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Average Price: $95

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$50

$176+

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Description

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is an exceptional overdrive pedal that brings a new dimension to your guitar sound. It's not just another '808 clone, but a unique blend of clear tones and overdrive effects. This pedal features a unique 'clean' control that lets you add a touch of transparency to your overdrive, maintaining the attack and feel of your original sound that usually gets lost in other, high-compression pedals.

The magic of the Sparkle Drive is its ability to simulate the layering of two amps - one clean, and one saturated. With the clean control turned all the way down, you have a classic overdrive tone. Turn it all the way up, and you have a 100% clean boost, as transparent as they come.

Like all Voodoo Lab pedal effects, the Sparkle Drive is built to last. It's constructed from the finest components, and features true bypass switching, a heavy-duty metal switch and on/off status LED. This pedal is hand-built and backed by a 5-year warranty. Voodoo Lab effects are 100% analog, handwired, and housed in robust, die-cast aluminum cases with heavy-duty metal switches.

Key Features:

  • Unique 'clean' control for transparent overdrive
  • Simulates the layering of two amps - one clean, one saturated
  • True bypass switching
  • Heavy-duty metal switch and on/off status LED
  • Hand-built from the finest components
  • 100% analog and handwired
  • Backed by a 5-year warranty
  • Housed in a rugged, die-cast aluminum case with heavy-duty metal switches.

Product specs

Brand Voodoo Lab
Model Sparkle Drive
Finish Black
Year 2010s
Made In United States
Categories Distortion Pedals, Overdrive and Boost Pedals

FAQs

What type of overdrive tone does the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive provide?

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive offers a classic '808-style overdrive tone, characterized by its smooth, vintage warmth and dynamic response.

Can the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive blend clean and overdrive signals?

Yes, the Sparkle Drive features a unique clean control that allows you to blend a clean, boosted signal with the overdriven tone for added clarity and punch.

Is the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive suitable for both rhythm and lead guitar playing?

Absolutely, the Sparkle Drive's ability to blend clean and overdrive tones makes it versatile for both rhythm and lead guitar applications, providing clarity in chords and sustain for solos.

Does the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive work well with other pedals in a signal chain?

Yes, the Sparkle Drive is designed to integrate seamlessly with other pedals, enhancing your overall tone without losing clarity or character.

What power supply does the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive require?

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive requires a standard 9V DC power supply, commonly used with most guitar pedals, ensuring easy compatibility with existing pedalboard setups.

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Video thumbnail for Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive by ProGuitarShopDemos

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

ProGuitarShopDemos

ProGuitarShopDemos

Video thumbnail for Why Voodoo Lab Pedals Are  Amazing by JHS Pedals

Why Voodoo Lab Pedals Are Amazing

JHS Pedals

JHS Pedals

Video thumbnail for 5 Minutes with the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive - Pedal Demo by Ryan Kiesshauer

5 Minutes with the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive - Pedal Demo

Ryan Kiesshauer

Ryan Kiesshauer

Video thumbnail for Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive Mod Pedal | CME Gear Demo | Alex Chadwick by Chicago Music Exchange

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive Mod Pedal | CME Gear Demo | Alex Chadwick

Chicago Music Exchange

Chicago Music Exchange

Video thumbnail for Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive Demo - ES-335 + Fender Stratocaster by intheblues

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive Demo - ES-335 + Fender Stratocaster

intheblues

intheblues

Video thumbnail for Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive | Reverb Demo Video by Reverb

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive | Reverb Demo Video

Reverb

Reverb

Video thumbnail for Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive by shnobel

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

shnobel

shnobel

Reviews

PROS

  • True bypass maintains signal integrity

  • Blend feature allows mixing of clean and overdrive tones

  • Effective with both tube and solid-state amps

  • Versatile, suits blues, country, classic rock

  • Quality build, expected to last long

  • Can achieve tube-like saturation without fuzziness

  • Low self-noise, ideal for boosting tube amps

  • Offers a range from clean boost to heavy overdrive

  • Preserves signal quality, more so than comparable pedals

  • Unique ability to blend attack and decay tones

CONS

  • Clean tone doesn't blend well at high distortion settings

  • Pure overdrive tones perceived as weaker by some users

  • Price may be higher compared to some Boss pedals

  • Battery compartment not convenient for live gigs

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive.

Features and functionality

  • Owners appreciate the clean blend option, which allows for mixing clean signal with overdrive for a versatile tone.

    Source
  • The Sparkle Drive Mod version offers four distinct overdrive modes, including an original mode, providing versatility akin to having multiple Tube Screamer variants in one pedal.

    Source
  • The Boss LS-2 allows blending clean and wet signals with any drive, offering versatility beyond just overdrive applications.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Users suggest alternatives like the Earth Drive or Nobels ODR1 for those seeking more aggressive overdrive tones than the Sparkle Drive offers.

    Source
  • The EHX Operation Overlord is considered a viable alternative, offering dual boost/overdrive features and stereo inputs/outputs, similar to the Sparkle Drive's clean blend capability.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • The Sparkle Drive is favored by some for gigging setups, particularly for its ability to retain clarity and presence in band mixes.

    Source
  • A user pairs the older Sparkle Drive with a Fender Meteora through a Bass Big Muff for a unique overdrive and fuzz combination, maintaining clean tones with a dry switch.

    Source
  • LS-2 users have successfully blended clean tones with mod pedals like flanger and phaser, but caution against blending vibrato due to pitch-shifting conflicts.

    Source
  • Combining LS-2 with Klon and Blues Driver clones for experimental tones, even with potential for unusual results.

    Source

User experience

  • Some players find the mid-heavy tonal profile of TS-style pedals, like the Sparkle Drive, better suited for band contexts rather than solo play.

    Source
  • The original Sparkle Drive with a Keeley mod is praised for its sound quality, particularly when used with Fender amps, though newer mod versions may not match this perceived quality.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Some owners of modded versions have experimented with swapping diodes to alter or enhance the pedal's clipping modes, particularly for similar-sounding modes.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • The LS-2 requires low-profile right-angle jacks due to closely spaced jacks; lava cables are recommended for compatibility.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Voodoo Lab: Sparkle Drive Guitar Pedal | Tape Op Magazine | Longform candid interviews with music producers and audio engineers covering mixing, mastering, recording and music production.

tapeop.com

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is praised for its unique ability to blend clean and overdriven tones, offering detailed control over your sound. It's particularly beneficial for maintaining note articulation when using effects like chorus and for layering distortion pedals in live settings. While it may not deliver massive distortion, those seeking nuanced, in-between tones will find it invaluable. The pedal also boasts solid construction and aesthetic appeal. Ideal for enhancing a plain guitar sound into something more electric and dynamic.

positive
Add

4.5 out of 5

Based on 5 Reviews and 23 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
aaron_fellenbaum

Man Do I Want one of These

I borrowed one from a friend, and he was about ready to break into my place to get it back. I know why; its as if the pedal splits your output, making channel A overdriven and channel B clean and compressed. Its like you're jamming with yourself; one clean and one distorted. And you can play with the blend, as well, making the attack more distorted than the decay, or vice-versa. Amazing pedal.

lucas_waggoner

Great For Clean Boost

I love the clean boosts I get from this thing. The only downside is that, in my opinion, the more it goes into pure overdrive territory, the weaker the tone.

jimmarchi1

its a TS9 with a blend control, if you are blending all of the OD out its basically acting as a clean IC-based boost with a mid hump... there are lots of better ways to achieve that, but whatever floats your boat

ryangunwitchblack

The key to my thick-ass acoustic tone for Ghostwitch

Offers great signal boost and I love being able to blend the clean tone in with the fuzzy shit. This is the magic bullet.

chris_jones

Awesome Overdrive

I love this overdrive so much. And it is so much cooler because you can blend in the clean as well. Great feature, great pedal!

batdevis

inspired by TS9

Inspired by TS9, the "clean" setting makes the difference.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Ed O'Brien uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Ed O'Brien

Singer, Guitarist

Radiohead

...
Verified via Photo

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive can be seen just above the Memory Man w/ Hazarai on the pedalboard on the left in this photo of Ed's Pedalboard from 2008.

See how Lee Ranaldo uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Lee Ranaldo

Singer, Guitarist

Sonic Youth

...
Verified via Photo

According to the Sonic Youth website, Lee Ranaldo used a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive in Sonic Youth's MURRAY STREET SUMMER TOUR.

Full article here

See how Peter Hook uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Peter Hook

Singer, Bassist

Joy Division

...
Verified via Photo

On this photo you can see Peter's pedalboard which includes Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. Original article here

See how Chino Moreno uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Chino Moreno

Singer, Guitarist

Deftones

...
Verified via A2athot

Chino Moreno used the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive during the Deftones' Diamond Eyes Tour in 2010, as detailed on A2aThoT's official website.

See how Keith Urban uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Keith Urban

Guitarist, Bassist

Artists of Then, Now & Forever

...
Verified via Guitarplayer

"That whole run of ’58 and ’59 Twins is unbelievable. Pedal-wise, the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive and the Schaffer Replica are on a bunch of stuff."

See how Vince Gill uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Vince Gill

Singer, Guitarist

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

...
Verified via Flickr

Vince is constantly switching pedals on and off his board but you can see in this pic he is running the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. He was using the Sparkle Drive when I saw him in 2012 as well.

See how Brent Mason uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Brent Mason

Guitarist

Zac Brown Band

...
Verified via Premierguitar

According to the pedalboard section in the Premier Guitar article, Mason uses the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive.

See how Robert Quine uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Robert Quine

Guitarist

Richard Hell & The Voidoids

...
Verified via Vintage Guitar® magazine

Effects are a Boss TU-2 tuner, Prescription Electronics’ Yardbox and Experience pedals, Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, and some variety of a Tube Screamer. At the moment my favorites are the Maxon OD 808 and Voodoo Lab’s Sparkle Drive. There are a few other things I use quite often, like a Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus and Pedal Power, Prescription Electronics Germ, and either a Carl Martin compressor/limiter or Boss CS-3 compressor/sustainer.

See how Philip Jamieson uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Philip Jamieson

Guitarist, Keyboardist

Caspian

...
Verified via Twitter

Philip Jamieson shared on Twitter that he uses the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive overdrive pedal.

See how Tony MacAlpine uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Tony MacAlpine

Guitarist

The G3 Jam

...
Verified via Tony MacAlpine

The official Gear page lists the pedal which Tony is using.

See how Jonathan Kreisberg uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Jonathan Kreisberg

Guitarist

...
Verified via YouTube

At 15:31 min, it is possible to see this gear.

See how Tim Feerick uses Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Tim Feerick

Bassist

Dance Gavin Dance

...
Verified via Photo

In this gear photo posted by Feerick on his Instagram account, the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is visible.

Album Usage

The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive has been featured on the following albums:

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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Community setups

Show yours
martin_gotte

martin_gotte

Gear IQ 995

N

ntcarlson_

Gear IQ 66

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