Fulltone Full-Drive 2 Overdrive

With so many new and exciting overdrive pedals popping up every other day lately, sometimes we forget about the pedals that really helped to revolutionize this current industry we are able to behold and enjoy. That’s why it’s nice to revisit some popular pedals from the past from time to time, and today’s review is for a pedal that should not need any introduction. One of the best all-time selling boutique overdrives on the market, and still killing it today, the Full-Drive 2 from Fulltone.

This was one of the first overdrive pedals that really caught my eye after I picked up the electric guitar – the shape, the controls, 2 foot switches…it was (and still is) a thing of beauty. Volume, Tone and Overdrive are the main controls on the Full-Drive 2 (we’ll get to the Boost function in a minute), and each of them does exactly what you hope it would do. Mixing these together with the toggle switch, which features 3 distinct clipping modes, garners some very different but extremely useful drive sounds, ranging from a slight crunch to a thick-and-meaty roar, with multiple levels of volume and distortion sandwiched in between these two extremes.

The Boost control adds a special element to this overdrive, kicking it up just a notch in order to really drive you amp into the sweet zone. Controlled by the final knob on the right-hand side, this added bonus gives off a bit of oomph that may have been missing before, and will really enhance the Full-Drive 2 if it’s already maxed out, perfect for soaring lead tones and heavier rhythmic sections of songs as well.

There’s a newer version of this pedal as well, the MOSFET, which some say is better than the original, while some vehemently disagree with that statement (personal preference, as always). Having played both, I tend to lean towards this original version, it just seems a little warmer and friendlier, if that makes any sense. Don’t get me wrong, the MOSFET version sounds excellent, it’s really just red apples vs. green apples. Regardless, Mike and everyone at Fulltone continue to surprise and delight us year after year, so go check ’em out and see for yourself!