The Hermida Audio Dover Drive is an analog overdrive pedal with a tube-free design, made in the USA and sold under the Lovepedal banner for $200 as of the maker's current product page1. It is inspired by the tube-driven B.K. Butler and Chandler Tube Driver pedals, and the maker describes it as a touch-responsive, dynamic, and wide-ranging overdrive for players who like moving between "smooth" and "growl"1. Alfonso Hermida says he sought inspiration from the guitar sound on Johnson's "Righteous"12.
The controls
The Dover Drive keeps its top panel simple: Volume, Gain and Tone, plus an internal bias trim pot that reaches inside the circuit1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the overall output of the effect. There is a lot of it on tap; unity gain between the effected and bypassed signal sits around 8:00 to 9:00.1 |
| Gain | Controls the distortion amount. Around 9:00 suits a bluesy rhythm; 1:00 and up adds sustain for leads while staying smooth and dynamic.1 |
| Tone | A single-band EQ that adds or subtracts presence. Rolling back to around 10:00 gives a darker, rounder sound; around 2:00 adds clarity.1 |
| Bias trim pot (internal) | Turning it left gives a starved, sharp attack with a spitty quality; turning it right opens the sound up, smooths the decay and offers more sustain.1 |
Premier Guitar's reviewer put the gain control's sweet spot for smooth sustain at about 1 o'clock2.
Where it came from
The Dover Drive is Hermida's take on the Tube Driver family of pedals: the maker's page names the tube-driven B.K. Butler and Chandler Tube Driver pedals as its inspiration1, and the manual for a related project describes it as marketed as a "spiritual" Chandler Tube Driver in a discrete package3. The visual design nods the same way: Premier Guitar noted that with its name sandwiched between two horizontal lines in black and white and all caps, the pedal pays visual homage to the Chandler Tube Driver2.
The circuit itself has been traced and documented by the DIY community. Guitar FX Layouts reported that the schematic was traced at freestompboxes.org, and published a stripboard layout of the pedal in July 2017, describing part of the circuit as Zendrive-like and noting that the original uses BAT41 diodes4. The same site later noted the traced circuit was revised after a mistake was found with a 100nF capacitor that goes to a 120k resistor4.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's 2023 review summed up its verdict in two lines: "Authentic Tube Driver-like sounds. Superb dynamics and sensitivity."2
Power
The Dover Draw runs on a 9VDC center negative adapter or a 9V battery, drawing 10mA1. That low draw means it sits easily on any standard pedalboard supply alongside other overdrives.
The bias trim pot is internal, so setting it means opening the back of the pedal. The maker's descriptions of its left and right positions are the guide for dialing it in1.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Hermida Dover Drive have tubes?
No. The Dover Drive is a tube-free design, an analog overdrive built in a discrete package. It is marketed as a spiritual take on the Chandler Tube Driver without the tube, and the maker describes it as inspired by the tube-driven B.K. Butler and Chandler Tube Driver pedals.
Can the Dover Drive run on a battery?
Yes. The maker lists power as a 9VDC center negative adapter or a 9V battery, with a current draw of 10mA, so it is light on power and easy to fit into a pedalboard supply.
What does the internal bias trim pot do on the Dover Drive?
The internal bias control trim pot shapes the pedal's attack and decay. Turning it to the left gives a starved, sharp attack with a spitty quality. Turning it to the right opens the sound up, smooths the decay and offers more sustain.
Is the Hermida Dover Drive true bypass?
Yes. The maker specifies true bypass switching, which preserves your signal when the effect is off.
What song inspired the Dover Drive?
Hermida says he sought inspiration from the guitar sound on Johnson's "Righteous." The pedal is also described as inspired by the tube-driven B.K. Butler and Chandler Tube Driver pedals.
Sources (4)
- HERMIDA AUDIO DOVER DRIVE, Lovepedal (www.lovepedal.com)
- Hermida Audio Dover Drive Review, Premier Guitar, 2014-06-08
- CliffHanger24.pdf, madbeanpedals.com, 2024-08-17
- Guitar FX Layouts: Hermida Audio / Lovepedal Dover Drive, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2017-07-04
