TM
Pinnacle & Pinnacle Deluxe - Distortion
Praised by Zeke Clark (former Van Halen gear tech) as being the pedal which
comes the closest to getting the "Brown Sound" of anything he's ever tried, the
Pinnacle and Pinnacle Deluxe are aimed squarely at trying to emulate every
aspect of that classic tone, from the powerful mids and highs to the low-end sag
when you really hit it.
The main dierence between the two pedals is that the Pinnacle Deluxe model
allows you to switch from a lower to a higher gain mode on the y, while the
Pinnacle standard has that functionality on a toggle switch, less foot-friendly!
(Seriously, don't step on a toggle switch, bad things happen.)
These pedals are for people who want one of two things (or both!). If you're
looking for classic, soaring tone inspired by Eddie's sound during the time David
Lee Roth was with the band especially, with Brian's typical attention to detail and
exibility fully on board, the Pinnacle or Pinnacle Deluxe will get you where
you're going.
TM
If you're looking for a great sounding, versatile, very responsive
Marshall®-in-a-Box type of pedal with lots of high end sizzle available, the
Pinnacle or Pinnacle deluxe can do those sounds too, and very well.
It will even do a killer higher gain tone, though it will always retain that more
classic voicing. Whether you went for the Pinnacle or the Pinnacle Deluxe, you
have in your possession a great pedal. Now I'll tell you how to get the most out of
it!
To get the most out of your new pedal, you'll want to become very familiar with the controls.
The Pinnacle features controls for Gain, Volume, Tone and Contour, as well as a Vint./Modern switch to change the overall tone
from a more classic, darker sound to a brighter, more forward tone, and a Boost switch which changes the internal gain structure
between lower and higher gain modes. If you purchased the Pinnacle Deluxe, the Boost control will be on its own foot switch for
on-the-y gain control. If you are a Pinnacle Deluxe user, to ensure proper behavior, when you power up the pedal it's a good
idea to kick the boost on and let it "juice up" for a few seconds so that it will be 100% available to the pedal when you need it live.
Flexibility is a key feature, as usual, and the tone controls on the Pinnacle are intentionally very interactive, so experimentation
will go far. As with all Wampler Pedals products, the Pinnacle or the Pinnale deluxe includes a high-quality true-bypass switch
which takes it out of the signal path when bypassed. Experiment and enjoy!
Bypass Switch – A true-bypass footswitch ensures solid, mechanical removal of the circuit when it isn't wanted, meaning you
don't lose any tone when the pedal is o.
Volume – This control adjusts the output level of the Pinnacle or Pinnacle Deluxe. There's plenty of volume on tap in either
standard or Boost mode, so whether you want to go farther than your input level or just make sure it can do unity volume (the
same level of signal going out as you feed it, when active), you're covered. The Gain, Tone and Contour knobs, and the Boost
Toggle (or for Pinnacle Deluxe owners, footswitch) all have an impact on total output volume level, so you're probably better o
waiting to adjust the Volume until you've dialed in the other controls. Re-adjustment might be necessary if you get it to the
desired level and still need to tweak the sound.
Gain – This control, in conjunction with the Boost Toggle (or, for Pinnacle
Deluxe owners, footswitch), lets you dial in anything from a classic, almost
laid back early rock tone all the way to modern high-gain. Our users, from
international pros to weekend warriors, all have their own favorite ways of
using the pedal, so however you end up liking the Gain setting, that's just
ne. The "Brown Sound" is in there, that's the goal after all! But in terms of
how much distortion you want, there's a great deal of exibility and we
encourage you to run through the whole gamut to get a good sense of
how it works and responds before you settle on how you'll use it.
Tone – This adjusts the frequency emphasis on the highs. It interacts
substantially with the Contour knob and Vint./Modern switch. There are
several ways you can approach adjusting the Tone. You could start with it
maxed and roll it o until you like the amount of highs, or you could start
with it lower and adjust it either direction if you want more or less. Either
way, it's a fairly straightforward control, but the interaction with the other
tonal adjustment options means you should expect to spend some time
getting used to the overall tonal possibilities.
Contour – This adjusts the frequency emphasis overall. It interacts
substantially with the Tone knob, and is aected by the Vint./Modern
switch as well. At noon, this knob gives you a balanced presentation of the
overall frequencies; counterclockwise it becomes very midrange-forward,
and clockwise it takes the mids out pretty heavily, contouring the sound
for a very "scooped" tone. A little adjustment goes a long way with this
control. The best approach would be to start with the Contour knob at
noon, and adjust from there. Of course, making such broad tonal changes,
you're going to want to adjust the Tone control in conjunction with the
Contour knob!
Vint./Modern Switch – This control essentially sets the overall voicing of
the pedal's frequencies, to be either darker with a classic tonality or
brighter and more modern if you'd prefer that. Setting this up rst will
give you a good "starting point" for your tone, but it's also useful if you've
adjusted everything else and feel the overall tone needs to shift in a larger
direction.
Ain't Talkin' Bout...
Boost toggle/footswitch OFF, Vint./Modern on VINT, Gain at
3-4 o'clock, Tone at 2 o'clock, Contour at 1 o'clock
Suggested Settings (volume to suit)
Running With...
Boost toggle/footswitch OFF, Vint./Modern on VINT, Gain at 2
o'clock, Tone at 1 o'clock, Contour at Noon
(Pinnacle Standard Only) Boost Toggle – This switch alters the internal
gain structure of the pedal to bring much more drive, heavier and more
aggressive distortion when engaged. On the Pinnacle Deluxe, this
functionality is found on the Boost Footswitch, for adjustment on the y!
It's one mean street.
Boost toggle/footswitch OFF, Vint./Modern on Modern,
Gain at 3 o'clock, Tone at 2 o'clock, Contour at 2 o'clock
Note: This is not and is not intended to be a volume boost. While especially at
very low Gain knob settings it may act as a volume boost to a degree, it is rst
and foremost intended to kick in extra gobs of gain, and shouldn't be thought
of as increasing the volume.
Power Requirements
The pedal can be powered by a 9V battery. The battery terminal is located inside the pedal. If
using a power supply, power needed for the pedal is 9V DC, regulated, center pin negative, as
supplied by most standard Boss™/Ibanez™/Etc. supplies. The pedal can be safely powered with a
multi-supply, like the Visual Sound 1SPOT™. The pedal was designed explicitly around the usage
of a 9V DC power source, and is intended to sound its best at 9V. To avoid damage to the pedal,
do not exceed 18V DC, do not use center pin positive adapters, and do not use AC power. Using
an incorrect power adapter can lead to damage and will void the warranty on the pedal. This
pedal draws 4mA (standard), 9mA (Deluxe).
Please note: If you are using a battery, it will drain when the input cord is plugged in.
Return and Warranty Policy
For direct sales, there is a 7-day “no questions asked” period where you may return the pedal for any reason, provided that it is in its original condition. Please retain
all packaging within this period in case you decide to return it! We only require that you pay shipping back. The 7 days start when you receive the pedal. This does
not apply to dealer or retailer sales – see their individual return policies for specic information.
Modern High Gain Rock
Boost toggle/footswitch ON, Vint./Modern on MODERN,
Gain at 2 o'clock, Tone at Noon, Contour at 2-3 o'clock
Any trademarks attributed that are not owned by Wampler Pedals, Inc. are for
demonstrative purposes only, and are property of their respective owners
All Wampler Pedals, Inc. pedals carry a 5-year, fully transferable warranty that covers defects due to parts and labor. The warranty begins at the point of purchase.
Please remember to register your pedal as soon as possible after purchase at the following web page to ensure quicker service if you should ever need to make a
warranty claim: www.wamplerpedals.com/warranty_registration
For warranty repairs or questions, please feel free to contact us at www.wamplerpedals.com/contact_us.html