30 Pedals in 30 Days 2014: Wampler Clarksdale Delta Overdrive
Marc Johnson | Nov 04, 2014 | Comments 0
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Brian Wampler, the CEO of Wampler Pedals, is “hands on” with everything. He’s in the demo videos. He’s at the NAMM every year. He’s driving the bus. At TheToneKing.com, we’re always keeping our ears out for that personal touch from manufacturers. For 30 Pedals in 30 Days 2014, we had a chance to check out Wampler’s Clarksdale Delta Overdrive.
Some compare the Wampler Clarksdale to a classic Screamer pedal – Which is never a bad thing! – But it has so much more going on than that. That’s a result of the “hands on” approach Brian has about all of his gear. The Clarksdale is more than Wampler’s take on a screamer, it’s Wampler’s take on all of the history that led up to the creation of that iconic pedal.
“At the crossroads of Highway 61 and Junction 49 lies the official crossroads of Clarksdale, Mississippi – the birthplace of the Delta Blues. This historic town, and the famous music that was created there, is responsible for the inspiration behind this pedal – The Clarksdale Overdrive.”
There’s a theme when it comes to Wampler’s pedals. They don’t try to clone classic pedals, they break them down to their smallest parts and build them back up through the lense of the history. The result: A truly unique pedal rooted in the history of Delta Blues.
The Wampler Clarksdale remains true to the spirit and tones of the classic screamer but with more versatility. With a wider range of tone options, players have more flexibility to dial in their own unique sound. While the original only had a Tone knob, Wampler’s Clarksdale incorporates a 3 band EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble) to better shape your sound. True to form, the controls on the Wampler are well tapered and make it easy to complement just about any amp, guitar, or player.
To further enhance the variety of sounds that you can get out the Clarksdale, Wampler includes a Lift/Smooth switch. Smooth is for players looking for a silky tone that’s going fit well in the mix, while Lift is for a sound that’s going to cut right through. With the addition of the 3 Band EQ and the Lift/Smooth switch, players can also get hotter sounds out of the Clarksdale than they could with the classic screamer. What’s better is that Wampler was careful to make sure that the Clarksdale wont “fizz out” on high or low gain settings. It’s a smooth ride from the bottom to the top.
Everybody has been asking Brian Wampler to come out with his own version of a classic screamer pedal. What he answered with turned out to be much more than that. Taking the entire history of Delta Blues into account, the Wampler Clarksdale is more of a reimagining than a reissue. With a wider palate of tones at the player’s disposal, Wampler might have made a screamer style pedal that could be used by a much wider audience. TheToneKing.com is always looking for innovators who always stay involved with the gear that they create, and it was cool to check out The Wampler Clarksdale Delta Overdrive for 30 Pedals in 30 Days.
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZzWcj2w8CI’]
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6SKLqQ6ZFg’]
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