Fulltone Full-Drive 2 Settings Guide
The Fulltone Full-Drive 2 is a dual-mode overdrive with a Boost section and a Drive section, each independently adjustable. The Drive section has three clipping modes — Vintage (similar to a Tube Screamer), CompCut (asymmetric, more presence), and FM (MOSFET soft clipping, cleaner and more open) — selectable via a toggle switch. This versatility makes it a genuine "one overdrive pedal" solution covering clean boost through to full overdrive. The boost section stacks transparently with the drive section.
The best Fulltone Full-Drive 2 settings start with: Boost at 0/10, Volume at 6/10, Overdrive at 4/10, Tone at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Blues (Vintage mode): Boost 0/10, Volume 6/10, Overdrive 4/10, Tone 5/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Boost | 0/10 | Off → Full |
| Volume | 6/10 | Off → Loud |
| Overdrive | 4/10 | None → Full |
| Tone | 5/10 | Dark → Bright |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Vintage clipping mode (toggle left) — the TS-adjacent character. Low Overdrive for pick-sensitive blues response. Tone at 5 neutral. This is the most compressed, warmest clipping mode and suits blues playing where smooth, sustaining notes are the goal.
CompCut clipping mode (toggle centre) — asymmetric clipping for a more cutting, present overdrive. Slightly more Overdrive and Tone than the Vintage mode. CompCut produces a more aggressive, less compressed character that suits rhythm rock where the overdrive needs to cut through rather than bloom.
FM (MOSFET) clipping mode (toggle right) — the most transparent, open-feeling mode. Very low Overdrive with higher Volume produces a near-clean boost with the MOSFET's characteristic harmonic warmth. Into a pushed amp this is indistinguishable from the amp's own mild saturation.
Drive section engaged with Boost section added — the Full-Drive 2's key feature is the ability to stack both sections. For a solo boost, set the Drive section for rhythm tone, then engage the Boost section to lift the solo volume simultaneously. Both sections running is the Full-Drive 2's signature tone.
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Tips & Common Mistakes
- The clipping mode toggle is the most important control on the Full-Drive 2 — it changes the fundamental character of the overdrive. Vintage = compressed/TS-like; CompCut = aggressive/present; FM = open/transparent. Audition all three modes with your amp before settling.
- The Boost section can be used independently (without the Drive section) as a standalone clean boost — set Overdrive to minimum and use Boost for level-only boost.
FAQ
Fulltone Full-Drive 2 — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Fulltone Full-Drive 2: Boost at 0/10, Volume at 6/10, Overdrive at 4/10, Tone at 5/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Blues (Vintage mode): Boost 0/10, Volume 6/10, Overdrive 4/10, Tone 5/10. Vintage clipping mode (toggle left) — the TS-adjacent character. Low Overdrive for pick-sensitive blues response. Tone at 5 neutral. This is the most compressed, warmest clipping mode and suits blues playing where smooth, sustaining notes are the goal.
For Rock (CompCut mode): Boost 0/10, Volume 6/10, Overdrive 5/10, Tone 6/10. CompCut clipping mode (toggle centre) — asymmetric clipping for a more cutting, present overdrive. Slightly more Overdrive and Tone than the Vintage mode. CompCut produces a more aggressive, less compressed character that suits rhythm rock where the overdrive needs to cut through rather than bloom.
Boost: Boost section level — adds clean boost before or after drive (Off to Full). Volume: Drive section output volume (Off to Loud). Overdrive: Drive section gain amount (None to Full). Tone: Drive section tone / treble cut (Dark to Bright)
The clipping mode toggle is the most important control on the Full-Drive 2 — it changes the fundamental character of the overdrive. Vintage = compressed/TS-like; CompCut = aggressive/present; FM = open/transparent. Audition all three modes with your amp before settling. The Boost section can be used independently (without the Drive section) as a standalone clean boost — set Overdrive to minimum and use Boost for level-only boost.
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