Through the Tiki Drive, each guitar remained true
to its roots and retained its tonal character, whether
I explored subtly overdriven settings or entered
half-way-to-Armageddon distortion zones.
Buy If...
you want huge tonal and gain
options that turn one amp into
a thousand.
Gain 1 gives the Tiki Drive some of the characteristics of a well-rounded fuzztone with a little
spit on top of smooth distortion. Combining
Gain 1 and 2 opened the gates to a world of
exciting sounds ranging from vintage Marshall to
extreme metal distortion. I was really impressed
with how Gain knobs 1 and 2 worked with the
Tone control to create heavily overdriven sounds
that retained chime, clarity, and attack. Cranking
Gain 1 and setting Gain 2 to noon generated an
incredibly thick sound with sustain that lasted
until I dropped the note.
Plugging in a Godin ICON Type 2 equipped
with Duncan Convertibles, I switched to single-
coil mode to investigate the pedal’s range with
chimey and more Strat-like sounds. Here again,
the Voice control helped me find the sweetest
spot for the Godin and the No. 8 amp—this
time favoring an almost fully clockwise position.
It was great to be able to fine-tune the sound to
get the most response out of the guitar, pedal,
and amp. The Voice control clearly separates the
Tiki from other overdrives. Indeed, you have to
work to make this pedal sound harsh or abrasive.
The Verdict
Hermida has a real gem in the Tiki Drive. For one
pedal to cover so many different overdrive sounds
is mindboggling, and the Tone and Voice knobs
are brilliant testaments to Alfonso Hermida’s commitment to refining the overdrive and distortion
pedal concept. Its quiet operation and versatility
makes this a definite keeper for me. In fact, it
might be the only pedal I need for many studio
sessions. The Tiki Drive is a true overachiever.
Skip If...
you’ve already got your favorite
gain pedal.
Hermida Audio
Technology
Street $229
hermidaaudio.com
or use a mobile device to read
this QR code to download audio
clips of the pedal at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/jan2011
Your pedals are worth it.
www.pedaltrain.com
PEDALTRAIN
