The MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver is an overdrive pedal. Close alternatives include the Xotic BB Preamp V1.5 and the Colorsound Power Boost. It pairs well with the Dumble Steel String Singer and the Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head.
MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver
Unknown brand · pedal
The MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa FET Driver is a signature overdrive designed with Joe Bonamassa, cascading an op-amp gain stage into a FET stage for a rich, creamy tone reminiscent of an overdriven tube amplifier. At lower gain it stays smooth and singing with a Gilmour-esque sustain, and pushed harder it verges on fuzz territory rather than staying merely crunchy. Hi and Low knobs cut or boost treble and bass, with a Hi Cut switch rounding off top end, and the natural-sounding dirt blends well with an already-overdriven amp for meaty lead tones. Some players find the low end can get boomy or hard to dial in at higher Low settings. It suits blues and rock players wanting a smooth, amp-like overdrive with real sustain for lead playing.
What stands out
“Some players find the low end can get boomy or hard to dial in at higher Low settings”
— from the listing
“The MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa FET Driver is a signature overdrive designed with Joe Bonamassa, cascading an op-amp gain stage into a FET stage for a rich, creamy tone reminiscent of an overdriven tube amplifier”
— from the listing
“Hi and Low knobs cut or boost treble and bass, with a Hi Cut switch rounding off top end, and the natural-sounding dirt blends well with an already-overdriven amp for meaty lead tones”
— from the listing
“It suits blues and rock players wanting a smooth, amp-like overdrive with real sustain for lead playing”
— from the listing
“[Community Reviews] • "Good overdrive" — Great overdrive, sounds great with valve amps and solid state, careful with the bass frecuency”
— from the reviews
- bass
- stage
- gain
- op amp
- treble
- lead
- top end
- overdrive
Genres the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver is commonly used in
- Rock
- Blues
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
27% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Run Dumble Steel String Singer after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Comes later in the signal chain
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
26% matchUsed together by 1 artist
fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Comes later in the signal chain
Hiwatt Park P18LH 'Little 45' Handwired18W
Hiwatt
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run Hiwatt Park P18LH 'Little 45' Handwired18W after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp
Orange
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Orange Terror Bass
Orange
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Orange Terror Bass leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run Orange Little Bass Thing after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Where this leans bright, Gibson GA-50 answers back warm
Victory Amplifiers V50 The Earl
amplifier
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Victory Amplifiers V50 The Earl's warm balances out the bright tone
Pedals that stack with the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver
TC Electronic SCF Gold Stereo Chorus
TC Electronic
24% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver's op-amp voice out front: TC Electronic SCF Gold Stereo Chorus goes after MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver in the signal chain so its analog warmth voice doesn't muddy it
Comes later in the signal chain
Ashdown Velvet Compressor
Ashdown
20% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Ashdown Velvet Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
18% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Catalinbread SFT's warm balances out the bright tone
Greer Mizuki blue
Greer
18% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Run Greer Mizuki blue after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Comes later in the signal chain
Walrus Audio Fable
Walrus Audio
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep Walrus Audio Fable after MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver in the signal chain, clear of MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Suhr Discovery
Suhr
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver's op-amp voice out front: Suhr Discovery goes after MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver in the signal chain so its warm voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Dunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo
Dunlop
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Run Dunlop Blue Hippo Optical Tremolo after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive
Solidgoldfx
tonal matchSolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive leans smooth right where the bright tone needs it
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
63% similarityShared character: bass, sustain, treble
Colorsound Power Boost
Colorsound
60% similarityShared character: valve amplifiers, bass, singing
Benson Amps Preamp
Benson Amps
59% similarityShared character: boost, treble, fuzz
Benson Amps Chimera Preamp Pedal
Benson Amps
56% similarityShared character: treble, fuzz, boost
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
55% similarityShared character: bass, community reviews, treble
Fulltone Fulldrive 2 MOSFET
Fulltone
54% similarityShared character: bass, boost, gain
Benson Amps BA-Pre
Benson Amps
54% similarityShared character: treble, fuzz, boost
Friedman BE-OD
Friedman
54% similarityShared character: bass, sustain, boost
J. Rockett Archer
pedal
54% similarityShared character: treble, boost, gain
Benson Amps Germanium Preamp (Boost)
Benson Amps
53% similarityShared character: high end, boost, treble
Electronic Audio Experiments Model feT V3.8
Electronic Audio Experiments
53% similarityShared character: treble, gain, bass
Suhr Shiba Mini Overdrive
Suhr
53% similarityShared character: gain, bass, smooth
See all alternatives to the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver?+
The closest matches in character are the Xotic BB Preamp V1.5, the Colorsound Power Boost, the Benson Amps Preamp.
What pairs well with the MXR Custom Shop Joe Bonamassa CSP265 FET Driver?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Dumble Steel String Singer, Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head, Hiwatt Park P18LH 'Little 45' Handwired18W — Run Dumble Steel String Singer after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth.