NUX6ixty5ive Overdrive Effect Pedal, True-bypass Hardware Switching

The awkwardly-named “NUX 6ixty 5ive Overdrive” is an affordably priced low-to-medium gain overdrive that makes little secret about what it is trying to do. Some people online felt it was a Timmy clone, while others thought it based on a Venuram Jan Ray. NUX comes right out in the manual and explains that it is inspired by the Jan Ray, and I think the color choice, knob design, and control layout make that pretty clear. Actually, naming the line of pedals the “Reissue Series” is sort of a ballsy move, given that NUX effectively copies…ahem…borrows circuits from various boutique brands and them rehouses them in a budget offering for about 1/6 of the price. But I was never going to spend $300 for a Jan Ray, so here we are…BUILD QUALITY:Initially, I was disappointed a bit by the build quality and felt I might deduct a star for that reason. I owned the NUX Amp Academy for a bit, and that more-expensive pedal was built like an absolute tank. This “Reissue Series” is totally acceptable for $49, but could have been better in a few key areas. In particular, the hard-click footswitch is not inspiring from a longevity standpoint, and the knobs – while attractive and clearly referencing the Jan Ray – turn too easily due to a lack of resistance on the potentiometer shafts. On the plus side, NUX gets extra credit for including a 9V battery compartment with a snap door.TONE QUALITY:Any concerns about the overall quality of the pedal, however, were quickly brushed aside once I plugged it in. I found it to be just a solid overdrive pedal with amazing tonal versatility. I can’t say that the sound necessarily reminded me of a driven Fender amp, though I’m sure it’s in that ballpark. It reminded me more of some of my favorite low-to-mid gain drive pedals – particularly the Bluesbreaker. However, compared to a V1 Bluesbreaker, the 6ixty 5ive has quite a bit more output and available gain, plus independent tone controls that can cut and boost. I ran it with dark amps and bright amps, single coils, P90’s, and humbuckers, and it seemed like there was always a way to make it set great. While descriptions of “feel” always come across cheesy in writing, I felt that the 6ixty 5ive had a nice lower-mid depth to it that really seemed to “absorb” heavier attacks on the strings in a way that sounded very pleasing. (Yes, it felt “amp-like”. There, I said it.)I should also mention that there is a small trim pot accessible through a hole in the top of the pedal, though I will not be touching it. My understanding is that it affects the “saturation” of the pedal, and turning it will change the biasing of the gain, and make it break up more quickly. However, I am quite happy both with the amount of gain the pedal offers, as well as the fact that it can be run clean, so I would prefer to leave it “as is”.Overall, I’ve very pleased with this overdrive pedal. For a very reasonable price, it’s a pedal that can be used in a lot of different ways, and is very enjoyable to play. Sonically, it covers a lot of the same territory as the Paul Cochrane/MXR Timmy or other low-gain, “transparent” drives. If I’m being honest, it does everything I hoped my Walrus 385 Overdrive would do at 25% of the price. There’s so many pedals out there by now, that it can tend to feel that “nothing is new” anymore, but this affordable clone stood out nonetheless.

For a bargain price, this pedal is hard to beat. Plugged into an old Fender amp, it gives you a good growl.

This pedal is very cheap, and build-wise, you will never confuse it for a Boss pedal. Still, for the price, it sounds very good, and I am using it. I cannot predict how long it will last, but I doubt it will last as long as the Boss, MXR, etc pedals I've used for years or even decades. But, worth the money.

This pedal is a clone of the Vemuram Jan Ray. Its sounds like it and resembles it for the most part. I have had the real pedal as well as a clone that I love and toe to toe it holds up in sound well. The noise floor is good. and the controls work well. I have not messed with the trim pot on the outside but I am afraid of missing the sweet spot so I am leaving that alone for now. That being said it has slightly more lower mids than the Vemuram(which I like) and has plenty of gain on tap either as a clean boost or as an light to medium overdrive. At 50 bucks it's a no brainer. I may pick up another one in case this one falls flat in the durability factor. The pots seem to be surface mounted as they seem to move side to side a little bit when using and the click footswitch are usually the first things to go. All in all I am giving it a 5 for sheer sound.

It gets a lot of hype online. To me it’s an average sounding overdrive. I use it with a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Should be a perfect pairing, but I’m still looking for the sweet spot. Well built. Priced reasonably.

This pedal is criminally underrated. I’m currently running it through a Fender Twin Reverb with a Danelectro Hodad and my god it cuts like butter. The bass and treble EQ really help dial in your tone and the gain sounds so authentically vintage. I’ve also used it with a Crate GX-212, Vox AC 30, and an Ampeg VL 4x12 half stack and was equally satisfied with the results. Check out some YouTube videos if you’re on the fence. To me, it’s a no brainer.

A very good sounding pedal. It also. happens to be very cost effective. I run mine thick and chewy with just the right amount of wooliness. Sounds fantastic with humbuckers, and cleans up really nicely with a little volume roll off.

Surprisingly good OD