Gearank

Gearank High Notes

• 2021.05: Highest Rated Overdrive Pedal Under $150
• 2020.02: Highest Rated Overdrive Pedal Under $150
• 2018.01: Highest Rated Overdrive Pedal

Gearank Recommendation

The Wampler Tumnus appeared on our recommended list for Overdrive Pedals in 3 consecutive editions from January 2018 until October 2022 when it was removed due to the price limit for the list being reduced to $100.

Overview

When it comes to overdrive pedals, the Klon Centaur is king. The pedal has gone beyond being a piece of gear to being a mythical piece of music history. Unfortunately… genuine Klon overdrives can cost anywhere from $1500 to $3000. Because of the pedal’s cost, numerous imitators have come out of the woodwork to try to create a Klon Centaur that’s attainable for any musician. And its hard to name a better option than Wampler’s Tumnus.

Like the Centaur this pedal is based off of, the Wampler Tumnus is also incredibly touch sensitive.

One thing to know about this pedal is that it’s not true bypass, which may be a deal breaker for some. The pedal uses a buffered bypass, which boosts your signal even when the pedal isn’t engaged. While not as transparent as true bypass pedals, buffered bypass pedals are great if you’re running a long signal chain.

The Wampler Tumnus is first and foremost a transparent overdrive, which can be a good or bad thing. A transparent pedal is only going to sound as good as your gear, so its not a good choice if you’re running a beginner’s setup.

Specifications

• Controls: Gain, Treble, Volume
• Analog
• Buffered Bypass
• 9-Volt Adapter (No Battery)
• Used by: Joe Arick (Session guitarist for: Josh Turner, Hunter Hayes, and Florida Georgia Line), Joe Perry

Demo