Vox’s Clyde McCoy wah was arguably the first signature pedal, introduced in 1967. McCoy was a jazz trumpeter, but onomatopoeia inspired the device’s name.
While many, if not most, pedal builders would leap at the chance to collaborate with hero-level guitarists with or without the promise of large financial rewards, the economic incentives are clear. It is tremendously difficult to draw attention to a new product in today’s marketplace. Tapping into the reach of a well-respected and popular musician can make the difference between a good product growing into a hit, or lying fallow.
Artist-endorsed gear offers the purchaser an instant connection to their musical hero. If you love Andy Wood’s music and guitar playing, buying his Wampler Pedals signature Gearbox overdrive gets you that much closer to his sound. Moreover, there is the romantic notion that not only did the signature artist design this piece of gear strictly for themselves, they designed it for you, too. Owning a signature stomp then becomes a personal connection between you and the artist. You’re not just listening to something that they made, but using something they made in a much more tangible way.
Andy Wood’s signature overdrive is an example of a pedal created for all the right reasons.
That increased connection often translates into a greater appreciation of the gear itself. Additionally, there is an implied assurance of quality when purchasing an artist’s signature pedal. The idea being that, like their musicality and technique, an artist’s professional and personal standards far exceed that of mortal guitar players. If a piece of gear has been finely tuned and meticulously crafted to satisfy a guitar hero, then it is surely more than sufficient for the average player. This is akin to the satisfaction some get in getting groceries in a car equally at home on the Nürburgring.
The above notions are how the signature gear world should work. In the real world, endorsed pedals can fall short of this platonic ideal. We have all seen examples of signature gear where the player constantly affirms their device as the end-all-be-all, despite the fact they have never been seen using it outside of a photo op. Additionally, some players use highly altered or tweaked versions of their signature gear, leaving their devotees to buy products that are not representative of what they are actually using.
Unfortunately, there is also a group of endorsees who perpetually shop their name and influence around, showing up every six to 12 months with a new company making the current version of their perfect overdrive, an overdrive whose very existence is a criticism of what they had classified as unassailable only months ago. These situations make it hard to determine whether endorsing statements are heartfelt testimonies or exaggerated marketing talking points.
“Most of the current generation of guitar players see their opportunity to make something for the community as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition and not just as a cash grab.”
I do genuinely think these ignoble types are the exception rather than the rule. Most of the current generation of guitar players grew up with signature gear, dreaming of a chance to make gear with their own name on it, and see their opportunity to make something for the community as the fulfillment of a lifelong ambition and not just as a cash grab. Accordingly, they spend a great deal of time working to develop and dial in their offering to the nth degree—sometimes much to the weary chagrin of their manufacturing partners.
Some dismiss signature-pedal-playing guitarists as uncreative or as clout chasers, suggesting that “real” players should strictly forge their own path when it comes to the gear they use. However, it is widely supported that playing along with your favorite player’s music is a great way to learn the instrument, and most don’t berate or condemn the beginner for not scratching out their own études over those of Mel Bay.
If your favorite player’s music can help you find your voice, then maybe their gear can, too. Try some signature gear out, even if it comes from artists you don’t favor. It inspired them to do what they do; maybe it’ll inspire you to do what only you can do.
The Mofetta is a supercharged MOSTORTION, reborn and amplified that delivers the classic, amp-like overdrive, massive headroom, and versatile 3-band EQ that made the original so famous. Wampler wanted “more” and added a Texture Switch that introduces actual MOSFETs into the pedal’s overdrive section for a bolder, more articulate tone. The Mofetta preserves everything you love about the early ‘90s legend with a powerful new Wampler dimension.
Wampler Mofetta: A Modern Twist on the Mostortion MT10 Pedal Circuitry
The MT10 MOSTORTION
The original MT10 MOSTORTION was released in 1990 as part of a budget pedal series to meet the demand of a growing market. Despite the pedal’s “cheaper” qualities, guitarists began to take note of its amp-like low-gain tones, attributing them arguably incorrectly—to the onboard MOSFET Op-amps. Though the pedals were discontinued a couple of years later, used ones command insane prices today and are extremely hard to find. The Mofetta is Wampler’s way of bringing it all back and re-creating those singing tones while diving even further into the amp-like world of MOSFETs.
Musical, Responsive Overdrive
Paying tribute to a pedal called the MOSTORTION, it’s easy to assume the Mofetta would be a high-gain beast. But like its predecessor, it’s the circuit’s low-to-mid-gain voice that the original circuit is most known for. From edge-of-breakup to fat, vintage amp-style crunch, the Mofetta blooms with tube-like compression, always retaining its musical warmth. And with its high-headroom output, it easily pushes your amp or modeler into harmonically-rich breakup.
3-Band EQ
Part of what makes the Mofetta so versatile is its unique 3-band EQ. While many overdrives before 1990 relied on a simple tone knob, the idea of a dirt pedal like the MOSTORTION with bass, middle, and treble controls was darn near revolutionary. It lets you dial in the Mofetta for a full-range drive or achieve transparent grit that complements your clean tone. If you dial up the mids and treble a bit, you can even use it as a focused boost to push your amp’s breakup, or stacking with another gain pedal, tightening its response and enhancing its character.
Is it truly MOSFET?
One of the original MOSTORTION’s little-known “secrets” is that it doesn’t actually use MOSFETs for its overdrive. It uses a “MOSFET based op-amp”, but in reality uses clipping diodes to produce distortion. This left Brian thinking, “What if I built one that could actually use MOSFETs for the clipping, using multiple gain staging like a tube amp?” That’s what the Mofetta’s Texture feature is all about - it takes the pedal from smooth overdrive to fiery distortion with the flick of a Texture switch.
MOSFET clipping delivers a bolder, more articulate voice – louder, tighter, and slightly more aggressive than the original’s diode-driven dirt. While still not “Brutal High Gain” the Texture switch gives you a wider range of overdrive and even distortion that’s even more responsive to your playing dynamics. Is it better than the OG? That’s up to you, but for Wampler, it’s what the MOSTORTION was always meant to be.
The secret is out on the original MS10 MOSTORTION pedals. Their blend of responsive, amp-like gain and flexible EQ make them some of the most elusive yet sought-after dirt pedals out there. With the Wampler Mofetta you get that same tone and performance, now with a pure MOSFET enabled-version of the famed original.
Technical
- Built in the U.S.A.
- High-grade components selected for superior sound and response
- Independent three band EQ (Bass, Mids, Treble), Level and Gain controls
- Texture switch activates cascaded MOSFET gain stages
- Battery connection and 9V power jack
- Top-mounted input and output jacks
- Includes limited 5-year warranty
- Dimensions: 2.5” x 4.8” x 2.3” (64mm x 125mm x 60mm)
- Power draw: 10mA, 9V DC Do not exceed 9V DC
The Wampler Mofetta carries a street price of $199.97.
For more information visit wamplerpedals.com
