Fulltone Full-Drive 2

Easy as all the other overdrives meaning that it no brainer to use.

Like all 369 other users YES it's a pleasant sound to hear and to CONTROL.

With this overdrive you will get use to it and with time you will discover all that it can do.

It is a LOT better than a TS-9, and lot better than all overdrive that I got before.

With a Strat and a Fender Reverb it sings like a bird.

I'm using it not at a loud volume since I live in a condo.
The stuff I practice is Deep Purple and some old Rush.And just finished practicing some JEFF BECK Wired,Goodbye Pork Pie Hat song.


And while practicing you noticed older 70's band never uses distortion on album, just a cranked up Marshall and Fender.
So this is the pedal to get for a nice overdriven amp sound.


Go and chech it out....

Looks sturdy....the inside is nicely done, wiring all nicely done.

it is what it is

This is not a great pedal. I have three others that sound better. A ts 9, a barber direct drive ss, and a 808. It just doesn't sound as good as everything else I own. I take it out all the time put it in and turn it off. Just not that good.

Dependable, so what. It sounds thin compared to other pedals. Kind of fuzzy not overdrivy.

It kind of works I'm sure they don't care about what I think.

I play blues/rock, 43 years Ive been playing. I have played many amps. Many pedals.

Fairly simple layout.
Everyone else covered this pretty well.
No need to waste time.
No manual, bought used (Ebay)
If you need a manual for this, you probably stole it because you wouldn't have enough sense to get a good enough job to buy such nice things...let alone have the sense to buy a decent product like this.
So, if you need a manual, you're probably some retarded rich kid and your dad gave it to you.

I did tons of research on overdrive pedals (including reading these reviews) and listened to several sound clips of different boxes.
On the advise of a PRS forum member, I checked out Fulltone.
After hearing the clips, reading the reviews, talking to other forum members and looking on Ebay (Ebay can be very insightful) I decided on a Fulltone (either an OCD or a Full-Drive).
The OCD was actually the one I was focusing on, but I saw the Full-Drive II and felt it would do nearly the same job plus it had the boost switch for leads.
When I went to get one off of Ebay, I found an earlier model (without the Mosfet switch) that was Cream colored (a Custom Shop model).
I took a chance that this was an "extra good" one and I got lucky...it is!
This box has 3 settings;
Vintage: Plain Average Distortion Box fequency range (compressed sound)
FM: Fuller range (more highs but still compressed somewhat)
CompCut: Full Range sound! Wow! Much louder that the other two settings, too. The boost switch is more effective, too. This is gonna be the setting I use. If your rig has lots of highs, this setting will burn you ears up! Be prepared to cut the brightness switch off!
Seriously, this box brings out many of the harmonic overtones that get lost or subdued by other boxes. Also, I'm utterly speachless at the tone of my pickups! That's right, I said my pickups!
I've been playing through the same crap for several years, never truely happy with my sound, but I knew it wasn't the fault of my Seymour Duncan 59er pickups. Now with the Full-Drive, my true pickup sounds are shining through...and it sounds great! (just like they should)
I've owned many boxes and played for 30 years...Fulltone stuff is awesome. I wish I had bought their stuff 15 years ago.

I looked inside to check the build (and install a battery).
Having the battery clip on the opposing side wasn't the best of design ideas, but you do what cha gotta do. (I guess)
The unit is pristine inside, built with top-of-the-line components (it's very obvious) and looks to be fully hand-made.
It's the most impressive looking stomp box I've ever seen.
You get what you pay for, American made, for sure!
Can you depend on it?
Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
These would be questions for other companies products.
I'm sure Mike Fuller would agree.

I wrote Mike just to see if he'd respond, but I posed no burning questions so I doubt he'll reply.
I seriouly doubt I'll ever need his services.

What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?
I bought this box because my Fender "Evil" Twin didn't have the drive sound I wanted (not enough). This box pushes it right to the edge (just right!) No, it's not a Marshall sound, but it's close (and it's better!).
How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
I've played for 30 years, my past equipment list is long. My three favorite amps (Fender, Mesa/Boogie and Soldano...all 6L6).
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I'm planning on buying ONLY Fulltone boxes from now on. ('nuff said?)
What do you love about it?
Love the tone! The boost feature is a plus.
What do you hate? Hate the lack of volume the boost gives. (Need more cowbell)
What is your favorite feature? Other than the CompCut setting, just the sound itself. Having lights on it is a must for me but might be a plus for some people.
Did you compare it to other products? Oh, just every box I've owned since 1978.
Which ones? Boss SD-2, Boss DS-1, Boss Blues Driver, Ibanez TK-999 Tube King, Pro-Co Rat, Rocktron, Fuzz Face, MXR, DOD, Electro Hamonix Big Muff, Rockman, Mesa V-Twin, Digitech, Ibanez Tube Screamer, etc.
Why did you choose this one?
Because I wanted good tone!
Anything you wish it had?
Telepathic switching
Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way?
I bake cookies on it, the non-stick surface works flawlessly.
Anything else you'd like to share?
I played one of those "Epoch" guitars from Target the other day. Not half bad for $100 bucks.

Its easy to use, unless you are handicapped. Mine is the MOSFET edition.

This thing is a rebuilt tube screamer period...with the gain stage altered so that it can have a boost..There is nothing invative about it the drive is terrible IMO it is very well built but as for electronics no where nere the crazy money it cost. That being said the boost when on in the MOFET mode sounds damn good when driving other higher quality pedals. Like a Blue Boy deluxe. Those 2 together sound amazing..But so do any good boost or TS clone in front of the Blue BD..If you are in the market for a flexable Tube screamer clone get a Blue Boy if you need 2 switches get a Diamond J drive...it blows the fulltone out of the water. I build amps and pedals all the time and the Fulltone line is all hype.. with the exception of the wahs and Chorus. Sorry but the truth hurts....alot of guys spend allot of money on gear and then say raving things about them because they just droped 200$ on a tube screamer rebuild..its sad..Even though I can build any pedal I want I still buy after market pedals because there are some really smart inovative guys out there making us all proud. When you are buying a pedal and you are new to the pedal world look for one that will do allot of different tones or do one tone really well. Dont get suckkered in my the "this pedal looks cool" stuff or the hype..
The best OD pedal I ever used wasn't even painted and had 2 knobs..so keep your eyes and ears sharp!

Its well built and works everytime I use it...which is rare unless I need to OD another drive pedal..Very transparent...contrary to what others have said on this site...it IS a transperent effect..

Never dealt with them but they have a reputation in the industry as being
Big A holes...money hungry and Ego driven which is the type of people I stay away from...however since I never met them its unfair to comment..anyway like the last reviewer was saying you don't play them you play the pedals...the Chorus they make is awesome..

Well my pedal was free (got it as a demo for a project I am working on) so I use it I wouldnt buy one now that I have played on it but if you want a TS that is well built and has a Boost (that only works when the overdrive is on...unlike the Diamond J-Drive)
Then you cant go wrong...its not a high gain effect at all and I get less gain from it then all my other TS clones (I have 34 of them =)Yep everyone has made a clone of this pedal..best ones are in this order:

J-Drive- by Diamond (Amazing Drive tones med gain, outstanding boost sounds like my DreamTone Magic BOOst)

Landgraff (not for tones but flexibility everything is socketed!)

Blue Boy Deluxe (can sound like a TS or be very high gained A amazing pedal)

Night Owl by Asonix (i think thats the company they have a loop built into the pedal which is very cool)
Plus a dozen more other great builders that I dont have time to mention shop around before you buy there is normally dozens of people making the same stuff you need with slightly diff features dont jump on what everyone else has..be unique!

Very easy to use.

I Love Stevie Ray Vaughan, since I was 7 years old I'm looking for a way to play something like him, when I was 20 years old I decided that I had to play my thing. So I retired my old TS 808. That day on I started to look for an overdrive that makes me sound like me, but sounds a little bit like tube screamer.
FullDrive 2 covers 4 different pedals when I'm on stage, Usually when I need to have a nice, smooth, shine sound I use Keeley Compressor> Keeley katana > TS 808.
On Stage I only use Fulldrive 2, It covers all the effects I wrote before in only 1 blue box.

My stage set up

Fender mex with texas special pickups,
Whawha > TU-2 Boss > Fulldrive 2 > Chorus > Analogic Delay
Fender Princeton 112

The Boost is not a clean boost, it adds a little gain to your sound.
The compression is too much, and when you use the boost with the comp. on looks like you are using a distorsion effect.

But after a while you get used to this behaviour.

on other hand this is a very good effect. I won't change it for anything in the world. The best stage overdrive I ever heard.

There's no noise at stage, and I'm not using a tube amp !
I have tried also fulldrive 2 with my 72 Silver face Twin reverb, and fulldrive sounds even better.
You can purchase it without fear.

I use the old one with the volume knob push /pull for compression cut. I have it for 4 years and never had any problem.

Never needed

I play Soul/ Funk and Blues. I play for 18 years.
I would purchase it again hands down.
I love have 4 effects at once...
I compare it with TS 808, Keeley Katana, Sparkle Drive, BB-2, Mod BD-2.

With three different modes on the pedal, you get a wide range of distorted and overdriven effects. Add to that a Boost function, and Level, Overdrive, Boost, and Tone controls and it's quite possibly the most versatile good sounding overdrive pedal ever! The manual is pretty small and concise and gives you all the information you need.

With the three different modes you get a great sounding tube screamer mod "Vintage", a slightly less dirty and brighter "FM" setting, as well as "CompCut" which will drive your amp into amazing overdrive, just be prepared for the increase in volume; I love it for loud settings. The tubes love it even more. I use this amp in front of a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue and it really accepts it quite well. I had originally gotten this pedal because the amp is quite particular about overdrive in front of it, I later learned that it loved these boutique style pedals (Think Fulltone, Xotic Effects, etc.). These pedals are really great for a non-distortion application (read: simply overdrive) where an amp might be more sensitive due to it's wiring. But don't get the wrong impression, with Normal and Boost both engaged you get an amazing singing "lead tone."

Rock solid, a lot of weight to it, and no problems at all with the product. I did notice, while on a tour to Colorado, the "looseness" of the knobs was quite evident (being that they turned easier) this was probably do to a massive climate change (50% humidity, 80F weather to probably very little humidity and very cool weather). But it didn't affect anything, and the pedal worked wonders. I've even thrown cables in my gig bag which have moved around and put scratches on the product, however it's only visible in the right light, the powdercoating has not come off, nor the wording and labels on the Fulldrive! Super-tough finish. Reminds me of Analog man but with a smooth finish.

I haven't had to asked them anything, or fix anything. It's quite a reliable and heavy-duty product.

This pedal is great for those who are looking for an overdrive pedal. It works wonders, is incredibly versatile and for a little bit more money, you can expand your tonal possibilities even more with the Mosfet edition. Main styles include Jazz, Blues, Fusion, and some Rock. Works great for all of them. Brilliantly designed and brilliant sound.

Incredibly easy and user friendly. Controls are as straightforward as it gets - with a few minutes of turning the knobs you'll dial in the sounds you need. Volume, Tone, Overdrive, Boost and a switch for "Comp/Cut"(a clean boost), "FM"(the natural, transparent sound), and "Vintage" (a dirtier, old school overdrive sound). Big knobs make it easy to adjust as you're playing too. Manual (2 pages) with it tells you everything you need to know, explains the functions in clear language and gives some good suggestions on how to get started.

This is the best sounding, most natural and most versatile overdrive pedal I've used. It's just very musical (not trashy or muddy sounding like a lot of the junky overdrive/distortion pedals out there, and doesn't color your tone). Personally I like it better than the Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, which is good for certain things, but more limiting and tonally muddy than the Fulldrive in my opinion.(doesn't have the extra boost channel like the Fulldrive, so you just have to set it to one level for rhythm and solos).

I wanted to start out with an excellent clean tone and have an overdrive pedal that would be natural and transparent sounding without altering or muddying up my tone and the Fulldrive does that really well. Obviously, the separate boost channel really sets it apart from other pedals like the TS-9, and is ideal for me, since I can set the overdrive for my standard rhythm-distortion/light soloing, and then hit the boost to kick the solo into full gear. It's super quiet - True Bypass is another nice feature, so you can rest assured it won't affect/diminish your signal when it's off - Mike Fuller is a guitar player, so he thinks of all these things! I find it works well by iteself (usually run a 1980 Gibson ES335 into a Fender Hot Rod Deville 410) but does equally well in a chain (I often run it with a BOSS GT-6 and occassionally a cry baby wah too). Range of tones you can get from this thing is incredible and should work for all kinds of music (except for metal/punk). (One cool trick is to put it on "Comp/Cut" mode, set the Overdrive all the way up, and Volume way, way down and it's the equivalent to overdriving the amp and getting that crazy naturally overdriven tube amp sound)

Only complaint is that the "Boost" just isn't quite aggressive enough. Sometimes it could use a bit more "oomph," or edge, especially to help cut through a band. The tone tends to get darker with the boost on also - you lose some of the highs that are in the regular FM Overdrive stage. This is about the only complaint I have though.

Fulltone builds incredibly solid pedals and this is no exception. Gig and play with it constantly and never had any problems. I tend to baby my equipment (I keep it in the original box when I'm not using it, never dropped it etc.), but still seems very durable. I'm not concerned about a backup.

Never had to deal with them, although I've heard they are helpful.

I play everything from straight up rock to blues, country, funk, R&B and fusion and my Fulltone works great for all of it because it's such a versatile and natural sound. As overdrives go this pedal is incredibly musical and tasty (read - doesn't color your tone, so whatever you're tone/style, the Fulldrive is just there to provide the overdrive).

Been playing about 12 years and this is the best pedal I've ever bought. I still would like to try the new Fulltone GT-500, since it's supposed to be even more versatile and offer "distortion," and there's a couple other great pedals out there I'd like to try eventually, but my Fulltone isn't going anywhere - this will be a part of my rig for a long time to come.

Again my only complaint is that the "Boost" just doesn't feel like enough of a boost sometimes, and it could be more aggressive. (Running it with a separate clean boost pedal would probably solve that, since the main issue is strength/volume - the Boost has plenty of saturation/sustain when it's all the way up). Otherwise, for reliability, ease of use, versatility and it's natural sound, I think this pedal is a great investment!

Lovely pedal, just plug it in, twiddle the knobs some and you are pretty much there!

It sounds pretty sweet, i used it in a gig with one of my jokebands the other week, have a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhpWEKAe-8s
where i just plugged my ibanez into it through a fender twinreverb. it's got all the tone i needed for that gig anyway =)
really makes my guitar sound cool IMO! view the clip and see for yourself!

i always have my sansamp psa1 with me when im trying new stuff out, but it can become a primary tool!

This pedal is lovely for some styles of music, and through the right amp. its kinda pricey, but for those pub gigs its good tone in a small box. i like it anyway!

Easy to use, no problem.

I bought this pedal with high hopes. I have a American Tele and Gibson Les Paul special. I have a modded Fender Vibrolux reissue. I wanted a warm easy overdrive. This thing is high-endy, fizzy, and clippy. Not a nice growl like I was looking for. I got my TS7 to sound way better.

The build is the best thing about this pedal.

Might be the right pedal for some, but seems like an expensive way to go just so you can say 'i have a fulltone'.

This pedal is Cake. Literally, tastes like heaven and looks like batter (i have the cream version, very nice!) Turn a few nobs to set the initial settings, and you're off.

Great sound and selection of sounds. The sound guy at the church always says that he loves the sound of this pedal. I really dig the boost on this. Sometimes on the rhythm channel on my LP it gets a little muddy on the initial bypass switch (I set the overdrive lower, about 8:30-9:00) but on the middle selection and treb, sounds freakin ridiculous. I'm playing this through a blues deluxe (which tends to take pedals well anyways) but this will remain on my board even if i get rid of my TS808 or my modded BD2. this is my staple pedal.

I would gig with this alone, no backup. In fact i'm going over to hungary this summer and will bring only a sample of my pedalboard. This, my dd5, tu2 and my keeley comp are coming with. Excellent reliability. Sometimes if i get excited i will tap the knobs adn they move really easily... so that may detract a little bit from teh reliability. Mark out your settings or take off your knobs if you are traveling a ton, cause they might surprise you when you kik the boost and it doesn't add a boost at all, making you look dumb on stage.

haven't delt with them

I'm a worship leader in a contemporary/modern setting. I'm always looking for a grunge/bite pedal, and this does it for me. even if i'm playing and singing, i just hover my foot right next to this and set volume accordingly to boost into chorus's and heavey bridge. If it was stolen, i would buy another, maybe the new blue mosfet... i didn't like the red one, but the blue looks nice. or another vintage orange (thats what originally turned me on to the fd2). This thing has more songs written on it than everything else in my distortion arsenal, and has beaten out a dozen other pedals (some which cost more) to remain on my board. I've been using this particular pedal for over 4 years now, great stuff.

Pretty basic set-up. Volume, Tone, Distortion, and Boost control knobs. A 3-way switch for Comp-cut, FM, or Vintage mode. Very versatile pedal and fairly easy to get a good sound out of it.

I have a pretty basic set-up...1977 American Strat - Full Drive 2 - Hot Rod Deluxe - (preamp out) to Podxt Live - stereo out to mixer. I use the Hot Rod Deluxe in front of the Podxt Live to warm up the input signal with the preamp tubes on the amp. It also gives me a little stage noise which I like. I keep the HRD clean and use the Full Drive as my only overdrive (Podxt Live's distortion/overdrives are very weak and thin). The Podxt Live is basically used as a modulation and delay effects processor (also as a stereo direct box).

I don't have much use for the Comp Cut mode unless I get another one and put it after this one for a boost. The boost mode is not much of a difference and kind of disappointing, but I didn't get it for the boost. The tone in Vintage mode is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!! The clarity of each note is unsurpassed by any effect I have ever used. The Drive channel on the HRD is flabby and the notes mush together. With the amp in clean and running the FD2 as the overdrive makes me glad I haven't gone out and put tons of money in modding the HRD or getting another one.

I use the FM mode as a true overdrive sound. I play with the neck pickup on the Strat and it sounds like the tubes are just on the edge of breakup. Picking attack really affects the gain level in this mode.

I only rate this a 9 because I will never be completely satisfied with my tone.

Never had an issue, seems solid, not worried, but we'll see.

Have not had to deal with them. Thinking about writing them a thank you for creating such a great pedal.

I play Contemporary Christian stuff which requires a vast range of styles and sounds. If I played most of my own stuff, I would just run the Full-Drive with a delay pedal into the Hot Rod Deluxe. It sounds so great, I can't stop thinking about playing with it again. I have tried a few of the amp models on the Podxt Live and the FD2 shines through them as well. I went to Guitar Center looking for a pedal that would help my rig sound like a Marshall stack. Most of the "distortion" pedals sound very much like a transistor amp (sterile, digitized, etc). I decided to take home the FD2 to see what I could do with it and didn't even change any of the knobs. Just plugged in my guitar, turned on my amp, and was blown away. I really haven't changed the positioning of the tone and distortion knobs because I love the sound so much.

About as easy as a pedal can get. Vol., Tone, Overdrive, & Boost knob. Mini toggle switch is very easy to use as well. Medium to heavy od's switch to vintage, lower gain switch to f/m (flat mids), clean boost switch to compcut. Pretty easy stuff.

My current rig is an American standard strat>fulldrive 2>true bypass box (not sure about the manufacturer)>boss tu-2 tuner>boss dd-6 delay> vox ac15 1x12 combo. It takes a little while to find the "sweet spot" on this pedal but once you do you will be happy with it. DO NOT BUY THIS PEDAL UNLESS YOU HAVE A TUBE AMP!!! I've tried it through a Roland 1x12 blues cube (solid state), Dr.Z MAZ Sr. (NR) 1x12, and my VOX ac15 and the Roland didn't do justice to this pedal. I have mine set up with vol/od/boost at 9 o'clock and the tone at about 5 o'clock with the mini toggle switch on vintage. I have tone set pretty high because i like my clean sound a tad thicker than most. Got the pedal because my favorite artist Lincoln Brewster suggested this pedal and the other electric guitarist at my church has the first model of the FD2 and his sounds great. I can come pretty close to Lincoln's strat tone with this pedal which is superb in my opinion. If you ever get a chance to pick up his "All To You" Live cd then you'll know what i'm talking about. There is a pretty fine line when your in vintage mode with this pedal because the slightest turn clockwise gets a bit fuzzy and the slightest turn counter clockwise gets a good tube like sound. In f/m mode the distortion is mild and very transparent which I like for certain sounds. The compcut mode is more of like a clean boost then an overdrive which is good I guess if your a jazz guy but look out when you hit the boost because your volume goes through the roof with the boost on in compcut. The boost is a very good feature which I like for soloing and just cutting through the mix for more edgy stuff. The only problem I have found with the boost is that it adds some bass to your sound when it get's past about 10 or 11 o'clock but about 9 o'clock should give you plenty of boost for almost any situation. The pedal is dead quiet unless of course have standard single coil's. This pedal comes standard now with the mosfet switch which I have heard great things about so if your thinking about getting one then go for it. You won't be disappointed.

This thing is built like a tank. My buddy has had his since they first came out and the only problem he has had with his is a little static in the switches that was a little stubborn to get out.

I play mainly contemporary christian music which this pedals suit's the style perfectly. There are several christian artist's that use this pedal and I know why now. I have been playing for a little over 5 years and this is the best od I have played on with the exception of a Menatone Fish Factory which sounds excellent as well. Compared it to a Fulltone OCD which is a great pedal but the fulldrive 2 is a better value. If it were stolen I would definately replace it.

Easy enough to use. Even without a manual, with a bit of finicking you'll figure it out.

I'm loving it. As far as it being a solidstate (read: zero maintainance) stompbox, it sounds super! Even better than some tube pedals I've owned/tried.

Loved it with my Strat or my Yamaha Mike Stern to playing jump, swing & blues music. That was initially why I bought it. I dunno, just sounds very... Organic.

Found a new use for it recently! Classic 70s Rock!!! AC/DC all the way! Here's my set-up SG into FD2 into Laney TF200 (hybrid amp - tube preamp / ss poweramp). I switch the Laney to OD2 with the gain set to about 3, then kick in the FD2 with the gain on about 4. FABULOUS for AC/DC riffing! Then kick in the boost set to about 6 for solos!

Classic SG bark, baby! And that's another thing I like about this pedal... It lets your guitar's natural sound ring through.

I am lo-ving it! I've got tons of OD and distortion pedals, but this one's been my NO.1 for the past 2 years.

I could probably throw it off a cliff and use it to play rugby, stomp on it and I'll bet you a 100$ it'll still work.

Haven't dealt much with the company, but I bought my pedal second hand. E-mailed them for a manual and got a reply within 1hr. Good enough.

Anything from country, blues to classic rock. For blues it can do those nice and fat Robben Ford tones.

Like I said: my no.1 pedal for the past two years. This one's a definite keeper!

4 knobs, one puch pull. All are well defined and have very easily distinguishable effects on the tone of the instrument. The manual is very informative, although I thank experimentation for my understanding of the pedal.

It can push a tube amp to a full throated bark or drive to a smooth violin like sustain. I use a Les Paul Class 5 with Lollar Pickups straight through the TR100 into a Savage Blitz 50 head and old Marshall 4x12 cab. I also use the TR100 to record on the Les Paul or Fender strat though a 60's Harmony (single 6v6) amp through a solid Celestion G10. Essentially, sounds like the ones I get have most likely been produced before, but very rarely. The sound this pedal can creat alone will keep you playing for days at a time. This pedal works so well with the amp youd think it was a part of it.

Never had a problem.

Ive heard he's a great guy, but no first hand experience.

If this pedal were stolen I would cry. I would probably look for a 1990's fulldrive two and hope it compared. This is a very musical pedal and it has essentially broadened the horizons of my tone all on its own.

Even with minimul pedal overdrive or amp experience you are up and running in minutes without reading a manual. Straight forward, just experiment with the amp model switches and four knobs and you'll find what you're looking for very quickly. The manual gives a couple of basic settings to get you going - just working off those is a good starting point. My Mesa Boogie Triaxis preamp has 8 modes of clean / overdrivs, and this pedal adds at least two more that do not exist in the Boogie - that can easily be combined with the Boogie sounds for even more flexibility.

This is not a heavy metal or hard rock pedal in my opinion - it shines more in the blues, fusion, jazz overdrive arenas, i.e. Robben Ford, Larry Carlton sides of music. The sound is not agressive or huge like a Marshall stack - instead it's more like a botique combo amp that sells for 10+ times it's price. Very quiet, lots of sustain, mid-range sweetness, or that elusive touch sensitive breakup dumble-like quality. It's probably more satisying to experienced players with a refined ear looking to dial in that range of touch sensitive sustain and breakup that retains the guitar tone on top of the grind instead of the reverse.

It's built like a tank, and the quality is obvious the instant you take it out of the box. The knobs are silky smooth and functional - meaning they do what they are labeled to do, in the way you would want or expect them to. There is every reason to believe you are getting what you paid for and then some - this is a hand-built product that far surpasses the qualtiy you get from the mass produced brands of gear - as it should be considering the price is somewhat higher. Looks like it will last for years of professional use and abuse - time will tell.

No opinion since I have not had to contact Fulltone so far.

I play funk, jazz fusion, aggressive blues, and jazz rock which this pedal is perfect for. I've been playing for over 35 years - the gear used with this pedal includes a Mesa Boogie Triaxis with the 20/20 power amp (also own a Stereo Simul Class 2 Ninety), TC G-Force Effects rack, Keeley Compressor, Keeley Mellow Wah, and an assortment of guitars including Gibson 335's, Fender Strats, etc. I would replace if stolen. I like my Triaxis overdrives, but this adds and extends tones that the Boogie is not capable of achieving - so for me, the more tones the better. I wish the sound were a little bigger / fatter, but the Boogie helps in that department - they have a sinergistic effect on each other.

The sound is pretty much the same across the board. Barely noticeable.

The sounds really are not all that different from all the switches that are on the unit. The boost was dissapointing as well, not a huge difference. I'm using a JCM 800 50 watt head from 1984 with a full stack and a Fender Strat, I know my equipment is good. The effect level is very weak, maybe I'm spoiled with my JCM 800 and this pedal is trying to "emulate" that sound. Not really impressed.

This unit seemed well built, lots of attention to detail, quality contruction. I think thats as far as it goes. All show no go.

Here is the email that I had sent:
I'm writing in regards to a purchase that I made a couple of weeks ago. I was looking to purchase an overdrive pedal, it came down to 2 choices, Hughes & Kettner and Fulltone. I heard great things about Fulltone Products and felt that I couldn???t go wrong in purchasing the Fulldrive 2. My current setup is a Marshall JCM 800 full stack with a hotplate to minimize "loudness". I have a typical setup, no effects loop etc. I have my guitar going into the fulltone then to the amp. I was quite surprised by the lack of overdrive that I experienced in using the pedal. The difference of the use of this effect is barely noticeable, the boost is also not what I expected. The effect level is pretty much transparent to my current configuration. I have a Fender strat that I'm using for that "bluesy" vintage sound, my equipment is good its just that I thought I would get more out of this pedal than I had read about. Maybe there is something that I'm not doing correctly, I've checked the battery etc., even tried a power supply (PFS-1), again unless I'm not doing something correct, or have a "lemon" I'm not at all impressed with this pedal, not for the cost. I'm thinking is this just "hype" about these products, are they all this way? The pedal seems to be constructed very well and with quality parts and attention to detail. If there is a "magic" configuration that I should be doing please advise, otherwise I am returning this pedal for a full refund.

Still waiting to hear from them.

Like I stated earlier, it was a choice of two pedals. I heard a lot about the Fulltone so purchased it. I am dissapointed, I hope that "maybe" I'm doing something wrong with the unit and thats why it's not operating as the "hype" suggests. I'd like to think thats the case because this pedal is built great and I assume that that same level of detail carries over into the effect pedal responsivness. My JCM 800's overdrive sounds better than this, maybe thats why I'm not impressed, hopefully I cant get an answer as to why there is an apparent lack of overdrive with this particular pedal otherwise its Hughes and Kettners turn...

As noted below, fairly easy, but it does have a quirkiness factor that you need to experience and adjust to: and that's mainly the reaction of the Boost switch to Volume in either Comp or Cut mode. In Comp there's a respectable amount of gain when you kick on the Boost, but in Cut- whoa, it's just too much unless you dial back the Boost. Once you understand this relationship you've got it. In my use of the pedal, I stick to Cut mode and dial my Boost accordingly. On rare occasions I'll use the Comp (for additional sustain properties) and I know where to put the Boost dial for personal taste. Since I wish these variables did not require 'operator input' - I'll give it a '7' for the Ease of Use.

Here's what it all comes down to: I've been playing this particular pedal for 10 years (so you know, it doesn't have that modern switch, but the up-down pull pot from Comp-to-Cut, one of the old ones). I am always looking for better tone, and I keep on searching for 'the One' that'll be better than the last. And I know that's never going to end, but lately I've been struck by how versatile and indispensible this old pedal is to my rig. I've added other stuff, and taken some out to make room for newer boxes, and that'll keep happening. But this FD-2 could never leave my rig. It's on almost constantly during shows. I use a variety of amps for different sized venues, and the FD-2 is always on to pick up the sound of whatever amp I'm using and give it a little extra edge & clarity.
The Boost function is not a Clean Boost, so it's not all that great for just stepping forward on a solo - I do use other boxes for just that purpose - but it adds some useful distortion, at times. The best I can say for the Boost side is that, tone-wise, it stays true to the sound you're getting from your Comp or Cut side, but it adds a lot more hair to it. Sometimes that's good; sometimes you just don't need the extra hair. The left side of this pedal gets a "10" for sound; the right side rates a "6" - there are better boost effects. That equals "8" overall.

I've owned this pedal for 10 yrs. 7 yrs ago a switch crapped out on me. I also remember that I had dripped a lot of sweat on the unit, and the switch washers were kind of rusty. I emailed Mike and he told me that the old switches were crap, so he had invented new ones (which I now see a lot of other builders using) and he sent me a pair of new switches-- for free. That was 7 yrs ago, and this thing is still going strong.
I definitely depend on this for every show. And, uhh, yeah- I've been depending on it without a backup. I guess that won't be one of our better shows if this thing ever tanks on me....

See above- I got better than I could have expected from any 'normal' company. That's a real nice feeling, I've got to tell you, and it's served Mike well: I've bought and will keep on buying more Fulltone stuff. Hey, it's a sickness - so what? Just get the good stuff and you don't get hurt.
(But to rate this category a "10" H-C asks if he's "incrediby kind and helpful"? no, no, no. That's just not the way Mike is; that'd be Robert Keeley.)

The FD-2 is such a mainstay of my sound that even though it's the oldest pedal on my board, it is the primary tone-shaper of my sound: any other pedal has to blend in with it or gets tossed. That's because whatever amp or guitar I'm playing through comes out sounding better with this pedal. I'm long-past the first blush of a new toy here: I'm writing this now because, after all this time, I'm a bit surprised how well it's held up against each of the next "must-haves" that I've been able to acquire and try out. This one's a keeper.

It is very easy to get instantly a very good sound. But it is worth to spend a little more time for tweaking, cause there are lots of good sounds in the pedal. But you have to work a bit on it,
since you got three different settings (using a mini toggle switch) and an additional boost for all settings

It is not a heavy distortion type of pedal, while there is a lot of gain if you want. I play it with a RMC Picture Wah, Barber Tone Press, Analogman chorus, Keeley Fuzz-Head, Sweetsound Mojo-Vibe, Carl Martin Delayla XL into a Marshall 6101 LM / Fender Super-Amp (4x10).
With the FD2 you can cover all needs of overdrive, from crunch to distortion, from the vintage tubescreamer-sounds to sweet and creamy high gain lead sounds in one pedal. It is good for all clean stuff, blues, classic rock and harder rock, but not for metal. Because of the three modes and the additional boost it is the most versatile overdrive-pedal I played so far.
Though there are other very good overdrives on the market (e.g. Keeley, Barber, Analogman, Xotic ???), one sound of the FD2 is uncomparable: the FM-mode with a (Strat)-Singlecoil-Neck-Pickup. I haven???t found such a warm and clear sound with other overdrive-pedals yet and for me just this sound is worth having the FD2.

The Pedal is ??? as far as I can see ??? very solid and till now I had never problems when I used it.

Had no need to contact Mr. Fuller yet.

I play Blues, Classic Rock and Hard Rock and this pedal covers all my overdrive-needs. I would replace it, if it was lost.

turn knobs, get what you want, very easy to use

Love this pedal. Only wish is more control of the boost setting, I don't understand why there is such a volume difference when switching to compcut mode. Make it unrealistic to switch between modes at a gig. The other nice thing would be a foot switch to switch between the modes. They are all good and I'm gonna have to buy 2 of them to use it how I want.

Bottom line, there are great tones to be found with this pedal. If you can't get what you like out of it, there is something else wrong with your signal flow. It made a HUGE difference what order I put my pedals in. Play with that and you will fall in love with this pedal.

I play an American Deluxe Strat and a Fender 410 Deville RI.

Yes I feel comfortable using it without a backup, only had it 2 weeks though....

Never tried

I think all Tone purists should have one.

Very easy to use. You just turn the knobs and you get that warm rich tone you have been looking for. The manual is helpful and easy to understand as well as looking at the website for further questions.

Currently I am playing with a Les Paul Standard. Can you say Jimmy Page? The sound on this pedal is amazing. You can get such a great sound on this for playing Classic Rock, Blues ect., although I wouldn't suggest this for a metal or punk guitarist. Overall though it is great and I love the boost feature!

I don't even need a backup. Built very well like a tank.

Haven't had to talk to Mr.Fulltone

I play Classic Rock and Blues and I gotta say this beats anything I have heard and trust me I have tested a lot of overdrive pedals to see which one to get. I was looking at the Boss Blues Driver first off and it is a good pedal but if you are into Classic Rock like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, ect, this is the pedal for you!!!!

It's great if you're into vintage tone. It will go from super-light to super-heavy. I don't recommend using the compressor (by pushing down the volume knob) because it makes your tone sound kind of pinched. I only use the compressor if I have to because I'm playing in a small room where I can't over-drive my amp at all. It provides plenty of boost. It doesn't sound as good as cranking up the volume on the amp (I use a '74 Fender Deluxe Reverb) but it's as good as it gets as far as pedal distortion goes. I highly recommend it!!!
For reference, I've played it with a Gibson LP Customer, American Standard Tele, and a Gibson ES-335... Sounds great with all of them.

Built like a tank.

Never had to deal with customer service. Like I said, it's build like a tank.

It takes a little while to dial in.

I don't like this pedal & have returned it.
The only mode the Boost works in is, Comp Cut.
The Comp Cut mode sounds good by itself. When the
Boost is on the tone is very Muddy.

It is built very well.

Mike is very easy to deal with.

I was looking to get rid of a couple pedals & thought this pedal would do the trick. I was 100% wrong. The Comp, FM, Vintage by themselves sound OK alone, but with the Boost on it's a MudFest. Kind of sounds like a Boss Blues Driver on 10.
I wouldn't say these pedals are all hype, but I've yet to try a Fulltone pedal I liked enough to keep for more than a couple months.
I play Hard Rock & Punk Rock most of the time thru my Bandmaster or Bassman. WIth my other pedals I can nail the tones I want no problem.
The Comp Cut feature does sound good on this pedal. But, not good enough for the price tag.

It's a snap. Plenty of options in the circuitry. I like "Vintage" mode with just a titch of grind, and the second stage anywhere from 12:00 to full out. The FullDrive 2 wipes the floor with any single-sound pedal I've ever tried, from the TS-808 on down the line. Definitely a keeper!

After playing for over 40 years, everything I play sounds the same---like me. I built the guitar (alder strat, maple neck, trad hardware, and Lawrence L-280s) and I built the amp (AX84 through a Marshall 4X12 Greenback cab). With a product like this, it's all a matter of degrees of distortion, and this pedal has so much capacity for dialing in just the right amount of it. It leaves the original tone intact, and simply adds as much punch and grind as you want. FM mode is cool, but Vintage is where I leave it. Does exactly what I need it to do and then some---I leave the green channel on all the time, and hit the red channel for leads. Or...when things get even more wiggy, I leave the red channel on all the time, and hit the Fulltone '70 went I want to go nuts. You can't beat Fulltone these days. Don't even try.

After several months, I hooked it up to a Danelectro D-2 and powered it with 18 volts. Momma! More of the same...it simply doesn't get any better. Still very little operating noise, much more dynamic response, and the same delicious chewy tones, only more of it. Try THAT with your Keeley or your Zach...but make a wish when you plug it in, because it will certainly blow your candles out.

Are you kidding? I could drag this thing to the gig BEHIND the van and it would work fine. I don't use a backup. Never have. Wouldn't be worth the transport. A surge protector is the only concession to bad karma that I use. Other than that, in the immortal words of Dubya, I say "Bring it on."

I have no idea. I am in line for the new GT-350, simply because of the great products I've already gotten from Fulltone. I haven't seen fit to bother Mike for anything. I doubt I ever would. I'd rather he spent his time building these puppies, not on the phone or his email inbox enduring my rambles and raves. Because of the design, anybody with a cerebral cortex and a soldering iron could fix it. So I don't plan on taking any of Mr. Fuller's time for any reason, now or in the future.

I'm a blues guy, but we all take trips into the rock realm once in a while. My band is insanely purist. If I showed up with a 24-fret anything, or a Floyd Rose, they'd beat me to death with it. Stomp boxes, per se, are also verboten. Fulltone products are totally blues-approved, however, even for the old-timers who don't like to see anything on the floor of the stage except feet. Yeah, Fulltone stuff costs more money than others, but they're worth it. I did use a one-off handmade TS-808 clone for a while, but Fulltone is simply a cut above. Well-made, by hand, without the stench of corporate hands upon it.

If Micheal Fuller didn't exist, we would have to invent him. And, far in the future, when Mike leaves us, he's going to go to the same heaven where Saint Leo has gone. Room service. Front row seats for all the Hendrix concerts. And a Porsche that never needs a tuneup.

I wrote this review simply because I am tired of reviewers trashing this pedal, or writing ho-hum so-so reviews. If your sound needs improvement, don't look to your tools, kids---look to your hands. Play for another ten years, and then another ten, til you bleed if you have to, and then we'll talk. When you can take a half-dead warped Kay, play it through a rusted-out Airline, and make the angels cry, well, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Until then, you won't.

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? Easy

I like natural break up. This pedal handles that sort of thing very nicely. It works fantastic with both rhythm and bridge pick ups. It really does sound way better then the other Fulldrive II's I've owned. It kind of freaked me out. I'm useing it currently with a 1x12 Ghia clone and a telecaster for the last month. I liked it so much I bought another.

He makes very well built pedals. I've owned quite a few.

He's a great guy to deal with.

My favorite overdrive.

This is a good quality pedal. When you get into this caliber of gear, all the sounds coming out of it are "good", you've just got to find what you need. For me, no pedal I've heard, even the best of them, has even come close to the "best" amp gain I've heard. Nonetheless, usually, I only use gain for my leads, and play all my rhythm clean. I feel like this pedal would be a great power trio pedal. Something to leave on all the time, if you need gain all the time. It fills a lot of room, great bass response in the FM mode, good "full" clean boost. Aptly named pedal. Ease of use? This is just what came out when I played it. You've got to fool around with it for a little bit just like any other piece of gear. Manual? I don't think a manual can tell you more than your ears can.

I don't use gear to get the sounds of other artists. Does this pedal help me sound like myself? Yeah. I play this with a US strat through an old '66 super reverb. It's not an incredible sound. It's definitely different, which is cool. It can do the tube screamer thing in vintage mode, but that's not why I bought this. FM mode or the clean boost are my favorites. I bought it because it's insanely well built, point to point hand-wired and steel chassis.

Haven't used it that much but most pedals are built solid, this is no exception. It's made for getting stepped on. Cool insides, all pt to pt. I love that.

Like I said, this'd be a great pedal for a sole guitarist in a band, who needs to fill lots of room. I've got two keyboardists in my band, so I need to cut back on the room I fill. If I do a power trio thing, which I might, this'd be what I used. Been playing for 17 years, I want to like this pedal more than I do. Currently, I use a Voodoo Lab sparkle drive that's had all the metal oxide resistors replaced with carbon film resistors, and the transistor replaced with a different brand. It crunches a little bit more but loses a lot of the bottom end that the fulldrive keeps. Trade-off.