunlop Crybaby Wah, Keeley Mod Plus Ibanez TS9, BYOC Overdrive2, VOX Valve Tone, Boss DD3, Zinky Master Blaster Boost. There were others I can't recall at the moment.

I don't get excited easily, I've had my fair share of equipment over the years and the occasional dud from big names. And still, from my point of view / for my playing needs, if I could only afford to keep only one pedal and never be allowed to swap it for something else, it would be the Durham Sex Drive. Obviously, perhaps it's not for everyone. It is definitely THE pedal for me. I can't look at it for more than 2 minutes without picking up a guitar and pluging in. Kind of makes you think about the pedal's name...

I did compare it to the Overdrive2 boost circuit, but that's a toy tone-sucking boost they just inserted in there presumably after a featuritis attack the circuit designer suffered.

I've also compared it to the Zinky Master Blaster. The Zinky can hold it's own, it's an excellent pedal, so I don't find it's worse or better, just a different philosophy. I'm a devoted believer in simplicity, so the Zinky has it's own place in my effect pedals ontology. BUT, because of the sheer presence of the different compression settings and the gain knob on the Durham Sex Drive pedal, I'd have to choose the Sex Drive in this "Sophie's choice" experiment.
It simply can do MORE in a smaller enclosure.

Remember never to look directly into the bright blue LED when turning the pedal on, or have an eye-patch handy :).

Piece-of-cake to use. Gain knob adds that extra "umph" if set high; Tone adds clarity; and Level adds boost. The Compression setting is great for my needs - I personally set it on High as I notice a bit more lushness to my tone. It is said there is more "feel" than audible hearing and I seem to find it's a perfect balance between both (and no squishiness at all!).

I'm running a Am. Std. Strat (Bare Knuckle pickups) through a Morley Wah > Keeley DS-1 > Keeley SD-1 > MXR EVH Flanger > Boss DD-6 > Sex Drive > Fender Twin. I was initially using the DS-1 as a dirty boost for my overdrive, but now with the Sex Drive boosting all leads I can get overdrive AND edgy distortion if I want (plus the sustain on lead work is angelic!).

Completely silent when on and the fact that there is absolutely no "pop" when engaged is perfect. That's always been a personal complaint and this pedal delivers on its promise of silence. Plus, since it acts as a line buffer my tone is as pure as can be! I do have to be a bit careful that my Gain knob is lowered when running both dirty pedals at once as it can get almost overbearing... almost (but, that's easy to roll down on-the-fly).

Seems it will stand up through rigorous use. Since I'm using it strictly as a lead boost (and am playing with bass and drums only), I'm on and off the thing all night long. But, I've had it less than a year so I'll hold off on rating its reliability.

I can rate this as a 10 as my one correspondence with Alan was quickly (and kindly) returned.

I'm playing in the classic/jam rock vein with lots of jazz influence. I like to get fairly heavy (not quite metal, but definitely chugging along at times) and I'm always called upon to add a lick, riff, lead, whathaveyou. My personal preference is to keep pedals separated in that I have specific needs that must be addressed as the mood (or song) inspires. If I need a delay with distortion, I can access that. If I need an overdriven solo with wah accents, no problem. If I want a flangy swirl to paint the soundscape, so be it. But, I'm positive I have a bit of ADD so I can't think past a handful of pedals. The Sex Drive becomes a beautiful addition to what I can add and ALWAYS lets me cut through thick sustained bass and heavy drum beats.

There is a reason this product is so highly regarded here. My search for a clean boost is done!

Super easy to use as you cant get a bod sound out of it! You can check out the manual before purchase at the Durham site.

I use vintage style strats into a Teese wof wah> MDV-2 > fuzz of the day > beano boost > OCD v.4 > pitch black > nova delay > sex drive > swart STR tweed or Victoria 20112.

Very quiet for a boost and VERY transparent. Seems funny to rate something for sound that doesnt sound like anything. You can get a little grit with the gain and compression, but not much. Another nice thing is there is no footswitch pop through the amp when engaged.

It does seem to add fullness and sustain just by being in the chain (and not on)! Surprisingly noticeable. When it is on you can use it as a master volume to lower or raise the volume going into the amp. All of my amps are single channel, non-master, three knob (or less) amps. YOu can get some surprising results by driving your tube amp, but it is still the sound of your guitar and your amp. Might sound bad into a SS amp.

My only complaint is the tone should add and subtract presence as with Strats it can get a bit bright on the e string above the 12th fret, but I havent found a booster that doesnt do that.

Had it for 6 months and no issues. Cant see having them either as it is super solid.

Talked to Mr. Durham himself and he recommended this pedal for my needs. Very nice man.

I play classic and surf rock along with blues. It works great as a buffer even when off and you will be really surprised how much tone and sustain you are losing, that the SD gives you back, and you have a boost on top of that! All the other other boosters have to be ON to get the line driving buffer, but then you dont have a boost to switch on!

I have played almost 30 years now and would buy again and highly recommend the sex drive. I tried the Fulltone fat boosts 1 & 2, the xotic rc and ac boosters and several others that colored the sound greatly, and none work as well. And, the competition do not have the buffer when off which for a clean boost is a HUGE flaw. My favorite other boosters are dirty like an OCD set for low gain or a AM Beano Boost or Swart Atomic Boost (another fantastic pedal!)

I am going to pickup a new Mucho Boosto to see if it works better with my setup, but I doubt that it will serve the same purpose. Could be fun for a switch. I do wish the SD had presence boost and cut for a better fit with single coils and humbuckers.

The pedal is a bit pricy, but will last forever.

Drive, Level, Tone and Compression, super bright blue LED and a stomp-switch; very simple and easy. Tone control is subtile and very musical. Vitrually any setting sounds GOOD. Some are terrific !
This is a pedal that will be a "set-and-Forget" deal unless you use widely varied guitars and amps. Most people just leave this on and play. I'd give it a 10 except the LED is just silly bright. It blinds you from seeing the knob settings on a dark stage !

Totally lives up to the reputation. If you have a good sounding guitar-pickup-amp combo the Sex Drive will make it just SING ! Musical, transparent, responsive; this is a pedal for an experianced player who is happy with their tone and just wants to enhance but not replace their essential sound.

If you are looking for a pedal to give you a sound of it's own this is not it. There are plenty of boxes around to totally color your sound. The Sex Drive is for "mature audiences", not kids or newbies!

I just got this off E-bay so it's a little early to tell.
But Durham has a really solid rep and the electronics are totally encased in a big glob of epoxy so it ought to travel really well !

Again, too early to tell from my standpoint but their reputation is very good. Besides, it's made in Austin so they ought to be nice people !

I'm a old fart doing a roots, alt-country, left-wing punk-folk thing with an outfit called SID HATFIELD and the DECIDERS here in Censornasty, Ohio. Got a Gretsch w/GFS p-ups, Tele w/Noiseless, Baritone w/Bill Lawrence and a Godin "Acousticaster-Teleacoustic" thing w/L.R.Baggs going through Fender Hot-Rod deVille on the clean channel. I just started using this pedal and really dig it. I'd by another in a minute if this one vanished.

Honestly folks, If you are an adult grown-up mature player then you seriously need a SEX DRIVE pedal. It's sorta pricey and not for kids. The price is the only reason I'm not giving it a "10".

On the other hand, it is worth every penny because It's the real deal !

I'm playing a Reverend Slingshot with P90's through Deluxe Reverbs. Blues and R&B in Texas. This pedal is very easy to use. The tone control seems a bit fixed unless you dime it. Has a couple compression options which I'm not using much. I've been playing through it with everything at noon for the most part. Maybe turning the tone down to the nine o'clock position. I agree with most people that you aren't really going to want to turn this pedal off much. This is the only pedal I'm using right now. I must be easily distracted because I don't like to have a bunch of pedals to think about. One is good.

This pedal seems to breath life into your sound. It can seem a little bright at times when I'm not playing with a band but it's a really good sounding bright. Within the context of a band the high end works very well. It doesn't sound anything like a pedal. I'm a big fan of playing solos on the bridge pickup and rolling down the tone knob until it's fat but still has good definition. This pedal really makes that happen. It adds enough punch to make that effect stronger and easier to hear. I played at a club recently where everyone was super quiet the first set for some reason. I've been in that situation with a Fulltone Fat Boost and it didn't work. I couldn't get any kind of liftoff with the Fat Boost. I think you have to have your amp up to a certain point for that pedal to help any. Not so with the Sex Drive. It helps at any volume and simply energizes your tone. Big time.

So far no problems.

I've been emailing Allen some about getting one of my Sex Drive pedals back to non-true by pass. He has been extremely helpful, nice and fast about helping me. Sent me a wiring diagram and answered emails very quickly.

Well, I played through my first Sex Drive pedal one night and ordered another one the next morning. I've never done that before. Enough said probably. Thank you.

Four controls -- volume, compression on or off, drive and tone.

This pedal is remarkably transparent. Even high volume and drive levels leave your original tone intact. This pedal is designed to boost a tube amp, and it succeeds very well at this without adding any undesirable noise.

Combining it with a Krank distortion pedal takes the vibe even further. Try that some time:)

So far so good.

Haven't contacted Durham.

This pedal is on par with the Fulltone Fat-Boost, and in some ways surpasses it. I use it with a Germino Lead 55, a Bogner Shiva and a Traynor combo amp and it excels on all of them.

Very easy to use. The manual is one sheet, but a detailed instruction booklet is really not necessary.

Signal Chain: Fender Tele with Harmonic Design picups and Evans Pull String B Bender- Sex Drive- Palmer Y Box (used as a line driver) Ibanez analog delay- 1968 Fender Twin Reverb with EV 12L OEM speakers with wood baffle.

So far so good. Only had this device a few weeks, but the production values are top notch.

No contact with customer support. I think that this device will last for years with no trips to the shop.

I am a country player (Clarence White, James Burton, Albert Lee) and this pedal is perfect for my needs. I know that this is just my opinion, but I would recommend running the device off of battery power only. I found a great improvement running off the battery over the "wall wart" 9 volt converter. (The tactile response of the pedal improved as well as the general tone.) This is a subtle thing, but I use the unit off of the battery only.

I also do not engage the "compression" circuit. At least to my ear, it sounds bigger/fuller with this feature turned off. This device really does make your tone sound "bigger." I never turn it off. It is an active part of my signal chain at all times.

This is a great subtle signal booster that players with taste and class would appreciate. (Atavistic, neolithic Dash Rip Rock types would not "get it.")

3 knobs, and a 3 way compression switch! Oh yea, a footswitch to turn it on and off..

Great sound! It takes your guitars tone and makes it sound even better.. I play nothing but high end strats and vintage fender amps. This pedal can push your single channel amp into OD at any volume level.

The best blues pedal I have ever used! I have tried many pedals!

Looks to be reliable, inside and out!

No need to deal w/ Durham as of yet..

I play blues & jazz.. I have been playing for 22 years and the last 10 years playing about 2-3 gigs a week!

I would buy this if some one ever ripped it off or I lost it!

I have tried a couple of clean boost pedals, eg.. Zvez SHO (way to bright for me).. Banzai Cold Fusion (to compressed, not very road worthy)

Buy a Sex Drive, you'll like it!

Very easy to use. Gain, Level, Tone and a Compression Switch. You can choose between Compression off/soft/hard with a little toggle switch. If you don't know what to do read with all these knobs - read the manual. If you use the first time, turn level on 3 o'clock.

My setup: Tele->Chorus->Mucho Boosto->Sex Drive-> Vox AC 30/15 or Marshall Lead & Bass 20. Sex Drive setting: Gain 4 o'clock, Level full, Tone 3 o'clock and compression "soft". I leave it on all the time. This is not an overdive, this is a fantastic clean boost which pushes your amp into nice overdrive tones and won't colour the sound of your amp/guitar you're using. It gives you a fantastic bottom end and the more you turn on Tone, it adds nice sweet upper harmonics.

It looks and feels like it would last forever. I use it without having a backup.

Alan Durham is a very helpful and friendly gentleman. He answered all my mails and tons of questions about settings, sounds etc.! Great support!

This pedal is perfect if you really love your guitar and the amp you're using. It's perfect with my Teles and my Vox. This pedal was designed for Charlie Sexton and Alan Durham told me that Mr. Sexton uses only Vox amps. But the Sex Drive sounds great with my Marshall, too. FOR ME it's simply the best boost pedal I've ever used. I would buy another if I'd loose it. And if you want more drive.....go and buy a Durham Mucho Boosto and use it with the Sex Drive. Perfect.

This is a very easy pedal to use. Connect between guitar and amp and start with the controls in the middle position,and work from there, using compressor on soft. You will soon be improving your tone with just a little tweaking.

For such a simple box, this thing has amazing results. I have every kind of Gibson and Fender and PRS available, and have tried them all through Marshall (TSL-122), Fender (Twin & 57 Twin Reissue), Rivera Fandango and a few more. What is amazing is that it makes everything you put through it sound more and better and clearer, without distortion. For example a jazzy Les Paul sound on neck pickup, with tone rolled off, just gets more jazzy. A Clapton Strat through a 57 Twin Reissue sounds just like Eric, only more ( the tone, not the playing!). A PRS Custom 24, on full chat through the Marshall, sounds even fuller and with more bite and clarity. To sum it up, whatever your tone, this thing makes more of it, adds sustain and gives greater playing dynamics. It really makes your guitar feel and sound alive. The compressor doesnt squash your tone like so many sustain pedals do. Only one problem, you are never gonna want to switch it out!

I just bought it, so can't really say yet. It looks solid and simple enough though, and a nice bright blue LED. Should have come with a PSU I think.

I just dont know - I am a long way from Texas!

I play and record Blues, Rock, Jazz and Alternative styles. Playing at between clean and classic rock levels of overdrive - not metal or shred type. I have a graveyard full of disused boost/sustain pedals but this box sure wont be joining it. From the moment I connected it, it sounded like a winner, and the more I use it and tweak it - and the amp I connect to, the more I like it. The UK price is steep, but its value for money in terms of your tone, thats for sure.

Plug in, tweak, dig it.

This is the perfect boost pedal. If you're looking for a mild push on your vintage amp, this is it. Use the compression settings with full gain to encourage a little breakup in the preamp. The tone is open and transparent. Either compression setting is effective for a number of reasons. I use the "soft" setting to push my '59 Tweed a little harder and the result is stunning. Clean clear boost without the compression is a no brainer here, as well. This pedal proves the "true bypass" hype to be wearing a little thin, with it's absolutely transparent signal. You'll never turn it off.

I do use it without a backup and tour extensively around the country. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Immediate response to email, informative answer.

I have owned, or do own, several sweet OD pedals and was looking for something very high end and subtle to work with my rig. This pedal surpassed any expectations I had about the possibilties of boost as a front end for my favorite amp. I still use my Fulltone '69 when i can get proper power to it for a more driven fuzz. The '69 sits in front of the Sex Drive (which is left on)and when I engage the Fulltone it is really a sweet addition to the sound. I would go as far as to suggest that the Sex Drive will improve your signal chain overall, at any point along the chain, particularly if you are using quality components. It is built cleanly and simply. No goofy paint job, cool blue, ultra bright LED, jacks on the side, chicken head knobs. It's a beauty inside and out.

Okay - they're guitar pedals, not rocket ships - I know - but I always appreciate a good manual that clearly lays out the purpose of the knows and switches. The small, packing-slip type manual that came with mine was sort of vague and even confusing. That said - it didn't take me long to figure out how to dial it in.

Amazing, just amazing. So good that my rig sounds BAD now when it's turned off. Was running Boss TU-2 Tuner>Maxon Compressor>Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive>MXR Micro Amp>Ernie Ball Volume>Dan Echo>THD Bivalve Head & 2x12 Cab (Less Channel). Took out the Maxon and Micro Amp in favor of the Sparkle drive.

This is 90% a clean-boost pedal with some grit in the last 10%, but even with the pedal dialed in to match your amp level when bypassed, there is a huge difference in tone - so much so that it seems louder. Hard to explain, but the richness of the tone with this thing on just brings my guitar and amp to life. I think of it almost more as a pickup enhancer than boost, and plan on leaving it on all the time.

The compressor is incredible, but I like the fact that I can switch it off if needed. The tone knob seems to dial out lows as it adds highs, and vice versa - not sure if that's actually what it's doing (again - manual!) but that's what it sounds like.

Seems very solidly built. I always worry about pedals with mini-toggles - but the knobs on either side seem high enough to take a punch for the little guy. I don't play on switching it off, so switch reliability is not relevant in my case ;-)

Have not had reason yet to contact the manufacturer

I mostly play country and got turned onto this pedal through the TDPRI forums and Redd Volkaert website. I play my tele into either a '72 Super Reverb or my THD Bivalve head & 2x12 cab. Been playing 20 plus years and if you told me rubbing cucumber juice on my picks would help my tone I'd probably try it.....once. I always like to find a good, cheap piece of equipment - but sometimes you have to hand over the cash for the goods, and this is one of those instances. If it were stolen, I would definitely buy it again. This pedal will replace my Maxon Compressor and MXR Micro Amp - had no problem with either pedals and both were good for the price range - just don't need them if I'm going to be running the Sex Drive.

Very easy. Unlike other boost/overdrive pedals you really have to hike the gain if you want some distortion. Easy compression controls.

No noise, very clean switch (unlike Fulltone), nice bright blue light.

I play a custom strat '55 copy with Van Zandt Fullertone pickups through a pedal board (Sex Drive, Fulltone Supa-Trem, Fulltone Clyde Deluxe, Line 6 Delay mod) into various Fender amps (Super Reverbs, Hot Rod or Blues Devilles, Bassman).

Unlike other gain/boost pedals, this one (and the Keeley Blues Driver Mod in a close second) lets you sound like YOU. The pedal doesn?t make you sound like the pedal.

I love this pedal.

I will let you know in 6 months. I just got it.

Alan was very helpful when I called asking about the pedal. Red Volkart also told me about them, and hey, if Red digs them I would say that?s a high compliment.

I play blues and old style Soul, along with some Meters funk. I have been looking for a pedal like this for years. I just got the Keeley Blues Driver Mod last month and loved it. On a whim, I bought this and already diggin' the boost. How do you think they would sound together? I'm about to find out.

a friend got me vg mag. for a gift.i'm a fan of charlie sexton, ARC ANGELS,anyway the ad in da magazine got my tone instink wonderin.I was right,simple pedal GREAT TONE.easy to use,very easy on da ears

63 strat, es295 eppy,59 re-issue thru an old princeton,deluxe reverb, maz-18. this pedal gives what you want to hear at 8 but have to be on 3. no coloration

depend on it?it's on all the time, no back up ,my klon sits with 2 ts9s on my shelf

alan's kool, and he should be. he's got great people supportin' him also GREAT producks. he and lindy fralin should rule da world

if'n you want good,no great tone loud or soft.buy this pedal

as easy as it gets. nothing new here, except for the compression switch. I've only done one show with it, I'll have to play with the comp switch some more. I left the comp switch off this time. Got it on a trade and didn't get the manual, but who needs one for this unit.

finally... sustain without distortion! I've been searching this concept all of my life. I've owned and tried all of the expensive overdrives(i.e.: klon, fulltone, 808's, etc.), and this, as far as overdrives go, is it! with any other overdrive I've tried, you can't get the sustain without adding the saturation, distortion, and volume along with it. I used a fender strat through a fender vibro-king, with nothing in the signal chain except for a tuner and the sex drive... pure tone. this pedal claims to be "transparent." it is! the only other pedal i've used in it's class is a lock & rock sweetboost. remember, this is NOT a distortion pedal... it's much more sophisticated than that. I set the drive at 10:30, tone - 10:00, level - 1:00. something tells me it wouldn't have mattered what i had the knobs set on, i still would've gotten great tone.

I've only had it for one gig... time will only tell.

God willing, I hope I never have to find out how good or bad their customer support is.

if you're doing that blues, or blues rock thang, this is it. i'm sure ANY type of player can put this in their chain and have a good use for it. i'll bet it kills on country... guitar or pedalsteel. i would definitely get another one if something happened to this one.

It's very easy to get great sounds from this pedal. There's quite a
nice range on the tone control.

I'm using mainly Strats and Teles and a Les Paul Custom on occassion.
The pedal seems very quiet. I knock the signal down just a little
with a Keeley comp and then pick it up and add just a little boost,
after a Fulldrive II. I've given up trying to get sounds of other artists,but feel I have a solid and full sound with this pedal.

It's well built, solid. The circuit board is covered with epoxy,
which holds things together and keeps components from curious eyes.
I see no problem gigging without a back-up.

I play mostly blues,blues based rock. I've been playing for nearly 40
years and play through Fender amps, mostly black face. I look for
a clean,rich and articulate sound, so this pedal helps bring out the best in gutiar and amp. The full range of this pedal is impressive!
I tend not to use the compression positions,but may on occassion. I
was after a pedal that did not compromise guitar tone but made it more full and yet clean. I tend to run a fairly low level on the Keeley comp,with little compression,to keep the signal level low going into overdrive. It's smoother,less harsh this way,but you do tend to loose some of the edge. The SexDrive brings out freqencies
which are subtly toned down and adds a lot more. I leave this pedal
on all of the time and generally run level at 1'oclock,gain around eleven and tone about noon. What a great sounding pedal!

This pedal is super easy to get a good sound out of. The hardest part is having the ear to understand what the compression is doing...but once you got it...you got it.

I am 58 Les Paul/ PRS/ 63 Fender Jag into a blockhead (plexi replica) with a few coloring effects and this pedal boosts the whole rig. It gives it such body...Its fatter, but not different, just BIGGER TONE. Excellent pedal

I broke the comp switch but I gigged it hard and recklessly...Id gig it without a backup...always have.

Nice guy

For any style this helps....with a live band it helps you punch out in the mix...a little boost volume wise, but a huge tonal jump from the background to the front of the band. Quite frankly you could leave it on all the time for a bigger sound...I do.

3 knobs, and a switch for the compression- easy to use, and easier to get a great sound out of it. The manual is very concise and to the point.

With various guitars, basses, and amps this pedal shines and makes it all sound better. The compression is *VERY* subtle, but makes a huge difference in the sound. I leave the SexDrive on all the time- it augments my killer guitar/amp tone and brings me to bliss. Awesome, awesome pedal.

So far so good. As Durham Electronics is a small company, I fully expect them to stand behind their products should I need assistance.

I've spoken with Alan Durham himself a few times- nice guy.

This is a great pedal- one of those rare ones that once you play through it, there's no going back. I compared it to the Zinky Master Blaster, MXR Microamp, FullTone Fat Boost, and a couple other pedals too. The SexDrive was easily the best sounding of the bunch. This pedal makes my whole rig sound better, which gives me more enjoyment and confidence when I play. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. Get one- you'll be glad you did.

This is a follow-up to my review, after finding out that I had a grounding problem with my marshall I wansn't getting all the way into my clean channel and not enough headroom.

I am giving this pedal a 10 + I am now able to a massive clean boost from this pedal, it sound perfectly transparent, even with the gain almost all the way up. I can kick it into a slight OD with the comp switch I dig it. If I need a little more OD I just switch it over the the hard comp a very nice fill in for the clean and mass distortion of my marshall, It seem similar to the functions of the analog man clean tone, that goes for $185, so I would say it's close in value.

Clean boost with slitgh overdrive to it, 2 compression setting on a toggle switch and 3 knobs, I haven't gotten a bad sound out of it yet, but all the adjust are very reactive with everything else, in a good way, and Alan has told me the position in the effects chain will change the sound as well, so I don't think I gotten the best sound out of it yet, still more playing to do with it.

Very nice, it's billed as a boost pedal, but to my ears it sounds more like a slight overdrive pedal cappable of doing a good clean boost.

Way better to me than the Zvex, or the Fatboost, the tone knob is much more musiccal in adjustment than anything else I've heard, the Zinky MB compares, but it not as musicial as this pedal, and the Zinky souned like crap with my new marshall JTM 30.

It goes from a clean boost to a light overdrive depending on where the gain and compression is set, the tone knob is nicer than anything else I've heard. Kills the Fatboost in this area.

I do have to give it knock for the price tag, at $219.00 It made my think twice, but I just couldn't find anything I liked better.

At $119 I would give it a 20.

No problems.

Have emailed Alan a couple of time, very chatty, and intersted in helping.

Better than anything else I've found a light OD sounds, I would wish it would go a little farther on the gain though, another 15% gain and it would be perfect.

Anain the price is a lttle pause, and I would like a bit more OD for the price. But as I said before I could find anything as nice and you get what you pay for.