The FLUX-DRIVE Overdrive+ is an overdrive pedal from Mesa Engineering, the amp maker long known for its amplifiers. Mesa describes it as the overdrive for players who want more of all the best things an overdrive can do: more liquid gain, enhanced sustain feeding into rich harmonic overtones, usable into a clean amp channel or to push a crunch or higher-gain channel harder1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, found it "opens up nicely when pushed, and emits those sought-after overdrive Boogie tones of yesteryear"2.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets overall output, can boost the signal up to +20dB, enough to cut through a mix or a drummer2 |
| Gain | Ranges from dynamic, pick-driven drive to big, fat, sustain-laden chords and notes, with a wide range between2 |
| Bass | Part of the onboard EQ, +/-12dB of boost2 |
| Treble | Part of the onboard EQ, +/-12dB of boost2 |
There is no Mid control. Mike B's take was that "while there's no Mid control, there really doesn't need to be here"2. Mesa frames the individual Treble and Bass controls as a more complete tone-shaping network, making the pedal a more complete preamp than most overdrives1. Guitar World's reviewer agreed the circuits are well tuned, saying the "level, gain, bass and treble circuits give the user immense control over the tone and gain structure"3.
What reviewers said
- Pedal of the Day (Mike B, 2015): easy-to-use controls with ripping drive and sustaining tones; a "really great-sounding overdrive pedal"2.
- Premier Guitar (2023): the highly dynamic controls add more gain and EQ flexibility to the basic Grid Slammer sound, and the powerful upper midrange boost works well for hot-rodded, British-voiced hard rock. The con: higher gain settings can compromise rhythm-playing clarity4.
- Guitar World (2013): praised the well-tuned level, gain, bass and treble circuits and the control they give over tone and gain structure3.
"Highly dynamic controls add more gain and EQ flexibility to the basic Grid Slammer sound."
Overdrive or distortion?
The Flux-Drive is an overdrive, not a distortion pedal. Mesa's own page calls it "the overdrive pedal for those who want more of all the best things from an overdrive!"1, and Pedal of the Day described it simply as "a really great-sounding overdrive pedal"2. In practice that places it alongside other overdrives where gain structure and touch response matter more than outright clipping; if you are weighing it against the classics, our Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers the two most common reference points.
Videos
Bax-shop | Bax Music Goes
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MESA/Boogie
Questions
Does the Mesa Boogie Flux-Drive have a Mid control?
No. The Flux-Drive's onboard EQ is built around individual Treble and Bass controls, with +/-12dB of boost available on each. Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted there is no Mid control but felt there did not need to be one on this pedal. Mesa describes the individual Treble and Bass controls as making it a more complete tone-shaping preamp than most overdrive pedals.
How much boost does the Flux-Drive Level knob give?
According to Pedal of the Day's review, the Level control sets the overall output and can boost your signal by up to +20dB, enough to cut through a mix or a loud drummer. That makes it usable as a clean-ish volume lift as well as a drive control.
How much EQ cut and boost does the Flux-Drive have?
The Bass and Treble controls each provide +/-12dB of EQ boost, per Pedal of the Day's review. Mesa's product page describes this as a more complete tone-shaping network with individual Treble and Bass controls than most overdrive pedals offer.
Is the Flux-Drive an overdrive or a distortion pedal?
It is an overdrive. Mesa's product page calls the FLUX-DRIVE the overdrive pedal for players who want more of everything an overdrive does, and Pedal of the Day described it as a great-sounding overdrive pedal. It sits in the overdrive lane rather than with distortion or fuzz pedals.
Sources (4)
- Mesa/Boogie Flux-Drive, Gibson (gibson.com)
- Mesa/Boogie Engineering FLUX-DRIVE Overdrive+, Pedal of the Day, 2015-01-27
- Review: Mesa/Boogie Tone-Burst, Grid Slammer, Flux-Drive and Throttle Box Pedals, Guitar World, 2013-10-24
- Mesa/Boogie Pedal Reviews: Tone-Burst & More, Premier Guitar, 2012-12-18
