KMA Machines slims down, revamps its Wurm distortion pedal
The company's HM-2 tribute has been newly graced with relay-based silent switching, top-mounted jacks and streamlined electronics
KMA Machines has unveiled the Wurm 2, an updated version of its Wurhm distortion pedal.
A modern take on the legendary Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal, the Wurhm was first introduced in 2020. Now, it's been slimmed down to a more pedalboard-friendly size, and graced with a few other tweaks for 2022.
The Wurm 2 features the same self-explanatory anchor controls as its predecessor – Volume and Terror. Twisting the latter way to the right will produce distortion that would, KMA says, "frighten the wits out of a young Chuck Norris."
Also aboard is the same four-band EQ – the high and low knobs of the HM-2, plus a pair of mids adjusters. Each band is in turn fitted with an internal trim-pot, for further tweaking.
New on the Wurm 2, however, is an external switch – internal on the original Wurhm – that allows users to flick between chewier (HM-II) and slightly more balanced (KMA) distortions. Selecting Both on the three-way switch, meanwhile, lets users fatten up the distortion with both the HM-II and KMA voices.
The Wurm 2 is also fitted with an input filter (activated via an internal DIP switch) for taming feedback when its settings are dimed out or close to it.
The pedal has also been newly fitted with relay-based silent switching, and a pair of top mounted jacks.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
The KMA Machines Wurm 2 distortion pedal runs on 9V power, and is available now for £169 (~$187).
It's already the third new release from the German company this year, following the Big Muff-inspired Chief Disruptor fuzz/distortion and the Pylon two-in-one noise gate and boost pedal.
For more info on the Wurm 2, point your browser over to KMA Machines.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.
“We sought to take the iconic Tube Screamer and push it further”: Ibanez reimagines its beloved overdrive pedal into its most high-end format yet – with a $300 hand-wired TS808
“The most disgusting pitch-shifting pedal I’ve ever had”: Introducing the Noise Pedal – a “new take on the iconic Whammy sound” that transforms your guitar tone into a nightmare