Did I Cause Wampler To Make A Deluxe Tumnus

Today, I am a proud papa, metaphorically, I've been a father for several years now... But what I am talking today is the Wampler Tumnus Deluxe. You see, All the way back in October of 2015 I predicted this day will come. Yes, it was a stab in the dark, but it makes it no less true. Check it out if you don't believe me. The date of that post is from over two years ago. The Deluxe Tumnus features a three-band EQ, bypassable buffer, and switchable gain boost. This is a humble blog, so I don't think that I really influenced Brian Wampler to develop a new Tumnus pedal, but then again...

He Has Read My Blog

No really, He has even commented on posts before. Brian is very engaged with his audience. He is active on YouTube, social media, and forums. This is the formula that has made Wampler the brand that we know and love. Either he is a builder that wants connect to the users of his product, or he is an egomaniac that can't help Googling his own name. Given his demeanor on his YouTube channel, I believe it's the former.

He Basically Told Us He'd Do It

Back when the Tumnus was released, Brian told us that if he had put the Tumnus in a larger enclosure, then he would have been too tempted to mess with the circuit. So many people asked him to make a faithful reproduction of the Klon Centar that he didn't want to go modding the original just yet. Now that the Tumnus has become a respected pedal in its own right, a deluxe version is more sensible.

It's Still Pretty Risky

Sure, it sounds good in theory. First, give a Klon, then give us a Klon Deluxe. Deluxe must be better right? Well, we have to look at why we like the Klon in the first place. It's a simple transparent overdrive. Personally, I use my Klone to hit the front end of my amp (or another dirt pedal) to get it a little bit of crunch. I use the Treble knob to make everything just pokey enough. Season to taste using the Gain and you're done. However, a three band EQ on a Klon circuit might just be too much for some people. I know what you might be thinking, "More knobs = more better". The original only asked us how much treble we wanted. Too much? Turn it down. Not Enough? Turn it up. Now we can boost or cut Bass and Mids. In doing this, Wampler has given us the freedom to find a wide range of tones. Some of those tones are going to be crap. Now we have more rope, we can find a way to hang ourselves.

Conclusion

I'm excited about this. I mean, I did call it. Totally called it. Other than that, this is the first kind of progression. We've seen Klon circuit paired with other circuits. We've also seen transparent overdrives with fun little mods. But, to my knowledge, this is the first direct clone to get an update like this. I look forward to posting a full review soon. I wonder if other builders will follow suit. Will there be a Soul Food Deluxe, or an Archer Deluxe?

The EHX Soul Food and Why Its Not a Klon Klone.

This might be a little behind the curve, but let's talk about the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food. There is a common assumption that it is a Klon clone. That's not a terrible assessment. From the outside, this is a very similar pedal. We have Treble, Volume and Gain knobs on both pedals. You get sounds that are similar out of both pedal. The circuit them selves might be very similar, but then again are most gain circuits "similar". I'm a fan on the Soul Food. I have one on my board currently. I'd probably like the Klon Centaur too. Did EHX just rip a massivly popular pedal off? Probably. But there are differences that separate the two, and they are:

1. It's Smaller

Let's start slow. The original Klon and the Klon Centaur are larger pedals. If you look at the insides of one these pedals you notice ample space. EHX created a circuit that fit in their small enclosure. Not ground breaking, but its a key difference.

2. It's Less Expensive

Right, again, duh... But lets take a look at what other Klones cost and see what EHX did. They made a pedal that performed a similar function and made it for a fraction of the price. Other similar pedal tend to take advantage of being klones and charge similar prices. This pedal bucked the trend and filled a gap in the market.

3. Switches, Please...

The Klon KTR (the red one) has a buffer. On the KTR it is optional, but the Soul Food is true-bypass. The Klon buffer is so fabled that people have made klones of the Klon buffer. The Soul Food has a switch as well. Hidden inside is a voltage switch. It takes your 9-volt supply and doubles it for more headroom. So, that's neat, and different.

4. Some Things Just Aren't The Same

We've discussed some finer points, but crack this pedal open and thing just aren't the same. Values and specs aren't one for one. The main difference being the diodes are germanium like in the Klon. Alchemy Audio has a mod that corrects this. What you get is a clipping section that more closely resemble that of a Klon. Is the mod worth you $35? Maybe,

In Conclusion

The EHX Soul Food is a great pedal. Many people have added it to their pedal boards for good reasons. Whether it is a klone or not shouldn't matter. What matters is that when you plug it in and turn it on, you like what it does. Nuf Said