Wampler

FEATURES
WAMPLER SOVEREIGN DISTORTION
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
FEATURES
WAMPLER EGO COMPRESSOR
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
FEATURES
WAMPLER VELVET FUZZ
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
FEATURES
WAMPLER PLEXI-DRIVE
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
AT A GLANCE
TYPE: Overdrive,
compressor, distortion
and fuzz pedals
CONTROLS: Plexi-Drive:
Gain, volume, tone, bass
boost switch
Ego Compressor: Blend,
attack, volume, tone, sustain
Sovereign Distortion: Gain,
volume, mid behaviour,
tone, bright/even switch,
boost/standard switch
Velvet Fuzz: Fuzz, volume,
brightness, big/tight switch
SOCKETS: Input,
output, power
BYPASS: True bypass
POWER: 9V battery, PSU
(not included)
CONTACT: First Line
Distribution 07894 747041
www.wamplerpedals.com
WAMPLER
SOVEREIGN £199
The king of dirt
LIKE fuzz pedals, distortion pedals each
have their own signature voice, usually with
tweakable gain and volume and a single tone
knob, maybe two. However, in typical Wampler
style, the Sovereign takes that so much further.
First off, you have a boost switch that can add a
load more gain to the standard sound, and then
you have not only a switch to make the whole lot
brighter, but a tone knob to dial in the top-end,
and mid behaviour knob that can really focus
the midrange right where you want it. The result
is a distortion that’s rich in harmonics and with
exactly the top-end presence you need to cut
through the mix. Excellent.
WAMPLER
VELVET FUZZ £199
Fuzzy feel-good factor
WHILE different fuzz boxes can sound quite
radically different from each other depending
on the components used, most of them usually
only have one sound on tap. Enter then, the
Velvet Fuzz, which breaks the mould by
sporting selectable Big and Tight options. Big
gives you traditional fat 60s fuzz that wouldn’t
be out of place on a Hendrix recording, while
Tight trades in some of the fuzzy girth for a
sharply honed, muscular distortion, but both
are responsive and clean up nicely with your
volume knob. Not sandpaper, nor Velcro, this
is velvet-smooth fuzz and versatile with it.
GEAR ROUNDUP
FEBRUARY 2014 105
TGR250.gear_pedals.indd 105 12/23/13 11:36 AM