The Lion Drive is an overdrive pedal from Monarch Musical Devices, a small builder based in Overland Park, Kansas. Pedal of the Day describes it as "a classic take on an overdrive circuit" with a wide range of tones, from a sweet clean boost to gritty drive1. It is a hand-built pedal: the review calls it 100 percent hand-crafted in Overland Park, with a durable powder coated finish and laser etched graphics1.
What it does to your sound
The Lion Drive covers a lot of ground for a single drive pedal. Pedal of the Day's reviewer summed up its range like this1:
"Drive you amp into mild breakup, add in a touch of grit and grime or crank it up for a powerhouse overdrive..."
At the low end of the Gain control it works as a clean boost, the kind of role covered on the site's Boost Pedals page, and as you turn it up it moves through breakup into fuller overdrive. If you are weighing it against other drives, the site's Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison covers two of the classic overdrive approaches it sits alongside1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive, from clean boost to full overdrive |
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level |
| Bass | Two-band EQ, low frequencies |
| Treble | Two-band EQ, high frequencies |
The Gain and Volume knobs work together to mix the dirt with the output, so you set how much drive you hear and how loud the pedal pushes the amp1. The two-band Bass and Treble EQ section lets you dial in the frequencies you need, and the review found the pedal "adds some sparkle and shimmy to any amp or guitar tone"1.
Availability
As of the February 2017 review, the Lion Drive was available at a super-cheap introductory price through Monarch Musical Devices' Reverb.com shop1. The pedal is a small-shop build, so availability may have changed since then.
Videos
Monarch Musical Devices
Pedal of the Day
Pedal Haven
Questions
Is the Monarch Musical Devices Lion Drive true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review notes that the Lion Drive is true bypass, so when the pedal is switched off your guitar's signal passes straight to the amp without going through the circuit. That matters on a pedalboard where several effects sit between the guitar and the amplifier, since it keeps the bypassed tone clean.
Where is the Lion Drive made?
The Lion Drive is built in Overland Park, Kansas. Pedal of the Day describes it as 100 percent hand-crafted there, and the pedal carries a durable powder coated finish with laser etched graphics. It is a small-shop build rather than a mass-produced pedal.
What does the Bass and Treble EQ do on the Lion Drive?
The Lion Drive has a two-band Bass and Treble EQ section. According to Pedal of the Day, it lets you dial in the frequencies you need, shaping the drive's low end and top end around your guitar and amp. The review found the pedal adds some sparkle and shimmy to any amp or guitar tone.
Does the Lion Drive go from light breakup to heavy overdrive?
Yes. Pedal of the Day describes the Lion Drive as a classic take on an overdrive circuit with a wide range of tones, from a sweet clean boost to gritty drive. The reviewer wrote that you can drive your amp into mild breakup, add a touch of grit and grime, or crank it up for a powerhouse overdrive.
Sources (1)
- Monarch Musical Devices Lion Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2017-02-15