Nordvang Custom '83 Drive v2.5

The Nordvang Custom '83 Drive v2.5 is a dual overdrive pedal: two independent overdrive circuits in one enclosure, each based on a classic design. Side A is a replica of the circuit of the first BB1, the Black Box Blues Breaker, with extra output volume added. Side B is an exact replica of the K-circuit, the Klon-style overdrive, with external GAIN, TREBLE and OUTPUT knobs¹.

Nordvang describes the pedal as its take on the legendary K-style overdrive and the Black Box Bluesbreaker, and says it can be used as an always on drive tone all the way to a mid boosting lead tone¹. The two original pedals it is based on have a documented place in a well known rig: the maker notes that both played an important part in the live guitar tones of John Mayer through the years, as the pre drive he stacks into his TS10 to obtain his lead tone¹.

The two sides and their controls

The two circuits sit side by side, separated by an order toggle switch in the middle which flips the internal order of the effects and hence the signal path from guitar to amp¹.

The CLIPPING toggle on side B switches between a pair of germanium, schottky or silicon clipping diodes, which changes the character and threshold of the overdrive on that side. The internal open setting removes the clipping diodes entirely, leaving the op-amp to do the work, which the maker sums up in one word: LOUD¹.

Order, split and stacked modes

Both sides can be used separately or stacked¹. That gives three ways to run the pedal:

• Serial mode: the two sides run one into the other, either A into B or B into A, set by the order toggle switch in the middle¹.
• Split mode: the two 1/4" jacks, which in serial mode are used for signal in and out, serve as IN and OUT for each side, so each circuit works as its own standalone pedal in the same enclosure¹.
• Stacked mode: both sides engaged at once, with the order toggle deciding which circuit feeds the other¹.

The split mode is what makes the pedal flexible on a larger board: you can, for example, leave the Bluesbreaker side in front of your amp and send the K-style side to a different loop or a second amp, each with its own input and output jack. Nordvang uses the same arrangement on its other dual pedals, such as the Nordvang Custom Gravity v2.5, which offers serial mode (A to B or B to A) and a TRS split mode set by dip switches².

Power and connections: 18V headroom from a 9V supply

The '83 Drive V2.5 runs on a 9V DC supply, with a maximum power consumption of 100mA (+9VDC)¹. Inside, though, Nordvang has increased the headroom to 18 volts, raising the op-amp supply voltage to 18V¹. For a player, that means the circuit clips more like a higher voltage pedal while still plugging into a standard 9V output on a power brick, with less of the compressed, sagging feel some overdrives get at 9V.

Bypass and buffering

The two sides handle bypass differently. Nordvang made the BB circuit on side A true bypass, with additional switching options for tweaking. On the K-style side B, the maker has kept the buffer in the circuit¹. That matches the original designs: the K-circuit is known for its buffer, and Nordvang chose to preserve it rather than switch it out. If you are placing this pedal in a long signal chain, the buffered side B will stay in the signal path when that side is off, while side A is a clean true bypass when disengaged.

Buying from the United States

Nordvang Custom sells the '83 Drive V2.5 directly, priced at £319.94 GBP on the maker's site¹. The maker notes that US customers should expect additional import fees of approximately $60 to $100 USD due to tariffs on top of the listed price¹.

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