My bandmate gigged this Walrus Audio amp simulator and his tone was better than mine. Now its upgraded successor is $90 off for Black Friday and I’m about to join him

News
By published

You can also score an insane $200 off some of Walrus Audio's First Gen Mako Series pedals – including an R1 High-Fidelity Reverb for just $149.99

Walrus Audio MKII Mako Series ACS1
(Image credit: Future)

A few years ago, I ditched my tube amp for amp modelers and in all honesty, I wish I did it sooner. That’s why every Black Friday I take the opportunity to stand on my soapbox and shout about the best pedal amp deals I can find – and $90 off the next-gen Walrus Audio Mako Series ACS1 Amp and Cab Simulator MKII at Sweetwater is one of the sweetest I’ve seen so far.

It’s not just the ACS1 MKII that’s been reduced, though. Sweetwater has knocked a generous $80 off some other MKII Mako Series pedals – the R1 Reverb Pedal, M1 Modulation and D1 Delay – which are all available for $319.99.

Well, fear not, because Sweetwater has also reduced its stock of Mark I Mako Series pedals, taking a whopping $200 off Walrus Audio’s V1 R1, M1 and D1 pedals.

Walrus Audio Mako Series
Save $200
Walrus Audio Mako Series: was $349.99 now $149.99 at Sweetwater Sound

Walrus Audio may have recently updated its Mako Series, but make no mistake: the original pedals are still serious bits of kit. For Black Friday Sweetwater has slashed $200 off the MKI R1 Reverb, M1 Modulation and D1 Delay pedals, all of which received glowing reviews from Guitar World. Each pedal offers a host of effects types and loads of tone-tweaking tools. Some of the newer MKII pedals have also been discounted, with price reductions of up to $90

View Deal

I do have my eye on the ACS1 MKII, though. The first gig I used a modeler, I did so out of necessity. The venue we were playing at had no backline. I had my Line 6 HX Stomp, so thankfully I was covered, but my bandmate wasn’t. His solution? He borrowed a Walrus Audio ACS1, plugged his Fender Player Strat straight into it and absolutely killed it. Dare I say his tone even sounded better than mine.

The ACS1 saved our show, so I’ll forever be fond of it. This new version offers three amp voices – Fender cleans, Marshall crunch, and Vox chime – as well as 12 cabinet IRs for an ultra-authentic amp feel. There are amp-like EQ and gain controls, along with three on-board studio-quality reverbs.

This could easily act as the heart of your rig, and can comfortably serve as a perfect pedal platform, a simple amp-in-a-box for gigs, or an at-home practice companion.

The rest of the Walrus Audio Mako Series is equally impressive. Across the R1, M1 and D1 pedals – both old and new – you get a range of effect types, two footswitches for extra versatility, an abundance of tone-tweaking controls and some highly regarded effects algorithms.

That original R1 is particularly tempting. In our review, we praised its build, tones, presets, MIDI and dual-footswitch layout. In fact, the price was the only con we could think of. Well, with $200 off, you don’t have to worry about that now…

Looking for more deals? Well, we will be sharing all the best guitar offers and more on our Black Friday guitar deals page from now until the end of Cyber Weekend

Matt Owen
Matt Owen
News Editor, GuitarWorld.com

Matt is the GuitarWorld.com News Editor, and has been writing and editing for the site for five years. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 19 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. During his GW career, he’s interviewed Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Matteo Mancuso and more, and has profiled the CEOs of Guitar Center and Fender.

When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.