PLATINUM AWARD
If you’re familiar with C.S. Lewis’s fictional series, The Chronicles of Narnia, then you’ll know that Tumnus is the diminutive, faun-like character that’s a clever adaptation of the mighty centaur.
It also seems that the folks at Wampler Pedals are bookish enough to make that connection for their Tumnus, which is a wonderfully inspired overdrive and welcome mini-pedal variation of the legendary and larger-than-life Klon Centaur.
The Wampler Tumnus features a worn gold finish, three controls for level, gain and treble, and operates solely on a 9V DC power supply because of its micro-pedal housing. The Tumnus uses a buffered signal, and like all Wampler pedals, construction is bulletproof and reliable.
Original Klon Centaurs are rare and expensive, and having played a few of them as well as some very good clones, I can attest that the Wampler Tumnus sounds very convincing to my ears. Obviously, there’s no high-gain to be found here, but discriminating players who favor a sweeter low-to-medium gain overdrive and transparent boost, then the Tumnus may be one of the very best.
Playing a Tele and a Les Paul, it was clear it didn’t matter what amplifier I used, because the Tumnus delivered all the hallmarks of magical overdrive: with touch responsiveness that accentuated my pick attack, subtle hints of compression, rich midrange and warm overdrive. Used as a boost, the Tumnus sounded smooth and allowed just the right amount of sustain to hold single notes indefinitely.
STREET PRICE: $179.97
MANUFACTURER: Wampler Pedals, wamplerpedals.com
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