New 2007 FULL-DRIVE2-MOSFET...VERY NICE!

[lifeinsong]

I just received my Fulldrive2-Mosfet and I have to say that it really sounds great, very similar to the vintage Fulldrives from the mid-late 90's. It seems to have a bit more gain and bottom end than some of the more recent ones, and it looks great too...beautiful blue sparkle finish with white knobs and lettering, and the switches are pop-free! At only $161.00 this pedal is a bargain and a welcome addition to my board...check it out!

[trumpus]

I thought this was the exact same circuit as the 10th anniversary edition, in a different enclosure? Is this correct?

Brian

[lifeinsong]

I'm not sure of the differences in the circuitry, but I know that the leds are much brighter and placed in a different position, right below the knobs instead of on either side of the footswitch. This is now the only version of the Full-Drive that Fulltone will be producing, and it seems to incorporate all the best features from all the previous models. I've played/owned a ton of OD pedals including a few of the vintage FD2's, and this pedal gets high marks as far as overall sound, versatility, build quality and price.

[RickB]

Mike said on his site that he tweaked it a bit. I am looking forward to checking one out soon as well.

[trumpus]

I've got an older (2000 FM) model - blue with creme knobs, no toggle, push/pull on the volume knob that I modded with a push/pull pot on the drive knob to switch between FM and vintage modes.

Anyone who's owned a few different versions want to chime in as to how the new Mosfet might sound compared to this older model? I've been thinking about an upgrade!

Brian

[Curly]

cool new look

I noticed the OCDs have dropped in price too

[sandman]

where did you get it for that price?

[eugewong]

Just curious, are the older Fulldrives considered 'better'?

I've got one of the first run blue w/ cream knobs, pull-up to comp-cut versions. '98 if i remember correctly. I haven't played any other Fulldrive, so I'm just curious how much the sound of these have changed over the years.

[sanhozay]

I think the newer standard ones are pretty darn good harmonious companions, run it at 18V for max tone. I'll be upgrading to the new version 'cuz the color matches my kickers better.

[lifeinsong]

The older/vintage Fulldrives are considered by many to be the best sounding of all of them. Mike Fuller marked the ones he considered to be the best sounding pedals with a little Alien Head drawing on the inside and a Star on the sticker on the back. I had one for a while but my board was stolen at a gig a few years ago, so I lost my Fulldrive. It sounded amazing, much better than the newer models that have come out over the last few years. But this newest version sounds GREAT, and with all the tonal options available, it's a keeper!

[eugewong]

Wow, thanks that for info tidbit!

Mine doesn't have the star on the sticker, but it does have the alien head!

Not my #1 go-to pedal, but I just used it over the weekend, and it sounded pretty darn good to me!

[radcliff]

Heard from a dealer that the new blue ones are the same as the 10th Anniv Red ones......I don't know about this tweak....it may be impossible to actually discern since he goos the boards on the 10th Anniv.

[Frostbite Slim]

I've never had a FD2, but that price is almost to good to pass up on:drool . How well does the pedal preserve bass response in "Vintage" mode?

[Lt_Core]

How is the boost on the FD2? I'm looking for a low-med. gain pedal with boost for my Strat. Time to part ways with my Vexter Box Of Rock and try the new FD2 Mosfet.

[stratman7]

I'm waiting to get my new Fulldrive also. I passed on the Keeley TS9 to get this machine and from what I'm hearing I wont be disappointed. I'll be running it through a Fender Vibrolux Reissue.

[fjs1962]

I just spent an hour with the new FDIIMos with a couple of my guitars and amps. I've always been a fan of the Fulldrive from 1998 or so, and have had several of them including a 10th Mosfet and my current cream CS version. I've always thought they were great with single coil guitars and pretty good but a bit muddy with humbuckers. I really ordered the new one because I want to attach one to my pedalboard and have one loose for jams and gigs where I'm playing the house amp.

So I got the new one in today thinking it would be pretty much like the 10th I had, basically just like my cream CS but with the Mos switch. Well either I got one that isn't wired right or these are an altogether new deal. With the same settings the new one is clearer and has a bite in the note attack that is very cool. You hear and feel more of the pick than with my previous Fulldrives, and the pedal cuts through better. I've always thought the Fulldrive could get a little muddy, especially on the boost side, so this is a welcome change. It seems to have more output too. Unity for me has always been around 11:00 on the output knob, but with this new one I can't get it past about 10:00 before it starts bosting abouve the bypass sound. The extra clarity in the pedal makes the vintage mode (that I never really used before) sound much better to my ear, as well as making the pedal more humbucker friendly. And the extra clarity doesn't add any harshness to the high end, as this is still a smooth sounding pedal.

I'm going to play it with the band over the next couple of weeks to be sure, but so far I'd say this is definitely different and better than any Fulldrive from the past.

[jkslee]

I have the burnt orange colour 10th anniv mosfet FDII.
The Vintage mode has more bass than the FM (flatmid) mode.

[EddieFeder]

[quote=fjs1962;2502798]

So I got the new one in today thinking it would be pretty much like the 10th I had, basically just like my cream CS but with the Mos switch. Well either I got one that isn't wired right or these are an altogether new deal. With the same settings the new one is clearer and has a bite in the note attack that is very cool. quote]

I notice this too, and if you open the new Mosfet up, you can see more diodes, 1 germanium type, and 3 other other black ones, which are not the same as my older light blue FD2. And then 3 x 2N7000 transistors too. That could be what's going on.

[EddieFeder]

I notice this too, and if you open the new Mosfet up, you can see more diodes, 1 germanium type, and 3 other other black ones, which are not the same as my older light blue FD2. And then 3 x 2N7000 transistors too. That could be what's going on.

correction: 2 x 2N7000 transistors and one I can't make out.

[DreamTheaterRules]

He went to a more asymmetrical clipping. The things you mention about the change in it's sound would be expected with that change. Sounds nice... might be time to upgrade.

[ARch]

[quote=lifeinsong;2485285]The older/vintage Fulldrives are considered by many to be the best sounding of all of them.[quote]

I have a "custom shop" cream-colored FD2 w/ black knobs. I originally had a regular blue w/ cream knobs and I took it back. I think it may have been defective (bought it from GC). This cream one is much, much better. I don't really want to yank it from the board to check the date -- do you know which year these are from?

[RickB]

I spent a decent amount of time tonight playing the new FD-2 Mosfet. The new finish is definitely cool and the LED's are nice and bright now! I started off on Comp-Cut as this has always been my favorite mode on the FD-2. The first thing that hit me was that the tone and gain controls seemed to have a far more drastic effect than on the previous versions I have owned. When I hit the boost, I was again pleasantly surprised by what I perceived as additional range to it. It also seems a lot brighter and more cutting, but in a very good way. Next I tried the FM and Vintage settings with the other toggle set to Standard. Again, there seemed to be a broader range to the tone and gain but I also felt that the pedal was a bit smoother overall as well as the bass response seemed to stay intact a hell of a lot better. Again, all in a good way. Next I went through the FM and Vintage settings with the other toggle on Mosfet. The improved characteristics I mentioned above held true on the Mosfet mode.... enhanced range, bass response, etc. When using the boost with FM or Vintage on either the Standard or the Mosfet mode, the boost again seemed to have a broader range to it like it did when I had it set to Comp-Cut. The boost just seems to be able to be set lower and not get a huge volume spike and it also helps the pedal cut more than I remember it doing on the other FD-2's I have had.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this pedal and the price is very nice ($161). It was very cool of Mike to drop the price down on this as well as pump a lot of great improvements into it!

[nolenuttt]

Not to derail the thread, but I'd heard before that an 18 volt power supply made it sound better-Where do I get one/ I've looked at musician's Friend, etc.-:NUTS

[fjs1962]

I got together yesterday with a couple of friends and we compared my new FDMos, my old cream CSFD, and a 10th Anniversary. There were definitley differences between all three. I came away thinking they all sound great but overall I prefer the new one. The new one is clearer and has more bite, especially in the FM mode. The cream CS and 10th sounded almost identical other than the Mos switch.

One interesting thing, the Mos switch on the new one seems to act different than on the 10th. On the 10th the Mos switch made the boost channel louder and brighter, but on the new pedal the Mos switch made it thicker and richer. In fact I a/bed the new Fulldrive Mos (running in boost mode with the Mos switch on) with my Hermida Mosferatu pedal (one of my favorite lead tones) and they were almost identical. The Mosferatu is maybe slightly more "open" sounding, but they are so close I don't think you could tell them apart in a mix.

All in all I feel like this new Fulldrive is the best yet, and the new lower price makes it a must have for me.

[Roe]

...I've had several of them including a 10th Mosfet and my current cream CS version. I've always thought they were great with single coil guitars and pretty good but a bit muddy with humbuckers....I've always thought the Fulldrive could get a little muddy, especially on the boost side, so this is a welcome change. ...The extra clarity in the pedal makes the vintage mode (that I never really used before) sound much better to my ear, as well as making the pedal more humbucker friendly. ...

this is exactly my experience with the old one: muddy with humbuckers. now I want a new one :messedup

[stvnscott]

Hmmm... I have the 2005 FD2 (blue, cream knobs, #7362). Inside, it looks to match the schematic floating around on the net. That means it is virtually identical to the TS9 except for one cap, one diode, and one transistor. Mine doesn't even have asymmetrical clipping.

It has always sat in my big pile-o-pedals in the closet. It's not that I dislike it, but it doesn't do anything my TS9 can't and it is much bigger.

I've often thought about noodling with the clipping components (adding a diode for asymm or switching the diodes to Ge), but it is gooped to the point it can't really be removed from the housing without things getting ugly. At least it's CLEAR goop.

I would like to try one of the new MOSFET ones and compare it. Maybe I would find it more usable. I checked out the gut photo on the web site and it has a much more complex clipping section.

OTOH, maybe I'll just stick with my TS9 and OCD.

[vintage66]

On another post, someone mentiones that the comp-cut mode on the new one isn't as full sounding as the older ones, which would be a bummer since I really like that setting on mine (blue fdII with toggle). I do want the better cutting sound and less blanket-over-the-speaker sound that everyone describes on the other two modes though. Should I go for the new one?
On the other hand the Blues Boy Deluxe gets great reviews but I'd still lose the comp-cut. I want my vintage mode to sound like a Maxon od808 or other great tube screamer, which my fdII doesn't really sound like.

[chelvis65]

I just picked up a new Mosfet FD2 as a replacement for the blue FD2 I foolishly sold. I really like the new tweaks, however I'm struggling with the mosfet mode. Is it supposed to be super subtle? Through my Victoria and Bad Cat, I can't really hear any difference between the normal mode and the mosfet mode. I tried it at different volume settings and through all of the modes. I'm wondering if mine is defective. The normal mode sounds great though. Any thoughts? Thanks, John C.

[Andre357]

I just picked up a new Mosfet FD2 as a replacement for the blue FD2 I foolishly sold. I really like the new tweaks, however I'm struggling with the mosfet mode. Is it supposed to be super subtle? Through my Victoria and Bad Cat, I can't really hear any difference between the normal mode and the mosfet mode. I tried it at different volume settings and through all of the modes. I'm wondering if mine is defective. The normal mode sounds great though. Any thoughts? Thanks, John C.


It's very subtle. It more apparent when running the pedal in 18volts.

It just makes it sound a bit more open with a little bit more bite...... but as mentioned it's very, very subtle.

I love the new FD2 by the way !! The boost fuction is actually much more usuable than older FD2's IMHO.

[fjs1962]

Through my Victoria and Bad Cat, I can't really hear any difference between the normal mode and the mosfet mode. I tried it at different volume settings and through all of the modes. I'm wondering if mine is defective. The normal mode sounds great though. Any thoughts? Thanks, John C.

You'll notice the difference the most when the pedal is in the boost mode. To me it thickens up the tone of the boost mode. Interestingly enough, the Mos sitch on the 10th I had did the opposite to my ear, made the boost mode brighter and a little louder.

[JUSTJOB]

My FDII MOSFET Anniversary has circuit board Rev. 1.4 id# KD8054. That seems to be the same board that is on the new blue FDII MOSFET, and no, my board does not have any goop on it either. The pots are attached to the board as well. I love this pedal it sure is great but my question is....by some chance mine is no different than the new blue ones? I also spent a couple of hours comparing the circut to the one on Mikes web site and again I find no discernable differences except for the indicator LED location and blue paint. What to make of it? Could mine be a late version of the Anniversary edition and be the same as the new ones?
Check your Rev# and circuit id#'s and post em, both on the new MOSFET and on the Anniversary 10th MOSFET. Thanks:^)

[mbutler]

I just got a new one and it's my first FDII. I plugged it in today for the first time and really liked it. But, it seemed to me that there isn't much of a gain change past about 10 o'clock on either the gain or boost knob. Granted, I was not playing through my normal rig. It was a tele and a line 6 spider practice amp. But it seems like there should be more range of gain. Anyone else experience this? I'll be checking it out through my normal rig in a couple of days and it will probably react much better into a "real" amp.