Selah Effects out of Australia keeps putting out really, really good pedals; I recently reviewed the Scarlett Love V2, which was just awesome, and this time around, it’s the Feather Drive, which I can’t honestly see leaving my board anytime soon after playing it. This pedal is a true design marvel, with very simplistic layout and graphics, but those orange knobs really stand out against the black background, and the feathers add just a touch of feel and class to this pedal. Here comes the Feather Drive!
The 3-knob overdrive pedal layout: we all know it, we all love it. Sometimes there’s more, a few times there’s less, but the Level (Volume), Tone and Gain knobs are usually present somewhere on most OD pedals, and the Feather Drive is no different. This pedal can act as an incredible Clean Boost, if you’re into that sort of thing – turn the Gain down and the Level up a bit past noon, and your regular tone will explode with clarity, crispness and a little bit of power, too. Not really what you’d use for on-the-fly live settings, but it’s a nice option to have, especially in the studio
Now for the really fun part, and the reason you’re reading this review: the Overdrive section. The Feather Drive features a 3-way toggle switch, which provides a few unique clipping options for you to choose from (TS, Plexi and Diode Lift). These 3 different settings allow for a vast array of brilliant drive tones, ranging from the slightest bit of grunt to a full on, super-sustaining, classic-rock-meets-metal distortion, without losing ANY clarity or tone from your guitar signal. This pedal is full of warm, rich harmonic drive sounds, exceeding expectations of what a boring old overdrive pedal should should like, and pushing the sonic envelope on it’s way to blissful, textured, powerful output, pushing your amp and overall tone to the limit.
I’ve got the Standard version of the Feather Drive, but there’s a Deluxe version that offers an additional external diode switch, which I bet adds even more possibilities to this great pedal. I really can’t imagine this pedal going anywhere off of my board for the foreseeable future, it’s that good. Cal, Nick and everyone at Selah Effects know what they’re doing, and should be around for years to come. I, personally, can’t wait to see what’s next – check out their site for more amazing products!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
April 27, 2015
I’m looking for a really good clean OD pedal that has a “Shimmer/Wet” tone but keeps the clarity of my clean tone. Any suggestions or would this pedal cover that? I use a Mosfet 2 OD, which works well, but I’m looking for an addition to my OD tone
April 27, 2015
There are a ton of great pedals that will keep your clean tone. Not sure what you mean by “Shimmer/Wet” coming from an overdrive, but it all depends on your ear and your personal preference. I’d try to find a couple videos and see if it’s the sound you’re after!