The Fulltone Full-Drive 3 is an overdrive pedal made by Fulltone, part of the company's long-running Full-Drive line1. It is a dual-stage pedal: a main overdrive with three selectable modes, plus a boost, and a switch that sets which of the two comes first in the signal chain2.
The circuit has familiar roots. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Daniel explained that the Full-Drive 3 is derived from the Tube Screamer and uses the same chip, so it does a lot of what a Tube Screamer does2. What separates it from a stock Tube Screamer is the mode selection and the flexible boost ordering.
Three overdrive modes and the boost order switch
The main overdrive section offers three modes, each with a different feel2:
| Mode | Character |
|---|---|
| 90s | The most compressed mode of the three2 |
| Middle mode | Formerly called something like "comp cut"2 |
| Asymmetrical | The main overdrive mode2 |
The boost order is set by a switch on the top panel: overdrive first then boost, or boost then overdrive2. The order changes the character of the pedal. As Mick and Daniel described it, running the boost into the overdrive compresses more, while running the boost after the overdrive gives an overall lift and a bit more gain2.
"you can either have OverDrive first and then boost or boost then overdrive"
That flexibility is what makes the Full-Drive 3 a dual overdrive rather than a single overdrive with a volume bump bolted on: the same two stages behave differently depending on which feeds which2.
Where it came from and what reviewers said
The Full-Drive line has a long history with Fulltone, and in 2017 MusicRadar described the Full-Drive 2 and 3 as the company's "seemingly eternally popular" pedals4. The pedal also earned a strong personal endorsement on That Pedal Show:
"for ages this was my favorite Jewel overdrive pedal"
The pedal sits alongside other Fulltone overdrives in the company's range, including the Fulltone OCD and the Fulltone Full-Drive.
Videos
Sweetwater
Jordan Brewer
Curtis Kent
Questions
Is the Full-Drive 3 a Tube Screamer?
Not literally, but it is closely related. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Daniel explained that the Full-Drive 3 is derived from the Tube Screamer and uses the same chip, so it does a lot of what a Tube Screamer does. It adds three overdrive modes and a switchable boost on top of that circuit.
Can you put the boost before the overdrive on the Full-Drive 3?
Yes. A switch on the top panel sets the order: overdrive first then boost, or boost first then overdrive. With the boost feeding the overdrive you get more compression; with the boost after the overdrive you get an overall lift and a bit more gain.
Is the Fulltone Full-Drive 3 still made?
Fulltone USA still lists the Full-Drive 3 as a product. In 2017 MusicRadar described the Full-Drive 2 and 3 as seemingly eternally popular pedals, and the pedal remains part of the Fulltone line.
Sources (4)
- Full-Drive3, Fulltone USA
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2016-03-25
- Full-Drive3, Fulltone USA
- Fulltone readies Full-Drive 1 overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-12-11
