Designed around a combination of NPN and PNP as well as FET transistors, the Cryptid Fuzz is extremely responsive and is designed to live at the start of your signal chain before any buffers. It cleans up beautifully with your guitar's volume control and covers everything from full-bore, face-melting fuzzy lead tones to menacing doom, out-of-this-world glitchyness and even fuzzy overdrive and distortion-esque sounds. Hand-built by Wampler in the USA, the Cryptid is perhaps the one fuzz to rule them all and the perfect choice for those seeking a variety of different fuzz sounds in one box as well as those wanting full creative control of their Fuzz tone.
The Cryptid Fuzz is a homage to all of Brian Wampler’s favorite vintage fuzz pedals in one pedal. Brian has always loved a good fuzz pedal. There’s just something about how they transform a guitar's sound, and each one does it in its own way. A Fuzz Face has a fat lead tone that responds to every touch. The Tone Bender circuit took things a stage further (literally) and added even more grunt. The “Big Muff” style circuit is a legendary successor to both of these. The Wampler Velvet Fuzz was one of Brian’s early takes on an improved fuzz circuit but with a twist - it was designed to be easy to dial in for anyone who just didn’t get on with regular fuzz pedals.
Brian wanted to put all of those classic tones into a single compact guitar pedal. He wanted the ability to dial in glassy cleans by backing off your guitar's volume like a Fuzz Face as well as retaining the sparkling tonality and usability of the Velvet Fuzz. He wanted to create something that could be stacked with other pedals or played on its own, something that wasn’t just another clone. So he designed the Cryptid Fuzz. It is a unique circuit designed to offer the very best sonic aspects of those classic fuzz pedals while still inspiring players to find a new sound.
Tweaking your tone is easy. The Cryptid's Volume, Tone, and Fuzz are pretty self-explanatory. The Character (bias) control goes from distorted fuzz sounds, similar to what we did with the Velvet Fuzz, all the way through to other classic tones, including muff, bender, and even steps into “Fuzz Factory” territory. The 3-position Tight switch shapes the pedal's low end for anything from doom-approved sub-sonics to a tight, distortion-esque vibe. Finally, the Chime toggle adds a bit of extra harmonic air on top without any harshness.
At its core, the Cryptid is capable of reproducing classic, immense fuzz tones. It’s also easy to create unique fuzz sounds by dialing in the character control, and it's highly responsive to a guitar's volume and tone settings. Brian Wampler’s attention to detail and commitment to designing the best and most player-friendly products out there is second to none. Those qualities are on full display within the Cryptid Fuzz pedal. From its convenient form factor to its flexible controls, the Cryptid is all Wampler.
The Cryptid is an entirely new fuzz circuit through and through. Though it can get extremely close to the classics, it also offers a sonic ton of possibilities between them. Brian Wampler made sure it's also super easy to use and as responsive as some of the best vintage designs.
Brian wanted the Cryptid to offer the ability to get close to some of his favorite fuzz tones. Think Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Mick Ronson, Billy Corgan, J. Mascis, and Jack White; Brian tried to put a little bit of all of them in there.
The Cryptid is extremely sensitive to a guitar's electronics. Place it before any buffers — just like a great vintage fuzz — and roll back the guitar's volume control a bit. With the right settings, the tone won't just be "less fuzzy." It'll be clean, clear, and extremely responsive - perfect for stacking with other drives.
If you think fuzz pedals are too wooly, undefined, and messy, the Cryptid will change your mind. It can get a lot closer to tube amp overdrive than you'd expect. Using the Tight and Chime controls, it's easy to get a fat, singing distortion that's never muddy or shrill.
The Cryptid Fuzz is Brian Wampler’s answer to the ultimate, do-it-all classic voiced fuzz pedal. This completely unique circuit brings something new to the fuzz world while simultaneously offering a flavour of some of the tones found in some of the most iconic vintage fuzzes of the last 70 years. Following on from Wampler’s already acclaimed Velvet Fuzz, the versatile Cryptid offers endless fuzzy possibilities thanks to its wide array of intuitive controls.
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