The One Control Tornado Drive is a new collaboration between pedal designer Björn Juhl with Japanese celebrity guitarist TK (Tory Kitajima), part of a new line of pedals called TORNADO Fx. There are two versions of this original, non-clone, high-gain overdrive circuit: Aluminum and Brass, with the latter featuring a brass enclosure and costing almost twice as much as the former.
The first prototype of the TORNADO Drive Brass was incorporated into TK’s pedalboard he used for his Dead is Alive 2022 Tour and Tornado and Extend Life tour.
Although there are no third-party demos of it yet at this point, the circuit is described by the builder as producing tone that’s thick, clear and three-dimensional at high gain settings, but also delicate and refined when the Drive knob is turned down. Björn Juhl took particular care in designing a Tone control that allows the TORNADO to integrate well with any guitar/amp combination.
The Brass version of the pedal features two extra trim pots on one side of the case that – to quote the press release…
…can fine-tune the differences in acoustic characteristics depending on the gig, whether at the venue, a recording studio, or the practice room.
You can see them in the picture below.
Here are the first videos of the One Control Tornado Drive.
One Control Tornado Drive, Builder’s Notes
TORNADO Fx is a new brand line from One Control, under the full supervision of Mr. TK. With this new brand, we bring a new sound tested and approved by the great Björn Juhl of BJF (Sweden) and the production of One Control (Japan).
Mr. TK seeks an effects pedal that can create the ideal sounds in guitarist’s heads. One Control already possesses a great deal of experience in bringing to life the incredible sound designs from BJF and BJFe series pedals. However, these new designs and concept are different, so we launched this new line called TORNADO Fx to pursue the ideal sounds that TK is looking for.
Two TORNADO Drives:
TORNADO Drive Brass is a custom brass-machined enclosure to match the equipment used by TK himself for his desired sound. The TORNADO Drive Aluminum is a custom aluminum-machined enclosure developed as a great overdrive for many guitarists. Each is special, and both are great choices for any guitarist serious about tone.
TORNADO Drive is an overdrive pedal designed and manufactured under the supervision of TK after evaluating many opinions and ideas on what would be the pinnacle of overdrive as an effect. The first prototypes were used for several years in TK’s live performances, and adjustments were made with both BJF and TK based on the sound and feel of the pedal onstage. The first TORNADO Drive Brass, which has been improved, was incorporated into the pedalboard of the DEAD IS ALIVE TOUR 2022 – Tornado and Extend Life tour.
Not a clone, a completely new design with completely boutique aesthetics and sound.
The TORNADO Drive Brass is an overdrive pedal tailored to the equipment TK uses and his desired tone. The enclosure is cut from solid brass and features two trim pots which can fine-tune the differences in acoustic characteristics depending on the gig, whether at the venue, a recording studio, or the practice room. The thick tone is three-dimensional and can go from a whisper to a scream with just the playing dynamics. We have carefully refined these seemingly contradictory characteristics, creating a superb overdrive that was born from BJF’s tonal sensibilities and TK’s commitment to tone.
High gain with clarity can easily be heard when playing complex chords, with long sustain and high performance. Special filtering by BJF has contributed to achieve a most beautiful sound. From stadium-level playing to playing in your own room, you can get the best sound at any volume.
TORNADO Drive Aluminum was developed to be a great overdrive pedal for as many guitarists as possible. The TORNADO Drive used by TK himself is an overdrive made with luxurious specs that matches his gear and pursues the sound desired by TK to the utmost extent. The tone is thick and three-dimensional, and also can be delicate and refined. We have carefully worked with both of these characteristics and have created a superb overdrive that was born from BJF’s technical sensibility and TK’s commitment to tone.
High gain with clarity can easily be heard when playing complex chords, with long sustain and high performance. Special filtering by BJF has contributed to achieve a most beautiful sound. From stadium-level playing to playing in your own room, you can get the best sound at any volume.
TORNADO Drive Aluminum has been tweaked to be useable with a wide variety of guitar gear, and will give great tonal results for a wide variety of players while fully meeting the standards required by TK. As the model name suggests, the housing is made of custom machined aluminum. Also, there is no trim pot on this model (like the Brass model has) so you can use it with simple controls. There are also some differences in the component values in the circuit as well.
