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Fulltone Fulldrive II

dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
edited February 2007 in Musicians and Gearheads
Help me out here folks. I've never had the chance to play one but I hear nothing but good things. The boost feature is a big plus and is the main reason I'm so interested in it.

so how does the Fulldrive compare to other ODs out there? Shannon, Keeley BD-2, OCD, etc. I basically wouldn't want another overdrive that's similar to the Shannon.

I'm looking at different overdrive options with the plan to replace my Keeley BD-2. I just don't use it enough and it's mainly just on my board as a boost (therefore the Fulldrive could be a great option for both a boost as well as a different type of overdrive).

Lastly, is there a big difference between the standard version and the mosfet version? What are the advantages/disadvantages? It's not that big of a deal to me, but is the mosfet version going to be a limited run? Is it worth the extra $$$.


If anyone's interested in the Keeley BD-2 shoot me a PM and I'll keep you in mind if I decide to sell...you may even help make my decision easier :)
"I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

"Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

"I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Dirty_FrankDirty_Frank Posts: 957
    I can't answer all those questions, but I can provide my 2C on the boost function.

    I find that that boost function on the FDII is probably the weakest part of the pedals as a whole. It doesn't add much volume, and only saturates the sound more, but I find that it doesn't sound natural when doing it.

    I much prefer to boost the Fulldrive OD with a Boss SD-1. That's the pedal I've found that works best as a booster for it.
  • greendisease4greendisease4 Posts: 27
    first of all, i agree with dirty frank, the boost is not as much as it is made up to be and he is exactly right about the vol and saturation. as far as mosfet goes, i have that version and i think it is ok, adds a little more grit when using the mosfet, but i tend to keep the pedal on the standard mode with the vintage. that being said i don't know whether it is a whole lot more worth having the mosfet version.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,135
    I can help you with the OCD, it's my favorite pedal that I have and I will keep it for ever and ever

    The OCD is more of a distortion but still sounds like an overdrive. The OCD is very smooth sounding and can get you classic rock overdrive as well as PJ or modern distortion when you play with the settings. The OCD has A LOT of distortion to it. There are 2 features on the OCD, there is a vintage which I use all the time and then there is a british sound. The british sound basically just has more volume and more bite to the sound.
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore
  • pnjguypnjguy Posts: 28
    I have a fulldrive II, i feel like a need more distortion with my Fender HRD. I really like the big muff sound, could that be used simultaneaously with the Fulldrive. I know one is a distortion/fuzz and one is an overdrive. Im just wondering if its worth getting a big muff and selling the fulldrive or not.
  • Dirty_FrankDirty_Frank Posts: 957
    pnjguy wrote:
    I have a fulldrive II, i feel like a need more distortion with my Fender HRD. I really like the big muff sound, could that be used simultaneaously with the Fulldrive. I know one is a distortion/fuzz and one is an overdrive. Im just wondering if its worth getting a big muff and selling the fulldrive or not.


    If you're using a clean amp, the Fulldrive II does an awesome slightly gritty sound that emulates a clean tube amp at the breaking point of overdrive, which is impossible to achieve at normal volumes.

    Now you take that sound, and throw a Big Muff over top of it, and it's heavenly. I find that the Fulldrive does the most accurate tube sounding drive at low volumes out of all the pedals I've tried.

    Now when you take the Fulldrive into an amp that actually is at the breaking point of OD (which I do in my band practices and shows), it sounds absolutely amazing, and you get far more natural gain than you can at low volumes. Seriously, at low volume, with the gain at 11:00, it's bluesy and responds well to dynamics, but at loud volumes on a tube amp, it absolutely screams, while retaining the touch sensitive dynamics. The flat mids setting is best for that, as it's more transparent than the ts9 mode, but it's great too for raw, ballsy overdrive.
  • dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
    Thanks for the insight. Too bad about the boost function not being too great...that would have been perfect.

    So any reviews on the Fatboost?...or any other boosts...
    "I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

    "Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

    "I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
  • pnjguypnjguy Posts: 28
    Dirty_Frank wrote:
    If you're using a clean amp, the Fulldrive II does an awesome slightly gritty sound that emulates a clean tube amp at the breaking point of overdrive, which is impossible to achieve at normal volumes.

    Now you take that sound, and throw a Big Muff over top of it, and it's heavenly. I find that the Fulldrive does the most accurate tube sounding drive at low volumes out of all the pedals I've tried.

    Now when you take the Fulldrive into an amp that actually is at the breaking point of OD (which I do in my band practices and shows), it sounds absolutely amazing, and you get far more natural gain than you can at low volumes. Seriously, at low volume, with the gain at 11:00, it's bluesy and responds well to dynamics, but at loud volumes on a tube amp, it absolutely screams, while retaining the touch sensitive dynamics. The flat mids setting is best for that, as it's more transparent than the ts9 mode, but it's great too for raw, ballsy overdrive.

    so your saying that i should get an attenuator rather than the big muff?
  • All Those YesterdaysAll Those Yesterdays Posts: 2,723
    Fulltone's web site has sound clips

    http://fulltone.com/stpframe.html
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  • armanHammerarmanHammer Posts: 471
    Also check out the Radial Tonebone. Eric Johnson (also a devotee of the FD2) swears by it, and Steve Lukather of Toto calls it an 'incredible asset to his sound'. I tried the Classic and it was amazing. I wish I could say more, but I can't remember details of it because it was in Guitar Center at closing time and I was under pressure to hurry up and finish, and I hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. So if it sounded good in those conditions, I can't imagine how nice it actually sounds :-P

    http://www.radialeng.com/re-guitarists.htm
    Riverside.. LA.. California. EV?
  • Dirty_FrankDirty_Frank Posts: 957
    All Those Yesterdays wrote:
    Fulltone's web site has sound clips

    http://fulltone.com/stpframe.html

    Those sounds clips sound fairly accurate. Sound like they're at a lower gain level, but they pretty much show only a tiny amount of what it can do.
  • TheLuckyOnesTheLuckyOnes Posts: 472
    just picked up a used FDII about two weeks back, and i'm liking it for main rhythm crunchiness. I like the setting switch alot, tho i find i'm pretty much in the standard mode. At the moment i never use the Flat mode, tho i use comp cut for cleaner lead type tones, mostly just with a Strat. I think comp cut doesn't handle 'buckers really well. The standard setting doesn' react much in gain settings, fairly mid gain all the time.

    I like the boost, but it does exactly what has been stated. This is because the boost section is before the OD side. If you ran a boost pedal into a TS9, you're going to get mostly distortion, not volume increase. But i do like this, as stated. I'm using the FDII into a box of Rock, which has a boost after it's od side, so i use that as my volume boost.

    i want an OCD. i won't be happy til i get one. after that, then i can honestly state whether the FDII will stick around. i'm using a crap load of OD's these days, and i'm going to buy a pedalboard soon, which will force me to actually make a choice among the growing pile of distortions.

    Oh, also, i've heard alot of great reviews for the Mosfet. if you're buying new, i'd seriously consider it.
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