Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:36 am Post subject: Zendrive
Kirk,
I read in a recent thread that you were blown away by the Zendrive pedal Robben used at a recent gig, and subsequently ordered one on your return home. I also noticed in a picture of your guitars and pedals in a previous thread that you already have a Zendrive pedal! What have you actually just ordered from Alffono, and what is the version in the picture? What's different about the one you have ordered compared to what you already have?
I did ask you recently what you thought my chances were of getting close to that Dumble/Robben Ford tone using one of these pedals and my humble mesa amp. Any idea?
Also, when you get your new one, please post some clips.
Anyone else out there have any clips, comments, or info on the Zendrive?
Cheer's,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
I have had the Zendrive for about 2 months now.
I haven't played a Dumble, or even a Two Rock or Fuchs amp, but for me it does get close to the tone of those amps, at least the idea I have of them through various recordings
It should work quite well with you Mesa amp. I use it myself with the clean channels of my Egnater preamp , starting with either a really clean tone, or with a tone which is slightly strating to break up, which gives me a fatter tone. It is really a warm pedal, not too much gain but really enough for this Robben kind of tone. It reacts very dynamically , especially when compared to my AC Booster. I used to really like the AC, but when A/B'ed with the Zendrive, it sounds almost dull. So for me, that's the kind of pedal which help we wait until I can afford a Fuchs
Pierre, many thanks for your comments. I think we are in the same position. We would love that Dumble/Fuchs tone, but just can't afford it! However, if this pedal does really get as close you and others are saying, I will be very pleased indeed (when I get one, that is!). You say you have compared it to recorded music from Robben. If it can produce the tones (especially the distorted ones) found on tracks such as "Life song" or "Rugged road" I will be completely bowled over. Fingers crossed then:)
Kirk, many thanks for the quick reply. i am really looking forward to your comments. Hope you had a good trip, too!
All the best,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject: zendrive
have you tried the fulltone overdrive?I use it with a Bogner metropolis and a Gibson les paul dc with seymour duncans .I think i come very close the rugged road sound.You can hear it on our webside rf-tributeband.rockt.nl
Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:06 pm Post subject:
I've just gotten my Zendrive and it's VERY DYNAMIC! (playing through a '96 Matchless Chieftain)
It's also one of the cleanest OD's I've ever heard. What I mean by that is you can hear every note, including mistakes played, even when the gain is set to 10, there's no muddyness whatsoever.
This little stomp box sounds warm and alive and changes tone considerablely when you change your pick attack. It really makes you want to play with more expression because it delivers so much more when you do.
[rant on]
It also showed up a lot of my mistakes whilst playing, but that's cause I suck; not Zendrive
Guess there's no hiding behind old muddy OD pedals anymore ... damn you Alf and your Zendrive!!!
[/rant off]
Ahhhh, I feel better ... I best be off to practice now _________________ Lawson “Sure you can play a lot of notes, and the audience will probably enjoy the performance, then they’ll go home and forget about you; or you can play fewer notes, with feeling, and you’ll touch their souls forever” ~ Dave Moon
the dynamics of the ZD is one of its main attributes. One of its other attributes is that its tone can produce a tone similar to the D*mble tone. Is this true in your experience?
How do you rate this pedal to others you have/used?
All the best,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 5 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:38 pm Post subject:
Hi diatonicdude,
Let me firstly say, that in my opinion, there are a lot of quality amplifier brands out there that sound fantastic (Fuchs, Two Rock, Trainwreck, Matchless etc…), and the lust for Dumbles is mostly clever marketing hype. Clever in the fact that Howard has meticulously hand picked the people who publicly endorse his produce (Larry Carlton, RF, SRV, Santana etc …). These players didn’t always play through a Dumble amp, yet back then they where still all well known for incredible playing and tone.
I truly believe that as long as you have a high quality amp, the only thing holding back great tone is your fingers and lots of practice
That being said, this is what I have to say about the Zendrive Pedal (as a person who did NOT buy it so that my amp would sound like a Dumble)
With only about 8hrs use of the Zendrive so far, I've got a bloody nice tone coming out of my Matchless at even practice volume levels! The first thing you’ll notice is that unless you’re playing, you couldn’t tell you’ve got it turned on: it’s insanely quiet for an OD pedal. I've sampled LOTS of effects racks and pedals (I was a stage tech in my younger years); but until the Zendrive I'd never heard one that matched the sound of the amp naturally overdriven … they buzzed noisily when turned on, and all sounded synthetic and compressed. Well not the Zendrive, it gives the dynamics of a naturally overdriven amp. The best way I can explain the tone that I’ve gotten is a nice thick creamy sound that pulls more tonal highs as you attack the strings harder. Which is exactly what I get when my Matchless Chieftain is being heavily cranked and the valves are all hot and bothered; yet this is with my amp’s volume at 1-2 (practice volume) on the dial, and on clean channel … that’s the power of the Zendrive!
I did crank the amp volume up to 6-7 to see the affect it would have (until the wife told my to turn it down *snicker*), and I only become more and more impressed, I wouldn’t say it adds/subtracts to your amps tone; but more puts forward what your amp can already achieve; without the insane volume levels normally needed.
I hope this has helped you diatonicdude. I can’t promise it will make your amp sound like a Dumble (whatever that is really ); but I can honestly say that as long as you’ve got a quality amplifier it will bring out it’s best, even at low volumes. _________________ Lawson “Sure you can play a lot of notes, and the audience will probably enjoy the performance, then they’ll go home and forget about you; or you can play fewer notes, with feeling, and you’ll touch their souls forever” ~ Dave Moon
many thanks for the review and info. Btw, those matchless amps are great, as a have played through one a friend has. I can't remember if it was a Chieftain though
Essentially, anyone who has ever witnesed Robben play live will know what the Dumble sound is all about. For me it is the way chords ring out with a "bell" like chime, and that beautiful thick overdriven lead sound (lots of mids) which to me, gave a kind of horn like timbre to his lead playing.
I totally agree that a certain element of tone is in the players fingers, but the majority MUST be in the equipment. I have heard Daved tune/play Robben's guitars prior to the gig and the same tone is there. I bet any of us guitar players (given the chance ) could play a chord and get the same bell like chime, and hold a note (with vibrato) and get the same horn like tone on the lead channel. We just won't play like Robben
So, getting back to the Dumble/Zendrive debate, when a great player (who knows his gear) like Kirk95 says he has just witnessed Robben getting the Dumble tone when he kicked in the Zendrive through a Fender amp, then you have to get curious. Also there are many others who have said similar things (check out harmony-central review forums) and that even a interview of the pedal maker (Alfonso Hermida) stating that after listeninig to RF recordings he tried to make a pedal that would give him that RF (Dumble?) tone must beg the question I posed.
Anyway, if it is a great pedal regardless what you are trying to achieve, then that's got to be a win situation. Enjoy!
P.S Please post some clips, as I would love to hear the amp pedal combo.
Cheer's,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 197 Location: San Jose Ca.
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 8:02 am Post subject:
I used to do the amp shootouts for Guitar Player magazine. One year we did a 100 watt amp shootout, and there was a nondescript suede Dumble Overdrive Special there, and none of us could figure out how to get it to overdrive, but the clean sound was tremendous. we only had a set amount of time with each amp, so we went on by this one. I got curious, so I went back two weeks later to try to figure the amp out. There was a little red switch on the amp labelled "FET" and some other setting, so I flip this switch to the FET position, out comes Van Halen 1. Best overdrive I had heard. These amps kick butt, and if I could afford it, I would definitely
have one. If you get a chance, try and find David Lindley's version of "Mercury Blues". It is lap steel, but he's using an Overdrive Special and the tone is ridiculous! I have a Two Rock Opal, and it's a great amplifier, but that Dumble was just more refined and silky through the midrange frequencies than any of those other amps you mentioned, and especially the pedal, so that's why those guys use those amps.
Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 197 Location: San Jose Ca.
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 8:02 am Post subject:
I used to do the amp shootouts for Guitar Player magazine. One year we did a 100 watt amp shootout, and there was a nondescript suede Dumble Overdrive Special there, and none of us could figure out how to get it to overdrive, but the clean sound was tremendous. we only had a set amount of time with each amp, so we went on by this one. I got curious, so I went back two weeks later to try to figure the amp out. There was a little red switch on the amp labelled "FET" and some other setting, so I flip this switch to the FET position, out comes Van Halen 1. Best overdrive I had heard. These amps kick butt, and if I could afford it, I would definitely
have one. If you get a chance, try and find David Lindley's version of "Mercury Blues". It is lap steel, but he's using an Overdrive Special and the tone is ridiculous! I have a Two Rock Opal, and it's a great amplifier, but that Dumble was just more refined and silky through the midrange frequencies than any of those other amps you mentioned, and especially the pedal, so that's why those guys use those amps.
Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 1504 Location: Methuen, MA
Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 10:07 am Post subject:
I've retraced the various Zendrive discussions in this forum, but I can't figure out which model "everyone" (the people who actually own one) is talking about- the Zendrive Blues OD for $150, or the Zendrive 2 (tube based) for $250?
Also, can anyone give an opinion on how the 2 compare to each other? _________________ Soul on Eleven
That would be the Zendrive "Blues OD", the non-tube one with 4 knobs.
You can find clips of both pedals here : http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?s=
Just make a search for Zendrive.
Yes, the pedal everyone is refering to is the Zendrive Blues OD
the only board member I know who has both, or at least tried both is Scott Lerner (I think Robben & Santanna, but they are not board members ). As always, Scott will tell you as it is, and I have to say, from Scott's musical ability and lust for great tone, it will be an honest and precise comparism. i think I remember him mentioning that he actually prefered the Zendrive Blues OD, but I may be mistaken!
Cheer's,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
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… that’s the power of the Zendrive!
); but I can honestly say that as long as you’ve got a quality amplifier it will bring out it’s best, even at low volumes.
) could play a chord and get the same bell like chime, and hold a note (with vibrato) and get the same horn like tone on the lead channel. We just won't play like Robben 
). As always, Scott will tell you as it is, and I have to say, from Scott's musical ability and lust for great tone, it will be an honest and precise comparism. i think I remember him mentioning that he actually prefered the Zendrive Blues OD, but I may be mistaken!