The DanDrive Tweedy is an overdrive pedal made in Germany by builder Dan Querner, designed to put the sound of an early 1950s Fender 5B3 Tweed Deluxe amp into a stompbox1. It is a small pedal with a distinctive look: the enclosure is wrapped in shellac-lacquered tweed cloth, a direct nod to the amp it is chasing1. Guitar.com reviewed it in June 2020 and rated it 9 out of 10.
What it does to your sound
The Tweedy is built around the character of the 5B3 Deluxe, the small tweed-covered Fender amp from the early 1950s that players associate with gritty, touch-sensitive breakup. Delicious Audio's buying guide describes it as based on the sound of an early '50s 5B3 Deluxe, saying it "imparts convincing vintage Fender tones onto your amp"2.
Guitar.com, naming it among the best guitar pedals of 2020, described what that means in practice: "flattering compression for Strats, round but never flabby low-end warmth, gritty organic drive with a PAF-loaded Les Paul, and beautiful top-end transparency"3.
Controls and power
The control set is deliberately simple, matching the straightforward circuitry of the amp it models1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response |
Power comes from a 9V battery or a 9V DC 2.1mm center negative adaptor, the standard pedalboard supply format1. Switching is true bypass, so the pedal is out of the signal path when off1.
Guitar.com's review unit was an early example: the reviewer was told that production versions would have covered bases to match the rest of the housing, so later pedals look finished on the underside as well as the top1.
The tweed covering
The shellac-lacquered tweed cloth covering is not just decoration: it mirrors the cabinet material of the 5B3 Deluxe the pedal is named after and modeled on1. Guitar.com's reviewer called it "resplendent in its shellac-lacquered tweed covering"1.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com rated the Tweedy 9 out of 10, with a verdict that sums up the pedal's appeal: "Short of stumping up a few grand for a vintage amp, there are few more convincing routes to authentic Tweed tone than this"1. The same site later included it in its best guitar pedals of 2020 feature3.
Related tweed-style pedals
The Tweedy is not the only pedal chasing the tweed Deluxe sound. If you are comparing options in this territory, tweed-style overdrives also include the Mad Professor Little Tweedy Drive, which runs from an external 9-volt DC power supply or a battery4, and the Nunu Devices Tweedy Bird, which Guitar World's reviewer noted runs on a 9-volt battery or an external power supply5. For the wider field, see the Overdrive Pedals type page.
Buying a Tweedy
Guitar.com lists DanDrive's contact points as atbguitars.com and the Instagram account @dandrivepedal1. The reviewed price was €369 as of June 20201.
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Questions
Does the DanDrive Tweedy take a 9V battery?
Yes. Guitar.com's review lists the Tweedy as powered by a 9V battery or a 9V DC 2.1mm centre negative adaptor, so it can run on either. That makes it straightforward to fit into a pedalboard power setup or to run standalone on a battery.
Is the DanDrive Tweedy true bypass?
Yes. Guitar.com's review lists true-bypass switching among the pedal's features, so the pedal is removed from the signal path entirely when switched off.
Why is the DanDrive Tweedy covered in tweed?
The tweed covering is a nod to the amp the pedal is modelled on: the early 1950s Fender 5B3 Deluxe, an amp famous for its lacquered tweed cabinet. Guitar.com described the pedal as resplendent in its shellac-lacquered tweed covering.
Where can I buy a DanDrive Tweedy in the US?
Guitar.com's review lists DanDrive's contact points as atbguitars.com and the Instagram account @dandrivepedal, which are the routes the maker gives for enquiries about the pedal.
Sources (5)
- Review: DanDrive Tweedy, Guitar.com, 2020-06-22
- Best Tweed-Style Overdrives & Fender-in-a-Box Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-13
- Gear Of The Year: Best guitar effects pedal of 2020, Guitar.com, 2020-12-03
- Mad Professor Little Tweedy Drive pedal, gearnews.com, 2018-01-13
- Gear Review: Nunu Devices Tweedy Bird Overdrive Pedal, Guitar World, 2016-09-12
