Retro Mechanical Labs Clean Overdrivr

The Clean Overdrivr is an overdrive pedal from Retro Mechanical Labs. Writing at Pedal of the Day, the reviewer noted that the company had been making pedals "for a while, now" and described the Clean Overdrivr as a smaller size pedal than the maker usually builds, "but it packs a punch and delivers the goods just the same."¹

The pedal's name is not a typo: it is spelled Overdrivr, as the reviewer was careful to point out.¹

What it does

The Clean Overdrivr has two modes, Clean and Drive, selected with a toggle switch. Each side does a different job for a player¹:

• Clean mode works as a boost, described by the reviewer as able to push your amp "just to the brink of being too loud, but no" further, which makes it a tool for driving a tube amp harder without muddying its tone. Players comparing this kind of function can also look at dedicated boost pedals.
• Drive mode is where the pedal earns its name. Flipping the toggle to the right, the reviewer wrote, brings "a thick, warm, rich growl" into the sound.¹

Mike B judged the Drive side to be "the pedal's standout feature."¹

How it sits with other pedals

The reviewer found the Clean Overdrivr works well both on its own and in a fuller setup: "It will drive a vintage (or modern) tube amp with ease, and plays extremely nicely with other overdrives, distortions and boosts."¹ That makes it a candidate for stacking, the practice of running one drive pedal into another, whether alongside other overdrive pedals, distortion pedals or a separate boost.

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