The Ashdown Engineering Pro-FX Retro Drive is a drive pedal voiced specifically like a vintage guitar amp, in this case one with a British character. MusicRadar describes it as an amp-like, amp-friendly overdrive and a modestly priced way to add vintage-style overdrive to a rig1. It sits in the overdrive camp rather than the heavier end of the drive family: if you want more aggression than an amp-style overdrive gives, that is the territory of distortion pedals, while fuzz pedals go further still.
What it does to your sound
The Gain knob, in MusicRadar's description, takes you through all shades of driven amp crunch through to full-on raunchiness and harmonics reminiscent of a vintage non-master volume British amp with the volume maxed1. In plain terms: at low settings it behaves like an amp just starting to break up, and turned up it delivers the saturated, harmonically rich drive you would get from pushing an old non-master volume amp hard. That amp-friendly voicing is the pedal's stated purpose, and it places it among the broader family of overdrive pedals built to push a valve amp or imitate one.
MusicRadar's overall verdict was positive:
"Amp-like and amp-friendly, the Retro Drive is a modestly priced solution for adding vintage hot sauce overdrive to your..."1
The controls
The front panel is a simple three-knob layout with a bypass footswitch, which is all a vintage amp-style overdrive needs1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bypass footswitch | Switches the pedal in and out of the signal path1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive, from subtle breakup to full-on raunchiness1 |
| Output | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| Tone | Shapes the treble character of the drive1 |
Power, connections and build
The Retro Drive runs on a 9V DC adaptor drawing 50mA. MusicRadar notes the adaptor is not supplied, so plan for a spot on your power supply or a separate adapter1. Connections are a standard input and standard output1.
Like the rest of the Pro-FX range, it uses a steel enclosure with an anodised fascia and rubber feet, and the jacks are top-mounted, which MusicRadar points out allows for fastidious pedalboard curation: top-mounted jacks keep patch cables tidy and let pedals sit closer together1.
The 9V DC adaptor is not included with the pedal, so budget for a power supply if you do not already have one1.
Price
Guitar World lists the price as £792.
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Questions
Is the Ashdown Retro Drive true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar lists the Retro Drive as a true bypass pedal, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through the pedal without any buffering or tone change. That matters on a pedalboard where several pedals in a row can gradually dull the signal if they are not true bypass.
Does the Ashdown Pro-FX Retro Drive come with a power supply?
No. The pedal runs on a 9V DC adaptor drawing 50mA, and MusicRadar notes the adaptor is not supplied, so you will need to provide your own. A standard pedalboard power supply output rated for at least 50mA at 9V DC will run it.
Who designed the Ashdown Pro-FX Retro Drive?
According to MusicRadar, the Pro-FX range was designed in the UK by Ashdown Engineering's resident electronics specialist Dave Green. The pedals themselves are made in China.
Where is the Ashdown Retro Drive made?
MusicRadar lists the pedal's origin as China. The Pro-FX range it belongs to was designed in the UK by Ashdown Engineering.
Sources (2)
- Ashdown Pro-FX Retro Drive review, MusicRadar, 2022-04-20
- Ashdown Pro-FX Retro Drive review, Guitar World, 2021-12-06
