The Mofetta is a smooth yet fiery overdrive / distortion pedal with MOSFET clipping for authentic tones.
The
Wampler Mofetta Overdrive / Distortion is Brian’s tribute to the
MOSFET-driven magic of a 1990s classic - the MT10 MOSTORTION. A mainstay
of countless top session players, the Mofetta honors the soul of that
elusive yet classic circuit while revealing its untapped potential.
The Mofetta is
a supercharged MOSTORTION, reborn and amplified that delivers the
classic, amp-like overdrive, massive headroom, and versatile 3-band EQ
that made the original so famous. Wampler wanted “more” and added a
Texture Switch that introduces actual MOSFETs into the pedal’s overdrive
section for a bolder, more articulate tone. The Mofetta preserves
everything you love about the early ‘90s legend with a powerful new
Wampler dimension.
The MT10 MOSTORTION
The
original MT10 MOSTORTION was released in 1990 as part of a budget pedal
series to meet the demand of a growing market. Despite the pedal’s
“cheaper” qualities, guitarists began to take note of its amp-like
low-gain tones, attributing them arguably incorrectly—to the onboard
MOSFET Op-amps. Though the pedals were discontinued a couple of years
later, used ones command insane prices today and are extremely hard to
find. The Mofetta is Wampler’s way of bringing it all back and
re-creating those singing tones while diving even further into the
amp-like world of MOSFETs
Musical, Responsive Overdrive
Paying
tribute to a pedal called the MOSTORTION, it’s easy to assume
the Mofetta would be a high-gain beast. But like its predecessor, it’s
the circuit’s low to-mid-gain voice that the original circuit is most
known for. From edge-of-breakup to fat, vintage amp-style crunch,
the Mofetta blooms with tube-like compression, always retaining its
musical warmth. And with its high-headroom output, it easily pushes your
amp or modeler into harmonically-rich breakup.
3-Band EQ
Part
of what makes the Mofetta so versatile is its unique 3-band EQ. While
many overdrives before 1990 relied on a simple tone knob, the idea of a
dirt pedal like the MOSTORTION with bass, middle, and treble controls
was darn near revolutionary. It lets you dial in the Mofetta for a
full-range drive or achieve transparent grit that complements your clean
tone. If you dial up the mids and treble a bit, you can even use it as a
focused boost to push your amp’s breakup, or stacking with another gain
pedal, tightening its response and enhancing its character.
Is it truly MOSFET?
One
of the original MOSTORTION’s little known “secrets” is that it doesn’t
actually use MOSFETs for its overdrive. It uses a “MOSFET based op-amp”,
but in reality uses clipping diodes to produce distortion. This left
Brian thinking, “What if I built one that could actually use MOSFETs for
the clipping, using multiple gain staging like a tube amp?” That’s what
the Mofetta’s Texture feature is all about - it takes the pedal from
smooth overdrive to fiery distortion with the flick of a Texture switch.
MOSFET
clipping delivers a bolder, more articulate voice – louder, tighter,
and slightly more aggressive than the original’s diode-driven dirt.
While still not “Brutal High Gain” the Texture switch gives you a wider
range of overdrive and even distortion that’s even more responsive to
your playing dynamics. Is it better than the OG? That’s up to you, but
for Wampler it’s what the MOSTORTION was always meant to be.
The
secret is out on the original MS10 MOSTORTION pedals. Their blend of
responsive, amp-like gain and flexible EQ make them some of the most
elusive yet sought after dirt pedals out there. With the
Wampler Mofetta you get that same tone and performance, now with a pure
MOSFET enabled-version of the famed original.
Technical
- Built in the U.S.A.
- High-grade components selected for superior sound and response
- Independent three band EQ (Bass, Mids, Treble), Level and Gain controls
- Texture switch activates cascaded MOSFET gain stages
- Battery connection and 9V power jack
- Top-mounted input and output jacks
- Includes limited 5-year warranty
- Dimensions: 2.5” x 4.8” x 2.3” (64mm x 125mm x 60mm)
- Power draw: 10mA, 9V DC Do not exceed 9V DC