The LunaStone TrueOverDrive 2 is an all-analog overdrive pedal from Danish maker LunaStone, announced on April 3, 20171. It was designed by Steen Grøntved, the company's founder and the original creator of the LunaStone pedal line2. Where the earlier TrueOverDrive 1 aimed at a transparent, tube-like overdrive, the TOD 2 keeps that character but, in LunaStone's words, "adds a serious punch in the low end frequencies, creating a beefier tone that will fill any venue with warm and fat overdrive"2.
The circuit is rooted in LunaStone's cascaded gain stage approach, the same basic concept the company used in its earlier Big Fella TrueOverDrive, but with a different tonal profile that puts emphasis on a fat bottom end3. Guitar World's Paul Riario noted that the pedal "looks similar to its predecessor," the TrueOverDrive 1, which launched first4.
The controls: Volume, Tone and Drive in a diagonal layout
The TOD 2 keeps its control set simple: three knobs, Volume, Tone and Drive. What makes the layout unusual is that the knobs sit in a diagonal configuration across the enclosure rather than in a straight row. Trevor Curwen, reviewing the pedal for Guitarist Magazine, described "knobs thoughtfully placed in a diagonal configuration with the intention of making them easier to tweak with your foot" on stage6.
| Control | What it does | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level | At the edge of the enclosure, reachable by foot2 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive | At the edge of the enclosure, reachable by foot2 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency balance | Middle of the diagonal67 |
LunaStone's own product page explains the thinking: "With the Volume and Drive knobs accessible by the edges, you can tweak them on the fly with your foot"2. Guitar Tricks Insider, in a review LunaStone reposted, made the same point: "Another cool thing about these pedals is the diagonal layout of the Volume, Tone, and Drive controls," which enables foot adjustments to level and overdrive while playing7. For a player who sets Tone once and then rides level and gain mid-song, the layout means less bending down between phrases.
The pedal engages via a footswitch with soft switching using a relay, so there is no loud mechanical click when you stomp it, and the bypass is true bypass, leaving your clean signal untouched when the pedal is off2.
Power: 9V, 75mA
The TOD 2 runs on a 9V battery or a standard 9V DC center negative adaptor, which is not included with the pedal2. Power consumption is 75mA2. That draw is low enough for most isolated power supplies, but it is higher than the few milliamps a simple transistor-based overdraw needs, so it is worth accounting for if you daisy-chain several pedals from one output.
The adaptor is not included, so plan on supplying your own 9V DC center negative power, or fitting a 9V battery before your first gig with it2.
How it responds to your guitar
One behavior LunaStone highlights is cleanup from the guitar's own volume control: "turning down the volume knob on your guitar will make TOD2 clean up your sound steplessly"2. In practice this means you can back off the guitar's volume for a cleaner tone and push it up for more drive without the pedal jumping abruptly between states, a trait that pairs well with the cascaded gain stage circuit2.
LunaStone's own demos show the pedal in this role. In the company's Sound Bites Episode 5 video, a Fender Stratocaster feeds the TOD 2 set to minimum drive, Tone at 12 o'clock, into a Mesa Boogie Mark II combo8. In an earlier demo by Hovak Alaverdyan, two Stratocasters (a 60's Reissue with FAT50 pickups and a Hendrix Strat with Vintage '65 pickups, both strung with GHS David Gilmour 10-48 sets) feed the pedal into an all original 1959 Fender Bassman, captured by a Sennheiser e825S dynamic microphone9.
TrueOverDrive 1 versus TrueOverDrive 2
The TOD 2 is a variant of the TrueOverDrive 1, and LunaStone describes it as "as true to transparent and tube-like overdrive as the original TOD 1," with the low-end punch as the differentiator2. Trevor Curwen, reviewing both pedals together for MusicRadar, put the choice in plain terms:
"if you want added muscle, heft and 4x12 thump, go for the TOD2"3
Curwen also characterized the TOD 2 as "more of the same but with a different tonal profile that puts emphasis on a fat bottom-end," reflecting the shared cascaded gain stage approach carried over from the Big Fella3. LunaStone published a shootout video of the two pedals in September 2017, with Martin Klaja demonstrating the various sides and sonic profiles of both10.
History: after the TrueOverDrive 1 and Big Fella
Steen Grøntved, who founded LunaStone and created the pedal line, designed the TOD 2 and demonstrated it himself in the company's demo videos2. At the time of its release it was the latest addition to the LunaStone pedal family, which also included the Big Fella and the Wise Guy11.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Guitar World
Eirik Stordrange
Questions
What is the difference between the LunaStone TrueOverDrive 1 and 2?
Both are all-analog overdrives built on the same cascaded gain stage concept, and LunaStone describes the TOD 2 as just as transparent and tube-like as the TOD 1. The difference is voicing: the TOD 2 emphasizes the low end for a beefier, fuller tone. MusicRadar's reviewer summed it up by saying that if you want added muscle, heft and 4x12 thump, go for the TOD 2.
Is the LunaStone TrueOverDrive 2 true bypass?
Yes. LunaStone lists true bypass as a specification on the product page, and the footswitch uses soft switching with a relay rather than a mechanical click, so engaging the pedal is quiet while the signal path stays bypassed when the pedal is off.
Does the TrueOverDrive 2 clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. LunaStone says that turning down the volume knob on your guitar will make the TOD 2 clean up your sound steplessly, with no abrupt jump between clean and driven tones. This is a common trait of low-to-medium gain overdrive circuits and makes the pedal responsive to picking dynamics and guitar controls.
Can the TrueOverDrive 2 run on a battery?
Yes. The pedal takes a 9V battery, and it can also be powered by a standard 9V DC center negative adaptor, which is not included. Current draw is 75mA, which is modest but worth noting if you share a power supply with other pedals on a board.
How much did the LunaStone TrueOverDrive 2 cost at launch?
MusicRadar reported at launch in April 2017 that the TrueOverDrive 2 was available for $149, also quoted as €149 in the same announcement. LunaStone announced the pedal on April 3, 2017, and it reached US store shelves later that summer.
Sources (11)
- NEW Product Alert, LunaStone, 2017-04-03
- TrueOverDrive 2, LunaStone
- LunaStone TrueOverDrive 1 and 2 review, MusicRadar, 2018-02-27
- Paul Riario Demos LunaStone TrueOverDrive 2 Compact Pedal, Guitar World, 2017-04-02
- Musikmesse 2017: LunaStone launches TrueOverDrive 2 guitar effects pedal with “beefy bottom”, MusicRadar, 2017-04-04
- Guitarist Magazine Reviews TrueOverDrive 1 & 2, LunaStone (reposting Guitarist Magazine review), 2018-03-21
- Guitar Tricks Insider Reviews TOD 1 & 2, LunaStone, 2018-03-15
- Sound Bites, LunaStone, 2017-04-26
- Rocking Out the TrueOverDrive 1 & 2!, LunaStone, 2017-04-09
- TrueOverDrive 1 vs 2 Shootout, LunaStone, 2017-09-28
- Steen Grøntved Demos 3 LunaStone Pedals, LunaStone, 2017-07-31
Alan Iarussi
