Fulltone Full-Drive 2

It's quite a simple pedal. Manual is informative.

Sunn Beta Lead - Boss SD-1 - Fulldrive - Zvex Fuzz Factory - Dititech Whammy - Gibson SG. I have to say i'm rather surprised with this pedal in some aspects. I expected it to have a bit more kick on the boost setting. Fuller tries to say in the manual that the overdrive and boost knobs will dramatically increase the gain, but they really don't. At least, nothing compared to my Vintage Japanese SD-1, which is a much more aggressive and moody pedal. Having said that, it can do many things my SD-1 cannot. It's certainly a far more transparent pedal than the SD-1, and in some ways more versatile. The SD-1 is more versatile from a distortion standpoint, but it really can't clean up anything like the Fulldrive. All around, I would say the fulldrive is a bit more versatile. It's a warmer pedal than the SD-1, but can't produce the SD-1 bite. I do like that it retains the dark, moody aspects of my Beta Lead. I don't know, I expected the overdrive to have more range. I like it, but it's not making me want to throw my SD-1 up on ebay. But as overdrives go, it's good. Guess i'll give it an 8.

It's a pretty damn sturdy pedal.

Never dealt with him.

I play experimental, and this pedal has its uses. I've been playing 11 years. I would probably buy another one, but I wouldn't be in a big rush. It's not an "irreplaceable pedal" I can use my SD-1 in place of it in the songs I use it if push comes to shove.

This thing is really easy to get good sounds from. The manual is informative and useful, as, for example, the tone control kinda works in a not so traditional way. I have the newer model with the three way toggle switch.

I'm using a '87 made in Japan Fender Strat with the EMG DG20 "Dave Gilmour" package into either a rack of Rockman half rack modules, into a POD XT, or into various solid state practice amps. This pedal is generally quite quiet, and compared to most pedals, it's very quiet. The Comp Cut mode is VERY transparent and quiet dynamic; the other two modes I can't say much about, because I don't use them much. :) The sound quality is, however, excellent. This pedal is kinda like a transparent and dynamic tubescreamer without the mid hump. A very versatile pedal, too, considering the boost control and switch.

It seems solid. The Boy Scout motto comes to mind about gigging without a backup - BE PREPARED! I'm not worried, but backup is always a good idea.

I mostly play blues and blues based music, and this pedal is a good match. I've been playing for about 15 years, and I have an assortment of gear: lots of SR&D Rockman stuff, Keeley Compressor, Keeley Phat Blues Driver, Keeley Metal Zone, Chandler Tube Driver, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a POD XT. If this were stolen, I'd certainly want to get another one. I love how transparent and dynamic this pedal is on comp cut mode, and there's nothing I don't like about this pedal. Comparing it to other products, it is more transparent and dynamic than a Tube Screamer, it has less gain and grit than the Keeley Blues Driver, while being more transparent and about equally dynamic, and compared to the Chandler Tube Driver, it is more transparent and dynamic, but has far less distortion and is no match for the harmonic content of the Chandler Tube Drivers distortion - however, the FullDrive II isn't a distortion pedal, it's an overdrive. This pedal does, however, help me make music instead of getting in the way.

Very.

New Am Strat (Kinman AVn Blues - awesome p/us & Am Tele with SD little 59's & other strat, LP and Tele) - into Tech 21 Comptortion - into - Dunlop 535 Q - FD2 - Fulltone OCD - Fulltone Fat Boost (also great !) - into V Lab Chorus - L6 Delay Modler - into Fender 65 DRRI

Play Rock & Blues sound in a large rocking Christian Church.

Favorite artists - Jimi, SRV, Keith, Jerry, Carlos, BB, Buddy, Eric, Freddie King, Billy Gibbons, Albert Collins, and Pete T - what can I say - I like it all !

Seems very tough and well built. No trouble yet. Did not have it long yet.

Mike gets a bad rap. This guy is swamped. People can't expect him to hold their hands. He responded to 4 or 5 e mails from me in < 1/2 hour each. Yes he is short, but would never get any work done if he were not. Very helpful. Good guy.

Great pedal. Matches up well with Full Tone Fat boost. Don't try running it with a TS 9 or TS 808 though, you can't do that with this like you would 2 tube screamers. The Fat Boost and FD 2 together get me to a much better place.

The Fulldrive 2 is easy to use. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out! I'd give it a 9 as the first time I tried the comp cut it blew my face off. Well, nearly!

I love it, to be honest. I read a review here where a guy was surprised that it sounded different in the shop than when it was on stage. Come on mate! Doesn't everything?! The bottome line is that this pedal will not muck around with your amp tone, it will just add drive to it. For example, using a Twin with this pedal will probably not be too cool as it's not the kind of amp that breaks up quickly. I use a Strat plus through a 1962 AC30 (no top boost), and with the volume up half way or more on the amp, the FD2 sounds incredible. It doesn't do the tight, compressed Marshall/Boogie thing, but I guess you wouldn't buy it for that anyway. I've also used the FD2 on tour through a Matchless DC30 and that was great too.

I love the sound of guys like Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, SRV and Hendrix. This pedal is the Daddy for tone that is along those lines, but don't forget that Robben and Larry play through Dumble combos, Hendrix used all kinds of amps in a mix and match way to get his sounds and SRV used 0.13 gauge strings! You won't sound like your heroes, but this pedal goes a long way towards creating your own cool and unique tone.

There is no perfect piece of gear, so give up searching for it (I liked the comment earlier about the 'tone quest being over'! My wife appreciated that too!), but the FD2 has suited me and my style and I'm extremely content with it and know that it'll keep serving me well as I develop as a player (I've been playing 16 years by the way).

Very reliable. Never any trouble. Planes, trains and automobiles have not hurt it!

Never had to deal with them, but I guess you shouldn't ask 'why don't I sound like Stevie Ray?' as they must've heard that a billion times and it would do my head in!

Get one if you have a great basic amp tone. My set up is Strat Plus with Fralin Vintage Hot P'ups, TU2 tuner, Big Muff Fuzz (mostly redundant), FD2, Dunlop Tremolo, Deluxe Memory Man, Line 6 Delay Modeler (the green one and second best pedal on my board!).

Sounds good to me and I guess that's all that I care about in this context!

I have lots of "boutique" pedals, and most of them have a limited range of pleasing or useful settings (so-called "sweet spots"). In contrast, the Full-Drive 2 has a tremendous range of great applications; I've tried it with literally a dozen guitars (various Strats, Teles, a Jazzmaster, Gretsch guitars with Dynasonics and Fitertrons, a Firebird VII with mini humbuckers, Rickenbacker w. toaster pickups, etc.) as well as with several different tube amps (Reverend Kingsnake, Dr. Z Maz 18...) and I've been able to get a wide range of very pleasing sounds, both clean and distorted. While breif, the 2-page manual Fulltone provides is helpful in understanding what the mini switch and he various pots do.

All I can say is WOW, I'm very impressed. I tend to like to get my overdrive sound by cranking the gain on a master volume type tube amp. But, not having any two-channel tube amps, it's clearly very useful to be able to vary the amp's gain w. a pedal, and the Full-Drive 2 is terrific for this. Playing bluesy kinds of songs, I like to set the amp for a clean sound that's near the edge of breaking up, then punch in the Full-Drive for a grittier sound, then use the boost switch for full on "take no prisoners" lead riffs. I like my Crowther "Hot Cake" overdrive, but I LOVE my Full-Drive 2! (and I really love the version I have for it's looks and vibe: a Custom Shop Fiest Red model, w. ivory knobs). By the way, try running the unit on 18 volts (Mike at Fulltone recommends it!), not only for more headroom, but for more clarity in the high end tone (without harshness--really amazing).

Clearly the pedal case is built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse, so you'd have to drop it from outer space to crush it. Internal construction is clearly made for the long haul. I haven't had it long, but I surely expect it will outlast me.

Aside from appreciating the amount of clearly presented information ont their website, I haven't had to contact them for service (nor do I expect to have to) or more info.

This pedal is terrific for adding some boost, grit and/or "balls" that are most suitable for a number of different styles--blues, rock, country (more alternative stuff than mainstream pop country). The Full-Drive 2 clearly isn't designed with the headbanger or liquid-mercury-swilling metalhead in mind, but for the rest of us, it's a real treasure.

Easy to use, although there are quite a few settings possible. Luckily most of them sound pretty good. On/off switch, boost switch, drive, tone, volume, boost knobs. Toggle switch with three different "modes".

Sounds absolutely fantastic with single coils. So the set-up Fender guitar into FD2 into Fender amp is an absolute dream. With humbuckers not all settings are quite as nice.

There are basically 6 different settings here. Compcut (drive and boost), FM (drive and boost) and Vintage (drive and boost).

Compcut is a fair bit louder than the other two settings. It's a clean boost. Normal position it's just that... A very clean boost. Once you kick in the boost switch it's overdriven ever so slightly but with a lot of sustain. I just LOVE the compcut boost channel with a Strat. It's great for blues and country.

The FM (flat mids) mode kicks things up a bit gainwise. FM in boost position gives you loads of sustain and enough gain for most classic rock stylings.

The Vintage position has about the same amount of gain, but it sounds a great deal fatter (more mids). The tone is a bit like Robben Ford.

All sounds great, even through a solidstate amp.

Looks very well built. Switches all seems rugged enough to withstand even the heaviest stompers. I guess time will tell, but I'm willing to give it a 9. I got faith.

I bought mine second hand, so I e-mailed them to get a manual. They sent me one by e-mail within a couple of hours. Good enough for me.

Well, I bought this to take care of my country, blues and classic rock sounds, played with single coils. Fits the bill perfectly, and then some.

For my classic rock - metal sounds I got my SG going into either an MXR Distortion+ or an original Marshall Guv'nor. All the humbucker bark I need.

I don't think there's anything I dislike about the FD2. What I love is being able to get that sweet sustain with minimal gain. It's loud, it's got lots of clarity and definition and sounds exactly like I'd always imagined it.

This one's a keeper.

Four knobs: volume, tone, overdrive, and boost. Also has a three position mini-toggle to go from "comp cut" to "flat mids" to "vintage". Also two footswitches, one to kick on the effect and the other to engage boost. I can be a bit of an idiot when there are too many choices, and it did take me a while to get the hang of this pedal and the various options. It's not the pedal's fault. I think a more thorough manual would've been helpful though.

Fender American Strat with stacked Dimarzio humbuckers in neck and middle, SD JB Jr. in bridge; Warmoth Telecaster with SD vintage single coils; Epiphone Elite Les Paul Standard; all through a Peavey Delta Blues with 15" speaker and a Fender Blues Jr.
The pedal is very quiet and the true bypass means the pedal doesn't color the tone when bypassed. Nice. This pedal has a huge range of sounds it can bring to the table. It's not a distortion pedal, but the amount of grit and gain it can add to my sound makes a distortion pedal redundant (though I should be getting my Fulltone Distortion Pro in the mail soon!).
The CompCut setting is very transparent. It adds some body to the sound, almost like a fat boost. In this mode, you can also engage the boost, which changes the voicing to a more aggressive-sounding overdrive.
The Flat Mids setting lets the sound of the guitar and amp come through loud and clear while allowing for a greater level of overdrive.
The Vintage mode has more pronounced mids and reminds me of the classic Tube Screamer, but it sounds more musical than I remember those being.
I've used this pedal on several gigs and it's always managed to deliver the sounds I'm looking for. I can get great clangy Strat sounds like SRV, crunch in the vein of ZZ Topp, and pretty much anything else short of metal. I generally run it into my clean channel, which I drive JUST to the point of breakup. This pedal basically gives me three channels to work with. Putting this in front of my amp's lead channel brings out more dynamics and meat to the sound, to the point where the naked lead channel, which I used to think was great, sounds wimpy without it.
Also, all my other Fulltone pedals, this one cleans up very well with the guitar's volume knob. Overall though, I'd say I like the sounds better through my Fenders, but the LP sounds great through it too. This pedal is my go-to pedal for when I need to dial in a sound. It's always in my signal chain.

I've gigged with this a few times already, and always bring it to band practice. I love Fulltone gear also for the way it's built. Solid, analog, and no perceivable shortcuts taken in building them. The case is heavy guage metal, with a gorgeous blue finish (almost looks like it's been enameled). Knobs are solid, and the footswitches quiet and clean. I don't imagine I'll ever have a problem with it. I can't afford duplicates of these pedals, so I'd have to gig without a true backup, but I have other Fulltones which can get me through the night if this one should ever fail. Again, highly unlikely. And there's a 5 year warranty as well.

One email answered, one ignored. Won't give a rating.

I play blues and rock, some pop. I've been playing for over 20 years and have owned and long-term tested a number of overdrive/distortion effects (ProCo Rat, Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face, Danelectro Pastrami, Boss, SansAmps, MXR Distortion, Tube Screamer, etc.). This pedal is my all-time favorite. It has a huge range of sounds, while still maintaining the sound of the guitar / amp combination. It's got a permanent home in my setup. If you're into tasty, musical overdrive and value traditional workmanship and build quality, you need to check this out.

F-D 2 is as it came, no mods, no need. Clear and concise instrux. Signed by Fuller, dated 9/04. Nice array of choices, all somewhat different, and all have their purpose. See the previous 300 or so entries for more details...

That said, there's a reason that there are soooo many glowing entries...this thing works and works beautifully. Easily the most transparent out there especially on comp cut (I own 7 ODs, have owned 20+, all 'high end', all the must haves). Other settings are rich, clear, and defined. Anyone giving it low marks either didn't really try one, bought it for over-the-top distortion, or are deluding themselves so they feel better about the sub-par or other over priced/hyped brand they're stuck with. This pedal has GREAT range, considering it's an overdrive pedal. Know what you need and you will be more than satisfied. I use it with custom shop strats, historic LPs, PRS Santana, Tom Andersons, teles, etc.,etc. Amps include a handwired reissue Fender 57 twin, Carr rambler, tweed blues jr., and Marshall bluesbreaker combo. Sounds awesome w/all. Always use in my chain BEFORE my Keeley comp, sometimes adding a verb pedal or delay after. I play mainly blues, so a simple board is all I want/need.

Have only been using for 6 months, but when you've owned as much hardware as I do/have, you know quality. It is very solid and cleanly built in and out. Would/do gig with it, but because OD is so integral to my sound, I always have one of my lesser pedals for b/u just in case. I'd bet, though, I'll never need one.

E-mailed Mike twice for set-up/compatability advice and got a near immediate response. From his answer, I could tell he's decisive and opinionated, but I value clarity like that. I can, however, see how some would misconstrue that as being rude, but I am grateful for clear, unequivocating answers.

The best for a solid, transparent, and wide range overdrive unit. Lets all the bass, treble, and mid through. Sounds great with all my equipment, which runs the gamut. It's NOT NOT NOT a distortion pedal, so don't whine if you can't get that 'Paranoid' intro. sound. It will delight if you want a robust unit to accomodate all those classic overdriven tones in your head. Again, I've had a lot to compare with, all the 'great' ones (and some others are very, very good), but considering the versatlity, organic tonal variety, and overall quality of this unit, I'd buy another in a minute if lost or stolen. I's not cheap, but certainly not among the most expensive either, so I consider it a solid value. I plan to buy Fulltone's new OCD pedal as soon as they are finally available.

Very basic overtriv/boost pedal with no more functions than you really need.

I've got nr. 5537 and has solid black knobs that turn very easy around just like knobs on a good amp.

It's build very well and they have put a little toggle switch to choose out 3 modes:

- Comp cut. A little fat souning clean with high dynamics (really like this sount)

- FM

- Vintage

And at least is has a boost with a boost knob.

If you are a blues player, this could be the only overdrive you need. it is very easy to find good sound settings. It is almost inpossible to let it sound bad.

It seems to be married with fender tube amps and "stratlike" guitars. My ibanez sounds with his coilsplit very authantic with this overdrive.

I like te vintage mode and the Compcut mode the most. The Compcut setting is very Dynamic and sounds delicious while playing rhytms and a push the boost while playing a blues solo.

By using the vintage mode I get a more classic rock overdrive for power chords. Not like a marshall or boogie but more than a fender overdrive. By pushing the boost on this mode it's perfect for rock solo's. it's smooth and warm. Real vintage sounds!!!

very very well build. Last forever

It's a little expensive thing. But If you want something good than it is worth it. The quality is like a MESA/Boogie amp or something that kind. The sound is classic like Clapton and page. Like I said, If you are only playing blues, you don't need more. For mee it is an extra vintage sound beside my Mesa/boogie V-twin what gives a thicker and more heavy sound.

Ease of use, well pretty easy.

I use a ol d Gibson Les Paul, with an '64 vox ac-30.
My chain from guitar to amp goes like this:

Ibanez ts-9 -> Boss sd-1 -> TC Parametic eq -> Boss Fa-1

-> Boss Tu-2 -> Electro Harmonix Memory Man -> Line 6 Delay Modeler

-> Ac-30 / Marshall JMP

So, as you can see I'm not using the pedall anymore...

I've read all the revieuws here and decided to buy it. Most people say it beats the Ibanez ts-9 by far... So I was hoping..
Mine ts-9 is modded with the 'brown-mod'. I compared it to an re-issue 808 and well, mine sounds much better. The modded ts-9 has a very, very organic sound. But after reading all the revieuws I just wanted to see if the Fulltone really beat my ts-9...

As for clean punch/boost it blew the Ibanez away. But...I already got a clean booster (the boss fa-1 which is the greatest booster outhere!). I'm using the Ibanez for some 'bite' to give an already cranked amp just a little bit more. So the next thing I compared was the 'bite-function'on the Fulldrive. It's good but my Ibanes ts-9 won this round.

Then I tried the really overdives modes. It was nice but to be fair the ts-9 also won this round...
I was really hoping this pedal would bring me to a higher atmosphere but unfortually it didn't work with MY set-up. Maybe with another set-up it is great, don't get me wrong, jusn't didn;t work in my chain. So I sold it and stick to the chain of pedals I curently have and very satisfied with.

I think you can depend on it! It looks very solid. I only used it twice at a gig, but I think you can definitly use it without having a back-up.

Send them an e-mail but sorry to say but they never replied..

I mainly play blues and rock (check my webpage if you like:
www.rubenhoeke.com

I've been playing for 14 years, I'm 28 now. Since my 24th I'm proffesional musician. I quess I'm happy with my set-up as it was. The fulltone didn't add much. For my taste it couldn't replace my ts-9 as for the function I'm using it for. I play like 4 gigs a week and never had problems with my pedals. Anyway, you should try it yourslef. I can imagine the fulltone fulldrive is a pedal that WILL work for a lot of guitar-players. But...always let your ears be the judge. The best thing you can do is TRY it at a gig. Then you've got your own equipment so you can compare it better!

If you think of the comp-cut /flat mid/vintage switch as 3 different stomp boxes, what remains? 3 knobs for volume, tone and overdrive as in every other overdrive-pedal and one for the additional boost, one on/off switch and one switch to engage the boost. Could it really be easier? ? No! If you?re able to twist knobs, you?ll have no problems.
A numbered scale around the knobs would be helpful sometimes.

Signal chain: Several Strats & Teles, standard Les Paul > FD-2 > 65 Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue. The amp?s volume is set that it?s breaking up just a bit with the Les Paul and it?s still clean with the single coil guitars.
There has been written a lot about the 3 modes, and I want to focus on the difference between the flat mids and the vintage setting. First of all the flat mids setting does exactly what it says. Compared to the vintage mode the sound gets more transparent. I find this very useful for rhythm playing and for double stops on the plain strings, especially on neck pickups (single coils and humbuckers!). The vintage mode sounds simply fuller and rougher, and I prefer this one for single note playing.
This little box covers a really wide variety of sounds. You find the Stones like sound in the comp-cut mode and I can dial in a Black Sabbath like sound with the Les Paul turning the overdrive and boost knobs less than half way up in the vintage mode, for example, and this is far enough for me.
The combination of the FD-2 and the Deluxe Reverb seems to be the perfect match. It?s like two old friends are meeting after a long time. There?s definitely no unwanted noise from the FD-2.
The sounds you get out of this box are absolutely first class, and from blues to hard rock, they?re all in there. Never heard a better overdrive.

Very well built, i think it should be very dependable, but I haven?t got it long enough to judge it.

Never had to deal with them.

I tried to be as calm and objective as possible with this review and it?s been very hard, believe me, because I?m already addicted to this pedal. When I bought it I expected a lot and I got much more than I expected. Some say the FD-2 is pricey, but who would expect to get a Ferrari when he only pays for a Nissan? This is professional equipment and so is the price. To me it?s worth much more than I paid for it. Be aware of thinking the FD-2 will make crappy equipment sound fine. It will not, nothing will. You need a good guitar and good tube amp and they will sing with the FD-2. Try it in front of your own amp before you buy one, because it's told that it sounds much better with Fender-like amps than with others. My quest for tone has ended.

Very very easy to use. Just plug and play. It wont take long to get a great tone.

My usual ring is my Anniversary Strat into Fulltone wah, then Fulldrive 2, Choral - Flange and Fat Boost.....so you can see im a fan of Fulltone stuff. I can get great sounds from this just going into the desk. I'm the uk tour guitarist for a musical and we needed a slient pit, so i plugged my rig direct and it still sounds great! With the right power supply, (voodoo labs pedal power 2 is v.good) it is silent. Great tone all the time.

This pedal get switched on and off constantly for about 30hrs a week for 8 months, not to mention getting thrown on various tour buses and planes. It hasnt let me down at all, superbly built!

Never needed any, the thing just wont break!

I needed a smooth distortion pedal that would get me both crunchy rhythm sounds and cutting soaring leads, and it does both! I tried quite a few "similar" distortion pedals and this was head and shoulders above the rest. I've played it at the London Palladium, to tiny pubs and it just rocks!!! I'm a professional player and have recommended it to sooo many people. Take my advice....go out and get one you will not be dissapointed!!!!!!!!

Straight forward 2 channel overdrive box,if you can use a stompbox and a channel switcher on an amp then boom this is those 2 concepts in one pedal.

The only difficult thing is only deciding where to set the nobs when it sounds great almost anywhere on the dials.

This pedal is god in an overdrive box. Pureley and simply the nicest smoothest harmonic drenched stube like spobgey overdrive you can buy.

Now for more depth:

My setup is Ibanez: Jem7vwh/RG7string/RG6string, Morley BH1Wah OR Crybaby535Q wah, FULLDRIVE2 --> Mesa Boogie Nomad 100 1x12.

The bypass is very pure and when turned on there is almost no noise and hiss added to the chain. Very clean and quiet

Now this is an overdrive box and obviously if you're spenidng this much money on one little blue box you know that you're not going to be getting your primary death metal tones from it. Having said that the overdrive tones you can get from it sustain for days without being over saturated and harsh.

Many peopel use overdrives as boosts for their already overdriven amp tone. However I would have to say that this pedal works best when overdriving a warm --> to slightly pushed clean channel amp. It goes from pushing the amp and sparkling it up with a little blues grit to nice and crunchy on the 1st channel and stepping on the boost can give yo a nice creamy solo tone.

Using it as a boost may also work well for some amps but I think the tone is SOO good its best to hear the pure tone of your clean amp combined with the pure tone of the Fulldrive. Using it with a lower gain amp may produce better boost features cause I am using a mesa boogie which naturally are very saturated, and when on the recto type channel 3 it is soo mushy it is not good. I've had good results at boosting on the 2nd nomad channel which gives a nice kinda solo tone evening out what is normally a bass heavy channel on the amp and making the tone a little less american and a bit more british. But for the whole SRV blues thing stick this blue box in front of your clean tube channel and just grin from ear to ear. You can get the SRV twang rather easy.

I bought it used jan 2005 and it was a 2001 model. Its in mint condition and seems very solid. I would use it on a gig without a backup yep. I give 8 because only time will tell but fulltone seem to have a good rep.

never contacted yet

I play a whole lotta different things. My solo stuff is contemporary rock/alt. stuff that incorperates many kinds of tones and the Fulldrive is used to get those bluesy inbetween clean and distorted tones. I already have a very versatile amp with 3 totally independat channels however this allows me to setup only a Pristine Clean (no breaking up) a rock type tone on the 2nd channel and a metal tone on the 3rd channel. In the past for my semi clean pushed and blues tones I'd have to roll the volume back on the 2nd channel or change the amp to pushed mode on the clean channel.

With the Fulldrive in the mix its like having 5 amp channels. They all get used cause the songs are very diverse in the tones. I can now have a warm pure clean, a clean + Fulldrive channel 1 giving a slightyl overdriven grit on the humbuckers, and splitting the coils gives a very texas twang. clean + Fulldrive with boost gives a solo blues tone more overdrive and cream. Then as before leaves me for a good solid modern rock and metal tones from channels 2 and 3 respectivley.

I've been playing for 12 years now and I also own an Ovation Acoustic which bares no relevance at all for this!

I'd buy another yes.

I love the fact that this takes me already versatile setup into my perfect setup to recreate my album tones live. I also use it for my blues band, jazz/funk/fusion group and various cover stuff. The only thing that I was first dissappointed with is it not bosting my chanels 2+3 like i imagined. However I then realised those already have more gain than you can shake a stick at so why did I by this pedal? I then put in fornt of the clean channel and OH MY GOD blues tones from a solid state pedal that are better than most tube blues tones!

I compared it to the Ibanez tube screamers, the ts9 and the 808 reissue. In all honesty I cant see what the fuss about the TS is apart form the fact the fact that stevie ray used one. And most people are mistaken in thinking that he used only the 808...his own guitar tech said that for a good portion of his career he was using the ts9...the ebay prices on the origianl 808's are getting out of control cause of this silly myth. But thats a whole other rant!

Basically the Fullldrive 2 sounds about 4 times better than all of the TS i've tried. Far more transparent and does what a TS does but better. I have never tried an original 808 but to be honest I dont care I can imagine it being anywhere near the FD2 so i think i'll the SRV fanboys go bid-happy! Plus it doesnt have a boost!

I also tried the banzai fireball II which was very very nice but I just preffered the FD2 in the end. I think they are very similar products however just personally for me the FD has the edge. In an ideal world I've have both but funds aren't that forgiving.

Hmm I wish it had...well i guess nothing really. maybe a seperate tone contorl for the boost channel but thats just clutching at straws trying to think of something. It certailny doesn't need it as the tone control on the pedal only gently shapes the presence of the already great tone on the mesa.

Its THE PERFECT overdrive pedal

I give it an overall 9 because well it is not cheap by any standards. But is a lot cheaper than going for the 808 originals that are VERY RARE but seem to crop up on ebay at least 2 per week... go figure.
If you are looking for classic blues/rock tones and OR are already happy with your heavier tones in your amp setup then this is the ultimate overdrive. It allows you to keep your clean CLEAN and your heavy tones HEAVY. Giving the perfect fender cranked, + TS or voxy leads in between.

Thats all

Ive got to say first of all i just dont post reviews about anything on here but this full-drive 2 has inspired me too because im so un decided about it!

Ok, So ease of use... its really is simple. Volume/Comp cut Tone Overdrive and Boost

Ive tryed this pedal with a few amps... JCM 800, 1965 Vox AC-50 and a Kendrick Texas Crude (oh, and not to forget my peavy rage practice amp!) My oppinions are the same for all these amps.

My usual effect chain is Yardbox - MXR 10 band EQ (mainly for the AC50 thats quite Mid-less around 1k) - Fulldrive - Sparkledrive - Boss RV4

My main guitar is a 58 reissue LP.

Noise wise this pedal is faultless... Smooth silent controls and no offensive addition of noise, generally feels really well built.

Now when i first plugged in i used the pedal on its own. My instant reaction was "what have i done!". I hated it. For me it was just far too bass heavy with a distinct lack of tone in the high mids/highs.

Now im a retro kinda guy. I dont want endless sustain and enough gain so that i can play notes by breathing on the fretboard. Gain wise its perfect but for me i'd lost every tonal quality i liked about the guitar.

The overdrive control was giving me a nice range of overdrive... the comp cut works nicely and is a great feature. If you want that real response and dynamics its great.

The boost control added that bit more for a solo/gain boost did its job nicely.

The tone control... well im just not sure. Starting with it at 12.00 I fealt the tone was lacking so cranked it up a little. Up to 2.00 i thought it could be getting there but then 3.00... no. The tone it adds is strange and unpleasant. With the comp cut these tones get even worse.

So i dont know. You have to say its called Fulldrive... what kind of overdrive sound do you expect?! In that respect it does its job. Probably with a single coil this would work beautifully for adding that fatness but personally its just not for me and my les paul.

Ive reached a compromise now by using my EQ pre the fulldrive to change the harmonic content. Boost some high mids and nice high frequencys on the EQ to get the clarity i want... the problem with this being with the full drive off my clean sound is pretty thin and unpleasant. I suppose looping the eq and fulldrive together would be a solution.

Ive had no trouble. Maybe if i was really picky id say my volume controls become very very slightly loose with use.

So here it is. If you like the top end tone of a reissue/vintage les paul dont get this pedal.

If you're looking for a very authentic vintage sound dont get this pedal.

If you want to fatten up a thin sounding guitar or amp or want a really fat overdrive maybe this is for you.

If i lost all my pedals would i replace this one... probably not. But thats not to say its no good... it is. Its not for me. I bought a sparkle drive a year or so ago and i quite like it. Vintage great tone, clean to fantastic overdrive. I'd replace this but not my fulldrive.

It is very easy to use and to get good sounds from this unit. It naturally has good tone, which makes it easy to work with. The manual is very easy to understand.

I am using many different guitars with the pedal. I use an early 90's tele b-bender, an '89 Les Paul with P-90's, a '65 Fender Mustang, and a '69 Guild Starfire. I play them into a 2001 Bad Cat Black Cat 30 and a '68 Selmer Treb 'n Bass 50. It sounds just like a natural amp overdrive. It is somewhat noisy, but what overdrive pedal isn't? I love that this pedal has a lot of versatility and I can dial in plenty of different tones, from hard rock to country to blues, to anything in between.

I feel like a can really rely on this pedal. It has only broken on me once and even then it wasn't a bad break. It just kinda changed tones a little.

Unfortunately, the customer service is less than helpful. I do not work in customer service, thus the only way to judge this is to compare. When I dealt with Bad Cat, they were completely understanding and helped me out in any way they could. I know a little about amps, and so I could ask them if removing this or adding this would work or not. All very friendly and helpful. When dealing with Mike Fuller, he gives the impression that if anything is going wrong with his pedal, then it's probably your fault. When I described a problem for him, he gave the impression that I was sketchy and inexperienced. So, I understand that his time is money and whatnot, but his pedals are not completely unable to break or malfunction and he does not seem to understand that.

I play a lot of rock and I love that this pedal fits this style and any other style that I might attempt. I have been playing for about 13 years and do it professionally. If this unit were sto;en from me, then I would probably get a new one, just because they sound so good. I really like that the tone knob can really open it up or close it off. There is really some versatility in this pedal.

Once you read the directions for this pedal it should be very easy to use and to set to your preference. You need to read the manuel o you know what the toggle switch will do and how different variables will effect this pedal.

I use a Fender Strat " American of course" through a 65 Blackface Twin Reverb (not a reissue). I normally play a Vox 846 into a TS 9 or TS 808 Tube Screamer into a Univibe. I bought this Full-Drive 2 with the toggle switch and at first did'nt like it too much because I have played Tube Screamers for so long. Tube Screamers have a mid to high range sound w/o much bass. When I played the Full-Drive 2 I thought it had too much bass to it. After I got use to it it started to sound amazing. I love the Vintage selection on the toggle. The Full-Drive 2 sounds really smooth with more sustain than the Tube Screamer which is why I started to like the Full-Drive more. Most people mod their TS9's to smooth the sound out so I did mine too with the Brown Mod. It still doesnt sound as smooth as the Full-Drive 2. If you like SRV then through on the Comp CUt switch and get clean punch tones " like SRV's little wing ". The FM selection sounds like a smoother modded Tube Screamer and even sounds better than my original TS 808 which I paid 400 dollars for ... ouch. I now use the Full-Drive 2 instead of the Tube Screamers and think others should also.

I have only had it for about a week but I dont think I will have any problems with it. Its built like tank.

Its Fulltone. If it breaks they fix it for free. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I play blues and rock music most of the time. Its an excellent match to both types of music. I have been playing for about 15 years and this is the best overdrive pedal I have come across since the TS 9 or TS 808.

This pedal is pretty easy to use. there is allot of options but where ever you place them it sounds good......I messed around with this pedal for 6 hours trying to make it sound bad , I have failed! No matter where i put the knobs it still sounds great.

Strat to Boss TU-2 tuner to Fulltone Clyde wah to Fulltone fulldrive 3 to Ibanez delay (which i may swap out) to fender deville 212 amp

This is the tone i have searched for, for 3 years I am very happy its got that SRV/Bryan adams fender strat growl tone i love so much.

owned it for 3 days so far so good. Its been on for 3 days LOL

NA

I play rock and blues with this pedal. I have bought allot of pedals and gear searching for "that" tone i have come close but never got a cigar. this pedal makes the guitar play easier too i have noticed.

not sure yet if the boost is on when the over drive is off.

Here is the end all endorsement....I told my wife that the tone quest was over!

Any tips or tricks with this pedal you can email me.

Thanks

I have the one with the switch, it's very easy to use. Only thing I could wish for is a independable second channel

This is a classic already, the first channel gives a very wide range of boosts and overdrives, the switch gives even more options. The second channel does the same but goes further. It's just like a 2 channel amplifier, which gives your amplifier a broader range of sounds at the push of a button. This unit excels in the fact that all settings are good, there is no bad setting. It totally blends in with your amp. Just think of it as another footswitch to your from now on 6 channel amp.

indistructable, really.

well, never needed, but if you have to believe all the reviews concerning MF you shouldn't waste his time asking stupid questions. This guy is an effectmaker, not a telemarketer... ;D but I am confident that if it's broken he will fix it for me...

a must have. This is the basic overdrive for every guitarplayer and It beats all two channel overdrives on the market in sound quality. The best feature is the switch, which give you basically a ts808, a non-nasaly ts808 and a booster. Maybe over time I want a more specific other drive like a klon or something, but this thing is the basic, the standard whereby others should be judged

I have the "newer" version with the Comp-cut/vintage/flat mid switch. Its very easy to find your sound. The manual talks about the tone knob adding higher harmonics when it is above half way up. Half way up is "about" neutral and above that and it really starts to scream. I usually run it around just below half way up and it really helps to tame the bridge pickup on my 52 RI tele.

I use a 52 RI tele->clyde wah->deja vibe 2->Fulldrive 2-> Boss DD-2 delay->whirlwind a/b/y box->Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 combo. I keep mine set on the "Flat Mid" setting. It is very transparent it adds just a hint of BALLS. It makes my tele sound really FAT!! FAT is the best word I can think of to describe the flavor it adds. I have a few other Fulltone pedals (some aren't on my pedalboard at this time) and I've noticed that they work great with each other. That being said, sometimes they don't work well with other pedals (Mainly the fuzz pedals). It sounds better through my rig than any other overdrive pedal I've tried (ts-9, rat, soulbender fuzz etc.) Its exactly what I've been looking for!

Built like a tank. Fulltone pedals could be used in a bar-fight...This is important when you play crappy dives. The fulldrive could be used to clobber a mouthy drunk. It works every time I step on it. Can't really ask for more. I have a Fulltone Deja Vibe 2 that has been stomped on ALOT and has had several gallons of beer spilled on it and it has worked EVERY time I've stepped on it. The Fulldrive is constructed in much the same manner, so I see it lasting a long time. Heavy steel housing, great parts, and beautiful wiring.

For some reason people think that when they buy a pedal from someone he HAS to be your friend. Fuller has answered every pidly questions that I have had. Thats more than I can ask. His pedals speak for themselves.

Lately its roots-rock type stuff. The Fulldrive is on some of my favorite guitarists pedalboards. I see now exactly why. If it were stolen, I'd buy another one, but this time I'd probably go with the older style because I really never use the "vintage" mode. Its well built, used by pro's and sounds like GOD with single coil pickups. Great Pedal.

There four or five knobs on it but the names say it all. So I think it's there all you can tweak and listen to the difference.

Great for an overdrive unit. It's so warmmmm. almost too dark on some bassy amplifiers. the boost function does the job very well. I also use it for boosting an overdriven amp...also good sounding. Only one weak point on CS FD2 is , in my opinion, it's sometimes too bassy even I turn the tone all the way up and turn the EQ on the amp. (my set up is AM series Strat with Hot noiseless PU and HRD with Celestion V30)

So far so good. No back up.

Never deal with them yet.

Nothing is perfect...All I can say is "It satisfied me so far"

Easy enough to use. I have the one with the switch. I found a sound I like and the only thing I change is the volume (I leave my amp at pretty much the same volume whether I'm at home in the living room or at a gig?Vibro-King on around 3). It took about an hour to figure out what I liked.

I usually play a Tele through a Vibro-King, sometimes a Strat and sometimes a Les Paul. I'm not sure if it's the 'King or the FT 2 or the combination of the two (I got them at close to the same time?about a year and a half ago) but my rig sounds so good these days that at almost every gig I get compliments on my tone. I had retired my Strat but it sounded so good through my rig that I went for a long time just using that (my Tele got mad). I love the clean somewhat low volume sound of the 'King but it's a too loud to really crank it to overdrive it. The FT 2 makes it usably overdiven at low volume but allows the amp to sound natural. The trick is to get a good sounding amp to start with. A pedal isn't going to make a crappy amp sound good. The same goes for guitars. A great guitar and a great pedal will still sound lousy through a lousy amp.

So far so good. I have no choice but to depend on it. I don't like to haul around a lot of extra stuff to gigs even though I've got several other pedals, guitars and amps at home, so I make do with what I've got. If a pedal malfunctions I can always plug straight into the amp if I can't figure out where in my pedalbaord the problem is. An amp malfunction, now that would be, and has been (Hot Rod Deluxe), a problem.

After reading the other comments on this site for this category I hope I never have to deal with them.

I play Blues/Rock/Country/Funk/Jazz. I've been playing for over 30 years. Like I said before, I'm not sure if it's the amp or the pedal, but the combination of Vibro-King and Fulltone 2 works for me. No matter how tired I am or how little I feel like going to a gig sometimes, once I start playing through these things I can't do anything but have fun 'cause it sounds so damn good. The only feature I wish it had was an ATM hooked up to some really rich person's bank account.

Not too difficult at all to operate really...4 knobs and a 3 position
switch in the middle. Most children should be able to get good noises out of this one :)

I use this mainly with my 80s Gibson SG, but I also use a Gordon Smith GS-2, and an Epiphone Flying V. My main amps are a Marshall JMP (50 watt modded master) and a Sunn T50C combo. The pedal works pretty well with all of my setups, however, the Boost function on the FD2 does not do enough for me. I generally end up sticking a compressor in front of the FD2. Otherwise, I like it. Most of the time, I use a Mek Tubedrive or a Boss SuperOverdrive on gigs because most of the gigs I play wouldn't pay for the replacement of this pedal.

Built like a tank, and I wouldn't worry about a back-up. These pedals are over-engineered, so I would have no qualms about taking it
on the road, if I decided to take it on the road.

I've heard horror stories about Mike Fuller and his treatment of customers/dealers, but I've always found him to be helpful and sweet.
I think some people are overly-sensitive...He is always there for his
customers.

I play mainly rock, country, and classic metal, and this pedal is great at it. But remember kids, this is an overdrive pedal, so if you want lots of distortion and sustain, you must use it in front of an amp that is already fairly distorted. I have been playing for 2/3
of my life, and I have owned lots of gear...vintage Tubescreamers, a Mek from Germany, a couple of Boss SD-1s, and so on. This pedal keeps up with all of those. I just wish the Boost was less subtle, for the projection of power. I recommend this pedal to people that want a reliable, good sounding pedal for many diverse musical styles.

Just like standard FD2 except it is Creme and there is a special tweak inside. Not sure exactly what is different but there is a piece of the circuit rather conspicuously covered up. It sounds incredible (more in next section.) Very easy to get a great sound out of.

Schecter C-1 Classic (w/ Lindey Fralin pickups) -> Ibanez PDM1 -> CS-FD2-VC -> Peavey Classic 30. The sound is my holy grail of overdrive pedals. I have tried several overdrives (Marshall BB2, Vox Valve-tone V810), switched out the op amps in them, and various other tweaks in search of a rich warm od sound and this pedal did it. Very rich harmonics - very musical. I can have my classic 30 clean channel on 1 and this still sounds great.

Solid. Just need one.

Not sure - never dealt with them. But I had to buy the pedal through a dealer that was out of stock and one phone call later (from dealer to Mike Fuller) the pedal was on its way from California.

I primarily am into the blues and love that overdriven tube sound. This pedal does it for me. Before this, my Vox Valvetone was the pedal and this just smoked it - no contest. This thing is full of harmonics, very rich and musical.

My version has the comp cut set were you have to retract the VOLUME knob. It's fine as is, but the newer versions with the independent toggle switch is probably easier to manipulate.

I've really grown to like this clean boost/overdrive pedal. It's similar to the Prescription Germ (which is also excellent), but this pedal has a different kind of overdrive: a little woolier, a little less raspy/fuzzy.

There are all kinds of tonal options here, and it's hard not to feel like recording some rock n roll with this pedal on. It's straight ahead, honest-to-goodness rock n roll/blues. No excess coloration.

I think it would be risky to play publicly without a backup for this pedal simply because usage of it would probably demand occasionally stepping on a switch, and switches were meant to be broken.

The customer support is there if I need it. I needed it once and they performed a repair which was greatly appreciated. The best way to contact them is via email. Usually they respond in a day, unless I ask a stupid question.

Aesthetically, it's a classic pedal, with lots of possible tone configurations. It seems like everybody's got one of these things, and wth good reason. It looks like a well-preserved 1950s toy, too.

Dial-ability is very simple, it has a great sound in virtually any position, just more or less of everything. Sound is very transparent and true bypass of course.

I generally use this box in front of a Line 6 POD Pro with Mesa simul-class two ninety for power. An open back 2 12 caabinet with a mix of a Vintage 30 and a G12H30 for thicher bottom. The two speakers in the same box are truly the best of both worlds. I mainly play a PRS custom 22 with stock pickups and 5 way PRS switching. Tone-a-liscious! The fulldrive 2 is perfect to add that extra bite before hitting the preamp. Mine has the comp cut push/pull switch. I wish it had a hard switch because I keep stepping on the pot and shutting off the comp cut. I use a roland SDE-1000 for delay and a blackface Rocktron Intellifex for the chorus and pitch transposers.

Never had a backup dont think I ever will. It has seen extreme cold in the back of the car for days on end, blistering heat on outdoor stages, no problems.

Any correspondence sent to Fulltone was answered in a day or sometimes the same day, great customer support, he cares about what goes out the door. Had a switch go on my Deja Vibe, e-mailed me back that day to help me get the parts I needed ASAP

I generally play "progressive" rock some classic but mostly current hard rock in the vein of STP, King's X , Tiles, Dixie Dregs , Big Wreck, Platypus, etc. Musician for 20 some years. I also own a Gibson/Norlin Lab Series L5 "the BB King amp" with vintage 30's that just is the best transistor amp I've ever owned. With the fulldrive and that the only other item is a cord and Im happy in a pinch. Various other guitars including a Les Paul studio and a hand signed Zion Ty Tabor signature series guitar. If this pedal were to be stolen or the like I would replace it definately. I like the transparence the best it does not color the sound too much. Like I said before, the only thing I wish it had was a hard switch instead of the push pull switch because I end up stepping on it all the time. A wad of felt under the pot usually prevents that from happening. Very musical pedal! Puts you in the zone with a beautiful finish like fine cognac