Wampler Pedals Clarksdale Overdrive

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.

Blues and non-blues guitar players have used TS type circuits for years to help them create their personal signature sound. Over the years, countless players have been asking Brian to create that world famous vintage mid-range overdrive – well he finally did it!

The Clarksdale is our take on that world famous lime green overdrive many of us have come to love – with a few great Wampler styled improvements of course. The world of boutique pedals is filled with lots of great clones of that already famous circuit– so what else could be done? We wanted to create a pedal that would be true to the sound and feel of the original but would have a wider range of tonal options – to satisfy even the biggest tone chasers out there. The addition of a 3 band EQ (Bass, Mids are active, and the Treble is similar to the classic TS tone pot) it allows a player to have a more tailored tonal pallet than the original. The Lift/Smooth switch will also allow a player to either sit in the mix with the Smooth setting or allow your leads to standout with the Lift option. Also unlike the original “green giant” the Clarksdale will not “fizz out” as much at low or high gain settings.

The Clarksdale has one foot in the past and one foot firmly planted in the future. Your search for the perfect vintage midrange infused overdrive is finally over.

Controls:

• True By-pass Relay Switch: We use a true-bypass relay because it utilizes a quieter and smoother switch that is more reliable than traditional bypass switches. Your original tone/signal will remain unaffected when the pedal is not engaged.
• Volume: This control adjusts the output level of the Clarksdale. The Clarksdale was designed to have higher output. This allows the Clarksdale to have more headroom when needed. The output volume, Gain and Tone controls all have an impact on the total volume, so you might want to adjust the Volume after you have dialed in the other controls. Re-adjustment might be necessary if you get it to the desired level and still need to tweak the sound.
• Gain: This control adjusts the total amount of gain that is applied to the signal path. Turning the Gain control clockwise will increase the amount of gain in the circuit. Whether you use a little gain for a smooth break up - or crank your gain all the way up for great thick, vintage style overdriven tone - your drive will stay true and not fizzle out as much as the original ‘screamer style of pedals.
• Smooth/ Lift Switch: The Clarksdale features a small toggle switch that is labeled LIFT and SMOOTH. The Lift/ Smooth switch will allow a player to either sit in the mix with the Smooth setting or allow your leads to standout with the Lift option.
• Bass: Adjusts the amount of bass applied to the effected signal. If you are using a S style, single coil guitar rather than a humbucker loaded instrument, you may find you need more bass to “fatten” up the tone. When in the fully counterclockwise position, the tone will be much thinner and brighter and when fully clockwise it will be fuller, darker and heavier around the low end.
• Mids: Adjusts the total amount of midrange that is applied to the effected signal. Unlike a traditional ’screamer style circuit that had an ever present midrange bump – you can now choose to dial in less or even more mid-range as you see fit.
• Treble: Works in the same way as the bass knob but controls the amount of treble on the effected signal. Again, fully counterclockwise the treble is reduced considerably and clockwise brings it forward. You may have to tweak both the treble and bass controls simultaneously to find your sweet spot.