So this why Brian Wampler was playing Hannibal Lecter in that Silence of the Lambs inspired Instagram post, a TS-10 inspired drive pedal with extra attitude
(Image credit: Wampler Pedals)
Okay, so you might think that the last thing the world’s collective pedalboard needs is another Tube Screamer clone, but if Brian Wampler thinks otherwise maybe it’s time to reassess one’s position. And, news just in, Brian Wampler does think otherwise.
After teasing a new TS-style overdrive in a Silence of the Lambs meme that depicted the pedal company’s head honcho assuming the role of Hannibal Lecter, Wampler Pedals has launched the Moxie, a compact overdrive pedal inspired by a vintage Ibanez TS10.
The Moxie is a simple enough pedal but has some very interesting features that suggest it’s going to be a versatile little drive box that’ll pair well with a wide range of electric guitars.
“Capable of anything from light boost to a gritty drive that can send an amplifier into heavily overdriven tones, the Moxie is an ultra-flexible, wonderfully warm and rich pedal but with an extra bite,” says Wampler.
Quite. That TS knock-off you were so fond of? Well, we regret to inform you that the Moxie ate its MC4558 chip with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
Wampler says this is its “twisted” take on the TS10, promising more attitude, and that comes by way of a pair of toggle switches augmenting the traditional Tube Screamer control complement of Drive, Tone and Level (here presented as Volume, Tone, and Gain). Yes, there's a 4558 chip under the hood.
The Moxie has a Voice switch that completely alters the pedal’s EQ, adding clarity and transparency, and an alternative voicing to the traditionally mid-boosted tone profile of a classic Tube Screamer.
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Indeed, the Moxie's voice switch cuts some of the bits and boosts lows and highs for what Wampler promises is "a much more natural sounding and brawny overdrive."
(Image credit: Wampler Pedals)
The Fat switch, meanwhile, engages a custom-voiced MOSFET clipping stage to juice the gain and give your sound a soupçon of boutique tube amp tone mojo.
The Moxie can be used in a number of musical applications. It can simply sweeten your sound, adding heat, a little hair. It can push an already overdriven amp into new levels of saturation. It can be used as a boost pedal or straight up overdrive. And Wampler says it is designed to stack well with other dirt pedals.
All this arrives in a compact mini-pedal sized enclosure, complete with top-mounted jacks to preserve precious space on your pedalboard.
Priced $149, the Moxie is available now. See Wampler Pedals for more details.
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to publications including Guitar World, MusicRadar and Total Guitar. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
