Robben Ford and Zendrive

[jmclaren]

Yesterday I attended a guitar clinic put on by Robben Ford in Ojai California. One of the many interesting things he told us was that he now prefers his Zendrive to the O/D channel in his Dumble amp! I thought you guys would be interested in that one!

[Nub]

Interesting... did he say why? I guess that doesn't surprise me, though, as so much of RF's sound is in his touch & his phrasing.

How about telling us much more about the clinic? I thought about going to that one, but life has really been getting in the way lately, and I couldn't get away. That's definitely one of my goals for this year, though.

[jmclaren]

Nub;
See my post in the "Tab, Tips and Theory" forum.

[Nub]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Btw, last year one of the guys on the Gear Page posted some clips from an RF clinic he attended; it sounded like Robben is a great teacher & has a good sense of humor.

[jeffreyk51]

What settings does Robben use on his Zendrive?

Jeff

[jmclaren]

jefferyk51;
You know, I should have asked him, but didn't because I have a Zendrive too. He was offering up a pretty good volume of information, and I didn't want to get in the way with more questions.

[Brad Miller]

The Zendrive is an outstanding OD. I really like what it adds to the bottom strings.

[Nub]

Originally Posted by jeffreyk51

What settings does Robben use on his Zendrive?

Jeff

This pic is from an RF/LC gig in Europe:

[jmclaren]

Nub;
Thanks for the pic. Starting at the top left pot and going in clockwize direction, the knobs look like they're set at 11:00; 11:00; 10:00 and 1:00. Is that how you see it?

[Nub]

Originally Posted by jmclaren

Nub;
Thanks for the pic. Starting at the top left pot and going in clockwize direction, the knobs look like they're set at 11:00; 11:00; 10:00 and 1:00. Is that how you see it?

That looks right... Have you tried those settings on your Zendrive yet?

Btw, do you ever find that the "chirp" on the notes from the Zendrive gets harsh or overbearing? On some of the clips I've heard posted over on TGP, sometimes that Dumble-esque chirp at the front of the notes is almost more pronounced than the note itself. Maybe it's more noticeable on a recording than live?

[jmclaren]

I know what you mean about that front end chirp. To be honest, I'm still trying to find a settings combination that I like. Not ready to give up yet. I'll try the settings in the pic you posted this weekend.

[Nub]

I still would like to own a Zendrive someday, maybe when Alf catches up on production & the wait isn't so long for one. I suspect, though, that the "chirp" might not work for a lot of the stuff I play.

I think I'm going to try one of these pedals first: OceanEFX Pearl Drive
It seems to have the Dumble flavor, but a little softer attack, which I think would work well with my other gear & playing style. I've heard good things about Corby's pedals, I like supporting small business owners, and it's fun to be one of the first guys to try a pedal when it comes out!

[marc sosnoff]

nub i just listened to the sound clips on the pearl drive
it is a ok sounding pedal its the same money as the zendrive
the pearl drive in my is the same as many od's

it has nothing on the zendrive i listened to the other od's they
make same thing to my ears but the vintage echo i love

marc

there is a pedal called auston by edenanlog that has a same voice
as the zendrive and feels the same the difference between them
is the zendrive gives you some interesting surprises that youll never
except like sometimes a note will feedback to break into a
overtone things like that

[rul8agn]

There is a Zendrive posted in the emporium on thegearpage.net for only $230. I have no affiliation with the seller, I just happened to notice it was a good price.

[Nub]

Originally Posted by jmclaren

I know what you mean about that front end chirp. To be honest, I'm still trying to find a settings combination that I like. Not ready to give up yet. I'll try the settings in the pic you posted this weekend.

So... what's the verdict?