Back in Black, Good to Be Back!
Plug in, and you’ll quickly understand the Fulltone Full-drive 3 pedal’s legendary status. Driven by a JFET input and JFET op-amp to deliver an exceptionally tubelike response, the Full-drive 3 serves up juicy crunch with all the trimmings. Flip the Full-drive 3’s Order switch to place the Boost either before or after the Overdrive section, but prepare to spend several hours exploring limitless tone-shaping options. Three different voicings let you choose between classic smooth, symmetrical clipping, contemporary Class A–style even harmonic overtones, and a searing Comp-cut setting that unleashes pure op-amp aggression — no diode clipping required. You need awesome overdrive, and Sweetwater’s got your pedal — the Fulltone Full-drive 3!
Related Videos: Fulldrive 3 Overdrive / Boost Pedal
Three voicings give you control over your sonic universe
With its JFET op-amp and JFET input, Fulltone’s Full-drive 3 offers a distinctive tonal twist on the classic 4558-based Full-drive 2. Three unique voicing options allow you to tackle any sonic situation, including the original ’90s FD2 voicing and a second Wide Asymmetrical voicing that delivers a sleek, contemporary overdrive sound that’s delightfully transparent and open sounding. Finally, you also get a Comp-cut mode that delivers pure op-amp overdrive, completely free of clipping diode distortion. This amazing versatility makes the Full-drive 3 an extraordinarily valuable component of any guitar rig.
JFET Clean Boost — your secret weapon for stage and studio domination
Fulltone gave the Full-drive 3 an independent, discrete JFET Clean Boost with its own volume control. Why put a clean boost on an overdrive pedal? Well, at Sweetwater, we think this is a brilliant move. Long a cherished secret weapon of tone-savvy pro guitarists, clean boost lets you always be at the right volume, and it also lets you hit the front end of your tube amp just so. Put that in the same pedal with a killer overdrive circuit, and you have the versatility for stage and studio domination.
Germanium-diode “Limiting” function eliminates nasty spikes
You’ll notice a little black knob on the Full-drive 3 — it’s labeled “Dynamics.” As you spin it clockwise, you’re dialing in a germanium-diode “Limiting” circuit that dials out the irritating, grating spikes many clean boosts produce when you dig into your strings. Believe us, the results sound completely gorgeous. It’s all in keeping with the care and design savvy that goes into every Fulltone pedal. If you’re in the market for a guitar overdrive pedal, we think the Fulltone Full-drive 3 should be at the top of your list.
Fulltone Full-drive 3 Guitar Overdrive Pedal Features:
- Driven by a JFET op-amp and JFET input for incredibly dynamic tubelike saturation
- Order switch gives you tons of tone-shaping control
- Choice of ’90s FD2, Wide Asymmetrical, or Comp-cut voicings
- JFET Clean Boost gives you added versatility
- Housing is roughly 20% smaller than the original pedal
