In the modern metal world, overdrive pedals are no longer optional accessories—they are foundational tools. Tight low end, controlled mids, and surgical gain shaping are what separate a crushing mix from an unusable one. When Ryan “Fluff” Bruce teamed up with Warm Audio, the goal was not to release “another Tube Screamer variant,” but to design the overdrive Fluff himself always wanted—one that works for real-world metal, hardcore, and modern high-gain rigs.

The result is the Warm Audio Fluff Drive (FLF Drive): a purpose-built, studio-grade overdrive engineered for aggressive guitars, extended-range instruments, and down-tuned chaos—without sacrificing flexibility, headroom, or musicality.

Fluff Drive is Warm Audio’s first-ever signature pedal, developed over nearly a year of collaboration, testing, and obsessive fine-tuning with Ryan “Fluff” Bruce. Unlike many artist pedals that are simply cosmetic tweaks, this one reflects Fluff’s dual identity as a guitarist and a professional mix engineer. Every control exists because he personally asked for it.

Fluff’s approach to overdrives is practical rather than romantic. He views them as tools—different “sonic shoes” for different jobs—whether reamping guitars, mixing records, or tracking heavy riffs. That mindset shaped a pedal designed not just for one amp or genre, but for multiple gain structures and real studio workflows.

This is not a nostalgia piece or a vanity project. It’s the pedal Fluff wanted on his desk every day.

At its core, Fluff Drive is built to hit amps hard. The output level provides two to three times more push than a traditional TS-style overdrive, making it ideal for tightening high-gain amps like 5150s while also being powerful enough to wake up cleaner platforms such as a Marshall JCM800 2203.

Instead of adding gain for the sake of gain, the pedal focuses on sonic shaping—tightening the low end, focusing the mids, and enhancing pick attack. The result is chug definition, note separation, and consistency under fast palm-muting and dense arrangements.

This is an overdrive meant to sit inside a mix, not just sound impressive in isolation.

The conceptual starting point for the Fluff Drive was an obscure Japanese-made overdrive from the mid-1980s: the Maxon Super Tube. While Fluff loved certain aspects of its character, he also found it limited, inconsistent, and poorly suited to modern tunings.

Warm Audio didn’t clone the circuit—they evolved it. The familiar mid-forward voice remains, but nearly every limitation of the original design was addressed through expanded controls, cleaner low-end behavior, and vastly improved headroom.

Think of Fluff Drive as a reimagined ‘80s overdrive, rebuilt for modern metal realities.

One of the most critical additions is the Low Boost switch. Unlike vintage designs where low-end boosts often become flubby or distorted, this circuit is clean, controlled, and purpose-built for modern guitars.

For baritones, 7- and 8-string guitars, or drop-tuned riffs, the Low Boost reinforces the fundamental without smearing transients. It also works beautifully with single-coil guitars, coil-split humbuckers, and even bass guitar—making the pedal far more versatile than its metal-centric branding suggests.

This is low-end support done correctly.

The Mid-Enhance circuit is the true heart of the Fluff Drive. Instead of a fixed mid hump, the pedal offers a sweepable mid boost from 150 Hz to 2.5 kHz, allowing players to dial in exactly where their guitar “chugs” best.

The three-way Pre / Off / Post switch determines where that mid boost lives in the signal path. Pre-gain enhances saturation and tightness; Post-gain reshapes the already-distorted signal for clarity and focus; Off turns the pedal into a more traditional TS-style drive.

This level of control is rare—and extremely powerful—in a compact overdrive.

Noise control is essential in high-gain rigs, but Fluff was adamant that the gate should never feel intrusive. The built-in two-stage noise gate is intentionally subtle, cleaning up idle noise without choking sustain or cutting off note tails.

Unlike many gated pedals, the gate can be completely bypassed via a rear switch—removing it entirely from the circuit when not needed. This makes the Fluff Drive equally comfortable for tight rhythm work, lead playing, and non-metal contexts.

It’s functional noise control, not a gimmick.

The rear-mounted 9V / 18V switch engages an internal voltage boost, dramatically increasing headroom and clarity. At 18V, the pedal feels more open, punchy, and controlled—especially when driving clean or edge-of-breakup amps.

For studio work, reamping, or players who prefer maximum dynamic range, 18V operation reveals the Fluff Drive’s most refined character. It’s no coincidence that Fluff himself prefers running the pedal this way.

More voltage here doesn’t mean more gain—it means better control.

Under the hood, the Fluff Drive uses premium JRC4558 op-amps, discrete transistor stages, and a carefully tuned internal voltage doubler. These choices aren’t about nostalgia—they’re about reliability, consistency, and tonal stability.

The analog signal path remains pure, responsive, and predictable across different rigs and environments. Whether pushing a real amp or feeding a modeler like the Quad Cortex, the pedal behaves like a serious studio tool.

This is Warm Audio engineering at full maturity.

Every Fluff Drive is hand-tested in Austin, Texas, ensuring consistency before it reaches players’ boards. Warm Audio backs the pedal with a 5-year warranty, underscoring their confidence in both build quality and long-term reliability.

Available in standard teal and a limited-edition cream white enclosure, the Fluff Drive also includes rare “Golden Ticket” units worldwide—signed by Fluff and bundled with a Warm Audio ribbon microphone and a personal Zoom call.

It’s not just a pedal—it’s a statement.