Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive December 1
The Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive delivers classic Ibanez TS-808 style distortion and features an independent Clean control that lets you blend in a boosted direct signal to enhance clarity and preserve note attack. The Sparkle Drive utilizes the same concept as layering two amps, one clean and the other saturated. With the Clean control turned down, you get a classic overdrive tone. Turn it all the way up and you get a super transparent, 100% clean boost.
Other Sparkle Drive features include gain, tone and volume controls, true-bypass switching, a status LED, sturdy metal enclosure, and a 9-volt DC input jack. It also comes with the amazing Voodoo Labs 5-year warranty even covers the switch if it should short out.
I’ve owned a load of overdrive pedals including some really nice Fulltone FullDrives, but the Sparkle Drive is the one I keep coming back to. I recently A/B’d it to a reissue Ibanez TS-808 and it was neck-in-neck in terms of tone and had just a touch more bottom end. My favorite feature is the Clean control - I’m have no idea why other manufactures haven’t jumped on this great idea.
My current rig is ultra simple. Just my Jeff Beck Signature Stratocaster, a Fender Deluxe Reissue and the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive - occasionally I bring out the Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus if I want a Fender Vibrophone effect. This is my simplest rig ever, but the tone is so sweet it’s hard not to think about…