F U Z Z
TM
TM
Velvet Fuzz
Known for his ability to recreate Amps in Boxes, Brian Wampler recently became
fascinated with the sound of a classic pedal through a famous amp. One of the
most obvious is a fuzz pedal into a full EL34 driven stack, the kind of tones that
are a foundation strong enough to build “The Wall” on.
He wanted the smoothness AND the aggression of the fuzz, the power of the
stack and most importantly, bringing those tones to life through your amp.
This led him to a place he wasn’t expecting. As soon as the circuit jumped to life
he found himself squeezing solo tones that could easily leave you numb, albeit
really comfortably... In fact, it could send you right over the edge of the Clis of
Dover!
The chords remained clear with ALL the strings singing through, it reacted really
well when the volume on the guitar was turned down... Interesting. With this as a
base tone, there became the challenge to make it versatile enough for fuzz fans,
and distortion fans, but retain the character avor the pedal is already giving.
Utilizing several Wampler tricks and one or two completely unique approaches,
Brian added the voicing switch to give you the option of a more fuzz friendly
tone or a more distortion tone. With the fuzz side being bigger and looser, and
the dirt side being tighter and brighter, this pedal works wonderfully if you want
to retain your tone yet smash it up in the best possible way.
So, if you are are lusting over the sweetest sustaining fuzz or the dirtiest
destroyed fuzz that can border on distortion, the Velvet Fuzz is for you - there is
no other fuzz like it..
To get the most out of your new pedal, you'll want to become very familiar with the controls. The Velvet Fuzz has three controls
and 2 voicing options. Each control will eect the others so it’s good initially to try and see how each eects the others. For
example, the brightness knob reacts a bit dierently in the BIG position than it does in the TIGHT position.
Bypass Switch – Simple enough, this footswitch is wired up for true bypass switching to ensure that you don't have anything in
the way when you disable the pedal. The LED indicator light will show that when the pedal is activated.
Volume – This controls the output level of the pedal. It works just like the volume knob on your guitar or your amp. As you raise
the FUZZ knob, and depending on how you adjust the BRIGHTNESS control and switches, you may need to raise or lower them to
have the same output level. That's perfectly normal. We suggest that initially you nd where “unity” volume is (when the aected
sound level is the same as the unaected sound level) and work from there.
Fuzz – As you can probably guess, this controls the amount of fuzz
that is heard. The more you turn it clockwise, the fuzzier the sound will
become. As usual the amount of fuzz achieved and the style of the
fuzz diers depending on where the switch is. This is explained fully
below.
Brightness – This adjusts between a much darker, bassier sound at the
fully counterclockwise position, to a very highs-forward, present
sound fully clockwise. As with most tonal adjustments, you're probably going to nd the right t for your gear somewhere between the
extremes. It's not a bad idea to start at noon and adjust in small
increments from there to let your ears get used to the sound of the
pedal as you raise or lower the Brightness knob. You will nd that this
knob reacts dierently depending on the voicing option, again - play
with it on each setting and see which one is best for you
Big / Tight – The beauty of this pedal is the options you get from this
switch. With the switch in the up position, you will get a bigger sound
that has a fat but creamy fuzz quality to it but cleans up with the
guitar's volume control just as good (if not better) than those vintage
2 knob fuzz pedals.The volume pot on the guitar can really change the
dynamics in this position.
In the down position, the tone is tighter and feels a bit more distortion
like – yet a creamy fuzz tone that is bordering on the edge between
distortion and fuzz. Again, it’s really worth taking the time to hear the
dierence in ipping between these two and nding which of the
tones will work best for you.
Numb but comfortable
A singing fuzz with gallons of sustain, pushed through a
Suggested Settings
cooking amp for classic fuzzy lead tones.
Clis of Johnson
Some say it’s violin like, others say it’s just the sweetest fuzz
tone ever... We’ll let you decide.
IMPORTANT.
Placing the pedal after a buer may make it react AND sound dierent
from design. It is best placed outside or before any buering.
Are you experienced?
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 9V 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 23mA.
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 14-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 14 days start when you receive the pedal. This does
not apply to dealer or retailer sales – see their individual return policies for specic information.
This lady sure is foxy.
Jacks white stripes.
If you going to recruit an army, best recruit from all seven
nations.
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