The Vox Copperhead Drive is a valve distortion pedal from Vox's Valvenergy range, built to deliver what Vox describes as the powerful crunch of British full stack amps in a compact pedal format. It runs an all-analog signal path with a Nutube, which Vox says allows for genuine overdrive and distortion tones with the feel of a real tube amp1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called it "a Plexi-style overdrive" when the series was unveiled2.
Where it came from
Vox gave the Copperhead Drive an enclosure finished in gold, a look that Guitar Pedal X noted was calling to mind the control panels favored by a certainly Bletchley-based British amp maker3. That visual nod sits alongside the pedal's Nutube-based gain circuit, which Vox positions in its Valvenergy line of pedals.
Vox says the circuit is based around a British stack, and Guitar World's Trevor Curwen noted it "has the same finish as a classic Marshall front panel"3. MusicRadar's Phil Barker described the gold finish on the enclosure as "calling to mind the control panels favoured by a certainly Bletchley-based British" amp maker4.
The controls and the three output modes
The pedal carries seven controls on its top panel1:
| Control | Type |
|---|---|
| GAIN | Knob |
| VOLUME | Knob |
| TREBLE | Knob |
| MIDDLE | Knob |
| BASS | Knob |
| BRIGHT | Switch |
| MODE | Switch |
The MODE switch selects between three output modes. Vox says these allow you to use the pedal as a standard pedal, a line-level preamp, and a direct amp-sim using the built-in cab simulation1. That makes it usable in front of an amp, as a preamp into a power amp or audio interface, or straight into a recording setup.
"the cab sim here will put some 4x12 heft straight into your DAW, while in standard mode this pedal will give your clean amp an M-flavoured makeover."
What reviewers said
Reviewers placed it as the punchiest of the first Valvenergy gain pedals. MusicRadar's Phil Barker wrote, "There's a lot more punch here than on the Mystic Edge or Silk Drive," describing a dynamic and engaging response running from subtle Bluesbreaker-style crunch to nicely saturated drive tones4. The Vox Mystic Edge and Vox Cutting Edge are the other gain pedals from that first series1, and Vox's later Valvenergy additions include the Vox Valvenergy Fuel Injector1.
Power and practicalities
The Copperhead Drive runs on either a 9V center negative AC adaptor or one 9V alkaline battery, and draws 95 mA1. At that current draw, a battery is a short-term option: Vox gives an approximate battery life of 2 hours with an alkaline battery, a figure it notes will vary depending on the actual conditions of use1. For a pedalboard, the DC jack means a standard 9V center negative supply is the practical choice.
The 95 mA current draw means the Copperhead Drive will exhaust a 9V alkaline battery in roughly 2 hours by Vox's own figure, so a mains adaptor or a supply with sufficient current is worth planning for1.
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Questions
How long does a battery last in the Vox Copperhead Drive?
Vox specifies one 9V alkaline battery and gives an approximate battery life of 2 hours, noting that the figure varies depending on the actual conditions of use. The pedal can also run on a 9V center negative AC adaptor, and it draws 95 mA.
What is the Cab-Sim mode on the Copperhead Drive?
Cab-Sim is one of the pedal's three output modes. Vox describes the three modes as letting you use the pedal as a standard pedal, a line-level preamp, and a direct amp-sim using the built-in cab simulation. Guitar World's reviewer found the cab sim would put some 4x12 heft straight into your DAW.
Is the Vox Copperhead Drive analog?
Yes. Vox describes the Copperhead Drive as having an all-analog signal path, with the Nutube allowing genuine overdrive and distortion tones with the feel of a real tube amp.
What is a Nutube?
The Nutube is the tube technology Vox builds into its Valvenergy pedals. Vox says the Copperhead Drive is powered by Nutube for warm and responsive amp-like tones, and that the Nutube allows for genuine overdrive and distortion tones with the feel of a real tube amp.
Which other pedals are in the Valvenergy first series?
The Valvenergy first series, unveiled at NAMM 2020, comprised four Nutube-equipped pedals: the Mystic Edge, the Copperhead Drive, the Silk Drive and the Cutting Edge. Vox later expanded the series with a second quartet of pedals announced at NAMM 2024.
Sources (4)
- COPPERHEAD DRIVE, Vox Amps (voxamps.com), 2026-06-25
- Vox Nu-Tube ValvEnergy Series, Delicious Audio, 2021-03-12
- Vox Valvenergy Mystic Edge, Silk Drive & Copperhead Drive review, Guitar World, 2021-03-23
- Vox Valvenergy pedals review, MusicRadar, 2021-04-29
