Next to Delay, Overdrive is my favorite type of pedal, hands down. There are so many little additions, changes, options and tones that can come to fruition while building a drive pedal, and while I don’t know jack about how to do it, I love listening to how they sound once the work is complete. Having quite a collection of overdrives myself, it was really fun to test out the Zero To Sixty Overdrive from McCaffrey Audio, as they are selling this as an All-In-One drive, with a multitude of options and tones. Well, I’m here to tell you they did a pretty stellar job.
The three basic controls are just that: basic. Like most drives, we see Volume, Tone and Drive (Gain). Volume does what it should (and there’s plenty to be had with the Zero To Sixty), as you’d expect. Drive controls the amount of gain that protrudes from the pedal, but this Drive is a little different, as it really lets your guitar’s original sound come shining on through, no matter where it’s set. The Tone control on the Zero To Sixty is pretty interesting as well, as it’s focus is strictly on the mid-range. You can add in or take out as much as you like, enabling precision dialing in of the sound you’re after.
That brings us to the TWO toggle switches up top. The Boost is a simple low-end booster that beefs up the bottom end if you so desire. The Shift toggle is pretty rad: it’s a 3-way switch that goes between a mix of diodes in symmetrical clipping (Left) for a bit of a boost, NO diodes for great amp push (Middle) and their stock symmetrical silicon clipping option (Right). These three selections really open this pedal up, and allow for a HUGE range of tones and sonic possibilities. The pedal on the whole is excellent for adapting to any musical situation, as the options allow you to adjust the sound accordingly, whether it’s in a live situation, a recording studio or just someone’s garage or basement on a Saturday afternoon.
I forgot to mention that it looks slick as can be, too, seemingly very race car-inspired in the graphic design department, and the bright blue enclosure will really make it pop off of any pedalboard. Even when this pedal is cranked up, it retains the characteristics of your guitar and amp really well, and the drive sounds are warm and meaty, without being overly muddy or harsh. Thanks so much to Ryan and all at McCaffrey Audio for the chance to rock the Zero To Sixty out – make sure you stop by their website and see the other rad stuff they’ve got in production!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
