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?

Wampler Delevleping A Deluxe Tumnus (KLONE)?

Spending my morning reading some threads over at the fretboard, I found one about the new Wampler Tumnus. One thing led to another and I found this page. Brian Wampler, of Wampler pedals, seems to be very engaged with the online community. This isn't a surprise since he has a podcast and has even comment on this humble blog. Brian has engaged the people interested in his product better than most any other pedal developer.


When reading a the thread linked above, I noticed that there is a little disdain surrounding the Tumnus pedal. I enjoy the transparent-overdrive/treble-boosty qualities that come with a KLON circuit. I also enjoy saving space on crowded pedal boards. The Wampler Tumnus seemed to fill a gap in the KLONe offerings. Regardless, people seem to find fault will what Brian is doing. The idea that Wampler is only trying to cash in on making a compact KLON clone while that trend seem to be in full swing (thanks to the EHX Soul Food) is touted about. I find this a tad unsavory. It seems unfair to criticize a person for wanting to make a pedal that people want to buy. But this is what we find. Brian has done an excellent job of explaining why he has build this people (people asked him to).


Is There A Deluxe Version On The Way?


Allow me to step off my soap box for a moment and get back to the point at hand. If you clicked on the link at the beginning of this and read through everything, then you might have noticed that Brian alluded to a Deluxe Tumnus. Saying that if he put the circuit in a bigger box then he'd be temped to add extra features and mods. This is a more exciting prospect then a tiny KLON. So Brian, if you are reading this, please explore the Deluxe Tumnus. I have been a fan of your dirt pedals for a while and I have nothing but faith in your abilities to make an amazing pedal.