Wampler

FAUX TAPE ECHO V2

Based on the hugely popular best seller of the previous models, the v2 offers the same purity of signal path, the same depth of tone on the repeats and most importantly, the addition of sub divisions on the tap tempo. With this, you can now have your delays come at ¼, 1/8, dotted 1/8 and triplet based on your tap tempo.

With our hybrid design (completely pure analog dry path with the digital delay layered on top) approach, you get the best of both worlds. You get the note clarity, much lower noise, and longer delay times from digital delays...  You also get the lovely warmth and little exquisite touches that are usually reserved for analog delays. Nearly every part of the pedal, all of its major functions, are analog. The “delay line” is the only digital part of the signal path. It alone being digital brings clarity and focus to the task in a way that analog delay line chips can’t really match.

But everything else, all the absolutely vital filtering to carefully finish the sound is pure analog. Every aspect of the modulation that gives the Faux Tape Echo pedal a unique function and tone and makes it desirable for people who want their delay tone to sound as good as tape delay units but without all the maintenance, supplies, and hassle. Your all-important fundamental dry tone is 100% analog, too.

So when we say it’s the best of both worlds, we absolutely mean it. From country slap-back to ambient washes to straight-ahead rock and metal delay, the hybrid approach lets Brian make one pedal that can do it all.

The Faux Tape Echo takes everything great about the original, and adds to it that much-requested tap tempo with sub-division functionality that users have been asking for, as well as our well known emulation of the elusive and beautiful character that people look for in classic tape echo units.

The search for the perfect fuzz can be an exercise in frustration. On one hand, there's always the desire to emulate the classic, vintage-inspired tones like the Rock Gods before us. They used what was available at the time to forge some of the most memorable songs in history with unbeatable sustain.

On the other hand, there are players who desire to break outside of the norm and push their own boundaries, using fuzzes that are over the top, like a tsunami of fuzz ready to envelop their guitar's signal. Despite the already incredible credentials some fuzzes have by being on such iconic songs, they weren't without their shortcomings. Many of those pedals were simple and lacked some EQ controls that could really make a great pedal extraordinary -- or not so much, due to the manufacturer using whatever parts they had available, which led to major part tolerance issues leading to each of the pedals sounding potentially drastically different.

The three-band EQ gives full sculpting capability to dial in whatever tone you want without needing magic vintage mojo. The voicing switch can take it from classic, tight response to dark, sludgy and writhing with a depth to it like piping hot magma bubbling just below the surface.

The Fuzztration isn't a pedal designed to really play "nice." It's brash, raspy, doomy, in-your-face fuzz from top to bottom. This is not to say it can't get some classic Floyd sounds, but this isn't just another classic with some added EQ options. It's rough, it's gruff, and it's like an angry lion trying to bust out of its cage. When the search for the perfect fuzz leads to a plethora of choices, the end of your Fuzztration comes when everything is packed into one, do-it-all fuzz box. Want the classic sounds? Done. How about some raunchy doom metal or sludge rock? Yep, it does that too

The volume knob is pretty self-explanatory, but it controls the overall output of the Fuzztration. The Bass controls the overall low-end response of the Fuzztration. Noon is standard, counterclockwise it removes some of the bottom end that warrants a more searing tone, where taking it clockwise will increase the bottom end tremendously, going from a raspy fuzz to full-on doom machine. Mids controls the mid presence of the circuit. Center is fairly flat, counter-clockwise will scoop the mids and become much more aggressive and cutting, almost distortion-like. Clockwise will add in some mids, which helps combat the scoop that lead many of those old classic fuzzes to be lost in the mix with the full band. The treble control effects the overall high-end and brightness of the circuit and has a tremendous effect on the overall way of shaping the tone of the fuzz.

Noon is standard, going counter-clockwise will yield in a much thicker, saturated fuzz tone that sounds like a wall of wool coming from the speakers. Clockwise will increase the brightness, and thus the raspiness and spit of the fuzz depending on where you have the voicing switch set. The Voicing switch gives you two very different but usable sets of tones. On the Tight setting, it has a classic, more modern sound that's...well, tighter, less sag and acts more as a fuzzy distortion that totals up to a sum of a whole lot more than that magical number of 3.14.

The Open setting is much woolier, darker, saggier, and an overall thicker and sludgier fuzz tone. The huge Fuzz knob controls the overall amount of fuzzy goodness. This pedal isn't designed for sparkly edge-of-breakup tones, so even fully counterclockwise it yields a thick, sputtering result that works great for alt-rock and grunge. Turning the fuzz knob clockwise unleashes a torrent of fuzz, leading to massive sustain combined with some compression, classic velcro sputters and everything in between.