A smooth, 2-channel overdrive with incredible touch sensitivity.
Even if you don’t know Brent Mason by name, chances are you’ve heard his playing. He’s one of the world’s foremost session guitarists and among the most prolific—appearing on countless records ranging from Alan Jackson to Neil Diamond. After working with Brian Wampler on his rig for years, he teamed up with Wampler Effects to develop an overdrive that could match his varied needs in the studio, and the Hot Wired Overdrive/Distortion was the result.
The all-analog, dual-channel gain machine proved to be one of Wampler’s most impressive pedals. But as Mason’s career flourished and his clients became even more diverse, his overdrive needs changed as well. So Wampler has now released the Hot Wired v.2, which has two channels that can range from subtle overdrive to beefy distortion and mean stacked tones.
Hot-Blooded
The Hot Wired v.2’s all-analog circuit is masterfully built with clean soldering and expertly routed wiring. For this new version, Wampler simplified the layout of the Hot Wired design to make it easier to adjust both channels on the fly. The v.2 groups each channel’s controls in a block rather than in a horizontal array like the original version—making it much easier to quickly identify and manipulate controls for their respective channel. Each channel also has separate 3-way low-mid boost switches that enable you to select from two distinct ranges that can radically alter performance of the tone control (the normal position bypasses the boost). Thinner-sounding guitars benefit from the fatter setting, which enables you to boost low end while using the tone knob to dial in high-end snap—all without the low-end cut that you often experience from higher settings on a single dedicated tone control.
The first channel also now includes a very handy blend knob for mixing a dry signal with the first channel’s overdrive tones. As with the original Hot Wired, both channels can be engaged separately or stacked together for supremely meaty and saturated sounds.
Second Time’s a Charm
The Hot Wired v.2 is very touch sensitive and puts a lot of control over the tone in the player’s hands. It’s a pedal that works great if you have a dynamic picking style, and the best tones are coaxed out by liberal use of the guitar’s onboard volume and tone controls.
Ratings
Pros:
Incredibly smooth overdrive. Highly useful blend control. Near-perfect touch sensitivity.
Cons:
Requires a clean, controlled, smooth playing style in order to yield ultimate control over its dynamic range.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$259
Wampler Pedals
wamplerpedals.com
The tried-and-true combo of a Stratocaster and Twin Reverb is a great showcase for the v.2’s overall voice—highlighting the rounded highs, thick and warm mids, and springy low end. Using the Strat’s bridge pickup with the blend control at around 2 o’clock is a great starting point for dialing in mid-gain tones, which is where the dry and wet signals really start to interact in interesting ways. Picking harder summons more overdrive, and pulling back on the attack yields beautifully crisp and clean tones that sit perfectly with quick fingerpicked melodies and country bends. Flipping to the neck pickup fattens up the overdrive but doesn’t overpower the sound with muddiness—instead it lends the signal a natural and woody vibe. The lower range of the blend knob works very well for bluesy playing, and with a mid- to high-gain setting you can get a very convincing emulation of an SRV-style multi-amp rig.
The distortion channel has a very warm and balanced voicing, with a noticeably rounder midrange than the overdrive channel, lending itself nicely to Eric Johnson-style licks and shredding. Sustain can be generated and controlled easily through pick attack and string vibrato, and a careful touch enables you to make bends soar and rise into controlled feedback. On this channel, the mid-boost switch has a much more pronounced effect. When you stomp both footswitches to stack the channels, the pedal can dish out some incredible ’80s hard-rock tones too, and the snappy attack and mix of dry signal on the overdrive channel helps keep single-note riffs tight and full.
The Verdict
Wampler’s original Hot Wired pedal was revered by a lot of players, but the newest version is likely to lead to even greater praise. It’s got all the versatility that made the original such a hit—but with even greater touch sensitivity, smoother and more ample gain, and a more streamlined package that add up to a significantly improved pedal. And if you mind your picking-hand technique, it’ll reward you with a killer palette of warm rhythm and lead tones and a responsiveness that you won’t easily find elsewhere.
On our season two finale, the country legend details his lead-guitar tricks on one of his biggest hits.
Get out the Kleenex, hankies, or whatever you use to wipe away your tears: It’s the last episode of this season of Shred With Shifty, a media event more consequential and profound than the finales of White Lotus and Severance combined. But there’ll be some tears of joy, too, because on this season two closer, Chris Shiflett talks with one of country music’s greatest players: Vince Gill.
Gill’s illustrious solo career speaks for itself, and he’s played with everyone from Reba McEntire and Patty Loveless to Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton. He even replaced Glenn Frey in the Eagles after Frey’s death in 2017. His singing prowess is matched by his grace and precision on the fretboard, skills which are on display on the melodic solo for “One More Last Chance.” He used the same blackguard 1953 Fender Telecaster that you see in this interview to record the lead, although he might not play the solo the exact way he did back in 1992.
Tune in to learn how Gill dialed his clean tone with a tip from Roy Nichols, why he loves early blackguard Telecasters and doesn’t love shredders, and why you never want to be the best player during a studio session.
If you’re able to help, here are some charities aimed at assisting musicians affected by the fires in L.A:
https://guitarcenterfoundation.org
https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html
https://www.musiciansfoundation.org
https://fireaidla.org
https://www.musicares.org
https://www.sweetrelief.org
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
New RAT Sound Solution Offers a Refined Evolution of Distortion
ACT Entertainment ’s iconic RAT brand has unveiledthe Sterling Vermin, a boutique distortion guitar pedal that blends heritage tone with modernrefinement. With a new take on RAT’s unmistakable sound, Sterling Vermin delivers a new levelof precision and versatility.
“The Sterling Vermin was born from a desire for something different — something refined, withthe soul of a traditional RAT pedal, but with a voice all its own,” says Shawn Wells, MarketManager—Sound, ACT Entertainment, who designed the pedal along with his colleague MattGates. “Built in small batches and hand-soldered in ACT’s Jackson, Missouri headquarters, theSterling Vermin is a work of pure beauty that honors the brand legacy while taking a bold stepforward for creativity.”
The Sterling Vermin features the LM741 Op-Amp and a pair of selectable clipping diodes.Players can toggle between the traditional RAT silicon diode configuration for a punchy, mid-range bite, or the BAT41 option for a smoother, more balanced response. The result is a pedalthat’s equally at home delivering snarling distortion or articulate, low-gain overdrive, with a wide,usable tonal range throughout the entire gain spectrum.
The pedal also features CTS pots and oversized knobs for even, responsive control that affordsa satisfying smoothness to the rotation, with just the right amount of tension. Additionally, thepolished stainless-steel enclosure with laser-annealed graphics showcases the merging of thepedal’s vintage flavor and striking design.
“From low-gain tones reminiscent of a Klon or Bluesbreaker, to high-gain settings that flirt withBig Muff territory — yet stay tight and controlled — the Sterling Vermin is a masterclass indynamic distortion,” says Gates, an ACT Entertainment Sales Representative. “With premiumcomponents, deliberate design and a focus on feel, the Sterling Vermin is more than a pedal, it’sa new chapter for RAT.”
The RAT Sterling Vermin is available immediately and retails for $349 USD. For moreinformation about this solution, visit: actentertainment.com/rat-distortion .
$149
Marshall 1959 Super Lead
The very definition of classic, vintage Marshall sound in a highly affordable package.
There’s only one relevant question about Marshall’s new 1959 Super Lead overdrive/distortion pedal: Does it sound like an actual vintage Super Lead head? The answer is, simply and surprisingly, yes. The significant difference I heard within the voice of this stomp, which I ran through a Carr Vincent and a StewMac Valve Factory 18 kit amp for contrast, is that it’s a lot quieter than my 1972 Super Lead.
The Super Lead, which bore Marshall’s 1959 model number, debuted in 1965 and was the amp that defined the plexi sound. That sound is here in spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts. Like the Super Lead, the pedal is easy to use. The original’s 3-band EQ is replaced by a single, rangeful tone control. The normal dial and the volume, which together mimic the character created by jumping the first and second channels of a plexi head, offer smooth, rich, buttery op-amp driven gain and loudness. And the high-treble dial functions much like the presence control on the original amp.
The pedal is sturdy and handsome, too. A heavy-duty metal enclosure evokes the classic black-with-gold-plate plexi look and a vintage-grille-cloth motif. Switches and knobs (the latter with rubber sides for slip-free turning) are ultra solid, and—refreshingly—there’s a 9V battery option in addition to a barrel-pin connection. Whether with single-coils or humbuckers, getting beefy, sustained, historic tones took moments. I especially delighted in approximating my favorite Super Lead head setting by flooring the high treble, normal, and tone dials, and turning back the tone pots on my Flying V, evoking Disraeli Gears-era Clapton tone. That alone, to me, makes the 1959 Super Lead stomp a bargain at $149.Two guitars, two amps, and two people is all it takes to bring the noise.
The day before they played the coveted Blue Room at Third Man Records in Nashville, the Washington, D.C.-based garage-punk duo Teen Mortgage released their debut record, Devil Ultrasonic Dream. Not a bad couple of days for a young band.
PG’s Chris Kies caught up with guitarist and vocalist James Guile at the Blue Room to find out how he builds the band’s bombastic guitar attack.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Devilish Dunable
Guile has been known to use Telecasters and Gretsches in the past, but this time out he’s sticking with this Dunable Cyclops DE, courtesy of Gwarsenio Hall—aka Jordan Olds of metal-themed comedy talk show Two Minutes to Late Night. Guile digs the Dunable’s lightness on his shoulders, and its balance of high and low frequencies.
Storm Warning
What does Guile like about this Squier Cyclone? Simple: its color. This one is also nice and easy on the back, and Guile picked it up from Atomic Music in Beltsville, Maryland.
Crushing It
Guile also scooped this Music Man 410-HD from Atomic, which he got just for this tour for a pretty sweet deal. It runs alongside an Orange Crush Bass 100 to rumble out the low end.
James Guile’s Pedalboard
The Electro-Harmonix Micro POG and Hiwatt Filter Fuzz MkII run to the Orange, while everything else—a DigiTech Whammy, Pro Co Lil’ RAT, and Death by Audio Echo Dream 2—runs to the Music Man. A TC Helicon Mic Mechanic is on board for vocal assistance, and a TC Electronic PolyTune 3, Morley ABY, and Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 3 Plus keep the ship afloat.