The Spindrift Audio Mandalore Germanium Drive is an overdrive pedal built around 4 cold war era germanium transistors1. It is not a production model: Pedal of the Day describes it as a unique, one-of-a-kind pedal built specially for the site by Spindrift Audio, revealed on 16 December 20221.
Controls and voicing modes
The pedal carries a Drive control plus Baxandal-style Bass & Treble tone controls1. Pedal of the Day found the Drive range wide: "The Drive level can be very subtle just adding a bit of warmth, or you can get pretty heavy and dirty at higher settings"1. The tone section is similarly broad, with tones that "can be very bass forward or chainsaw treble-y" depending on the Bass and Treble settings1.
On top of that sits a three-position voicing switch. The overdrive has three voicing modes, which Pedal of the Day notes "just changes clipping types", with the Up position described as the most 'heavy'-sounding of the three1. In practice that means the switch selects between different clipping characters rather than different effects, letting a player dial from lighter drive tones up to the heaviest voicing.
The enclosure
The build is Star Wars themed, with the Mandalorian logo front and center, and the logo lights up when the pedal is engaged1. Pedal of the Day called it "a pedal that not only looks completely out-of-this-world, but sounds incredible as well"1.
Availability
The Mandalore Germanium Drive is a one-of-a-kind pedal built specially for Pedal of the Day. It was not offered as a standard product, so it does not appear in Spindrift Audio's regular lineup.
For players interested in the territory it covers, germanium-based drive sits alongside other saturation types covered on the site, such as Distortion Pedals and Fuzz Pedals, and gentler gain staging options like Boost Pedals.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
How many transistors are in the Spindrift Audio Mandalore Germanium Drive?
The pedal is built around 4 cold war era germanium transistors, according to Pedal of the Day's review. Germanium transistors are an older transistor type often associated with early drive and fuzz designs, and here they form the core of the overdrive circuit rather than a single clipping stage.
Can I buy the Mandalore Germanium Drive?
No. Pedal of the Day describes it as a unique, one-of-a-kind pedal built specially for the site by Spindrift Audio, so it was never a standard production model. It exists as a single custom build from December 2022 rather than a pedal you can order from a dealer.
What do the three voicing modes do?
The three voicing modes change the clipping types in the circuit. Pedal of the Day found the Up position to be the most 'heavy'-sounding of the three, so the switch lets you move between different clipping characters, from lighter drive tones up to the heaviest setting.
Does the Mandalorian logo light up on the pedal?
Yes. The Star Wars themed enclosure places the Mandalorian logo front and center, and it lights up when the pedal is engaged, according to Pedal of the Day's review of the custom build.
Who makes the Mandalore Germanium Drive?
Spindrift Audio makes the pedal. The build was created specially for Pedal of the Day, whose review gave high praise to the crew at Spindrift Audio for the one-of-a-kind construction.
Sources (1)
- Spindrift Audio Mandalore Germanium Drive, Pedal of the Day, 2022-12-16