Wampler Tumnus V2

A modern "klon": the spirit of a legendary transparent boost

The Wampler Tumnus follows the great tradition of "transparent" overdrives like the classic OD/boost: a light grain, a low-midrange that adds body, and a sense of volume and presence that makes the amp feel "bigger." The idea is not to mask your guitar but to highlight it, with that "glorious" and immediately musical quality that made this type of circuit iconic.

Within the Wampler range, the Tumnus focuses on essentials: a format designed for easy integration, quick adjustment, and a sound that works equally well as a main pedal or a characterful booster to complement your favorite drive.

Who is it for, what styles, and in which contexts?

The Tumnus is aimed both at beginner musicians seeking a quality first overdrive and experienced guitarists looking for an "always-on" pedal to thicken a clean tone. In blues, rock, pop, indie, country, or alternative rock, it excels whenever you want more sustain, more attack, more presence without tipping into aggressive distortion.

In live situations, it becomes an excellent solo boost (high Level, low Gain) or a tight but controlled overdrive (higher Gain). In the studio, it fits easily into the mix thanks to its balance and clarity. On a pedalboard, it is formidable before another drive to push it, or after to raise volume and enhance brightness.

Controls, operation, and key points

The Tumnus gets straight to the point with three potentiometers: Level adjusts the output volume to drive the amp's input stage or the next pedal, Gain controls the amount of saturation (from very light "edge of breakup" to a more pronounced overdrive), and Treble adjusts brightness to suit your guitar, pickups, and amp.

Another important feature: the pedal can also serve as a buffer in the chain, useful for preserving signal clarity and precision when you have multiple effects and long cable runs.

The sound

The Tumnus's character lies in an open and responsive overdrive: it respects the guitar's personality while adding that sense of depth and "push" typical of a high-end boost. The lows remain relatively clean and tight, the mids gain presence, and the treble can be either polished or emphasized via the Treble control.

It responds very well to right-hand playing dynamics and guitar volume: lowering the guitar's volume knob yields a clearer, more articulate sound, while playing harder thickens the grain without collapsing. This dynamic behavior makes it easy to keep the pedal on to add body to the tone, then "push" it forward for choruses or solos.

Technical specifications

Effects	Boost, Overdrive	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Gold
EQ	Treble

Controls	Level, Gain, Treble	Battery powered	no
Input	6.35mm TS jack	18V power	no
Output	6.35mm TS jack	Current draw	20 mA
Power	9V DC (center negative)	Required voltage	9V DC