The Oihuka Drive is an analog overdrive pedal from Retro Tone, a maker of overdrive pedals. Retro Tone describes it as a circuit made to obtain a very incisive sound, without the compression of the usual overdrive, and very transparent. RockBoard's PedalPedia says it is designed to find the sound of a VOX AC15 at a reasonable volume, which places it among overdrives aimed at touch-sensitive, amp-like breakup rather than a compressed sustain1.
What it does
The Oihuka Drive's stated aim is transparency: instead of the compression typical of many overdrive pedals, Retro Tone says the circuit produces a very incisive sound while leaving the character of the underlying amp and pickups in place. The VOX AC15 reference points players toward a chimey, British-style crunch at stage-friendly volumes1.
A bass and treble setting allows fine tuning the sound, so the pedal can be shaped to sit with different amps rather than imposing one fixed EQ curve1.
The pedal draws 200mA at 9V DC, center negative1. That is more than some low-current overdrives need, so a daisy chain or a low-output supply position may not be suitable.
Videos
RETRO TONE Guitars & Effets Factory
RETRO TONE Guitars & Effets Factory
RETRO TONE Guitars & Effets Factory
Questions
Is the Retro Tone Oihuka Drive analog or digital?
The Oihuka Drive is an analog circuit, according to the maker's product listing. It runs on 9V DC center negative power and draws 200mA, so it needs its own power supply output rather than a low-current daisy chain.
What does the Oihuka Drive sound like?
Retro Tone describes the circuit as made to obtain a very incisive sound, without the compression of the usual overdrive, and very transparent. The maker says it is designed to find the sound of a VOX AC15 at a reasonable volume.
Sources (1)
- Oihuka Drive by Retro Tone, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026