Fulltone Full-Drive 2

Very easy to use. Especially with the new toggle switch. The model this unit replaced (2002) was easy also, but with a swith in the middle of the pedal and setting lettered out for you, it really can't be much easier than this. I had the older one and sold it to get the updated version. The manual is similar except it doesn't have sample settings in the illustration. You don't really need them however.

I sold my first Fulldrive2 in anticipation of getting the new Tonebone Classic from Radial. I've heard and read that is an outstanding pedal. Also, I wanted the option of adding more midrange to my overdrive sound since I'm playing a blackfaced fender where the mids are all scooped out. Funny thing, though, is as I listed and sold my fulldrive on ebay, I began to get post pardom syndrome from the Fulldrive2. I did some sould searching and wondered why I was getting rid of a great sounding pedal to go for another pedal with one additional option? Well, I changed my mind and noticed the newer versions give you the midrange spike if you are looking for it. So, now I could keep my great Fulltone sounds and get another one all in the same pedal! Plus, the Fulldrive2 is still quite a bit less expensive than the Tonebone.

Here's my thoughts of the way the newer Fulldrive2 sounds: Much like the older pedals, but there are some differences. The pedal seems to distort earlier on in the overdrive circuit. The flat mids do seem a bit clearer (like the website advertises) and like a reviewer posted below, the vintage setting (where the midrange is supposedly spiked) is very very subtle. At low volumes, you don't really hear the difference. At high volumes with the gain turned up, you start to noticed a thicker, more annunciated sound typical of higher midrange. With the vintage setting, I can't say I'm overly pleased as I was expecting more of a tonal variation, much like the compcut to flatmids gives you. However, since this newer pedal costs exactly the same as the older model before the newer one hit the streets, I can't really complain. Because there is a subtle difference, just not what I was expecting. And, the pedal still puts out the great sounds it already possesed.

I want to add one more thought. I get irritated reading guys who buy this pedal hoping to get Judas Priest sounds out of this pedal. Those are the same folks who get a vintage amp and complain about the drive channel not having enough gain. Or they get a strat with classic pickups on it and write how they hate it because it doesn't sound like Korn. Come on people! If you submitted a posting on here, then you know how to use a computer and surf the internet. For everybody's sake, please take some time and read and understand the difference between overdrive and distortion! Now, with that being said, this pedal actually gives you plenty of gain. At least for me it does. Even without the boost providing the oportunity for higher gain, the standard overdrive control really distorts well beyond what a typical classic blues player would ever need. In fact, so much that I can't really justify a seperate distortion pedal.

This pedal is a tank. I'm confident you could roll over this guy with a truck and still bring it to your gig. On top of the well-built housing, the inside of the box should be a model for all pedal manufacturers as to how to build a stomp box. Quality begets quality and the fulldrive2 is no exception. A class act all the way!

Never having to deal with a company usually means the product is so well built, there's never really a need to contact them. However, by reading other people's reviews, it looks like Mike Fuller really knows how to start a business, build a great product and take care of his customers. I won't comment on this, but like I said, not having to get a hold of them is a great thing.

I'm sure the Tonebone is a fantastic pedal. And, I kind of wish I would have taken it home and tried it out just to see for myself. However, the Fulldrive2 has some advantages I consider to be reasons I stayed with Fulltone. The Fulltone is not inexpensive, but compaired to other high-quality overdrive/distortion pedals, it's actually quite reasonable. The ease of use aspect is also a key plus for me. I hate the thought of always having someting to set. At the same time, I also can't stand a pedal that is so bare bones, you are stuck with the sound out of the box that really doesn't change with the adjustment of any control knob. The Fulldrive2 is a happy medium of having enough tone shaping controls and overdrive formats to provide me with plenty of versatility without having to spend too much time trying to get good sound from different guitars. And perhaps my most favorite perk the Fulldrive offers is the boost switch. Most overdrive pedals force you to either be satisfied with the sound you have for the whole song or make you get an additional pedal for higher gain/volume while soloing. I know the Carl Martin also has a boost feature but it's a bit different. The Fulldrive2 actually gives you more gain and some volume when used in flatmids or vintage mode which is still good for cutting through with solos. The comp/cut is a different animal. In addition to providing more gain, the boost can add loads of volume to your slightly dirty rhythm giving you the ability to really drive your amp hard.

As one recent reviewer said, if he had to pick just one overdrive pedal, he'd go with the Fulltone. That assesment was well stated. Unlike another reviewer where I'd have to disagree. I don't believe the Fulldrive2 is a "one trick pony". In my regard, nothing is farther from the truth. It's an overdrive pedal that doesn't color your amplifiers original tone. I feel many other overdrive pedals are more one dimensional and can really confine your tone to sounding like overdrive in a can. The Fulldrive2 has lots of headroom to give you subtle dirt or more gain than many people will ever want. As I said above, about the only feature I was dissappointed with is the vintage switch. I was expecting more of the tubescreamer in a can sound to be used when I needed it. But, I can't fault Fulltone for making something all its own without raising the price. All in all I'm happy I stayed with Fulltone. If you are trying to choose an overdrive pedal, I hope my review has helped. Wordy, I know, but the more you read and learn, the better equipped you will be when shopping for a pedal. If you are considering several overdrive pedals, I won't be so snobby nosed and tell you what I like is the only thing you should buy. Mine and your tastes could be polar opposites. Go out and try every pedal you are considering and spend some time with them. In fact, don't just buy something that day because you are impulsive. Take your time and really study what these pedals do and how they sound with a set up similar to the one you use. Don't go by the salepersons opinion. Use your own judgement as to what is going to work for you. That being said, I will say the Fulldrive2 is a damn good one to start with and should not be left out of your pedals to try. The Fulldrive2 is about as natural sounding an overdrive pedal I've ever used, and that can't be said about most pedals. If you are going after that Tubescreamer in a can sound, then there are plenty out there. Just keep in mind that the Les Paul you are running through your tubescreamer-like pedal will have a high tendency to sound like the strat you were just playing except with more mud and noise.

Also remember this. Your guitar and amp always come first. Bad tone does not equal good tone! If you are using a cheap guitar and a cheap amp, don't expect an expensive pedal to work miracles. However, just like guitars and amps, pedals are not created equally either

This is a FANTASTIC pedal! The manual is easy to understand as every knob is accurately described and detailed. The manual sheet describes the capable sound this pedal is able to achieve. Even if you didn't have the manual sheet, you could figure it out.

I run this with a Fender VibroKing and 52' Tele RI and the sound is amazing. I makes it sonic heaven. Amagine you are playin, get ready to solo and switch the pedal on and it is an extension of your amp, it doesn't change the tone like other wal-mart pedals. I play Alt-country and this has been the pedal I've been searchin' for. I compared it with the VooDoo Spaklesomething. That was good also but this had the extra features seemed easier to dial tones.

This is constructed solid. Tough chasis, solid knobs, nice blue paint? Bright LED's. I would gig without a backup, it seems that solid.

Have not had to deal with them. Their website does offer informative stuff and artist using their products.

For rock and roll this is a great pedal. Again if you have great tone to start with this is going to enhance that tone for leads, you can overdrive it, or just a subtle boost. It ain't cheap so guard it! I would have to buy another if were permanently borrowed. I've been playin' 24 years, worked for Lee Jackson (80's LA amp guru) and heard lots of tones & mods. Again this is good stuff!

Ease of use? Depends. The manual is simple and helpful, but some of the behaviours of this unit are confusing and don't always make sense. There is one key option that makes a night and day difference as far as how this pedal can be used: compression or no compression. With compression engaged, you get a nice overdrive with - yes - some built in compression. In this mode, the pedal seems to work intuitively. When you kick in the boost, you simply get added drive for more sustin...but not a whole lot of gain (more on this later). When you disable compression, you get a TON more output from this pedal - less overdrive from the pedal but more from your amp by hitting the front end of your amp hard (as if you ran over it with a mack truck). The output level in this mode is astonishing. What stinks is that when compression is disabled and you kick in the boost...watch out, because your amp just might spontaneously combust. When you crank the boost with compression enabled, you get more gain. When you hot boost without compression enabled, you get a tone more output from the pedal and not necessarily more gain. Again, more on this below. So...easy to use in compression mode and not all that logical or usable (to me) with compression disabled.

I use Les Paul, Strat and 335 type guitars into a couple other pedals into a Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb. Its basically a great one-tone amp that breaks up a little sooner than the other Fender amps. I needed a way of getting additional overdrive and sustaining lead tones. It does this OK in both departments but is great in neither. I find that this pedal is FAR from transparent. I even used the Fulltone power supply, but when I kick in the pedal (overdrive or boost), I instantly loose the chimy high end shimmer I normally enjoy from my amp. It really does suck the high end out of my sound. When I enable the boost with its control dimed, I get a nice, more sustaining overdrive, but not enough gain for me. I was after more of a hotter Marshall-type lead gain but this pedal fell short. For me, running the pedal with compression disabled is completely useless. There's very little overdrive in this mode and a ton of output...more of a clean or slightly less than clean boost.

I have no doubt you can rely on Fulltone products. I have other Fulltone pedals and they are all built like tanks.

Never had to deal with Fulltone directly except to order a replacement power supply for my CF2. Delivery was prompt and free.

I play mostly rock and roll (old to new) and funk. Maybe this pedal has its place, but it was disappointing to me. I returned it and ended up with a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive for my slight overdrive tones and couldn't be any happier. I picked up a Tech 21 NYC Double Drive and got all of the hotter Marshall-like gain I was after (and then some).

This pedal does a lot for your sound so take time to learn each knob/switch. I suggest reading the manual and starting with tone knob set to 12o'clock. You will get a great sound from this pedal at that point. then start shaping it the way you want to.

Well, I have to say that I sold my Analogman Tube screamer for this and I am very happy to do so. You get two for one with this pedal, a creamy overdrive and an awesome boost. Lots of Sustain in there.
I also have a Distortion Pro which works great with this pedal. I don't have any noise other than my Tube amp basic hum sound. My setup is very basic :
Fender Strat Claptop -> Dunlop 535Q Wah -> Deja Vibe -> Fulltone DP1 -> Fulldrive S-FR ->Boss DD-5 -> Fender Vibrolux Reverb.

I have not had any issues with it. I mainly play in Studio settings so I have time to prepare. I do carry a Boss DS1(moded) as a backup in gigs.

I have been using these pedals for a year or so , And Mike and his tech team have answered every one of my e-mails. I even got a free update to my 2002 distortion Pro which was great but you have to check his website for that.

I play mostly Rock and try to use a vintage tone. I switched out my whole pedalboard after I heard the Fulltone products. Along with my Deja Vibe and Dp1, The fulldrive S-FR is helps me shape many sounds out of my gear. I love having two separate channels in one pedal. keep a Boss DS1 for backup I sold my Ibanez TK999 Tube Distortion and Tube Screamer pedals. My Ts9/808 did sound great but a bit of hiss at higher drive settings. I love Clean Channel of Fender Tube Amps( Vibrolux,Bassman,twin...) and This pedal does a great job of creating the overdrive tone I like (Hendrix,70's Claptop,Trower,70's Gilmour). I bought brand new from Fulltone website and will always keep it.

Tone controls aren't super powerful, but there is a lot of room for tweaking in the controls. You can leave it at high noon and it will sound great. It's more or less self explanatory, and the manual is cool, just two printed pages stapled together. Awesome.

Not much deserves a ten, but it does. I used an MIA Strat through a JMP set for clean. Doesn't get much better for me. The Overdrive mode goes from nearly clean boost to a very sustained, gritty tone (if you have the tone set fairly high, the tone is basically a presence control, much more useful than some stupid control that's either not there or is scooping or boosting your mids). Good note definition here. The boost mode adds some volume, and can push the gain from a slight boost that adds sustain to a roaring lead tone. Note definition not as good, but there is more gain here, so not really a surpirse, and not nearly enough to be a bother. The three way toggle is very cool, definitely the best improvement. The Comp-Cut is a cool clean boost for some clean rhythm parts or can be a great way to get a clean solo to cut better. The FM (Flat mids) is a very articulate and well-defined overdrive mode, not quite transparent but very close, and a pleasing color is added. The Vintage mode goes into fuzz range, sounding fatter and rolling off the treble a bit, very useful for when you want that sound. Overall excellent.

I've had it a few months, it's given me NO problems at all, and I don't think it will. It's remarkably tough, the wiring is pristine, the switches are tough. I still have a TS9 I bring with me to gigs if something happens to the FD2, but I don't predict anything will, and I imagine I'd have to try to damage this thing.

Haven't dealt with them, but great warranty and seemingly very helpful. Seemingly customer-oriented.

I decided I wanted the equivalent of two tubescreamers (I had one), and this does it with the Overdrive and Boost modes, and sounds better and more versatile. All the Fulltones I've played were absolute class acts, tough and great-sounding. I've played a lot of ODs, with the major exception being the Klon Centaur, which I don't think I could shell out the cash for, and this one outdoes them.

Just plug in and great sounds are there. The suggested settings in the manual are very good and will help you to quickly get used to how the pedal functions.

I usually use the distortion channel in my Rivera amps. I bought the FD2 to give me a different flavor, to use as a boost for putting my amp over the top, and also to get bluesier sounds so that I can leave my amp's clean channel set for "country clean".

However, the FD2 easily rivals my amp's distortion and overdrive. I absolutely love the transparency of the FD2. Even more, I love the singing sustain and feedback that I can get. I find it easy to get in a Larry Carlton frame of mind with this pedal.

The way Fulltone products are built I have no doubts about its dependability or longevity.

Mike is always helpful and quick to respond to my e-mails.

I play everything - and this pedal will do blues, Tom Petty/Stones-type of rock, new country, jazz, fusion, etc.

I love the way it is built so solid and it is beautiful to look at with the rich paint job. The thing just exudes quality.

If you are struggling for a good tone, especially if you are a relatively new player or just starting your quest toward better tone, do yourself a favor and try a Fulldrive. You will save time and money and sound better instantly!

Anyone who has any idea of how to turn a few knobs should have no problem with this. It is very straightforward to use and easy to find a sound that will leave you giggling due to the excellent quality of sound that will be coming from your amp. Though a manual isn't needed, Mike includes tips and a general explanation of the effect pedal. Anything more would be too much in my opinion. I give it a '10' here for the obvious reasons. It's an effect pedal, not a NASA computer and as such, after an hour of experimenting with it, you should have complete understanding of it's abilities.

I play American Deluxe Fender Strats with the Vintage Noiseless pick ups exclusively and I play them through Marshall heads & cab's and combos. This is not noisy at all in my opinion. I could list the details of 'what does what', but there are quite a few reviews that have covered this quite well. I will say that when reading some of the negative reviews, I'm surprised and left wondering if these people are really musicians and not amateurs looking to sound like their favorite guitarist. To be fair, we all have our own ideas of 'perfect sound' but I find some of these statements lacking in truth. Maybe they don't know how to use it or are playing through a $40.00 solid state combo. No pedal will make you sound like Malmsteen or Stevie Ray even if you have the same guitar and pick ups, amps, pedals, and strings. Quite a bit of it is in the wrist so to speak. For an Overdrive, I don't believe I could find a better pedal. When I use it with my clean channel, it actually screams a bluesy wail that nothing else has given me. And it is transparent to allow your sound to remain the same. I don't care for pedals that shape or disguise my gear's true sound which is an absolute when playing quality gear. I also frown upon the death metal noise that I used to like in my younger days but if that is your 'cup of tea', you should look elsewhere. Bottom line: I think the sound, for what I play, is awesome!!

As others have pointed out, these gems are handmade. They are solidly built which can't be said for too many other pedals. To go with all the other reviews, I have a Fulltone Distortion Pro and it has never given me problems. I don't think I'll have many problems with this either. But I also realize that ANYTHING can, and will, break down so I won't be critical of Fulltone if I have a problem. Mike stands behind his work and will take care of you in a timely manner. Yes, I use it without a back up. I give it a '10' because I've never had problems with a Fulltone product.

I read how some of these people piss and moan about Mike Fuller not giving them the warm fuzzies. If they are looking for advice unrelated to his products or just want to talk about music, they should go to a Guitar Center or some similar store. He is busier than you can imagine with gigging, family & friends, building pedals all day & night, etc. It is amusing to read that because he didn't have time for chatting about his favorite band or advising someone what kind of guitar or amp to play, that he was 'short' or 'unfriendly'. Like others have said, respect his time and keep your discussion related to his products. He deals with the biggest names in music and they don't waste his time either (he is the same if you just began playing or if you've sold a million albums). He has always returned my email with the appropriate answer right away. When I first spoke to him, I was hesitant and ready for the worst from what I've read here. He was really cool and spent 20 minutes with me answering questions and telling me how he sets up his Strats. I told him that after reading "remarks on Harmony Central", I was expecting the 'Soup Nazi' (he being the Pedal Nazi) from Seinfeld. He laughed and said he doesn't waste his time reading the reviews here for that reason. The day after we spoke, he sent me an email saying he had a good time talking and that he hoped my tone would flourish with the Fulldrive 2 S-FR. Considering his schedule, he was more approachable than most well known musicians and business owners. Bottom Line: he'll take care of you and will stand behind his products 100%.

I play rock & roll, blues, jazz and whatever I feel like that day. If your not searching for heavy, skull crushing distortion, this pedal is the one. This is the best of the best in every way. I've been playing for 15 years and have tried most everything. I own (or have owned) quite a few high end pedals and nothing equals what Fulltone puts out. Yes, I would buy it again if it was stolen though it would be hard to have another Custom Shop Fulldrive 2 S-FR (Fiesta Red) pedal made once Mike is done making them. I've researched and compared H&K, Voodoo Labs, Jeckyll & Hyde, Klon, Carl Martin, along with a dozen others and the Fulldrive 2 S-FR is significantly better than all the rest in every way possible. I love how it screams in a bluesy way. I hate that it took me so long to find that sound I had in my head. My favorite feature is playing in the Vintage setting with the boost on. Think of bending a note until you can't bend it anymore. It screams at you in a way where your eyes close and your jaw drops as it pulls you in, this is the Fulldrive 2 S-FR. I was going to initially buy the blue Fulldrive 2 but I opted for the switchable Custom Shop Fulldrive 2 S-FR. This will only increase in value (though this pedal will be with me until I'm put in the ground) as a limited edition offering and the changes such as the CompCut being given it's own toggle and the increased transparency swayed me over. Besides, what's not to love about Fiesta Red? Sure, $225.00 isn't cheap, but we all know you get what you pay for. I give this ass kicker a '10' all the way around.

Very easy to use. Tone control requires some tweaking to find the G spot.

I'm a Tubescreamer user since day one. I've probably owned a dozen since the thing was offered on the market. The Fulldrive is simply a better Tubescreamer. It's just been dialed in better and thought out more. I've owned several other TS boutique pedals and I ended up keeping the FD as it is a marginally more versitile with it's comp cut control.
I have typical pro quality equipment. Mostly vintage. Several different rigs to suit the band I may be playing with.

Everything breaksdown eventually. Foot switches are notoriously unreliable under the best of circumstances. Best have a back up.

One of the foot switches broke so I emailed Mike Fuller about buying more. He sent me two free, imedietly. I was happy to install them my self. After all the gear I've owned, I couldn't have been happier with his service.

I play R&R, R&B, Blues, Country, Jazz, Retro, and experimental combinations of all the above. Over 30 years. FT pro. The pedal suits that basic tight crunchy rhythm guitar and bluesy lead tone very well.
I'm happy to endorse Mike Fullers products. They're all well made and sound good. Whether they ring your bell or not, they're still a big step above most products out there.
If I lost this pedal I would happily buy another, or maybe one of Barbers products which are equally impressive.

Four knobs, two stomp switches, and a three way toggle. Pretty easy. The overdrive affects the boost mode, so you can get a lot of subtle variation out of this pedal. The tone knob is excellent, useful and not excessively harsh. Unlike with other pedals, the tone control can be dialed into a variety of locations and the pedal still sounds excellent.

Very difficult to get a poor tone out of it.

I use a variety of guitars...humbuckers, single coils, hollow/solid bodies, etc. This pedal is useful for all of them, it always sounds tasteful, it compliments humbuckers or single coils very well, it is able to produce a wide variety of QUALITY overdrive sounds...(as opposed to a variety of poor sounds and one or two good ones).

The Flat Mids/Vintage switch is interesting. The change is very subtle. It is very difficult to detect by ear alone. Flipping the switch produces a subtle change in the way the pedal responds, moreso than a dramatically different overdrive.

I have owned both the "vintage" orange, midrangy fulldrive, as well as the flat mid version. The difference between the two modes is not nearly as dramatic as the difference between the actual pedals, and both modes in fact sound significantly different from other incarnations of the pedal. Fortunately, it is a very nice tone.

This pedal is should serve as an example to others for how to build a reliable pedal. It is very well constructed. High quality parts, well designed, sturdy, but easy to disassemble case. Adequate space on the circuit board and inside for modifications and repairs, and free standing pots jacks and switches, so if you break something, you don't break everything

I have not personally required any support on this particular unit. It has never failed, and its instructions were more than adequate. I have however known people who have had experience with Fulltone, and I have used their other pedals. Their customer service is exceptionally personal and helpful. It is clear that Mr. Fuller genuinely cares about his products and his customers.

I play Jazz, classic rock, and pop...with a variety of guitars. The Fulldrive has an important place in all of them. It does everything a tubescreamer does, only much better; and it has some significant added features, in addition to being made in the United States with American labor and American quality.

I have owned several Fulltone pedals, and at least half a dozen Full Drive 2s...They usually leave me because when I show them to people they want to buy them from me. I bought this one direct from the Fulltone website because I decided I want one that I want to hang onto. I have used and owned a variety of overdrives, A Boss SD-1, every incarnation of the Ibanez tubescreamer, the Maxon OD-808 and OD-820, the Ibanez Super Tube and Metal Screamer, several custom made 808 copies, the Voodoo Lab Sparkledrive, the Marshall Bluesbreaker, and several others. The Sparkledrive and Bluesbreaker both do some things that the Fulldrive does not, but if could only have one overdrive, I think I would choose this custom Fulldrive-2.

To get a wonderful sound out of this pedal is actually not easy. To give you some idea, I tried the pedal in the morning (at International Vintage Guitars in New Orleans)in perfect circumstances (not hassled by salesperson, decent Gibson Goldtone amp, OK Strat etc) and found that the drive sounded glassy and brittle, and the volume leap between the two channels somewhat overemphasised. After half an hour, I came to the conclusion that the green channel was fine, but the boost channel was synthetic and far away from the throaty valve/tube sound I craved. I gave up, albeit reluctantly. However, the potential of the pedal intrigued me, and after a late lunch of oysters and Coors light, I returned to the shop about an hour before they closed. The comp cut is actually the key to the good sounds in my estimation; pull it out, leave it out I would say.

Mike Fuller's little manual that comes with the pedal is incidentally pretty good for zeroing in on the singing and crunchy stuff, but perhaps should stress the difference the comp cut makes on the boost side of things.

I use two Warmoth Telecasters, one swamp ash/maple neck butterscotch '52 style, the other a Sonic Blue hollow body with rosewood neck. My other guitars are a 1983 JV Strat with a Kinman SCn bridge pickup, and a Yamaha Pacifica 604W with Joe Barden pickups. All sound excellent with this drive unit, but the hollow bodied Tele is the Voice of God; coincidentally, the Fulldrive demos on the Fulltone site use a Suhr hollow body Tele. There is something about this guitar and pedal in combination; the Fulldrive makes the Tele quiver and moan, I kid not. The JV Strat is also monster with this pedal, but again this Fiesta Red hasn't a bad sound in it; I have a Schaller 5 way switch which gives neck and bridge together in the middle position; try this, it's a beast.

The pedal is quiet in operation, and works well at all settings; I use it with a 2x10" Hiwatt Custom 20 and the EL84s respond very well to the pedal - although it has to be said that the Custom 20 is one musical amp, with or without effects. With respect to getting the sounds of my guitar gods, I long ago abandoned this idea, accepting that my mitts were my mitts - however, if you want to play clone with the Fulldrive 2, it will oblige.

This thing is built like a tank, and is replacing a Lovetone Brown Source. The Brown Source is truly 'Keef in a box', as one reviewer put it, but lacks the additional boost facility of the Fulldrive 2, and isn't really gigworthy. The switches crackle and pop; the Fulltone unit has no problems here, and providing you tote extra batteries, should not need a backup.

Couldn't comment here, but I have the impression that Mike Fuller takes this kind of thing seriously.

I play honky tonk, country, and blues, and would say it's perfect for these. However, my son plays Seattle rock/UK Clash style, and he thinks the pedal is top, no question.

I've playing slightly less than a hundred years, and would definitely wish to replace the pedal if it strayed (although not at UK prices!). The pedal is loveable for its heaviness (reassuring), the cool blue paint (visible), double LEDs (ultra visible), and its sheer versatility; it makes you play and sound better, and that's the whole point isn't it?

Easy to use,short manual with basic suggestions.Love the two stage overdrive concept.

Simply the best I have heard.This pedal does not color your sound in any way as does my Marshall Guvnor 2,another great pedal.With the GV2 everything sounds like a Marshall.With this pedal my Fender amps have the best overdrives they have ever known while still sounding Fender in every way.I can get a nice tight bottom crunch then step on the boost and it sings!This is the pedal for Fenders so you can finally get a good od to go with the great Fender clean.

As good a build as I have seen.

Heard good things but have not needed anyone yet

Love this thing! Take a little time and you will find some great tones.Great tight bottom end and singy highs,none of that midrange compressed tone nonsense you get with most pedals.I have the new model with the mini toggle and I highly reccomend it!

This is the new model blue Fulldrive 2 with the small togggle switch. This unit replaces the 'flat mids' blue FD2.

There is a footswitch to engage the unit, and another for the boost channel. The Fulldrive 2 is actually two overdrives in one. The two channels share output level and tone controls, but they each have their own drive control. They operate completely independently. You can, for example, set the main channel for just a bit of breakup and then max out the boost channel for solos. The boost channel boosts the gain, not the output level (in contrast to the Carl Martin Hot Drive, where the boost channel boosts the output, not the gain). The boost channel's gain starts where the main channel leaves off, i.e. if you set the main channel on 10 and the boost channel on 1, they sound the same. You can turn the boost channel on with the unit off, so when you switch the unit on, you are already in boost mode. The boost channel also does not significantly change the tone, unlike the Stamps overdrive pedal where the two channels are voiced very differently. So you set up the basic overdrive, and the boost channel just gives more gain. If you want, you can set your amp up clean and then have three channels of gain without changing the basic sound of your guitar and amp.

The mini toggle switch replaces the pull-pot which formerly engaged the clean boost mode. It now allows you to switch between clean boost (called 'comp-cut'), Flat Mids, or Vintage.

This design means it's a little harder to use than a three-knob, single-channel pedal like the Tube Screamer, but I'm giving it a 10 because all controls are useful and it sounds good wherever you put the controls. If you can master a three-knob overdrive pedal, it'll take you an extra minute to get the boost dialed in.

You have to unscrew four screws on the bottom to get to the battery. Some folks complain about this, because they'd rather have a cute battery hatch that comes off without tools. If that's what you really want, go buy a $40 box made in China of plastic, and you'll get a plastic battery hatch. Fulltone makes their stuff in small batches and seems to design for strength more than cuteness (more on that later.)

First there was the original Fulldrive (not Fulldrive 2). This is the very rare three-knob unit made in a Hammond aluminum project box with handmade labels. Only about 350 were built. It had a boost channel whose gain was fixed and that also changed the tone. If you were lucky enough to grab one of these back in '95, you had the world's finest sounding overdrive pedal. It ate the TS-808 alive and blew away all the current competition. The original Fulldrive sounded like an integral part of the amp, not like a pedal. It sounds better than the preamp in my Marshall so it's on all the time.

Then came the Fulldrive 2 with its variable boost channel. Most of these models were the Flat Mids circuit, which was more transparent than the original, with a little less gain in the main channel. I liked the original better; the flat mids model just wasn't quite as gainy or warm, particularly with a Strat. Although I can see where a lot of people preferred the greater transparency. Onstage the girl in the third row would never know the difference, but to me the flat mids model had a different 'feel' that was missing something compared with the original.

But with the new model, you can have the best of both worlds. In the main channel, the flat mids position gives even less gain and more transparency than the older pull-pot flat mids model. A very light overdrive that does not change the tone. When you switch it to Vintage, the sound warms up, gets more gain, and the tone focus seems to shift about an octave lower. The Vintage mode will clone the original 3-knob Fulldrive. I did some rigorous A/B testing against my original and couldn't tell the difference. This is a distinct improvement over the flat-mids FD 2.

In boost mode the difference between Flat mids and Vintage is much less apparent; Vintage is a little less trebly.

This is one of the few pedals you can leave on all the time for rhythm and kick on the boost for solos. The main channel makes a nice crunch with a Strat and with humbuckers gives you all you want for smooth rock rhythm tones.

The gain in the boost channel is high enough to handle solos with humbuckers or reasonable blues wailing with a Strat, but as an overdrive, it doesn't have the high gain necessary for ultra-wailing with single-coils.

I know people get tired of the guys with $40 Chinese stompers (see review below) giving out 10s, but this is the world's finest overdrive.

Hard to say, as it's new. All Fulltone pedals are built like Daniela Sarahyba. There is a heavy-gauge formed steel case coated inside and out with epoxy paint, fiberglass circuit board, everything's top-notch. I don't know how you'd build a pedal any stronger. The battery is secured by a strong metal clip, not by a Chinese plastic door and a piece of foam rubber. I'd use it without backup; who drags around a backup for everything they have, anyway? My children will inherit this pedal.

The clipping circuit is coated with a gob of gray epoxy in true Fulltone style. This means trouble at service time.

Fuller answers emails. Bought a fulltone switch for a project. It was DOA so I sent it back for replacement. Never got a replacement. Ended up paying $16 for a new one. Got instant service when I sent in the $16.

This is good for any kind of guitar playing except the extremes. It has great blues and pop potential with single coils, but humbuckers hit it hard enough for some heavier stuff. Don't expect any extreme fuzz, metal or recto tones. This pedal enhances the sound of a good guitar and a good tube amp. It works extremely well with other good effects. There is really no feature not to like (although some wish the boost channel would also raise the volume for solos.

There are a number of great overdrive pedals out there now: the Carl Martin, the Maxon OD-808, etc. I'd have to give this model Fulldrive the nod over the competition for construction, versatility and tone. Every electric guitar player needs one of these.

For about the same money you can get a multi-effects processor with 13 different distortions and 27 different effects. If I were 16 and on minimum wage I'd be tempted. But for your $200 the Fulldrive gives you the best at one thing.

Bottom Line: The new FD2 with the toggle switch is an improvement over the previous FD2 line. It equals the elusive original Fulldrive in tone and exceeds it in versatility. I can't imagine how it could get any better.

Just find the first drive, then the second drive (bost), set the tone, and mode. Thats it.

Great classic drive sound on vintage mode (great just by itself). The FM mode is the one I use as a overdrive boost leads (pumping up the distortion or fuzz). Setup: 73'Stratocaster/w 79'PUs(better, gets more tone)===>Colorsound FuzzBox ===>Diaz Texas Square Face ===> Keeley DS-1 Ultra Seeing Eye ===> Zvex Octane2 ===> Fulldrive 2 S-FY ===> Guyatone MD3 ===> Gibson 56' Altas 80watt head ===> Carvin 12"x4
I also use a RoboTalk behind the fulldrive every now and than. The pedal really sounds great.

Built like a tank.

Great overall ratings, Great pedal for any kind of music.

Short manual, easy to understand, just experiment and go.

I have finally achieved that sought after low volume sound I've been searching for for 25 years. Formula--- PRS Custom 22 into a Fulldrive
II, into a Fulltone Choral/Flange ( a another awesome pedal )into a Fender 65 reissue super reverb with the (4) 10 inch Jensens.I simply can not put the guitar down. Even my son's Squire Strat sounds amazing.

Built like a tank. With quality like this---No problem.

I hear the product support is excellent. I ordered both units direct from Fulltone, received an order and shipping acknowledgement
within 24 hours and the units arrived 4 days later. I have not had to use tech support but hear they are equally customer service driven. A 10 !!!!

I play a variety of styles which include rock, jazz, blues. If the FD II was stolen--Immediate replacement. Definite inspiration!!
Wouldn't you pay a little extra for Great Tone ?

Very easy to use, and a small, to the point, two-page manual (if you want to call it that) with two sample settings (blues and fusion)

This is the older model with the comp/cut pull knob rather than the three-position toggle switch. Powder blue with on/off switch and boost on/off switch. Nice pedal!

This pedal is what it's all about. Every person has their own preference, but if you are trying to obtain the overdriven amp-like sound rather than a harsh, midrangy, saturated sound, this pedal is about as close to a tube amp's distortion as I've heard. I had a Voodoo Lab Sparkle drive, and it didn't take long for me to sell that and get the Fulldrive 2.

The pedal is certainly capable of getting higher gain, compressed distortion sounds via the boost switch and leaving the pull knob down, but again, for a true power amp distortion sound, leaving the comp knob up and using the drive control makes my amp sound great. Not colored, not layered, no loss in the low end...Just a great sound!

Built with a very sturdy steel housing. The powder coated paint finish is also destined for long life. The buttons are built for road use as well and the rubber pads on all four corners of the bottom of the pedal not only make it very stable, but also absorbs shock from the weight of your foot while constantly stepping on it. Well thought out piece of gear.

Never had to deal with them and hope I never have to. Impressive website with a long list of satisfied users (professional and amateur)

Getting the older version and saving $40.00 did not hurt my feelings. Sure I may be missing out on the Vintage vibe the new pedals advertise, but I am quite happy with the sound comming from the pedal I bought. I always try and look for value, but sound always comes first. If you can find a good sound along with a good value, then you've really done well for yourself. I was fortunate to be on the receiving end of old stock while the guitar store was hyping up the new toggle switch version. However, even had the price remained at $180.00, I feel this pedal is well worth the money. This pedal is a nice addition to any amp out there. I use it in front of a Fender Bassman, but I think it would sound great with any amp. Sure not every person reading my review will agree with me, but I feel like I'm in a strong majority in favor of this pedal. I am now a believer in the fulltone product line. You absolutely get what you pay for, and it's worth waiting if you have to save to get the sound you are looking for, rather than just buying a bunch of cheap pedals to have everything. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither should your pedal board be. Unlike some reviews, I enjoy using the fulldrive 2 with humbuckers as well as single coil pickups. Just a matter of preference I suppose.

Anyway, if you are considering one, I strongly recommend you try one. And A/B it against as many overdrive pedals you can demo side by side. Don't just take my word for it. Hear it for yourself. You may like something else, but I think all in all you can't go wrong with the Fulldrive 2

Easy to use, but a little bit more complicated than your average pedal.

Sounds very very good plugged into my Garnet tube amp. I love the sound, but I must say that I liked my DOD Juice Box just as much when I tried them side-by-side. So I sold the fulldrive and pocketed the $140 and I'm able to sleep at night knowing that my $40 stomp box is doing as good a job as something 3 or 4 times the price. From my own experience I can say that this "true-bypass" bandwagon that everyone is jumping on is nothing but hype. It is highly over-rated and I can't say that it is significantly better than anything else. Having said this, there is no denying that the fulldrive sounds great.

Built like a tank.

Great pedal, but would be nice if the compression had a footswitch instead of a push/pull knob.

As soon as I plugged it in, it sounded good. I can't really find a setting that sounds bad, although I've only had it one day. The manual explains everything about the pedal, even though the pedal's not hard to figure out.

I use a Gibson Les Paul Standard through an old Fender Princeton Reverb. Sounds good. The pedal puts out a great "vintage" sound. If you like old rock, this pedal does the trick. It can also sound very bluesy. However, I haven't played through many pedals, I just did a lot of research, trying to figure out what overdrive was right for me. Fulltone stood out, so I tried it. I'm very pleased with the pedal.

Seems to be built like a rock!

Let me begin by saying, I have only had the pedal for a day. However, I did make up my mind as to whether or not it was worth the money. First of all, the pedal looks GREAT! It is built to last. The pedal is versatile, putting out an array of overdrives, from a very transparent boost, to a very warm crunchy harmonic overdrive. The pedal is very transparent; I can hear the origional tone of my Les Paul come right through. I do enjoy playing old rock, and this pedal is great for that. I am very pleased with the pedal.

I found it very simple to use. I just dial in what sounds good to me.

I have to say it is the best overdrive I have heard or owned. Setup - Suhr Tele into Fulldrive II > Keeley Compressor > Analogman CloneChorus > Fulltone Fatboost > Carr Rambler. Minimal Noise and pure tone. Makes my 6l6's sing.

Probably one of the best built pedals in the business.
Play all the time without a backup.

I called one day to ask about the Custom Shop FDII - Mike was very courteous and genuine with his attitude. This is the reason for this post. I read some negative feedback and found when I talked to him that he was very polite and helpful.

Been playing 20 years. Would definately get another even if not lost. I want to get the Red CS Fulldrive II - Just short on funds right now. If you are looking for the best overdrive pedal out there, Try one of these.

Easy to use, manual is short but good and includes two suggested settings, one for blues (supposedly transparent, more on that later) and fusion.

I am using the Fulldrive II with a Fender USA Strat wih fat fifties pu's and a 1991 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24. I play through a Victoria 20112-T amp. This amp, in combination with these guitars, has a beautiful clean tone, with great bottom and a beautiful high end sparkle. The Fulldrive sounds ok, but I am losing quite a bit of the high end sparkle when I am turning on the Fulldrive. I therefore have to disagree with Fulltone about the pedal being total transparent. I used to own a red version Fulldrive II and sold it because of the pronounced midrange of the effect, the blue version in my ears is definately an improvement. I compare this pedal to a number of other overdrives I own: Ibanez TS-9 reissue, original TS-808 and a Carl Martin Hot Drive 'n' Boost. First of all, the Carl Martin and the Fulltone deliver (IMHO) far superior sound quality than the tubescreamers. I always tend to think that the TS's are a bit dull sounding, due to the fact that they destroy both your bottom and high end. I truly can't understand why people are willing to pay a fortune for an old TS-808, in my opinion they are simply not worth the money in comparison with the nowadays boutique effects (and yes, mine does have the good chip). The Carl Martin has a more pronounced high end, but also loses a bit of bottom end. The fulltone loses a bit of the high end, but it is the most dynamic device, it reacts very beautiful on variations in pick attack. In all honesty I must say that, in combination with the Victoria, which gets a bit of a flabby bass when cranked, I tend to favor the Carl Martin, which is also a bit cheaper. I also tend to think that the Fulldrive is primarily voiced for single coiled guitars and blackface amps, and you will get the maximum out of this pedal by using tele/strat and a twin or deluxe reverb.

It seems very well built.

I mainly play blues with this pedal. I am not so much looking for a SRV type of tone, but more a 'in your face' Red Devils kind of sound. The Victoria is excellent for this style, the Fulldrive is good but not completely satisfactory, due to the loss of high end. I honestly think that the first total transparent overdrive effect is yet to be built.

Just a follow up to my other review. Well, big surprise. Im wailing down on my american series strat and getting good to better tones w/ my fulltone fulldrive2. then i pop a string and my drummer says use this peice of crap guitar (old 80's stag w/ old seymour duncans). I plug it in a ... AHHHHHHHHHH... absolutly the tone i was looking for. If youve ever heard STV then this is it... well with this guitar. with my strat its sort of weak but this stag sure brings out the best in this pedal. So now I've started using the Stag as my main guitar and my other strat as a back up or louder more modern music guitar.

just read above.

Finaly!!! I got my tone. Well there you go.
Volume 12 o'clock
Tone 3 " "
Overdrive 12 " "
boost 3 " "
still, i think its a little too pricy. Im gonna order a Keeley Rat Mod soon and see how his mods are.

It is simple enough. But far more options then most OD units to be sure.

Well...I gotta say that this is not the greatest OD I have ever heard. I will admit I like the tones of my guitar and amp all by themselves, end of story. Regarless of what OD I have used there is something lost, a richness and depth or clarity that all effects take away. This is no exception. With this unit I lose much of the tone I really strive for in my sound. At low volumes the effects are very apparent. Not so much once I play in the band setting. I use a Suhr Classic and a Fargen Blackbird or 67 Super Reverb. Those rigs sounds best all by themselves. Adding peddals is a must since volume can be an issue in clubs. This unit does not sound like a tube screamer in any mode that I have heard. The Comp Cut mode is the most transparent by far but is rather brittle if your not clear in your settings. Its just a hint (and I mean a Hint) of OD. the boost function is very usefull here. It acts as your would expect. In the other 2 modes adding the boost adds alot of gain to the sound. Also the other mods are very compressed sounding and much of the dynamics of the guitars sound a smushed up. There is very little air in the chords with these settings. Cool for some things, a bit too much to use live since the sound changes so much. THis unit is rather noisy, about the same as every other unit I have ever used. None are all that quiet regardless of what people tell you. All in all its an OK unit but not worth they hype. This is my second Fulltone effect, and the other went by the way of ebay, as this one might soon. I am simply not happy with any OD I have ever used. They all sound fake and Compressed for my tastes. I have very nice gear and that gear has great tone on its own. Adding this or any other unit does not really improve my sound at all.

Its built well built...I see no problems there

No comment...

It is what it is, but it is not what everyone is looking for. I think there is too much hype around fulltone and the sound that is created. My tastes are well developed and this falls short of the mark of what I would call Good Tone...

This pedal is completely idiot proof! The controls are easy accessible and very comfy to tweak... The boost switch comes in very handy when a solo needs more "panache" on the spot...Mine came without a manual.

I use fender strat and tele, but also music man silhouette. Pedals are crybaby, boss tuner, boss chorus, boss tremolo, MXR phase 90, EH qtron+, fulltone fulldrive 2, ts909dx, mxr distortion, proco rat,EH deluxe memory man, EH holy grail reverb, boss volume pedal, VHT pittbull 45 head (tubeamp) mesa engineering 12" cabinet with EV speaker.

This pedal sounds great! It's really single coil heaven. Superb overdrive sounds, increddible blues sounds and pedal backs off nicely when guitar volume is turned down. Comp Cut function lets you come out of the mix more. This is great for rhythm tracks. It gives that extra punch!
Pristine quality!!!!

R U Kidding? This is Fulltone. These pedals will outlive you!

I mailed Mike once with a question about European prices. 5 minutes later he already replyed.

This pedal outrules every other overdrive. I played an old ts808once, and i would not give up on my FD2. not even for an old ts 808.

This is an inspiring pedal...

I needed a little time to play with and adjust the tone, distortion and boost knobs. But it is pretty simple to dial in a good tone in most situations. I love the comp/comp cut and boost options.

I find the best settings for my Carvin DC135 and Strat with the comp cut and mild overdrive. I must turn the tone knob to about three o'clock. I turn the boost up to ten o'clock and hit it for a little extra drive when I need it. With my Les Paul, I pull the volume knob up(no comp cut) and set the overdrive to about twelve o'clock. I can get a great edge on the tone with my Les Paul. I also use this setting in front of my Keeley-modified TS-9(great pedal) and Sweet Cheeta II pedals to put in a great boost and "edge" in the tone! I also like to hit the boost mode at about ten o'clock with the Les Paul to get a great power tube drive. The Full-Drive sounds great through my Fender DeVille with Svetlana 6L6's and EH 12AX7's.

I have used it a couple of years with no problems. It is well-built and will last.

I have never needed support but I trust Fulltone to stand behind such a good product.

This is a great pedal for a tube-screamer type tone for my Strats and power-drive edge for my Les Paul(and other humbucker guitars). The Full-Drive is great for Blues and Rock'n'Roll! It also adds a great boost and edge to my other pedals. Sounds great through a Fender amp. It will definitely stay on my pedalboard. Good job Mike!

*Fairly simple to use and easy to find the "Sweet Spot" suited to Guitar and the rest of the setup. *Manual was quite straight forward and easy. *No. How do I obtain the firmaware revisions and how do I tap it in?

*Fender 65Neck/54Body Strat+Orange Squeezer pluged in to A/B box loop then connected to FULLDRIVE II+Hush Pedal+Boss Harmonist in "Detune mode"then finally to Line6 DL4(Delay Modeler) and pluged in to Fender 65 Twin Reverb Reissue or Marshall JCM2000(DSL401) or JCM900(4100). *It get quite noisy as I use Comp before FULLDRIVE II. Noise floor gets too high due to this reason when Boost in on. So I hook up Hush Pedal to cut such noise. *It adds just the right amount of "edge" to the pure Strat sound in Crunch mode and Full and Rich Solo Drive Tone in Boost Mode yet the sound still is not muddy and I can hear the pure core tone of my Strat. *I can easily get the "Hiram Bullock" Tone that I love. *Full DriveII matches perfectly to the other effect boxes that I have in my rig. Perfect!

*Basically Yes. Only problem I found was the "Comp Cut" switching facilitated on the control pot which I tend to kick while switching the effect on/off and eventually get to somewhere in the middle position resulting in the very low output in the middle of the solo. I have stacked a sheet of rubber to the shaft of the pot to keep it to the "Comp Cut" position.*Yes. I'm using the setup al the time for the Gig.

*Didn't have chance yet to contact your service person.
*No.

*16 beat Funk/Soul/Jazz/Rock a mixture of all these
*Well over 30 years to date. Bunch of Strats and couple of Les Pauls.
*Yes. Definitely! I can't part with it.
*Killer Tone that convinced me I don't have to carry my heavy amps all the time.
*TS-9 Tube Screamer, Expandra, etc. Fulldrive II had the best "Edge" and clarity of the original Strat tone. Other ones mash them out.
*Separate Comp Cut switch
*It has been extremely helpful and helping me creating good solo licks.
*I would like to reommend all Fulldrive II users to use Orange Squeezer up in front and use Fulldrive with "Comp-Cut".

Simple to use. Will takes a bit of time to dial in that great tone... Mostly finding a niche in the signal path - to use the comp cut or not, run it dirty with a clean amp or set the amp edgy and use the pedal to push it over the edge, which pups (hum/single) sound best with the setup...those kinds of things...

For my situation, I love the FDII.

It's great with single coil pups... It's like most OD pedals and isn't an all in one box. For pop, blues, country and rock, it's great. However, it won't get that gainy/sustainy/singing kind of OD (more where the Distortion Pro comes in).

Pros: The FDII is clean/articulate, quiet and mostly transparent (will add some extra meat in the lowend).
Cons: Tends to sound a bit muddy in the low end with humbuckers.

This thing is a tank.

NA.

The FDII is a great pedal. Love it for Rock, Blues, Pop, Country and some Jazz stuff. Not a gainy pedal, but an extension of the amp to get a great creamy/smooth tube OD.

I play/tour professionally backing a variety of artists. The Fulltone lineup has proven to be reliable, quiet and toneful!!

This is the 2nd FDII I've owned...first was stolen (part of a board that dissappeared). It's a good part of the tones I use. The FDII solved my quest for great OD tones, so I'm now looking for the gainy holy grail.

www.danweller.com/

I had (and am still having) problems finding that tone...my tone, from this pedal. I know it's in there but I just haven't found it yet. Manual explains what everything does. Signed and numbered by Mike so that always makes me feel good.

I use a Fender American Series Stratocaster w/ Seymour Duncan Nashville single coils in all positions. My amp is a Traynor CVY40, that has a pretty decent drive and a better that average clean. It's not noisy (well when you crank it yeah of course!) First drive is nice its got a good crunch to it, but I've found that its missing some highs and mids in there and it sounds kind of mucky some times. When you crank the volume though, i found there is a dramatic difference in sound quality. From 4 - 5 the latter is much clearer and more defined. the distortion channel was a bit of a surprise as i was expecting a more 70's crunch that but this sings. That was surprising. Its not the best for everything but Im getting used to this kind of drive. Also, sustain is unbelievable!!! It there's anything in abundance in this pedal it is sustain... beautiful sustain and harmonics. The comp-cut is interesting as when its pulled out you get a very ... ummm... clear cut, vintage tone i guess.. very nice for soft blues or light jazz. but take mikes warning seriously though about going into distortion with the comp-cut pulled out. It could seriously damage (BLOW UP) your amp if your not carefully. I just stay out of distortion when i have the comp-cut out. Nice tones, still haven't found my tone yet but ill get there and when i do i post again and give a better ratting.

seems strong. one problem though. The volume know seems quite loose compared to the other knobs. This might be do to the comp cut but that knob does not feel very secure.

n/a

It think its a good pedal. It will be great an amazing once i figure it out a little better. Ive been playing for ten years so i know what i want...and ill find it!!!

Like any good distortion pedal, if it were anything other than boneheadedly simple to use it would likely be no good

I always thought the original fulldrive sounded great (read the reviews, so did a lot of other people). The quesion is does this sound noticeably better. The answer is a very convincing yes; more tranparency, more versatility

Well, this is a new pedal but all the other ones have been perfect over five years or so.

I have had occasion to be in touch on what I thought was a problem (but wasn't) I had on another item and the service was extremely professional. No complaints from me.

I have been playing for way too long; I have owned a bunch of gear over the years but now I think I have it down to a great tube amp and a few quality effects. The Distortion Pro is another as is the Maxon AD900, a Captain Coconut and an Analogman Bicomprossor. I went on the performance of other Fulltone units and bought this without trying it; risky but it worked out this time.

Very easy to use despite the six switching combinations. The very usable ranges of the volume, tone, overdrive, and boost controls really allow me to dial in the sounds I like. All the different combinations make it, in my opinion anyway, versatile and not difficult to use at all. The directions that Mike includes with the unit explain exactly what each function does. Brief but very understandable and concise. The only reason that I give it a 9 instead of a ten is that I would like seperate volume controls for the overdrive and boost functions of the pedal.

My current full setup: Fender Custom Shop 1956 NOS Strat -> Teese RMC Picture wah -> Analogman Germanium Sunface fuzz -> Fulltone FD2_SFY -> DLS Chorus~Vib -> Maxon AD80 analog delay -> Dr. Z Maz 18jr 2 by 10. Some of the above I like more than others but that's what I'm using now anyway.

First off, This is the first review I've written for any overdrive type effect. I have never found one that worked well enough with my setup that I felt was worth my time to write about. I am lucky enough to live near a guitar shop that has available about 80% of the high end effects so I've tryed most of them. I even tryed a normal FD2 and couldn't quite roll off enough of the high frequencies to my liking. It was the closest to what I was looking for but just not quite there. After reading on Mikes web site, and seeing that he was going to make this even more transparent, I decided I'd give it a shot. This custom FD2_SFY is much different. It is completely transparent. I love it for playing at lower practice volumes which is what I was looking for), at higher gigging volumes usually the amps own overdrive is plenty for what I do. I do use this at higher volumes when I really want to go over the top though.

As far as noise goes, it doesn't add any that wasn't already there. And that's saying alot for running single coil pickups at higher gains and volume levels.

If you are looking for that classic tube type overdrive, and not massive head crushing distortion, give it a try, I think you may be pleasantly surprised. I was!!

When I give something a ten, it means that I've found exactly what I was looking for with my setup. It drives me absolutely nuts to try to find an unbiased review on this site, or any other for that fact, where someone gives straight tens to every piece of junk that they have ever owned only to justify their purchase. Be very, very cautious. Just because someone down the block or even your favorite pro has a pedal that works well for them, it does not mean that it will for you. Try different things with your own setup; and try it at the volumes that you will be using it at. I have been doing this for longer than I like to admit and I cannot stress this enough.

I come from an electronics backround; and like all of Mike's stuff that I've ever opened up, supurb build quality. To bad not everyone is building stuff with this attention to detail. Some others are, but most are not. If they all were I'd be several dollars ritcher!!

Haven't had much contact with Mike. Only via e-mail. The questions I have asked have been answered promptly and concisely. I have read some of the negative comments but do not know the full circumstances behind them. I do know that people are in business to make a living. I believe that even the somewhat pesty customers need to be treated with respect, but only withing reason. Even for those fortunate enough to make a living at what they love, not everyday is a bed of roses.

I've been playing off and on for 22 years. I play classic rock, electric blues, and acoustic finger style. For blues and classic rock I think this is a very good match.

I really don't hate anything about it. If I could change just one thing, I would add a second volume knob to adjust the boost channel volumes. At most volume levels it's just fine, but when playing at lower practice volumes, the volume seems to jump up about 2 to 3 db's when the boost function is engaged. Under gigging situations this is what you want so that your solo's stand out. I'm fairly certain that's what Mike was shooting for. But, and this is being picky, but it's my situation; I do alot of practicing at night, and in the interests of keeping my wife happy and kids asleep, it would be nice to be able to adjust the volume to "unity" with the primary overdrive channel.

Lot's of usable tones in this box. Honestly I don't think there is a bad sound in this box. Works like a regular FD2 for those that are familar with them. It has a Manual that is helpful explaining what the controls do. Very easy to use

Used with different Strats and a PRS custom 22, with a Clyde, Distortion Pro, Ultimate Octave, Deja Vibe (old white one or new mini hammond box one), H2O chrous/ echo, Little Lanili Reverb...into a Soldano Decatone Head into a Marshall 4X12 cab.
Sometimes I use one of my old Music Mans like the 130HD 4X10 combo or a Black Face Twin reissue that we keep on the truck. Noisy?? hummm Nope Not One Bit! The Comp Cut works like on the old FD2's lot's of gain and clean as a whistle. The FM mode is like the the FD2's that have been around the last few years but is a lot clearer and seems to be more articulate then my blue one from 2000. The guitar retains much more of it's orginal tone...not that it lost that much with the blue ones. The guitar seems to sing with a cleaner tone amd sustain and feedback at the right fequencies without a much distortion at all.The Vintage Mode is a lot thicker sounding but not muddy. To be honest "It's all Good" to me anyway. I really like having the Comp Cut on the switch instead of the volume knob cause it was to easy to step on it when it was on the knob. Having the toggle switch in between the knobs seems to be a good way to protect it. It's a great pedal for Blues, Rock or even Fusion. OH Geee did I even mention the Boost Mode. If you need a more hi gain sound BAM! there it is with the Boost Mode....

All of Fulltones pedals or well constructed. I've been useing them for a few years now and never worry about them failing on a gig. I have my old FD2 but I don't even think about carrying it to a gig as a back up. If for some reason the FD2-S-FY failed on a gig I would get around it some how. Always more then one way to skin a cat.

I have spoken to Mike a few times but not in a few years. I do e-mail him with questions and he always returns my e-mails in a day....most of the time with in a few hours. Mike is a busy guy running his company, doing gigs, maybe sessions, coming up with improvments or new products. He may even have a life somewhere in there and a family ...I don't know. I do know that from doing amp repairs and tech wotk myself that we guitar players are a whinnie lot. I see why Mike has to be curt and to the point with his answers. The few times I have had a real problem he has gone above and beyond to help me out. Incredibly Kind?? He probably is a nice and kind guy, he's just busy . Helpful...Fa Sure so he still gets a ten

I play a lot of R&B, old school Funk, Blues, and I guess Classic Rock is the term for it. I've been playing for 30 years mostly in Louisiana, Texas, Missippi, Alabama, and Florida a few times. My Favorite guitarist is Hendrix, Hendrix and More Hendrix,,,Carlos Santana,,,All the Blues Great's ..T-Bone..BB..Albert..Freddie...Jeff Beck...Jimmy Nolan... Steve Cropper...Tommy Bolin...you get the picture. If it was stolen I would have to replace it somehow...This are Limited editions so I don't know for how long I could get one. I'd be pretty pissed and probably have some body even bigger and meaner then me hurt who ever took it. Fulltone pedals are well made right here in the USA..not farmed out to who know where so I don't mind paying a little more for that. Mike cares about his products and his Customers and that counts for a lot. PLUS!! The Darn things sound GREAT!! I love all my Fulltone boxs and well continue to buy and use them for as long as I can get up on a stage. THis Box is "SO MUCH MORE THEN JUST A PRETTY PAINT JOB!"

i play metall and for my semi distorion it it is awsome and when i play blues its great too, a versitile piece of equipment

i play with strats, [pauls, and esp's and it has a pretty good sound for them all but it's not very heavy great sustain not much feed when i fun thriough my marshall half stack but my fender a little itty bit awsome tone right thier buddy

for damn sure this thing is great unbelievable

5 years and i founf a damn good piece of equipment my friends love it even for my style i give a index and a pinky up to it fellows

fairly easy to use. knobs are flisy though.

Very dissappointed. I was expecting a warm, tubey overdrive. In actuality this pedal is like adding static to your tone. when the drive is "boosted" you can pick up radio stations, it is so noisy. This is a great feature if you want to catch up on the news, but not if you enjoy the sound of your guitar.

knobs are VERY flimsy. stomp switch seems fragile.

glad I bought it used so that I didn't waste $ on this crap. please look elsewhere if you want a good drive pedal.

Just as easy as a normal FD2.
After just a few minutes, it was singin'!
This is the new "Custom Shop" yellow version, with modes switchable between "Comp Cut", "FM" and "Vintage".

I've only had this a day now!! But since I've had an FD2-FM, for over 2 years, I thought I'd tell my bit about the differences between this and the normal FD2.
The "FM" setting is intended to sound like an FD2-FM, but with more transparency. And it does just that, in fact I had to turn down the tone pot a little to stop it piercing my ears!
The "Comp Cut" setting is just like the normal FD2.
Here comes the cream!! The "Vintage" setting sounds much thicker than any Tube Screamer type of overdrive that I've ever heard!
It's very mid-heavy, but it's the low-mids I'm talking about.
It doesn't "bark" at you!
When in the "vintage" mode, switching on the "boost" increases the gain a lot, and thickens up things even more, sustains for ages!
It don't make no other noises!
The switches are quiet, and it's true bypass of course.
This pedal may well put the Klon, (IMHO, the most overrated, overhyped, and overpriced piece of useless junk on the market today),
not only to shame, but maybe also out of business!
No frills or silly greek zodiac signs on this!
This is a real overdrive pedal.
Very versatile, suited to all sorts of music styles, to many to think of.
I use this with a Mesa Blue Angel 4X10 combo with Weber speakers; and Schecter Strats, for blues/rock, texas blues music styles.
Lovely tone from this pedal, how does he do it?

Just one of everything! No back-ups, never had a problem with my Fulltone pedals.
I take care of them.
But you never know............

Mike Fuller has ALWAYS answered my emails, sent me 2 of my 5 pedals personally, and has always been direct, friendly and straight to the point when answering questions.
That's customer support.
If you ever have problems with a Fulltone pedal, tell the man who made it! Not your dealer.

If this was stolen, I would try to buy another, but I don't think that would be very easy, He's not making many of these, and I live in Germany!
Before you buy an old Tube Screamer, an then get it modified etc., think about this pedal. It sounds just as good, if not better; has True Bypass, has SIX (!!) possible sound variations, and is cheaper too!!
By the way, it looks brilliant too!

I just used the Custom Shop Fulldrive2 model S-FY last night for the first time on a gig. Very easy to use - the tone control is optimized so that it's hard to get an unusable tone. The pedal gave me the channel-switching capability I wanted from this (pricy) stomp-box. The 3-way toggle offers a setting that complements each of my guitars. I like the 'FM' (flat mids) setting for my humbucker-equipped/split coil Guild Nightbird, and the 'Comp Cut' setting gives me a straight boost with just a touch of grind using my semi-acoustic Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III. The 'Vintage' setting gives single coils a nice beefy sound while preserving sparkle. It reminds me of the grind of an old Fender amp.

I have a strat (modified '62 reissue) that I'm always struggling with - it's a little thin sounding and I have to raise the action up too high to eliminate fret buzz. Last night I had two excellent guitars tuned and ready to go - but I played my 'problem child' guitar all night. The Fulldrive FD2-SFY sounded so good I didn't want to put the thing down. I used the 'Vintage' setting for the midrange beef that has always been missing. Not overly noisy. I A/B'd the pedal against the distortion channel in my Marshall DSL-401 and found that it compares very well. The DSL uses 'diode-clipping' to produce distortion in the lead channel, so I feel I was comparing similar distortion circuits. I expect I'll only use the amp's lead channel to give me feedback on cue or the occasional high gain flavor. The FD2-SFY offers nice variety but doesn't produce the over-the-top gain that a heavy metal player might want. I've always tended to go for modest gain in the various distortion units I've owned. This is one smooooth overdrive unit.

No eye-deer about this - the unit is brand new.

Michael Fuller responded within one day of an email inquiry,

I am play R&B, rock, and bluesy jazz (as opposed to 'real' jazz). My gigging band features a Hammond player and my tone has to be real organic. I made the move from digital multi-effects (ART SGX2000 Express) - to a digital modelling amp (Johnson J-Station) - and back to stomp boxes a while back, and am moving towards an even simpler setup and sound. I use a Boss RV2 reverb pedal in the effects loop of the amp and a occasionally kick on a Rocktron Tsunami chorus for leslie-like effects. The FD2-SFY has a nice light compression so I may be retiring my compressor - a MXR Dynacomp (script logo). The FD2-SFY is replacing a TubeWorks Real Tube in my live setup. I expect I would try to replace the FD2-SFY if it was stolen (ouch!). Think I covered it all - needless to say I'm very happy with my new purchase. Solid value, but I'm especially happy because it makes me want to PLAY.

This pedal takes a little messing with. Once you figure what knobs and switches go hand-in-hand you are in good shape. Out of the box you can plug in and get a great tone! Having two channels is great! I use one channel for dirty rythyms and crank the gain on the boost for a great rock solo tone!

My set-up is... D'Addario EXL110 10-46> Fender Strat Ultra/Fender Nashville B-bender Tele (Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II in the neck, Fender Texas Special in the middle, and Fender No-caster Reissue in the bridge)/ or Gibson Les Paul Custom> Purevolt Power Supply and Conditioner> Dunlop 535Q Wah> Vintage MXR Dyna Comp (modded for True-Bypass)> Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer (thinking about modding> Fulltone Fulldrive II> Ernie Ball Volume Pedal> T.C. Electronics Chorus> Boss DD-5 Delay> Fender Vibro-King + Fender 212 Cab (Celestion Vintage 30)/ Peavey Classic 30 (smaller venues)/ or Old Silverface Fender Twin Reverb. It can get a little noisy if your signal is in too much of a loop. Can't complain about it though. I use it in the compressor mode. You get more sustain that way. This pedal has true-bypass so you lose no signal in bypass mode! It keeps your amps tone so if you have a good amp it will sound great! Cheap amps will still sound cheap. Your tone is only as good as your weakest link. Use this pedal with delay or a wah and you are ready to rock!

It is built like a tank. You have to break the switchs in when you get it to keep them from popping. I gig without another Fulldrive but I always have an extra overdrive of some sort in my bag.

Never dealt with him but I have heard mixed reviews.

I play anything from blues, country, oldies, rock, bluegrass, jazz, whatever. I have been playing about 8 years but have been gigging regularly for about 2. I have tried a Boss Blues Driver, an Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a few others I can't recall. If it were stolen I would definately buy another. I love everything about it! It is everything you can ask for and more. Hear one before you buy. It is alot of money but quality costs.

It didnt take long for me to figure this baby out. thers only 4 knobs, so it cant be that hard. thers a volume that goes for both channels, a tone knob for both channels, and an overdrive knob for each channel. the left footswitch is for a lighter overdrive, and the right footswitch is for a heavier overdrive. for the comp-cut all u do is pull up the volume knob. easy stuff.

I use a PRS Santana SE(sweet for price) and a Dearmond x-155 semi-hollow into an 80's Fender Blues Deville. My effects are: Fulldrive 2 - Boss DD5 - Boss CE-3 Voodoo Lab Trem- and finally a Vox Wah. the Fulldrive 2 is true-bypass, so its not noisy at all. when this pedal is off you hear absolutely nothing, and it does nothing to change your tone at all(true-bypass kicks ass). This puppy can wail. the 1st drive I use for a light overdrive for playing rhythym and lighter soloes, and i use the 2nd drive for screaming soloes and louder chord work. i love the 2nd drive becuase its awesome for feedback and has great sustain. with the 2nd drive on you do sweet stuff, like play a note and have it sustain into feedback. coolest thing in the world! the comp-cut gives the first footswitch a nice punchy clean boost, and gives the second footswitch a really punchy loud overdrive. awesome for feedback. best pedal ever! i suggest you only purchase this pedal if you have a tube amp, because solid states suck. fulldrive 2 will make your tube amp sing.

this pedal is very dependable, and is built like an old cadillac. i could hit it with a baseball bat for hours and it probably wouldnt break. solid. getting a backup would be a waste of money.

never had any problems so havent had to deal with em.

I play jamband type stuff, lots of blues, and good ol rock. this baby does the trick for all of these. if u play metal, this probably isnt your pedal, and metal sucks anyway. if it were stolen i would definitely get another, its a key factor to my sound. i love being able to hold those notes until they turn to feedback. get this pedal and have a permanent boner.

This pedal is more complex that it would seem at first. The normal and boost channels act together so if you change the normal channel it will affect the boost channel. So you do need to work on getting your sound from it.

This pedal has a lot of different sounds. The normal (flat-mids) mode has a nice distortion that is very usable and works nicely with the boost. The comp-cut is nice but the gargle of transistors can be heard at lower distortion settings. I have yet to find a transistor based pedal that has avoided this problem.

It looks well built inside and out. The switches seem very solid. I can't imagine it have too many problems.

Nice web site. Other than that who knows...

I play a mainly single coil and P90s which work well with this pedal and my fulltone fat boost. I like it better than my other non-true bypass pedals like the tubescreamer.

It came with a little manual book with a few words from Mike Fuller himself (the man who made the pedal)- has lots of good tips. This pedal is very easy in getting a good sound.

This pedal has to have one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard. It's not noisy at all. I use a Fender Strat-> Dunlop wah wah-> Fulldrive 2-> Boss CE-5-> Boss DD-5-> Marshall MG50RCD amp. I can never make up my mind as to what setting I want to put the pedal to because they all sound good! You can get an awesome blues sound (especially SRV's tone), and it does wonders for rock fans as well. When plugged in with a wah wah- this baby shouts. Also, if you put the overdrive down and play with a chorus pedal, the tone is amazing.

This pedal hasn't died on me yet. I bought it back in June '02. I would rely on it without a backup- but I own other dist/od pedals- just in case any technical difficulties arrises, to play it safe.

Haven't dealt with Mike yet. Hopefully I won't have to.

I am mainly into rock 'n roll and blues (Satriani, U2, Hendrix, SRV, Eric Johnson, Ozzy). I've been playing for 7 years now and play in my church youth group band. The Fulltone does a great job with helping me express my emotions through my guitar, whether I am soloing or playing rhythm. This pedal is great and I would be very ticked off if it were stolen- I would replace it immediately!

No manual needed! very simple and easy to use and almost any setting sounds great. Just use with a good guitar and a good amp and you are in tone heaven. Just needed 10 minutes to get my sound.

I use the fulldrive with Tele's and Strat's, I have a custom build amp the Clubreverb by Marble (www.marble-amps.com)Ptp wiring, single channel, 2x10 inch jensen alnico's. The Fulldrive is my main and only effect, sometimes I use an old CE2 chorus or Carl Martin Tremovibe. I used to fancy my old original TS808 a lot but the Fulldrive starts where the TS808 ends and has a lot extra. Unbelievable experience. I don't know how it sounds with humbuckers because my sound is based on single coils. I really sticked to the old TS808 way to long. Settings of the fulldrive: Compcut engaged, volume at noon, tone at none, overdrive at 3 and boost at 2-3. Cleans up very nice when you use the volumepot on your guitar and gives that extra crunchy edge when you need it ! then use boost channel to get a very nice sustain and extra volume and overdrive for your solo's

I am sure I can depend on this very rigid build pedal, one thing I don't like is that for battery change you need a screwdriver and open the whole thing up.

no idea..... From what I heard and read must be ok.

I play blues/funk/soul. This is the pedal I have been searching for for a long time. I have owned many different pedals and still have the old TS808 and some other OD pedals, but the fulldrive is the main and only one on stage. Don't think I need a backup.
I have tried many pedals. This pedal inspires me a lot

This pedal is an all analog circuit with four knobs (VOLUME, TONE, OVERDRIVE, & BOOST), a push/pull (VOLUME knob when pulled cuts the compression) and two footswitches (ON/OFF & BOOST). The layout of the knobs are very familiar and the two LEDS tell you whether the pedal is ON or OFF and if the BOOST is engaged. This is not brain science - this is guitar.

The two page manual was useful for describing each knob's and footswitch's function. It also listed two sample settings. It has four knobs...

Did the tone fairy come to my house and grant me the wish of all tonal purists - your SOUND. The one in your head. The one in my head.

The sound....

My rig : Fender Telecaster (W/Seymour Duncan Custom Shop HOTRAILS) > FULLTONE FULLDRIVE 2 > VOX wah > 1978 MARSHALL JMP 50 watt > cabinet with Celestion 25w 4x12 . I run the amp at five and three (MASTER & PREAMP) which give me a nice clean/crunch.

My favorite setting is with the COMP/CUT engaged, VOLUME at 11, TONE at noon, OVERDRIVE at 9, and BOOST at noon. That sound in my head is now the sound rattling the windows. REALLY.

Now, my main tonal inspiration is DEAN DELEO of STP. He mainly uses Les Pauls (humbuckers) into a MARSHALL style set up for power sound, and uses a VOX AC30 for clarity. I believe his tone to be very full and crisp On sexy bitch (sorry ladies...). I always thought I would need either a VOX or a FENDER type clean running underneath the MARSHALL to give me that open clarity. That "Big Empty-ness".

No mas...I can spend that thousand on a second guitar now....or I can register my car pay my rent...

I have now attained the SOUND i have been looking for. I have it.

ButI couldn't really dial in a bad sound either. The knobs function just as they should, and fluidly. If you use this pedal and have a poor tone, you should learn to play bass. Give up.

It looks pretty solid to me. I have an old IBANEZ TS9/808 that is now a back-up. I don't think I'll need to be using it any time soon though. I hope not because I like to eat and these pedals are expensive ($199).

Mike Fuller is polite and to the point. He responds to e-mails promptly. He handles his business. It is not the nightmare a few of us speak of.

I play hard rock. My tonal goal was big-assed muscle with pristine clarity. This pedal really defines tones. And it's really two pedals in one - OVERDRIVE and DISTORTION (when BOOST is engaged). This pedal is so smooth, and it kicks ass too !

With the COMP/CUT engaged the tone opens up. It is a beautiful thing.

This pedal has done it for me. This pedal might just do it for you.

How can you folks say that Mike Fuller doesn't respond to e-mails ?
I thought that Scot Sier from Budda was quick and polite...Mike was even faster...I was getting responses in minutes. Maybe it was because of the time of day, or maybe it was because I was inquiring about buying a new product...regardless. I had contacted him before about the DP-1 I purchased, and he replied just as fast.
I think as long as you ask an intelligent question he'll respond accordingly.
I manage a customer servic edepartment, and I have a hard time getting my crew to respond as quickly and politley as Mike.

Hi all,
just a quick info for all using the Fulldrive 2, chech this out :http://www.fulltone.com/qaframe.html

Running the Fulldrive2, Bassdrive and FatBoost on 18 volts DC!

Won't that hurt them?

No, not at all, just make sure that the polarity is correct...meaning that the center pin gets the Negative (-), just like the 9volt adapter you'd use with it.

What will it sound like?

Quite different actually....the FD2 gets much more dynamic, a little brighter and a lot less compressed, more articulate, more amp-like, with more of the strings coming through....very nice!. The "Comp-Cut" mode gets a serious increase in headroom without distorting. Using 18volts DC, The FatBoost gets tons more Clean headroom, doesn't distort at all, and can get upwards of 30db of crystal clear gain. The Bassdrive just MUCH better for Bass guitar with the extra headroom and clarity.

I use a power supply, how can I get 18 VDC?

Glad you asked, coming soon are a couple of very special devices from Fulltone.....the DC-Doubler (click for photo pdf) and the Bi-Battery.

The DC-Doubler is a tiny device that attaches outside the pedal (no modification necessary) and simply snaps inline with the 9 volt powersupply cable coming from your (VoodooLab, Fulltone, generic wallwart, SignalFlex, Dunlop, or any other) 9volt DC power source and magically doubles it to a clean, safe 18volts DC.

For you battery purists.....the Bi-Battery, which is a tandem 9volt caddy with a plug on it that connects right to your DC port outside the pedal!....no modifications required making for easy AB comparison depending on the personality you are looking for out of your FD2 or FatBoost.

WARNING !

Do NOT try this on any other pedals by any other manufacturers without first determining whether they have components with high enough tolerances or the result may be fire and/or serious injury to you and perhaps your pedal. The FD2, Bassdrive, and FatBoost are over-engineered to withstand the higher Voltage.

Easy to use - straight forward controls.

Ok, I bought this to use in front of my beloved Twin Reverb along with my Gibson LP Standard, in hopes of turning it into a three channel rig, but I have to say I was really quite dissapointed with the result. Overall, I found the tones to be very harsh and artificial sounding. The green O.D. mode sounded thin and nasal to me regarless of settings. By contrast the red boost mode was too compressed and muddy for my taste - seemed to lack definition. I was able to improve this mode somewhat by turning the tone knob up about 3/4 of the way, but made the OD setting much to schrill.
Yuck!

Very well made, high quality unit. I'm sure it would be completely reliable.

Boy, I know I'm in the minority here but I just don't see why so many people rave over this pedal. Quality is outstanding, but I think the sound is at best mediocre. Overall I'd say the Fulldrive 2 is over-hyped and overpriced.

My Fulldrive2 is an original orange version, no Comp-Cut and pre-flatmids, dated 5/96 production # 425. This is extremely easy to get a good sound out of. I have no manual (I bought it used) and there is no need for one. One of my favorite things about the pedal is the physical setup. The foot-switches are far enough apart for my big foot and the knobs are large enough to tweak the settings (with the foot) mid song.

The set up I have been using for a while is a Warmoth Strat w/ a fatback neck and Lindy Fralin pickups to a Tesse Wah, to the Fulldrive2 to either a 77 modded twin or my 65 Deluxe reverb (point to point w/ a hoffman AB763 board). The Fulldrive pushes both amps (at different volumes) into a sweet overdriven sound. The pedal cleans up so well by adjusting the guitar volume I sometimes run a E-Ball volume pedal after my effects to be able to keep more overdrive at lower rhythm settings.

This pedal is solidly built I especially like the fact that I can replace something if needed, just get out the soldering iron (I do have a fair amount of experience). When I bought the pedal the volume pot was stripped so I had to replace it. It was very easy and there is ample room to do it. Also a battery lasts a good while in it.

I am sorry to say that I have had no contact from Mr. Fuller although I have tried. I attempted to e-mail him several times to inquire about how to get an OEM volume pot that I had to replace. No response on each try (I waited for a month between tries while using the pedal with the stripped volume pot). I finally just gave up and found a guy that had them. Not the most pleasant experience in the world (no hard feelings but he had the chance to get more of my business).

I play Jazz, Blues and Rock and this pedal fits well in all those and in my opinion most applications. I have been playing for 10 years and have used pedals such as a reissue TS-9 (I replaced it with the fulldrive2) the Boss DS-1 and Blues overdrive pedals and it blows those out of the water much warmer and organic. I do like the orange pre-flatmid version better although I have not A/B in the same room only played the blue version on another rig. I have not tried any other boutique overdrive pedals out there but I have my sound so I am not looking. Again I like the layout, it?s got my sound, I utilize the boost often ( a good feature). A little pricey but you get what you pay for. It's a 9 due to the service issue.

So simple to use and fun to play with!

This unit is used along side of a VOX AC 15TBX and a Diamond blue Super jet Ampeg in stereo, a variety of peddles and Zion, Hamer and
Ibanez guitars. It produces exactly what the manufactor says it does; Transparent tube sounding overdrive. Puffy to fulldrive, it has it all.

Had it a couple of years. No problem! Might be the WHITE knobs!
I don't know!

Don't know, Never had a problem.

I play contemporary music mostly. I Like the sound of Firefall's guitarist, Phil Keaggy, Mike Bloomfield, Allman Bros. Clean, silghtly overdriven tube amps at Really LOUD volumes. Unfortunately, where I play will not afford me this luxury of LOUD, so this is my ticket to this EXACT sound at an exceptable volume.
As far as other distortion peddles, I own a hugh variety of the competitions offerings. I do like the Tube Screamer and this peddle is similiar but, MUCH cleaner and not nearly as much loss in bottom end (NO MUDD). Not too much mids! There you have it!

As in my Distortion Pro review I will say that these pedals require a little experience. But everything is pretty simple to figure out.

The tones are good. The versatility of the boost, and the "Comp Cut" contribute to versatility and variety. Wide spectrum available.

Fulltone stuff is built very well.

I've tried to contact them. They never get back to me. Seems like a common theme. Not a big deal really.

Fulltone's quality is obvious. They make good stuff, more directed towards the pro market. It really is great stuff.

I found this pedal very easy to use?

I have quite a few amps,but I play this pedal through my Traynor YCV40(which sounds great).This pedal is awesome.It is so transparent. I'm thinking about buying another one.One for 2 overdrive and one for a clean boost.I probably would give it a 9, but since some idiot down the list decided to give it all 1's cause he's a baby(I got black knobs too,get over it),I'm going to give it as 10.

This thing is very sturdy.

Havent dealt with them, but will give them a 10 just cause

AWESOME!

The Fulltone Fulldrive 2 is extremely easy. There are volume, tone and distortion knobs to adjust. Nothing more. I was particularly impressed with the cutting or boosting of the presence using the tone knob. It is sensitive, so there is a wide range to play with.

I use a 1975 tobacco burst strat with matched pickups out of an '80s vintage reissue, a '99 strat with '61 pickups out of an old Harmony (killer Alnicos), and a Gibson 335 with PAF humbuckers. I run my guitars into the Fulldrive 2, and run an Akai Phaser and a Boss DD-5 Delay through an effect loop on an SK8 pedalboard. I use an Allen Old Flame amp with two Weber 10 CQs. Quite simply, my sound is killing. The Fulldrive helps me shape my sound into shades of Stevie Ray, David Gilmour, or Robin Trower, or a slightly heavier classic Marshall tone ala '70s Alex Lifeson. If you demand tone that is classic, smooth and creamy with just enough chunk, then the Fulldrive is it.

It is too early for my opinion on dependability; however, I have read reviews from others that had to have pushbuttons fixed on these units. The unit looks sturdy, but i'm not sure if it's wired point-to point. It sounds like it is!!! i would use it without a backup, but I don't gig out as often as the pros. I am going to buy another when i can afford it, because it sounds too damn good to use anything else.

The product shipped and arrived in 2 days from Musictoyz.com. The instruction guide has Mike Fuller's signature. Part of my decision to buy this pedal was due to reviews, but also due to the fact that Fuller is a player himself. He understands the importance of keeping the guitar and amp's original tones intact. i prefer to deal with manufacturers who put TLC into their product. I haven't had to deal with the company yet, but read the other reviews. They speak for themselves.

This pedal is a great match for any style of electronic performance. It is great blues and jazz pedal, but due to its ability to create a warm classic Marshall tone with bottom end (Boost), it also produces tones that would work in anything from country to rock to hard rock to metal to punk. The best part is that is sounds killer at high volumes. I have used two Tubescreamers that are modded to be TS-808s, and they don't sound as good as the Fulldrive 2. With the Overdrive and Boost switches, you get two great stages of gain in one pedal. This pedal isn't for Boss Metal Zone fans. The Fulldrive is one of the least processed sounding overdrive pedals. It's better for a meaty classic hard rock sound like Thin Lizzy, Rush, or Van Halen than nu-metal Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park tones. i just prefer a less fuzzy warm distortion with good bottom end that keeps the guitar and amp's tones intact. The Fulldrive is the best distortion pedal I've ever owned.

You can get a reasonable sound almost straight out of the box with this, but thing's star to get interesting once you begin to adjust the controls plus there's a get u started instruction sheet supplied

I'm using the FD2 with a either a Marshall JCM 900 or Carvin Nomad combo and a Strat and Tele with various other effects but this is the only overdrive type effect. I don't really use heavy distortion so I really got it because it sounded so transparent and didn't colour the tone of the amp like most pedal's tend to do making the overall sound muddy and not allowing the string's to be heard clearly, with this pedal I don't have any problem hearing the individual string's even when the drive is set fairly high along with the boost. It can be a bit noisy at higher drive level's but what pedal isn't, some amp's are noisier alone when cranked up and you don't hear it when your playing anyway. The thing I like about the FD2 is that when you alter any of the control's even slightly you hear an immediate difference. The fact that it has two channel's makes it very versatile allowing you to run the amp loud with a fairly clean setting with the first channel set for slight growl and the second set for higher drive as needed, I don't think it would suit anyone who play's metal or want's heavy distortion type sound's but it's almost perfect for my purpose and would suit bluesy style player's IMHO.

Well it's very solidly built and looks like it could withstand almost anything and after a few weeks usage it seem's ok.

Don't know, haven't as yet had to deal with Mike Fuller but I would assume that he would back up his stuff ok

If it were stolen I would be annoyed as it's not the cheapest pedal on the market but I suppose your paying for the expertise that goes into designing and building it and having had a look inside it's immpecably wired with what appear to be high quality component's. Having tried just about every make of drive pedal from mild overdrive's to massive gain type's it's definately the best I have come accross thus far and the two channel's are extremely useful giving you basically a three channel option including the amp. I would have given a 10 here however as I think it's a shade expensive and although this doesn't detract from what it does I feel that due to it's price it warrant's a slightly lower rating in this category.

It took me some time playing with the pedal to get the sound that I like, but once I got it dailed in its great.

My setup is a Custom build Strat with Rio Grande pickups, I like to play in the neck pickup, through a Gibson Goldtone Amp GA15RV, single channel, Fulltone FD2 and a RMC picture wah. I like the FD2 with the cut on (up)seems to give it alot more tone. I just use the Volume Knob on the guitar to get more bite, and than use the boost for a great lead tone.

Its built well have not had any problems at all with it.

I E-mailed Mike when I bought the pedal, thinking that the true bypass wasn't all that I thought it was, but at the time I was not using any effects at all, Mike told me that a cord from the guitar to the amp will sound different,so I worked with the pedal now I love the sound that I get out of it.

I play blues for the most part, and I like the sound of Clapton and the Allman Brothers,and I can get those sounds from this pedal, I don't like to play real loud so this pedal lets me not play to loud and get great tone. I've been playing for 36 years and play in two bands every weekend so I do use the pedal in real live places all the time.

Easy to tweak and get a nice sound

I play a PRS custom 22 through a Bogner Shiva. The Bogner is an awesome amp, and the dirty channel with or without the boost sounds great, but I find the Fulldrive 2 through the clean channel sounds even better (even amazing)

Oops. The pedal died right before a major gig. I changed the battery, fooled with the wires, but no luck. I was crushed. Turns out the on/off switch had died. New switch courtesy of Flynn Bros. Guitars and I am back in business. But now I pack a back-up.

I went through my local music store (and it wasn't cheap to get it fixed) but that sound is worth it.

It only enhances the great tone of my guitar and amp. Very warm and musical and cleans up very nicely with the guitar volume truned down a bit. I have never written an unsolicited review of anything in my life but I love this pedal.