Wampler Pedals Cranked AC

This is a very easy pedal to use and has a broad eq and gain range. The sound really depends on the guitar and amp used of course. My experiences are listed below.

This is the most quiet gain-type pedal I've ever owned and I've owned many in 30 years. This is not merely a OD/Dist. pedal it is like adding another channel to your amp. On a clean Fender-type circuit (I have an Allen Encore - truly amazing amp - Vibrolux kinda groove but much more....better!)with a Les Paul and the pedal set around 11 o'clock, gain 10 to 12 o'clock or less if the amp is OD'g and the volume between 9 and 11 o'clock this is a whole new guitar sound. Crunchy but manageable, Fuzzy but articulate, Punchy but 10" speaker friendly. If this was alive in 1970 some guy with a Bassman 100, Les Paul and this pedal would have ruled the tone world. I use it for nasty southern blues and rock sound but it can punk out as well. My sound is kinda Billy Gibbons mixed with Ace Frehley doing a Black Crowes' song.

With Single coils I (IMHO) think it sounds best as a boost for an already slightly OD'd sound (I use it with a Tele with Vintage Noiseless PU's (no colbalt crap)and a Dr. Z Maz 38 or Giller 14 watt EF86 circuit). It is still like another great amp channel. Even with a Marshall cranking if you engage this pedal it's another sound that you didn't have before. You can set the gain fairly low for another channel sound and still drive it with another pedal for more gain. I've never had anything like it before.

Brian and company are easy to communicate with. They offer a forever warranty as long as you take care of you equipment. The paint is the only thing that I see to improve. An epoxy would be tougher but it doesn't come in sparkle!

No problems here.

In 3o years I've never had such a usefull pedal. I love having an extra sound without having to lug around another amp. I'm an idiot and gig with three most of the time (you know you love it!). It can add another channel to any amp that you have....so maybe I'll gig with two in the future.....probably not! Find an old 100 watt Bassman, Marshall Cab with greenbacks/G12H's, set the controls for the heart of the sun, add the Cranked AC and rip through Beer Drinker's and Hell Raisers! It's the lead tone that brings the police!

Ah the quest for tone; what fun, the journey that never ends. One can search the world over for what they already have.

In 1985, I started with a vintage 1974 hand wired silver face fender twin reverb. I've tried plenty of other very good amps, but I'm home again.

The twin has clean headroom that drips with warm glassy affection. But how to distort it without killing your weekly Texas hold 'em game with the neighbors.

Yes you could try a channel switching style amp; been there. You could get a power brake type attenuator. But that's one more thing to buy and carry. The fuzz box, yes. It surprising how many avoid this simple answer.

Enter the new Wampler Pedals, Cranked AC overdrive/distortion pedal. The controls are simple: three knobs, & input and output jacks. Brian wampler set out to create class A operation out of any clean amp. Touch sensitivity approaching a Cranked AC 15/30 was his Aim.

I would say Brian has succeeded in creating a Vox in a box type vibe. You can't get a bad sound out of this box if you try, I have.

Into the twin I set the Cranked AC to low gain for something just above my stock clean tone. It provides plenty of dynamics: as I increase my pick attack the volume increases. The inverse is also true. Try this with most pedals and you'll get mixed results. I use it to get a slightly louder clean sound that is thicker and louder but still dynamic. It sounds wonderful!

It also does well at higher gain settings. If you're after the Brain May tone but don't want to buy a Vox than you'd like hanging out with this box.

But it's the soul of the artist that results in their tone. Yes, you could buy a stack of AC30s and play one of those signature Brain May guitars and you'd come close.

I want good tone and this pedal delivers crisp, lush, chiming rhythm with dynamics to spare. I also want to approach the classic British lead sound. This pedal delivers again. I get something unique but awesome with my twin.

I can get that Radiohead In Rainbows sound with my semi-hollow Samick RL-3. I can get a classic Brian May sizzle on the high gain settings. With my delay, I can approach the Edge's sound on U2's latest. Am I looking to emulate those artists and clone their music? No, but I do love the sounds they record! It sounded great in the studio. The engineer was asking lots of questions.

I've played many rehearsals, recorded a demo and played a show with the Cranked AC. It's pulled through very well. The one nit is that there is no provision for the knobs not getting kicked or moved inadvertently. This is true of both pedals I own by Wampler.

I know it's something they're working on. But I think Wampler pedals might be a victim of their own success. They've been getting a lot of well deserved ink lately. I've found email to be intermittent and shipping is slow even when you consiser the build time. The CS when I've received it has been very good.

I also use a Keeley modded Rat 2. The two work well together. With my Wampler Pedals Ego Squasher I can get thick, ballsy tone with sustain to spare. I play Indie Prog/Punk Acid Rock. As I'm influenced by many of the best classic tones in rock, I feel at home with this pedal.

I've been gigging for 18 years. I???ve got several recordings out of print. I play a Fender Players Strat with 3 Duncans HHS: A hot rails, a cool rails and a lipstick single coil. Used with the above pedals I'm never left thin and hanging. I also use a Samick RL3 thinline semi-hollow.

The Cranked AC and the RL3 were a match divine. I may buy a second Cranked AC one for low and one for high gain. I'd also like to see a way to keep the settings from being thrown off by kicking the box. It happens to me all the time.

Overall though, I couldn't be happier. My twin sounds awesome. I get compliments from people at my shows, from studio employees and from my band.

Very easy to use with three knobs - volume, tone, gain. Usable tone range and easy to get some good sounds.

My only complaint about the box is that is more like Plexi meets an AC30, with a bit more glassy top end and less real chimey highs. Compared to the Menatone TBIAC and Tech 21 Liverpool (which I've owned prior), this Cranked AC has just a bit more gain than the others. Very nice sound, but just didn't quite hit the spot for the AC30 sound I was looking for.

No problems here - totally solid and well made. No worries about whether this pedal will hold up.

Brian is a great guy and is very available. Great product and great service.

Tone is very much a subjective thing, but this pedal just didn't blow me away. Good tone...very usable gain...and a great pedal...just wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.