The Dr. No Effects Drive-0-Matic CC-SG Limited Edition is a handmade overdrive/booster pedal built to the modified specification the maker originally made for Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. It uses asymmetrical diode clipping and, compared with the Original Drive-0-Matic, it carries more bass low end and a higher gain setting1.
What it is and how it differs from the original
Dr. No Effects describes the CC-SG directly: "The Drive-0-Matic CC-SG is the modified version of the Original Drive-0-Matic especially made for Chris Cornell." The modifications are the point of the pedal: "more bass low end and more gain setting" than the original version1. In practice that places it a step fatter and hotter than the standard Drive-0-Matic, in the same overdrive-plus-boost territory as the original rather than a different effect type. Players comparing it with other overdrives can see how asymmetrical clipping designs sit in the wider field in our Overdrive Pedals guide and in the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison.
| Original Drive-0-Matic | Drive-0-Matic CC-SG Limited Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Overdrive/booster | Overdrive/booster1 |
| Clipping | Asymmetrical diode clipping | Asymmetrical diode clipping1 |
| Low end | Standard | More bass low end1 |
| Gain | Standard | Higher gain setting1 |
| Production | Commercial build | Limited series of 50, described as the last of its kind1 |
The Chris Cornell connection
The CC-SG exists because of Cornell's use of the original pedal. According to the maker, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell discovered the Drive-0-Matic, ordered two modified versions for Soundgarden, and used his modified Drive-0-Matic as a main drive pedal in his last years2. The CC-SG is built "with the exact modds I exclusively did for him," in the builder's words, and the run of 50 is described as the last series of its kind1.
"The Drive-0-Matic CC-SG is the modified version of the Original Drive-0-Matic especially made for Chris Cornell."
Availability
The pedal is not a general retail release. The maker states: "Only and exclusively at www.drno-effects.com"1. It carries a list price of € 295.001.
The CC-SG is sold only through the Dr. No Effects webshop, and the maker describes the 50-pedal run as the last series of its kind1.
The Drive-0-Matic story
The Drive-0-Matic was the builder's first design: "The Drive-0-Matic was my first evolving commercial build"1. The very first working copy, the Drive-0-Matic No#1, came "straight from the archive and private collection of Dr. No" and was offered as a one-off with its original box, its original wear, and a certificate of authenticity2. That first unit still carried the old PPSR logo that Philips did not agree with2. It has since sold2.
The original Drive-0-Matic line itself was later retired: in a 2012 news post the maker said of the then-new PowerDriver II, "This is going to be a replacement of the Drive-0-Matic, and will include some extra features and options"3. The PowerDriver line continues in the Dr. No effects PowerDriver MkII.
Videos
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Questions
How many CC-SG Limited Edition Drive-0-Matic pedals were made?
Dr. No Effects describes the CC-SG as a small series of 50 handmade pedals, built with the exact modifications the builder had done exclusively for Chris Cornell. The maker also notes it is the last series of its kind, so the run is fixed at that number rather than an open production line.
Where can the Drive-0-Matic CC-SG be bought?
According to the maker's product page, the CC-SG is sold only and exclusively at www.drno-effects.com, the Dr. No Effects webshop.
What is the difference between the CC-SG and the Original Drive-0-Matic?
The CC-SG is the modified version of the Original Drive-0-Matic, made especially for Chris Cornell. Compared with the original, it has more bass low end and a higher gain setting, while keeping the same overdrive and booster format with asymmetrical diode clipping.
What type of clipping does the Drive-0-Matic CC-SG use?
The CC-SG uses asymmetrical diode clipping, the arrangement the maker gives for the pedal. Asymmetrical clipping clips the signal waveform more on one half of the cycle than the other, an approach shared by many overdrive designs.
What was the Drive-0-Matic No#1?
The Drive-0-Matic No#1 was the first working effect built by Dr. No, later discovered by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, who ordered two modified versions and used his modified Drive-0-Matic as a main drive pedal in his last years. The No#1 itself was a one-off sold from the maker's archive with its original box and a certificate of authenticity, and it has since sold.
Sources (3)
- DRIVE-0-MATIC CC-SG LIMITED EDITION -, Dr. No Effects (drno-effects.com), 2026-06-14
- The Story of the Drive-0-Matic, Dr. No effects webshop, 2024-10-31
- DrNo-Effects PowerDriver II, DrNo-Effects, 2012-11-28
