addition to a thickness that’s downright
addictive. You also get more sustain and
a pick responsiveness that just plain feels
good—a far cry from the muddiness you
might otherwise expect from a bass boost.
Once I tried this function, it was hard not
to use it, so I spent nearly my entire review
time with the bass switch engaged.
The tone control is wonderfully effective. Many tone controls add little more
than harshness or spiky treble past the
noon mark, but that’s not at all the case
with the Infinity. At the lowest settings the
tone is darker, but without any real loss
of definition. Crank it up and the tone
remains focused and defined, but also surprisingly sweet.
With the Epiphone driving the output, the boost function added a high-mid
edge that emphasized top-end zing. You
may have to cut the tone control a bit
to keep the sound from getting overly
bright, though rolling back your guitar’s
tone enables you to move between a nice,
slicing lead sound and a tighter rhythm
sound with ease.
RATINGS
Pros: Wide range of overdrive tones.
Larry Alan Infinity Driver, $200 street, larryalanguitars.com
Cons: May not be enough gain for some players.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
Value
The germanium diode, which is activated with the Infinity switch, completely
transforms the Infinity Driver’s tonal character. The pedal gets grainier and more
compressed, and you lose a little volume
compared to the bypassed setting. The volume drop probably isn’t significant, given
that few players will toggle between voices
on the fly, and how the Infinity switch provides versatility that’s almost like adding a
second, dirtier overdrive to your board.
The Verdict
Players who like their overdrive to work
like a jackhammer might find the Infinity
Driver a little subtle—at first. But you’ll
be sonically rewarded if you spend a little
time exploring the breadth of the Infinity
Driver’s capabilities and subtler aspects.
Even if you’re looking for a little aggres-
sion from your OD, the Infinity Driver
can do the job. Just max the level and
you’ll achieve the near infinite sustain you
might get from a good compressor, along
with the tonal colors that come from driv-
ing a tube amp hard. The boost function
made the guitars a bit bright, but also
added a welcome range and a cool voice
with a little more attitude.
Maxon OD808 The ORIGINAL Overdrive
www.maxonfx.com
