MXR CSP265 Joe Bonamassa FET Driver review

Drive time with JoBo

  • €233
Reviews
By
( )
published
If you're after Gilmour-esque sustain the FET Driver certainly sounds the part

MusicRadar Verdict

A pricey but worthwhile overdrive that suits both clean and dirty amps, especially for bluesy leads.

Pros

  • +

    Smooth, singing sustain. Blends brilliantly with amp overdrive. Good build.

Cons

  • -

    There are better value drive pedals out there.

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

Following in the footsteps of the Dunlop JB95 Cry Baby and JBF3 Fuzz Face is the MXR FET Driver, which is based on Joe Bonamassa's favourite Chandler Tube Driver, as made famous by David Gilmour and Eric Johnson.

"The FET Driver pedal is designed to thicken up lead playing, and its tones range from soft clipping to light distortion"

The FET Driver pedal is designed to thicken up lead playing, and its tones range from soft clipping to light distortion. Control-wise, the level and drive knobs act as you'd expect, while the hi and low knobs cut or boost treble and bass frequencies, and the hi cut switch rounds off high frequencies. Elsewhere, the pedal is true bypass and runs from a nine-volt battery or power supply.

Sounds

With a smooth, singing, Gilmour-esque sustain, the FET Driver certainly sounds the part. In fact, crank up the gain and it's so smooth that it begins to verge on fuzz territory, in contrast to the crunchy low-gain sounds.

The pedal's natural-sounding dirt also blends beautifully with amp overdrive for meaty lead tones - just the way Bonamassa likes it. And if your living room drive doesn't quite translate to the stage, press the handy hi cut switch and you'll tone down the top end to prevent shrill treble at gig volumes.

It's not the cheapest overdrive on the shelf, but Bonamassa and MXR got this one right, with a great range of sounds and a natural-sounding overdrive that suits both clean and dirty amps. If the usual drives aren't doing it for you, a visit to the FET might well be in order.

Categories
Michael Brown
Michael Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.