The Tanabe Zenkudo is a Dumble-style overdrive pedal made by Toshihiko Tanabe in Japan. It is a humbucker-optimized take on his Dumble Drive circuit: Delicious Audio describes it as "generally the same design as the Dumkudo but is voiced to work best with humbuckers"1. Each pedal is made to order by Tanabe himself, ordered from the Tanabe.TV website and shipped from Japan2.
A Dumble-style overdrive voiced for humbuckers
Dumble-style pedals chase the sound of Howard Dumble's Overdrive Special amplifiers, a genre that includes pedals like the J. Rockett The Dude, designed "to achieve the classic D style ODS sounds and feel"5. The Zenkudo sits in that family, but with a voicing aimed at humbucker-equipped guitars rather than single coils.
Reviewers have been enthusiastic. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it "simply the most dynamic and vibrant Dumble ODS Drive that I've experience to date," praising its touch sensitivity and feel4, and in an earlier review went further:
"I'm happy to now solidly confirm that the Zenkudo is my all-time favourite Dumble Drive."6
Premier Guitar noted that the Zenkudo "impressed a lot of blues-rock players with its sweet, controlled overdrive flavors"7. Karlsson also compared it with the Menatone Dumbstruck V2, which he found could be dialed in to deliver a similar tone2.
The controls: Gain, Volume, Tone and Voice
The Zenkudo carries four knobs plus a side switch2. Two of the knobs do more than their names suggest:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the drive level; the gain curve uses a Linear B Taper6 |
| Volume | Output level |
| Tone | Post-gain passive hi-cut filter2 |
| Voice | Pre-gain mid frequency filter2 |
| Side switch | Three-position mode / voicing selector2 |
The Tone control working as a passive hi-cut after the gain stage, and the Voice control shaping mids before it, gives the pedal a two-stage EQ approach: pre-gain mid shaping into post-gain treble roll-off24.
The three-mode voicing switch
The side-mounted mode switch makes the Zenkudo a 3-in-1 pedal2. The three positions are:
- Red: Marshall voicing
- Blue: Dumkudo voicing
- Green: Dumble voicing2
In his review, Karlsson preferred the Green Dumble setting, and the mode switch is shared across several of Tanabe's compact pedals2.
Zenkudo, Dumkudo and the silver knob edition
The Zenkudo's closest relative is the Tanabe Dumkudo, the single-coil variant of the same design2. A 2010 MusicRadar review described the Dumkudo as "the higher gain version of the Zenkudo made by Toshihiko Tanabe over in Japan," with four knobs and three operational modes3. The Zenkudo's Blue voicing mode effectively puts the Dumkudo inside the same box.
A silver knob edition of the Zenkudo with an Abalone facia has also been available. Karlsson wrote of his own example: "I also love that I was able to get a silver knob edition - as that version looks so slick. The Abalone facia fairly danc[es]"2.
Buying one and what it costs
The Zenkudo is ordered from the Tanabe.TV website at $350 plus $40 shipping to the UK or USA, as listed in March 20242; Guitar Pedal X's year-end roundup repeated the $350 price4. UK buyers should budget around £50 for customs and import charges2. An earlier MusicRadar review of the Zenkudo put it at "around £200 with postage from Japan"8, and the Dumkudo was priced at 28,000 yen, about £200, in 20103.
Because each Zenkudo is made to order by Tanabe-San, availability depends on his production queue. Reviewers note he turns orders around quickly, but the pedal is not something you will find sitting on a store shelf2.
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Questions
What is the difference between the Tanabe Zenkudo and Dumkudo?
Both are Dumble-style overdrives made by Toshihiko Tanabe in Japan. The Zenkudo is voiced to work best with humbuckers, while the Dumkudo is the variant aimed at single coils. A 2010 MusicRadar review also described the Dumkudo as the higher gain version of the Zenkudo, and the Zenkudo's Blue voicing mode is labeled Dumkudo.
How do you buy a Tanabe Zenkudo in the US?
The Zenkudo is ordered from the Tanabe.TV website and shipped from Japan. Because each pedal is made to order by Tanabe himself, there are not many in circulation, though reviewers note he turns orders around quickly. Expect to add shipping and, for the UK, customs and import charges.
How much does a Tanabe Zenkudo cost with shipping?
Guitar Pedal X listed the Zenkudo at $350 plus $40 shipping to the UK or USA in March 2024. A UK buyer reported around £50 to £60 in customs and import charges on top of that. A 2010 MusicRadar review put the price at around £200 with postage from Japan.
Is the Zenkudo made to order?
Yes. Tanabe-San makes each Zenkudo to order, which is why the pedal has been around for a while but not many are in circulation. Reviewers note that orders are turned around quickly despite the handmade process.
Sources (8)
- Best Dumble-Style Pedals For Your Needs & Budget, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-03-26
- Dumkudo pedal, MusicRadar, 2010-02-18
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
- J. Rockett Audio Designs The Dude V2, Delicious Audio, 2023-01-06
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-17
- Toshihiko Tanabe Dumkudo Overdrive Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-12-21
- Zenkudo and Providence SOV-2 Overdrive pedals, MusicRadar, 2010-05-21
