NAMM 2018: Fender Pugilist Distortion Pedal

Probably the most surprising thing to come from NAMM so far is the new line of effects from Fender. No, Fender branded effects are not new, but this line of effects is different from effect pedal from Fender in recent years. These pedal are actually interesting. Several years ago, Fender put a line of effect with racing stripes. These effects were underwhelming from top to bottom. Fender also had a line of micro-sized effect. I'm unsure if either of these lines of effects are discontinued, but it does look like they are moving in a completely different direction. I personally like this directing.

More information:

Pugilist Distortion

The Pugilist Distortion features a dual circuit design that can provide a huge range of distortion tones, from light breakup through to fully-encompassing saturation.
The two circuits can be run independently and blended together, or cascaded (one running into the other) which can provide a thick saturation and a high degree of interactivity.

Dual Circuits

Each of the Pugilist's distortion circuits features tone and gain control to let you shape your sound to how you desire. The circuits can be operated in blend mode, which runs them in parallel and means you can blend both sounds together for an incredible amount of diversity. This mode is fantastic for achieving a nuanced distortion tone for riffing and complex chordal work.
In the Pugilist's Series Mode, the two distortion circuits are cascaded, and this has the effect of letting circuit A become a 'boost' into circuit 'B'. This mode lets you achieve a full-on saturation with thick sustain and dynamic articulation that is ideal for crushing rhythm sounds and liquid smooth lead guitar playing. A bass boost also lets you achieve a thick low-end response.

Professional Features

The Pugilist has a rugged and lightweight aluminum chassis with a brushed metal finish. This gives it both read-ready durability and a classy-aesthetic that can take pride-of-place on your pedalboard. The pedal is built by Fender who have a multitude of experience in amplifier design and you can be sure that this pedal will last a lifetime of gigging, rehearsing and recording.

Magnetic Battery Door & Jewel Light

The jewel LED light not only looks great, it also adds a handy on-stage visual indicator of the pedal's operation. The pedal has a clever battery compartment door; it has a magnetic latch which means you can easily change the battery with no fiddly screws to worry about.
This is a thoroughly professional pedal - both in tone and appearance - and would make a welcome addition to your pedalboard.

Features

• Dual circuit distortion pedal
• Dual circuits can be cascaded for thick saturation with great versatility
• Bass boost to bring back the low-end
• Series/blend lets you control the two circuits (parallel or series operation)
• Dual tone controls
• A very versatile pedal, with great interactivity between the two circuits
• Rugged anodized aluminum construction
• Classy brushed finish and jewel light
• Battery door with magnetic latching opening (no screws needed)
• Powered by 9V battery or DC

Specifications

• Effect Type: Distortion
• Controls: Tone A, Drive A, Tone B, Drive B, Blend (A/B), Blend/Series Toggle, Bass Boost Toggle (On/Off), Output Level, Bypass Footswitch
• Inputs: 1 x 1/4'' Instrument
• Outputs: 1 x 1/4'' Instrument
• Power Requirements: 9-Volt Battery or DC Negative AC Adaptor
• Power Consumption: 22mA
• Input Impedance: 1M ohm
• Output Impedance: 1k ohm
• Material: Anodized Aluminum
• Colour: Gold