Fulltone Full-Drive 3
Although it may look similar to the FD2, the Fulltone Full-Drive 3 is a much more evolved and natural-sounding design. It offers a vast array of both clean and distorted tones.
Unlike its cousin, the FD3 uses both a JFET input and a JFET opamp because this helps give it the most tube-like sound you can get out of a tubeless pedal.
Along with the great sound, these JFETs give the FD3 an ultra-high input impedance, meaning the pedal can mate with any type of pickup. Also, it will react extremely well to changes in your guitar’s volume control.
Features
- Two independent channels — Overdrive and Boost, each with separate footswitch
- JFET input and JFET op-amp for maximum valve like response
- Three-way Clipping switch — 90s, Wide Asymmetrical, and Comp-Cut modes
- ORDER toggle — switches Boost before or after Overdrive channel
- DYNAMICS knob — Fulltone-exclusive Germanium diode limiter on the Boost channel
- Ultra-high input impedance — 1.1 megaohms, suitable for any pickup type
- Buffered Bypass (serial 2548 and above) — JFET op-amp buffer, not a single transistor
- 9V DC centre-negative, maximum 13mA with both channels active
- Battery operation supported
- Input impedance: 1.1 megaohms, Output impedance: 180 ohms20% smaller enclosure than the FD2
- 5-year limited warranty (original owner, non-transferable)
- Made in the USA
The FD3 In Action
FD3 Controls
3-way CLIPPING toggle switch:
Set it to 90s and you’ll get symmetrical clipping with ample midrange.
Switch to WIDE ASYM (wide asymmetrical) and more sweet highs and lows come through, along with chimey, Class-A style overtones.
COMP-CUT mode gives pure op-amp overdrive, with no diode clipping assistance for an aggressive, cutting, sound and capable of a huge volume boost.
Discrete Channels:
Unlike the FD2, the FD3 has completely independent OVERDRIVE and BOOST channels.
The ORDER toggle switch allows placing the BOOST channel before or after the OVERDRIVE channel. The BOOST channel is also an extremely transparent, high-headroom 100% JFET-powered circuit.
Boost Channel
Turning up the BOOST channel’s DYNAMICS knob alters the feel of the notes being played as well as subdues transient spikes which can overload your amp’s input. This uses a Fulltone-exclusive Germanium diode Limiter circuit.
Those spikes can be fatiguing and damaging to the ears, the amp, and its speakers!
Similar to using a limiter on the mixdown of a song in the studio, the DYNAMICS knob helps you keep your place in the live mix, like a very smart compressor.
This feature can make even a stiff amp feel responsive and juicy, and sweeten the treble frequencies.
Buffered Bypass:
Serial 2548 and higher pedals are now Buffered-Bypass instead of True-Bypass.
So the FD3 will always drive long cables, be isolated from other effects, and always retain the highs and “feel” of your amplifier whether the pedal is turned ON or OFF.
Do not confuse the hi-quality JFET op-amp buffer in the FD3 with the simple single transistor buffers on other pedals. The FD3’s buffer sounds rich and fat, not thin.
One thing worth being clear about: current production FD3 pedals ship with Buffered Bypass as standard. If True Bypass is important for your setup, the Full-Drive 1 is the better choice. For most players with any board of reasonable length and complexity, the JFET-based buffer in the FD3 is actually a positive because it actively maintains the feel and dynamic response of your signal.
DYNAMICS knob:
A Fulltone-exclusive Germanium diode limiter circuit that alters the feel of the notes being played as well as subdues transient spikes which can overload your amp’s input.
This feature can make even a stiff amp feel responsive and juicy, and sweeten the treble frequencies.
The Icing on the cake?
- The housing is about 20% smaller than the traditional FD2
- Input impedance: 1.1 mega-ohms.
- Output Impedance: 180 ohms
- Dimensions: 5.17″W x 4.26″D x 2.36″ H. Weight: 1lb 7oz.
- Can run on batteries or 9V DC centre negative supply
- Power Consumption: maximum 13 ma with both channels on.
FAQs
The FD2 uses a JRC4558 op-amp and has a boost channel, but the overdrive and boost share a signal path in a fixed order. The FD3 uses a JFET input and JFET op-amp for a more tube-like response and includes the Dynamics Germanium limiter control.
It switches the position of the Boost channel relative to the Overdrive channel in the signal path – so they can swap signal chain position.
It controls a Germanium diode limiter circuit in the Boost channel that suppresses transient spikes. This makes the pedal feel more responsive.
No. Current production FD3 pedals (serial 2548 and above) use Buffered Bypass rather than True Bypass.
9V DC centre-negative at a maximum of 13mA. It can take a 9V battery.
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