The Hermida Audio Zendrive is a low-to-medium gain overdrive pedal designed by Alfonso Hermida and first released in 2004, hand-soldered out of his garage12. It is one of the first Dumble-style pedals: a compact box built to get the sound of the hand-made, custom Dumble amplifiers used by players like Robben Ford, whose Dumble tones the circuit is based on1. Delicious Audio describes what it goes for as "the compressed-but-not-too-squashed tone of a real Dumble... as well as the thick overdrive sounds," with a range that runs from slight overdrive to mild distortion3.
The pedal is now discontinued, but it is still made under license by Lovepedal and remains one of the most sought-after D-style pedals on the used market45.
A Dumble-style overdrive
Dumble amplifiers are hand-built, custom amps that few players will ever own, and a whole category of pedals exists to emulate them. The Zendrive sits in that category alongside pedals like the J. Rockett Audio Designs The Dude, which is "designed to achieve the classic D style ODS sounds and feel," and gearnews.com lists it among eight Dumble-style options including the Mad Professor Simble, Shin's Music Dumbloid ODS and Van Weelden Royal Overdrive67. What sets the Zendrive apart in that field is its position as one of the earliest entries: Premier Guitar calls it "the landmark boutique pedal that kicked Hermida's effects-building career into overdrive"1.
The circuit is based on Robben Ford's Dumble tones, and Ford himself used it to drive rented tube amps on tour when he could not travel with his own1. Pedal of the Day reports that Robben Ford uses one when he can't travel with his amps8.
Controls and how it responds
The Zendrive carries the standard D-Style control set: Vol, Gain, Tone and Voice6.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Vol | Works just like the volume control on an amp8 |
| Gain | Works just like the gain control on an amp8 |
| Tone | Ranges from "presence" on the high end to "resonance" on the low end8 |
| Voice | Tunes the pedal to your amp and guitar; limits or increases the total gain available from the Gain knob, and increases low end as you turn it down8 |
The Voice knob is the one control players coming from a Tube Screamer-style pedal will not recognize. It is a voicing control that also shapes how much gain the Gain knob can deliver, and it fattens the low end when turned down, which lets you match the pedal to a bright combo or a dark head8.
How it feels to play is a big part of its reputation. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it touch-sensitive8:
"The Zendrive responds more like a red-hot amp than anything I've played. You can clean up just by changing how you pick."8
Versions and the Lovepedal era
Alfonso Hermida's Zendrive is the landmark boutique pedal that kicked Hermida's effects-building career into overdrive, and its circuit was based on Robben Ford's Dumble tones1. Ford himself used it to drive rented tube amps on tour, and he also uses one when he can't travel with his amps18. Today the Zendrive is currently made under license by Lovepedal5.
The Lovepedal-era pedal differs from the original in small ways: it now comes with a 2-year warranty, and the deep blue LED of the original was replaced by a very bright one Pedal of the Day's reviewer describes as "pale blue, but is mostly white"8.
The Lovepedal version differs from the earlier Hermida Audio build in at least one visible way: where the original had a deep blue LED, the new one from Lovepedal has a very bright LED that you might call pale blue, but is mostly white8. It now comes with a 2-year warranty8. The controls carry over unchanged, with volume and gain controls that work just like the same controls on an amp, and a tone control that ranges from "presence" on the high end to "resonance" on the low end8.
The Hermida Audio Zendrive is discontinued. It is still made under license by Lovepedal, but Josh at JHS reported in 2023 that he could not find a new one for sale when he tried, so most players will be looking at the used market or the Lovepedal version59.
What reviewers and players said
Published reviewers and documented players have been consistent in praising the pedal's smoothness3:
"Really smooth and musical with a nice harmonic factor. It seems to adapt really well to different amps…" , Sonny Landreth3
Darrin Fox, Guitar Player Magazine, quoted by Delicious Audio3
"You really won't find a smoother overdrive that expands your tone so effortlessly3."
Adam Moore, Guitar Player, quoted by Delicious Audio3
"Really smooth and musical with a nice harmonic factor. It seems to adapt really well to different amps3."
Sonny Landreth, quoted by Delicious Audio3
"One of the best sounding kind of overdrive pedals I've ever heard… fabulous." , Vince Gill3
Vince Gill, quoted by Delicious Audio3
The Zendrive's legacy
The pedal's standing among players shows in who took to it. Sonny Landreth called it "Really smooth and musical with a nice harmonic factor. It seems to adapt really well to different amps," and Vince Gill called it "One of the best sounding kind of overdrive pedals I've ever heard… fabulous"3. Robben Ford used it to drive rented tube amps on tour1. Premier Guitar describes it as the landmark boutique pedal that kicked Alfonso Hermida's effects-building career into overdrive, a circuit based on Robben Ford's Dumble tones1.
Videos
intheblues
Chris Buck
Wampler Pedals
Questions
What does the Voice knob do on the Zendrive?
The Voice control tunes the pedal to your amp and guitar. It limits or increases the total gain available from the Gain knob, and it increases low end as you turn it down, so it works as both a voicing and a gain-shaping control8.
Is the Zendrive discontinued?
Yes. The Hermida Audio Zendrive is now discontinued, though it is still made under license by Lovepedal, and it remains one of the most sought-after Dumble-style pedals45.
What is the difference between the Hermida Zendrive and the Lovepedal Zendrive?
They are the same pedal line. Alfonso Hermida folded Hermida Audio into Lovepedal, which now manufactures the Zendrive under license85. The Lovepedal version carries a 2-year warranty and a brighter, mostly white LED in place of the original deep blue one8.
How much current does the Zendrive draw?
The Zendrive draws 25 mA, and it runs on a 9V DC center-negative adapter or a 9-volt battery3.
Sources (9)
- Hermida Audio Dover Drive Review, Premier Guitar, 2014-06-08
- Warm Audio Warmdrive review, Guitar.com, 2023-01-13
- Hermida Audio Zendrive Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2020-08-24
- Warm Audio Warmdrive (D-Style Overdrive), Delicious Audio, 2026-07-28
- Warm Audio launches recreations of the Klon Centaur and Zendrive, Guitar.com, 2022-10-25
- Best Dumble-style pedals: 8 drive effects to emulate THE boutique amp, gearnews.com, 2020-07-03
- J. Rockett Audio Designs The Dude V2, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-06
- Hermida Audio Zendrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-03-17
- Warm Audio Pedal Clones (Foxey Tone Box, ODD Box, Warmdrive, Mutation Phasor 2, Centavo, Jet Phaser), JHS Pedals (YouTube), 2023-07-13
