VintagePerson Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 My rig is pretty stripped down. I don't use many stompboxes. Lately I hear a lot of buzz about the Zendrive 2. The Zendrive 2 is essentially the original Zendrive with a tube in it. None of the local music stores carry the pedal. Some of the You Tube stuff on the pedal seems very positive. Jack at Sheetsofsound does about an 11 minute demo on it, and it really sounds great. Anyone here at the site have any experience with the Zendrive? Likes/dislikes? Thanks in advance for your reply.
tulk1 Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 Hey VP, I've thought about that pedal, too. Haven't gotten to try one, tho'. However, here's my take on demos. Almost all the professionally produced demo's make their pedals sound good. Another however, a lot of pro's are liking the Zen. Must be something there.
Jazzpunk Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 I own both the Ethos TLE and the Zendrive 2. The Zen Drive is a great pedal. If you like Jack's demos, you will like the pedal!
SouthpawGuy Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 I have a Zendrive and a Zendrive 2. I find the original to be smoother, the 2 has a lot more grit to the tone and isn't as smooth to my ears. The original will run off a 9v battery, the ZD2 is mains power only. Both are great pedals but for me the original is more versatile. Another pedal that gives both ZDs a run for their money is the Wampler Super Ecstasy, it's great for those low gain od tones and is easily in the same league as both Hermida pedals.
Kuz Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 I own both the Ethos TLE and the Zendrive 2. The Zen Drive is a great pedal. If you like Jack's demos, you will like the pedal! JP, do you want to sell or trade your Ethos pedal?
Jazzpunk Posted July 21, 2010 Posted July 21, 2010 JP, do you want to sell or trade your Ethos pedal? If I decide to let it go, I'll definitely let you know. Right now I'm not that excited about the overdrive channel but I am loving the clean channel. It's kind of a complex pedal though so I need to spend more time with it before I can make an informed decision. The Zendrive is a very simple pedal and while much less diverse than the Ethos, it's kind of dummy proof in terms of instant gratification.
Tim Posted July 22, 2010 Posted July 22, 2010 My rig is pretty stripped down. I don't use many stompboxes. Lately I hear a lot of buzz about the Zendrive 2. The Zendrive 2 is essentially the original Zendrive with a tube in it. None of the local music stores carry the pedal. Some of the You Tube stuff on the pedal seems very positive. Jack at Sheetsofsound does about an 11 minute demo on it, and it really sounds great. Anyone here at the site have any experience with the Zendrive? Likes/dislikes? Thanks in advance for your reply. Some guy was selling one around here awhile ago for $250.00. I almost jumped on it because I'd heard that there is a waiting list for these brand new. It is suppose to be the closest thing to a Dumble Amp sound out there (of course a lot of people claim that their pedals have the "Dumble" circuit). For overdrive, I use a BK Butler Tube Driver and it it the best for me.
TXLefty Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Some guy was selling one around here awhile ago for $250.00. I almost jumped on it because I'd heard that there is a waiting list for these brand new. It is suppose to be the closest thing to a Dumble Amp sound out there (of course a lot of people claim that their pedals have the "Dumble" circuit). For overdrive, I use a BK Butler Tube Driver and it it the best for me. DON'T pay $250! I do not believe there is a waiting list ordering them direct from Alf Hermida these days: http://www.vendio.com/stores/HermidaAudio/...ive/lid=2384441 there used to be quite a wait, but not now. A lot of sellers will have you believe there still is to inflate the price. I own a Zendrive 1 and love it. It is a very "Dumble-ish" smooth overdrive, and gets some nice Robben Ford type lead tones. I like it with humbuckers especially. I had also tried a Zendrive 2 for comparison but found it extremely similar, maybe a bit edgier. Even the Zen 2 is 9 volts, so I cannot believe that 12ax7 in there is really doing very much work at that voltage! I say just order the Zen1 for $199. There are some good clips at the link above too.
Jazzpunk Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 I've found the Zendrive 2 to be very warm and smooth sounding. I'd like to try some different tubes in it to see what that does but just haven't gotten around to it. I don't think of it as being gritty or edgy but I guess I'd have to compare it next to a Zendrive 1 and hear for myself.
Tim Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 DON'T pay $250! I do not believe there is a waiting list ordering them direct from Alf Hermida these days: http://www.vendio.com/stores/HermidaAudio/...ive/lid=2384441 there used to be quite a wait, but not now. A lot of sellers will have you believe there still is to inflate the price. I own a Zendrive 1 and love it. It is a very "Dumble-ish" smooth overdrive, and gets some nice Robben Ford type lead tones. I like it with humbuckers especially. I had also tried a Zendrive 2 for comparison but found it extremely similar, maybe a bit edgier. Even the Zen 2 is 9 volts, so I cannot believe that 12ax7 in there is really doing very much work at that voltage! I say just order the Zen1 for $199. There are some good clips at the link above too. Geez Guys! Now I'm really curious. Just what I need...another pedal!
Jazzpunk Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 Hey VP, I've thought about that pedal, too. Haven't gotten to try one, tho'. However, here's my take on demos. Almost all the professionally produced demo's make their pedals sound good. Another however, a lot of pro's are liking the Zen. Must be something there. On a side note, I know Jack personally and can vouch for the fact that his reviews/demos are legit. He's doin' them out of a basic recording set up in his basement so it's not like there is any studio trickery going on. That was my reasoning for telling the OP that if he enjoyed Jack's demos of the Zendrive 2 than he would most likely enjoy the pedal. Here's the demo I believe he was referring to:
VintagePerson Posted July 25, 2010 Author Posted July 25, 2010 I liked the sound of Jack's demo (even with the tuning issues). I also like that I could switch tubes if I wanted to. He did a great job of showing a lot of what the pedal could do. I really do not like a lot of distortion for my playing. The Zendrive 2 sounds like it has some punch and dynamics, rather than a distortion kind of sound. Obviously I'm not much of a metal player. Y'all gave me some great food for thought. I appreciate the responses. VP
tulk1 Posted July 25, 2010 Posted July 25, 2010 On a side note, I know Jack personally and can vouch for the fact that his reviews/demos are legit. He's doin' them out of a basic recording set up in his basement so it's not like there is any studio trickery going on. That was my reasoning for telling the OP that if he enjoyed Jack's demos of the Zendrive 2 than he would most likely enjoy the pedal. Here's the demo I believe he was referring to:
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