DLS Effects Reckless Driver – Dual-Channel Overdrive & Distortion

Condition: Brand New / New Old Stock
Effect type: Dual-channel clean boost, overdrive and distortion
Channels: Normal and Boost
Power: 9–12V DC, polarity-independent
Status: Original version—currently out of production

Product description

The DLS Effects Reckless Driver is a highly versatile dual-channel drive pedal that bridges the gap between clean boost, warm tube-style overdrive and aggressive distortion.

As DLS puts it: “It’s an overdrive when you want it—and Reckless Distortion when you need it!”

Both the Normal and Boost channels feature individual Volume, Gain and Clean Mix controls. This allows the unaffected guitar signal to be blended with the driven sound, preserving clarity, definition and playing dynamics even at higher gain settings.

Use the Normal channel for clean enhancement, rhythm crunch or warm overdrive, then switch to the Boost channel for additional volume, gain and sustain. At more extreme settings, the Reckless Driver produces a powerful, biting distortion designed for lead playing.

Two independent channels

The Reckless Driver provides two separately adjustable sounds:

• Normal channel: Clean boost, warm breakup, rhythm overdrive or distortion
• Boost channel: Additional volume and gain for heavier rhythm sounds or lead tones

The Normal channel feeds the Boost channel, with the Normal Volume working much like a master level. This creates a natural relationship between the two sounds and makes it easy to set an effective rhythm-to-lead boost.

The Boost channel can be selected even while the effect is bypassed, allowing the desired channel to be prepared before activating the pedal.

Blendable clean signal

Each channel has its own Mix control, allowing the clean guitar signal to be blended with the overdrive or distortion.

This helps retain pick attack, note separation and low-end definition—particularly useful with higher gain settings, complex chords or humbucker-equipped guitars.

Dynamic EQ and attack control

The wide-ranging Bass and Treble controls provide considerably more flexibility than a conventional tone control.

The two-position Attack switch changes the edge and brightness:

• High Attack: Brighter, sharper and more immediate
• Low Attack: Warmer, smoother and more rounded

At higher gain settings, the difference becomes more noticeable and can help tailor the pedal to bright tube amplifiers, darker rigs or solid-state amps.

Controls

• Normal Volume: Sets the Normal-channel output
• Normal Gain: Adjusts its overdrive and distortion
• Normal Mix: Blends the clean and driven signals
• Boost Volume: Sets the Boost-channel output
• Boost Gain: Adjusts its overdrive and distortion
• Boost Mix: Blends the clean and driven signals
• Bass: Full-range low-frequency control
• Treble: Wide-range high-frequency control
• Attack switch: Selects a brighter or smoother response
• Boost footswitch: Changes between Normal and Boost channels
• On/Off footswitch: Activates the effect or true bypass

Specifications

• Effect type: Clean boost, overdrive and distortion
• Channels: Normal and Boost
• Controls per channel: Volume, Gain and Clean Mix
• Tone controls: Bass and Treble
• Attack: Two-position switch
• Bypass: True bypass
• Internal operating voltage: Approximately 13V through an internal charge pump
• Power: 9–12V DC
• Current requirement: Minimum 20mA
• Power connector: Standard 2.1mm DC jack
• Polarity: Polarity-independent
• Input and output: ¼-inch jacks
• Enclosure: Powder-coated die-cast aluminium
• Dimensions: Approximately 12 × 9.4 × 4.3cm
• Weight: Approximately 0.86kg
• Country of manufacture: USA
• Power supply: Not included unless specifically stated

The original DLS manual confirms the independent Normal and Boost controls, clean-signal blending, dynamic EQ, charge pump, true bypass and power requirements.

Ideal for

• Clean volume boosting
• Warm tube-style breakup
• Blues and classic-rock overdrive
• High-gain rhythm sounds
• Powerful lead distortion
• Switching between rhythm and lead tones
• Parallel clean-and-drive textures
• Single-coil and humbucker pickups

Fandango Guitars · Lugano, Switzerland

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