The Oddfellow Caveman Drive is an overdrive pedal, and it was the first pedal offering from Oddfellow1. It is a dual-channel drive: one side is the overdrive circuit, and the other is a boost set up for solos. Reviewers found it could cover everything from soft overdrive to full distortion, with one describing it as an extremely transparent overdrive with an amazingly versatile range of sounds2.
What it does: from soft overdrive to full distortion
The Caveman Drive was pitched as a do-everything dirt pedal. Guitar FX Layouts, quoting the maker's blurb, put it plainly24:
"This pedal nails every sound from full distorted tones to softer overdrive."
Guitar FX Layouts, June 20142
Pedal of the Day's reviewers found the same range in practice. One wrote that dialing in a warm lead crunch, a thrashy rhythm, or a full distortion tone was easy, and that the pedal was transparent, with volume and tone roll off and the sustain you get from a driven amp4. The earlier review went further, describing the pedal's amp-like performance as going above any other pedal the reviewer had played1.
The controls and the solo boost
The Caveman Drive keeps its control set simple. According to the Guitar FX Layouts circuit analysis, the controls are volume, tone, and drive, plus a fixed volume and gain boost described as just enough for solos2. Pedal of the Day's review called the boost switch's gain lift "just the right amount" for switching between rhythm and solo levels4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level2 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency response2 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain, from soft overdrive to distortion2 |
| Boost | Fixed volume and gain lift for solos24 |
The boost switching itself has a recognizable lineage: Guitar FX Layouts noted it works very similarly to the HP/LP switch in the Fulltone OCD2. The pedal also carries super bright LED lights for clear visibility on a dark stage4.
History and versions
The Caveman Drive appeared in 2014 as Oddfellow's first pedal1. Guitar FX Layouts reported it was reasonably priced at the start, at about $1402. In January 2015, Oddfellow Effects announced the Caveman V2, which Premier Guitar described as "a distinct step up from the already widely acclaimed Caveman V1"5. The V2 brought an independent boost, adjustable boost and order switching, and a high quality, durable powder coat finish, at a $249 MAP price in the United States5. Oddfellow later released The Bishop, a stripped-down overdrive designed with Scotty Smith of ProAnalog Devices5.
The original Caveman Drive is no longer the current version. If you find one, you are buying the 2014-era circuit; the V2 replaced it with an independent, adjustable boost.
What reviewers said
Published reviews were positive about the pedal's core sound. Pedal of the Day's first review placed it in familiar company but said it went further41:
"This pedal breaks into Ts808 and Bluesbreaker territory, however, this piece of magic goes way beyond. Going from clean"1
Pedal of the Day, April 20141
The same reviewer rated its amp-like performance above any other pedal they had played at that point1. The later Pedal of the Day review praised the boost switch's gain lift and the pedal's transparency and sustain4.
Not every opinion was uniform. A builder documenting the circuit on Guitar FX Layouts found the stock boost "way too much and too trebly" for their taste, though after applying mods based on Freekish Blues Alpha Drive ideas, the same builder called it "the best dirt pedal I've ever had"2. That verdict applies to the modified version rather than the stock pedal.
Inside the circuit
For players interested in what is under the hood, the Guitar FX Layouts build documentation lists the working parts: a TL082 IC, two 2N7000 transistors, and one Schottky clipping diode, with a BAT85 or 1N60P listed as acceptable parts2. The overdrive footswitch is a single effect with true bypass switching2, which both Pedal of the Day reviews confirm14.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Curtis Kent
intheblues
Questions
Is the Oddfellow Caveman Drive true bypass?
Yes. Both Pedal of the Day reviews describe the Caveman Drive as true bypass, and the Guitar FX Layouts circuit analysis confirms the overdrive switch is a single effect with true bypass switching. The pedal runs on 9 volts.
What chips and transistors are inside the Caveman Drive?
According to the Guitar FX Layouts build documentation, the circuit uses a TL082 IC, two 2N7000 transistors, and one Schottky clipping diode, with a BAT85 or 1N60P listed as acceptable parts. The boost switching was noted to work very similarly to the HP/LP switch in the Fulltone OCD.
Does the Caveman Drive sound like a Tube Screamer?
Pedal of the Day's reviewer wrote that the pedal breaks into TS808 and Bluesbreaker territory but goes beyond them, moving from clean to fuzz with an amp-like performance the reviewer ranked above any other pedal they had played.
What did the Caveman Drive cost?
Guitar FX Layouts reported the original Caveman Drive was reasonably priced at about $140 when it launched. The later Caveman V2 carried a $249 MAP price in the United States when it was announced in January 2015.
Sources (5)
- Oddfellow Caveman Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-04-21
- Guitar FX Layouts: Oddfellow Effects Caveman Drive, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-06-20
- Oddfellow Effects The Bishop Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2016-06-15
- Oddfellow Effects Caveman Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-09-21
- Oddfellow Effects Unveils the Caveman V2, Premier Guitar, 2015-01-05
