Overdriveland ODL-1A-CS | Overdrive Dumble

The Free The Tone Overdriveland ODL-1A-CS is a dual overdrive pedal based on the legendary Dumble Overdrive Special amp. After more than three years of development, the creation of its own components and around ten prototypes, the ODL-1 is finally available. What sets it apart from the 99% of pedals on the market advertised as replicating the legendary sound of those amps? It's simple: it's the only pedal that recreates the character and dynamics of "one of the Dumble amps actually built". In this case, the ODS. Why that one and not another? Because Yuki Hayashi owns three original Dumbles, which other builders don't!

So what does the man say? He says that 99% of the "Dumble" pedals on the market have nothing to do with THE Dumble sound, because there isn't ONE Dumble sound, but as many sounds as there were amps built, each one made to order. And to recreate the sound of one of them, you'd need to have it on hand, wouldn't you?

So, to put it simply, the Overdriveland ODL-1A-CS, built at the brand's Custom Shop, is a little bomb and the only realistic and authentic option available for anyone looking to make that legendary tone their own. And that without spending 100,000 euros and without any marketing smoke and mirrors.

Yuki Hayashi's ambition with this pedal? An honest approach: recreating the "drive" of such an amp inside a pedal with all its complexity was impossible. So Yuki focused on what could be "miniaturized": the dynamics, the response, the headroom and the overall "grain" of the OD Special. A fan of Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan or John Mayer? To stack the odds in your favour: if you own a Two-Rock amp, you'll get even closer to the original concept.

On the outside, the die-cast, laser-engraved enclosure looks classy and simple. The pedal has two channels: a Normal channel and a Drive channel. The Normal channel works with the Norm. Level, Tone and Gain controls and the Glass and Jazz/Rock mini switches. The Drive channel works with the Drive Level, Tone, Gain, Drive and Push controls, along with the EQ / Glass and Jazz/Rock mini switches and the Hi-Cut mini knob.

Custom Shop build means the components are hand-picked, and some are even made specifically for this model. The PCB is state of the art and the pedal is utterly reliable. Worth noting: the 1A version adds a channel control that lets you switch from the Normal channel to the Drive channel with an external switch.

What strikes you from the very first notes is the extreme dynamics and articulation of the ODL-1A-CS. The Normal channel delivers the equivalent of a clean channel on steroids. Not much gain, but insane dynamics, a huge attack and controls with rare musicality. For fans of John Mayer, SRV and the like, it's a must, especially with nuanced pickups. The Drive channel lets you take on Bonamassa-style playing or muscular blues-rock leads.

A word about the controls. The Push adjusts the input signal by shaping the gain and adding a sort of Loudness effect, with low end and "umph" on the attack. Combined with the power stage, it recreates the dynamics and attack of the ODS. The pedal runs at 19V internally: you get a ton of headroom and a very fast response. That's where all the magic of the Overdriveland lies: the way it handles dynamics. You can adjust it by lowering or raising the supply voltage.

The EQ section is formidably effective. The Tone is usable across its whole sweep and the mini switches are real game-changers. You get versatility pushed to the maximum and full control to shape the effect exactly as you want it.

Hit the Drive switch and the ODL-1A-CS takes you to another level of gain and sheer size. The extra gain stage drives the Normal channel and pushes it to its limits. The grain is dense and massive, with headroom in abundance. It's clearly impressive to hear a pedal sound like a real high-end amp channel. If you have a fairly bright guitar and play with that much headroom, you might want a little less stiffness and dynamics. That's where the Hi-Cut and the Jazz mode come in. They soften the pedal and deliver a spongier feel.

The icing on the cake, the Overdriveland features the HTS system, the brand's ultra-transparent buffer.

The Free The Tone Overdriveland ODL-1A-CS is impressive. Really. If you have a high-quality amp to go with it, it could well drop your jaw. Forget run-of-the-mill drives: the ODL-1A-CS clearly plays in another league. An exceptional pedal, as very few can claim to be.