The Drunk Beaver Kavun MOS Drive is an overdrive pedal and the signature drive of Ukrainian funk-rocker Denys Toporchuk (Денис Топорчук). It began life as the builder's PD #9 Kharkiv CMOStortion, which Guitar Pedal X reports was a big hit with Toporchuk, and it evolved into this full-release signature edition1. Drunk Beaver's pedals are designed by Vitalii Bobrov2.
Controls and power
The Kavun carries five knobs: Bass, Mid, Treble, Level and Drive. That three-band EQ is unusual on an overdrive at this price and lets a player shape low, mid and high content independently before setting overall output and gain1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Bass | Low EQ band |
| Mid | Middle EQ band |
| Treble | High EQ band |
| Level | Output volume |
| Drive | Gain amount |
Ports are TS In, a 9V DC center negative jack drawing 65mA (100mA recommended), and TS Out1.
At 65mA, the Kavun sits above what many daisy-chain outputs deliver. Guitar Pedal X recommends a 100mA supply, so give it its own higher-current outlet on a shared supply rather than a low-current slot1.
How it differs from the Kharkiv CMOStortion
The Kavun is a substantial rework of the Kharkiv rather than a cosmetic variant. Guitar Pedal X lists the changes as an input buffer, discrete opamp changes, clipping changes, and changes to the target frequencies for the EQs versus the Kharkiv1. The EQ opamp is a CMOS Texas Instruments LinCMOS TL2272 variant1.
Two differences matter most to a player:
- Buffer: the Kavun has an input buffer where the Kharkiv did not, which Guitar Pedal X notes makes it closer in some ways to the Mostortion1.
- Clipping: the Kavun uses MOS + germanium clipping against the Kharkiv's green LEDs1.
Drunk Beaver describes the result as a crisper, more present, balanced and articulate overdrive; the same review calls it better balanced, more present and crisper, an all-round even more pliable overdrive1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson compared the Kavun against the Walrus Voyager II and 385 II and found the Kavun came out ahead on balance and cleanup1:
"overall I rather prefer the Kavun - it really is incredibly well balanced, and has a decent amount of cleanup action too"
The enclosure drew praise too: a green sparkle finish with a water melon and axe motif (кавун + топо́р), a play on the pedal's name and its signature artist's1.
Where it sits in the Drunk Beaver range
Drunk Beaver names most of its pedals after Ukrainian cities, and the Kavun joins a wider line of overdrives including the Kharkiv Supercharged CMOS Overdrive, the Khmelnytskyi OD, the Olbia Overdrive and The Forest Song v3.0. For more on the type, see Overdrive Pedals.
Videos
Drunk Beaver Pedals
Mind the G.A.S.
We As A Company
Questions
What is the Drunk Beaver Kavun MOS Drive based on?
It is an upgraded edition of Drunk Beaver's PD #9 Kharkiv CMOStortion, first released in May 2023. For the Kavun, builder Vitalii Bobrov added an input buffer, made discrete opamp changes, swapped the clipping from green LEDs to MOS plus germanium, and revised the target frequencies of the EQ. The EQ opamp is a CMOS Texas Instruments LinCMOS TL2272 variant.
How much current does the Kavun MOS Drive draw?
Guitar Pedal X lists the Kavun MOS Drive at 65mA, with 100mA recommended for its power supply. It runs on 9V DC center negative, so a standard pedal supply output rated at 100mA or more will cover it.
Does the Kavun MOS Drive have a buffer?
Yes. Guitar Pedal X notes that the Kavun has an input buffer, which the earlier Kharkiv CMOStortion did not. That is one of the main circuit changes separating the two pedals, alongside the clipping and EQ revisions.
What does Kavun mean on the Drunk Beaver pedal?
Kavun is the Ukrainian word for water melon, and it pairs with Toporchuk's name for the axe motif: the pedal's green sparkle enclosure carries a water melon and axe graphic, written up by Guitar Pedal X as кавун plus топо́р.
Who is Denys Toporchuk?
Denys Toporchuk (Денис Топорчук) is a Ukrainian funk-rocker. Guitar Pedal X reports that the Kharkiv CMOStortion was a big hit with him, and the Kavun MOS Drive became his signature drive pedal as a result.
Sources (2)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-08-22
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-01
