The Brute Drive is an overdrive pedal from E.W.S.. It came to wider attention through the Eric Gales model, which Pedal of the Day had previously reviewed, and through its smaller sibling, the EWS Little Brute Drive, a mini overdrive123.
What it does
Premier Guitar's reviewer described the Brute Drive as "voiced for a smooth, classic distortion sound, and it is right on the mark", adding that it is not voiced for metal but is well suited to anything from the softest blues to a pretty blistering hard rock sound4. The enclosure is "made of shiny, bulletproof aluminum with clear rubber feet"4.
On the Brute Drive Distortion, the Tone control shapes the character considerably. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found that before noon on the Tone control "you get a nice overdrive sound, sort of a pushed-tube-amp thing going on"5.
The Little Brute Drive
The Little Brute Drive is a mini overdrive pedal with a single Gain knob. MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, described it as "taking a clean amp into overdriven territory or pushing an already driven amp that extra mile", and found that turning up the gain "you'll start with a low-level crunch, through to a nice rich full-on overdrive/distortion"6.
Its verdict was positive:
"Flexible - works as a booster and a distortion. Overdrive is up there with the best."
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, heard a similar range: moving the Gain knob slowly clockwise yields "a multitude of drive sounds, from a sweet, chime-y boost to a growling overdrive" bordering on distortion when maxed out. He also noted the pedal is beefier than expected, and that it "really did surprise me in it's sound and options, and while it's still a very basic overdrive" it avoids being a one-trick pony1.
A feature both reviewers picked up on is hidden inside the pedal:
- A pair of set-and-forget internal trimmers set the output level and the amount of treble content6
- Opening the back panel reveals two internal trimpots that allow for more tonal tweaking1
The three versions at a glance
| Brute Drive Distortion | Little Brute Drive | Little Brute Drive II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Full-size pedal32 | Mini pedal6 | Mini pedal, updated3 |
| Voicing | Smooth, classic distortion; not for metal4 | Boost to overdrive/distortion6 | Updated version of the original3 |
| Controls | Tone shapes character; below noon it is a pushed-tube-amp overdrive5 | Gain knob, plus two internal trimmers for output level and treble61 | Tone setting pushes the midrange in three stages, foot switch side to DC jack side3 |
| Notes | Eric Gales signature, limited to 500 units163 | Reviewed by MusicRadar and Pedal of the Day61 | Described by Delicious Audio3 |
Little Brute Drive II
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described the Little Brute Drive II as "an updated version of this well-received mini overdrive by the Japanese manufacturer", a pedal with a foot switch and a DC jack3. In the II, a tone setting "pushes the midrange in three stages from the foot switch side to the DC jack side"3.
The Eric Gales signature Brute Drive Distortion was a limited edition of 500 units, so it will not always be easy to find1. The original Little Brute Drive was later joined by the updated Little Brute Drive II3.
Related circuits
The Little Brute Drive has also found a life among DIY builders. A build report on Tagboard Effects described a verified vero layout of the circuit, with the builder noting "Sounds great! more a distortion then a drive." The same thread discusses the circuit's power filtering, including a 10uF and a 100uF cap in parallel on the 9V rail7.
For where the Brute Drive sits among its neighbors, see Distortion Pedals, Overdrive Pedals and Boost Pedals.
Videos
Mike Hermans
intheblues
Lance Keltner Music
Questions
What is the difference between the Brute Drive and the Little Brute Drive?
The Brute Drive Distortion is the larger pedal, voiced for a smooth, classic distortion sound, and it was released as an Eric Gales signature model in a limited edition of 500 units. The Little Brute Drive is the smaller sibling: a mini overdrive with a single Gain knob and two internal trimmers for output level and treble content. An updated Little Brute Drive II followed later.
Is the E.W.S. Brute Drive good for metal?
Premier Guitar's reviewer found it is not voiced for metal, but said it is well suited to anything from the softest blues to a fairly blistering hard rock sound, with a smooth, classic distortion character. On the Brute Drive Distortion, settings before noon on the Tone control give a pushed-tube-amp style overdrive.
Sources (7)
- E.W.S. Little Brute Drive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-06-07
- E.W.S. Little Brute Drive Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-05-14
- EWS Little Brute Drive II, Delicious Audio, 2018-08-27
- E.W.S. BD-1 Brute Drive Distortion Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-10-29
- E.W.S. Eric Gales Brute Drive Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2015-03-27
- EWS Little Brute Drive review, MusicRadar, 2014-08-28
- Guitar FX Layouts: EWS Little Brute Drive, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com, 2017-10-06
Eric Gales