Review: Wampler Dual Fusion Drive Pedal (Video)

We run through the new Wampler Dual Fusion Tom Quayle signature   13-May-13

The Wampler Dual Fusion is something I've been waiting to hear through the Sonic State rig for a very long time. I knew about the product quite a few months before production, and the anticipation was getting pretty intense!

Before you watch the video, and before you read my review of the Wampler Dual Fusion Tom Quayle signature pedal, I should point out that I don't currently use any Wampler products on my rig. They make incredible distortion pedals, but I am in love with the distortion sound of the Egnater Rebel 20, so I've never had the need.

That changes with the Wampler Dual Fusion, from the moment I plugged it into the Egnater Rebel 20 and the Vox Bruno, it was love. I'm not talking rubbish rom-com love, I'm talking Shakespeare sonnet love.

So a quick explanation of the Wampler Dual Fusion, it basically emulates a dual channel amplifier, but in a little box. It has two separate channels, a vintage drive channel, and a modern distortion channel, and these can be routed in a number of ways.

You can go into modern channel first, then into vintage (stacking vintage on top of modern), or you can go the other way round. But here's the celever part, because of the two inputs and two outputs, you can separate the two sides of the pedal, and you can run each channel into a separate amplifier.

This is the sound I fell in love with. It gives you three very different tones with one pedal and two amps (Amp A distorted and Amp B clean, Amp A clean and Amp B distorted, or both amps distorted).

Using one amp, you can choose to combine the channels, and stack them on top of each other, which would give you three tonal options (channel 1 on its own, channel 2 on its own, or both channels combined).

Given that you then have a very versatile tone knob on both channels (which I thoroughly recommend playing around with in small increments to find your sweet spot), you really do have a lot of tonal variety.

I like the fact that the drive/gain knobs on the Wampler Dual Fusion actually significantly affect output level, like they would on an amp. This means you have to get the volume and the drive in the right place to find your distortion sweet spot, just the way I like it!

There are additional switches, on the vintage channel you can opt for the 'fat' switch, which gives you a bit more bulk in the mid-range. Or on the modern channel you can opt for the 'throaty' switch, to give you more growl and volume in the low mids.

All I can really say is listen to the tones in the review, it just sounds beautiful. I'm adding it to my rig and running two amplifiers, using it as a preamp. Hopefully that's a ringing endorsement for the pedal, it really has no drawbacks, the Wampler Dual Fusion is THE most flexible and smooth sounding distortion pedal in the world right now.

It doesn't go anywhere near as 'heavy' as the Triple Wreck, but for any sort of music other than heavy metal, then this pedal will offer you a range of tones that you can use.

I think this is the first time I've ever proclaimed this, but if you have the money, and you like rich, smooth and versatile distortion, you should really buy this pedal.

Wampler Dual Fusion - $254.97