NAMM 2024: Though, strictly speaking, 2023 marked the 20th anniversary of Dunlop’s partnership with Zakk Wylde, that hasn’t stopped the pair from continuing the celebrations well into 2024.
As such, the special-occasion celebratory stompbox series – which first began back in October last year with the unveiling of five revamped Wylde/MXR effects pedals – has now been bolstered with a new addition: the WA357 Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato.
Once again, the updated offering brings back one of Wylde’s most essential pedalboard mainstays, giving his tried-and-trusted original Dunlop Rotovibe a sleek and fresh contemporary look.
It is a fairly modest cosmetic update, truth be told. It looks, for all intents and purposes, like the standard Dunlop JD4S Rotovibe, aside from the small ‘Wylde’ text that has been imprinted below the Rotovibe decal on the front-facing panel of the red-and-silver unit.
Some subtle Wylde flair, admittedly, can be found on the footswitch, whose rubber grip strip has been fashioned to feature Wylde’s trademark bullseye-style ‘logo’. In fact, it’s the same cosmetic nod that can be found on the ZW357 Rotovibe reissue that the Black Label Society axeman has remained loyal to over the past few years.
Indeed, that ZW357 has been Wylde’s go-to unit in recent times, and could even be found on his Pantera pedalboard, as was shown during Guitar World’s in-depth rig breakdown.
Unsurprisingly, it’s just the aesthetics that have been given a slight tweak. The pedal otherwise remains faithful to Wylde’s favored Rotovibe sound – why fix what ain’t broken? – meaning it delivers the same suite of chorus and vibrato tones that Wylde himself has championed.
Then there’s the price: it’s $399. To put that into perspective, the standard JD4S weighs in at $299.
There’s no doubt that Wylde fans will be willing to pay the $100 premium, though. After all, the pedal’s predecessor was only released as part of a limited-edition run. Only one example is listed on Reverb at the moment, and that’s been given a price tag of $615.
There’s been no indication whether this new version will be standard or limited, but the demand is clearly there: “Been waiting so damn long for this!” says one commenter on Instagram. “Finally!!!” writes another.
“Joining the Wylde Audio Pedal Series, the Wylde Audio Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato features the same rich rotating speaker effect of the classic version with all-new custom graphics,” Dunlop says. “Whether it's to spice up a solo, add some overdubbed color, or as songwriting inspiration, the Rotovibe Chorus/Vibrato has been a core component of Zakk's sound since 1988.”
The WA357 Rotovibe will be available on May 1.
For more info, visit Dunlop.
To keep up to speed with all new gear releases, visit our NAMM 2024 news guide and NAMM 2024 live blog.
