Wampler Velvet Fuzz
With a seemingly paradoxical name, Wampler has put out a pedal that actually does achieve some beautifully plush distorted fuzz sounds. While it will still crank out the heaviness that most fuzz pedals do, this stompbox will lure you in with its more subdues tones. It is sadly lacking in its tonal quality. With quite an impressive range of sounds, there may be no better pedal for someone with a willingness to sacrifice tone, who is seeking a full rainbow of fuzz.
External Control: None
Cost: $$
HornFX Review
Interface: 3.5/5
Simply laid out. The controls are quite simple to understand and intuitively manipulate your sound. The mode switch works really nicely and gives a nice range of tones.
Versatility: 3.5/5
Surprisingly versatile for a fuzz pedal. You can get fairly clean overdrive sounds, as well as super nasty fuzz tones. You can also switch modes for even more options.
Tone Reproduction: 2.5/5
This pedal does have a tendency to sound a bit stuffy. Even with the brightness knob all the way up, there is is still some tonal integrity left to be desired. However, the sound, even with a lot of fuzz, is still smooth. The notes truly speak clearly.
Complexity: Simple
Live application: 3.5/5
In a live setting, this pedal, although not aided by presets and external controls, can be a nice addition to your board. While it does have some tonal problems, the smoothness and clarity of the notes make this a beautiful sounding and easy to use pedal.
Product Information
Looking back through history of great fuzz tone, there have been some truly outstanding examples - in particular, the tones that have been achieved by running a fuzz into a screaming stack. The kind of tones that are just earth shattering in their depth, aggression and smoothness. We took the base tones from a very famous Wampler Pedal (one that has the characteristics of a famous stacked, EL34 driven, amp) and decided this was the best foundation to build the perfect fuzz and deliver it in a unit that sounds as good as it feels powerful. With two completely different clipping options (not just the basic silicon or germanium option like most) you can achieve those classic fuzz big tones that compresses massively across the bottom or you can tighten them up and have it respond more like a distortion. With this you get all of the tone with none of the side effects. Some people say it sounds like a fuzz but feels like a distortion, so yes, you CAN have the best of both worlds. If you are a fan of the tones of the players like David Gilmour or Eric Johnson (and let’s face it, who isn’t), then it could be that the Velvet Fuzz is the pedal you are looking for. Welcome to a new world of thick as a brick, wall crumbling and window shattering fuzz. Velvet Fuzz.
Built in the U.S.A.
High grade components picked for their superior sound and response
Relay true bypass with soft switch
Top mounted input and output jacks
Battery connection and 9v power jack
Power draw: 23mA (9v) ONLY
Switchable between two completely independent clipping circuits, pure fuzz or a fuzz like distortion
2.5″ x 4.5″ x 1.5″ (63.5mm x 114.3mm x 38.1mm) – height excludes knobs and switches
Product info taken from the Wampler website.