Lehle Sunday Driver

[Stratman]

Just got this pedal and WOW!

This is the best clean pedal I have found to drive my amp and get a sweet harmonic tone from it.

Sustains well and when driven hard it keeps up without adding any shrill overtones in it.

Expensive $249 US

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

Saw the PG review and wanted to try it, but said "nah" since it's not really a pedal.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

Sounds like something I could dig.

Lehle products are great, but I can't stand the switches they use. Everytime my cable dragged across the board, it'd get caught underneath the lip of the switch head, then you couldn't press it down without yanking the cable away.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

Sounds like something I could dig.

Lehle products are great, but I can't stand the switches they use. Everytime my cable dragged across the board, it'd get caught underneath the lip of the switch head, then you couldn't press it down without yanking the cable away.

Well you wouldn't have that problem with the Sunday Driver...

 

[Stratman]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

Saw the PG review and wanted to try it, but said "nah" since it's not really a pedal.

Do you have a link to that PG (???) review?

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

Do you have a link to that PG (???) review?

Here you go, man!

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazi..._Driver_D_Loop_SGoS_and_3at1_SGoS_Review.aspx

Sunday Driver
The Lehle Sunday Driver is a compact, no-frills preamp providing two modes of operation; you can use it as a buffer or booster. The Driver mode amplifies the signal path from your guitar to your amp, mixer or computer. This is to strengthen a weak signal caused by routing your guitar through pedals, and it offers true tone and clarity. The second mode, or the Sunday mode, multiplies the input impedance by four, and is designed to bring out subtle tones and warmth that were previously unheard. Running the Sunday Driver between my guitar and amp using gold Monster cables, I was surprised by how well defined my tone was—my signal was stronger and clearer. At first, I couldn’t believe my ears, so I plugged my guitar directly into the amp. To my surprise, the notes just sounded dead by comparison with the unmodified signal boost provided by the Sunday Driver. Plugging it back in, I could hear that my ears weren’t deceiving me; my overall tone was better.

Switching to the second, or Sunday, mode my signal was not only louder, but even more defined, providing more sustain from each note played. The guitar signal remained clear throughout the process, and no distortion was ever present, even when turning the +15dB buffer all the way clockwise. I tried this out on two guitars with different pickup arrangements— one guitar with a Rio Grande Dirty Harry single-coil (bridge position) pickup and a Fender Jumbo humbucker (neck), the second with two Seymour Duncan humbuckers (bridge and neck). The results were the same, no matter what combination of pickups; both guitars sounded better than they had without the help of the Sunday Driver.

My only qualm with this preamp is that I wish it were in pedal form. The switch is between the 1/4” jacks at the back of the unit, which doesn’t allow the user to switch between the two modes by foot. Maybe an auxiliary pedal input could be provided as a feature for guitarists who may want this option. I presume Lehle designed this preamp with the idea that you would find your setting and just leave it, and maybe that’s why there isn’t a bypass mode. No problem here, because after hearing what the Sunday Driver can do, there would be no reason to turn it off.

Buy if...
you're looking to boost your guitar signal through a pedal chain, or just looking for a great preamp.
Skip if...
you need a preamp that can be controlled via footswitch.
Rating...
4.5

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Lehle Sunday Driver

I have never had any kind of issue with my Lehle pedals!

GJ -- you might wanna do what I do -- keep all of the effects with the backline and run a MIDI controller to the stage front.