NUX DRIVE Core DELUXE

The NUX Drive Core Deluxe MKII, also sold as the Wasabi Drive, is an overdrive pedal from NUX that combines eight distinct drive circuits in one box¹. NUX describes those as eight distinct TS-style sounds, meaning Tube Screamer-style circuits, switched through relay circuitry that the maker says ensures no loss of tone¹. It sits in NUX's Core Series of pedals, a line that also includes delay, modulation, compression, and reverb pedals in the same compact format².

The pedal it replaced, the original Drive Core Deluxe, was a single-circuit overdrive built on what RockBoard's PedalPedia calls the "all-time favorite tube-screamer circuit"³. The MKII keeps the same list price while multiplying the circuit count from one to eight⁴.

Eight Tube Screamer-style drives in one analog pedal

The core idea of the MKII is simple: instead of buying several Tube Screamer variants, one pedal holds eight of them. NUX's product page describes it as "an overdrive pedal that combines 8 distinct circuits, offering a wide range of tones"¹. Pedal of the Day's review spells out the lineage, calling them eight distinct TS-style sounds and noting that one of the circuits is based on NUX's own "Steel Singer" drive pedal, "with the tonal character of the famous boutique amp from California"¹².

The audio path is analog. NUX specifies "100% analog circuits with digital switching rotary knob," meaning the signal runs through analog drive circuitry while a digital control layer handles which circuit is active¹. Pedal of the Day describes the circuits as "effortlessly switched via high-quality relay circuitry, ensuring no loss of tone and achieving a perfectly authentic sound reproduction"².

For the original Drive Core Deluxe, the picture is less tidy. RockBoard calls it "an analog overdrive pedal which can carry your signal in 3 different ways"³, but the same listing gives its circuit type as digital³.

The controls and modes

The MKII's main control is a rotary knob for selecting the drive sound. Pedal of the Day describes it as the way to "effortlessly dial in your perfect drive sound using the intuitive rotary knob"². Beyond circuit selection, the pedal carries a post boost function. In a Premier Guitar demo video, NUX's Mike explained how it works:

He framed the secondary function as part of NUX's design approach, saying "a lot of our pedals have secondary functions built into them which is one of the unique standout characteristics"⁴.

The original Drive Core Deluxe worked differently, with three signal paths rather than eight circuits. RockBoard lists its effect types as overdrive and booster, with three modes³:

Its Tone knob "gives the last shape to your signal and controls the balance between low-and-high frequencies"³.

History and versions: from the original to the MKII

The timeline is short and the pricing is the notable part. The original Drive Core Deluxe was a single Tube Screamer-style overdrive priced at 89 dollars⁴. When NUX built the MKII, the price did not move. As Mike put it in the Premier Guitar demo: "the original drivecore for 89 bucks was a single overdrive we're still 89 bucks but we put eight overdrives into it"⁴.

Guitar World's Paul Riario lists the MKII at $89, or £69 in the UK⁵. The two versions side by side:

The MKII also fits into the wider Core Series, which Pedal of the Day has covered pedal by pedal, including the Time Core Deluxe MKII delay and the Komp Core Deluxe MKII compressor². NUX publishes a user manual for the Drive Core Deluxe MKII in English, German, Japanese, and Russian¹.

Power, bypass, and connections

The MKII runs on 9V DC with a negative tip, using NUX's optional ACD-006A adapter, and draws 35mA¹. It is true bypass¹. Input impedance is 500kΩ and output impedance is 820Ω¹.

The original shares the 9V DC center negative power requirement³ but was listed at 300mA³.

What reviewers said

Pedal of the Day reviewed the MKII in December 2025 and came away impressed by the range. Their verdict on the tones:

The same review highlighted the value angle, saying the pedal "gives all the best versions of some killer overdrive circuits, letting you get tones you've been seeking without paying insane prices"². Guitar World's Paul Riario called it "The affordable NUX Drive Core DLX MKII is a versatile overdrive pedal" in his listing⁵.

For players who want a straight boost rather than a multi-circuit overdrive, NUX's line also includes the Boost Core Deluxe, now marked by the maker as a legacy product⁶.

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