MXR FOD Drive review

MXR rebrands the Dookie Drive with this versatile amp-blending overdrive

MXR M251 FOD
(Image: © Jim Dunlop)

Guitar World Verdict

The FOD does a neat job in combining two different but complementary overdrive flavours and the controls you need to blend them.

Pros

  • +

    Compact MXR format.

  • +

    Good price.

  • +

    FOD offers rich overdrive tones.

Cons

  • -

    Four-screw battery access.

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MXR’s Dookie Drive pedal was based on the rig of modified Marshalls that Billie Joe Armstrong used on Green Day’s third album.

It had the basic aim of putting the sound of two amp stacks in a single housing with options for blending the two – and that’s exactly what the new M251 FOD Drive is designed to do, albeit with no artist affiliation and the option of a toggle-switched midrange boost, plus a scoop and a flat setting.

A Blend knob sets the mix between the two sounds. To the right is the High Gain channel, with Gain controlled by a the front-panel knob while to the left is the Crunch Gain channel with internal set-and-forget trimmers for its gain and volume if you want to deviate from the factory settings.

Both sides have the flavour of a nicely cranked stack and each individually has a range of useful tones whether you’re looking for rhythmic graunch or saturated leads. 

It’s the combinations, though, that give the pedal its signature voicing and these are where you can dial in really rich tones that combine saturation and sustain with an extra edge of clarity from the Crunch side. Tailored EQ and extra boost from the Output knob add to the options.

Specs

  • PRICE: $169 / £185
  • ORIGIN: USA
  • TYPE: Overdrive pedal
  • FEATURES: True bypass
  • CONTROLS: Output, Blend, Gain, Tone, Scoop switch, internal Crunch Gain trimmer, internal Crunch Volume trimmer, Bypass footswitch
  • CONNECTIONS: Standard input, standard output
  • POWER: 9V battery or 9V DC adaptor (not supplied) 11mA
  • DIMENSIONS: 64 (w) x 110 (d) x 47mm (h)
  • CONTACT: Dunlop
Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.