We get to meet a lot of great people doing this pedal review thing, and today’s up-and-coming company are no exception. Starting with their flagship pedal, the Lion Drive, the folks at Monarch Musical Devices are right up our alley, being as kind and communicative as can be. Not to mention this blue beast they sent us to check out adds some sparkle and shimmy to any amp or guitar tone, so let’s check it out…
The Lion Drive is basically 2-3 pedals in one, depending on how you arrange the control knobs. A classic take on an overdrive circuit, it provides a wide range of tones to work with, from a sweet clean boost to a gritty little drive to a big, fat, overdriven crunch. Full of clarity and punch, the Lion Drive also features a two-band Bass and Treble EQ section, allowing you to dial in the frequencies you need to make your amp sing. The Gain and Volume knobs work together to mix the dirt with the output, and once you add the EQ into that, you have a full, rich-sounding pedal that works in numerous musical scenarios.
The Lion Drive is 100% hand-crafted in Overland Park, Kansas (where I lived for a short time as a youngster), is true bypass and features a durable powder coated finish with laser etched graphics. The crew at Monarch Musical even sent us a bag of local coffee with the pedal, which we cannot get enough of! Drive you amp into mild breakup, add in a touch of grit and grime or crank it up for a powerhouse overdrive – the Lion Drive has got your many bases covered with ease. Thanks again to the Monarch crew for letting us check this guy out – head over to their Reverb.com shop to grab one of these guys at a super-cheap introductory price, and stay tuned for more demos of their pedals as they progress – we can’t wait to see what’s next!
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