The Caline Mellow Drive is a D-style overdrive pedal: a stompbox that tries to simulate the transparent and smooth tone of the Dumble amps, the sought-after tube amp circuits made famous by players such as Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Robben Ford. It is made in China and sells for around $50 USD, placing it among the most affordable takes on that circuit style1.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "a seriously smooth blues machine that works equally well across any genre," noting that it cleans up beautifully with the guitar volume pot and reacts to pick attack, running from gentle break-up to medium drive. He framed it as a pedal for blues, rock and country players1.
Controls
The Mellow Drive keeps things to four knobs, covering saturation, output level and two stages of EQ2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of saturation, together with Volume2 |
| Volume | Controls the overall signal volume1 |
| Tone | Adds rich harmonic high mids to your tone1 |
| Voice | Adds brightness and presence to your tone1 |
The Tone and Voice knobs overlap in purpose but work different parts of the top end. Delicious Audio's buying guide describes the pair as "a Tone control that adds high mids, and a Voice knob for extra presence," with the Volume and Gain knobs handling saturation and output volume2. For a player, Tone shapes the upper midrange character of the drive, while Voice pushes the pedal forward in the mix.
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 50 mA, so any standard pedal supply handles it1. It is true bypass, and the aluminum alloy casing is the same style of build Caline uses across its range of budget overdrives, which includes pedals like the Caline CP-84 Honeycomb Tone Overdrive and the Caline G-002 Green Mamba Drive1.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio listed the Caline Mellow Drive among its recommended Dumble-style pedals, describing it as "a tribute to one of the most sought after and world renowned tube amp circuits made famous by players such as Eric Clapton"1.
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Questions
Is the Caline Mellow Drive true bypass?
Yes. The Mellow Drive is a true bypass pedal, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without the pedal's circuitry loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where several effects sit between guitar and amp, since buffers and non-true-bypass designs can dull the tone when engaged or off.
What power does the Caline Mellow Drive need?
The Mellow Drive runs on 9V DC center negative and draws 50 mA. A standard pedal power supply or daisy chain that provides 9V DC center negative will run it, and its modest current draw keeps it well within the capacity of most multi-output supplies.
How much does the Caline Mellow Drive cost?
Delicious Audio reported a price of around $50 USD when it covered the pedal in October 2021. Caline pedals are sold as budget alternatives to boutique designs, and the Mellow Drive's price reflects that positioning.
What is the difference between the Tone and Voice knobs on the Mellow Drive?
The Tone knob adds rich harmonic high mids to your tone, while the Voice knob adds brightness and presence. In practice, Tone shapes the upper midrange character of the drive and Voice pushes the pedal forward in the mix. Together with Volume and Gain, they cover saturation, output level and EQ.
Where is the Caline Mellow Drive made?
The Mellow Drive is made in China. Caline builds its pedals there in aluminium alloy casings and sells them at budget prices, which is how the brand positions itself against the boutique circuits its pedals take inspiration from.
Sources (2)
- Caline Mellow Drive D-Style Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2021-10-07
- Best Dumble-Style Pedals For Your Needs & Budget, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-25
