NAMM 2018: Following up on the Way Huge’s first ever bass pedal, the Pork & Pickle, is a bumper crop of goodies from Dunlop, including the Klon-aping Sugar Drive, as well as mini versions of classic MXR and Way Huge pedals.
Receiving the shrink ray treatment are the Cry Baby 535Q Wah and MXR Classic 108 Fuzz, while Way Huge’s Smalls range comprises the Russian-Pickle Fuzz, Blue Hippo Analog Chorus and Aqua-Puss Analog Delay.
Assuming this lovely lot sound the same as their big-box predecessors, we’re thrilled to see Dunlop making more space on our ’boards - here’s the lowdown on those new releases.
MXR Sugar Drive
PRESS RELEASE: The MXR Sugar Drive provides a diverse range of clear and transparent overdrive tones, from sauced up boosting to blown-tube distortion. It’s based on a rare overdrive pedal that has acquired a mythical reputation among fanatical tone-seekers thanks to its unique circuit design.
The key elements of that circuit design are the Drive control and something called a charge pump. First, the Drive control on this pedal doesn’t just increase the intensity of the overdrive pedal. It starts with your clean signal and then blends it with the overdrive effect as you turn it up, replicating the smooth transition of an amplifier going from clean to dirty. The charge pump increases overall headroom, which opens everything up nicely.
Of course, we had to put the MXR touch on this circuit. If you’re all about true bypass, then you’re in luck—this pedal uses it by default. The original used buffered bypass, though, and we know there’s a lot of players out there who don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. They’re in luck, too—just flick the Buffer switch on the side of the pedal to enable buffered bypassing.
With a simple three-knob setup and an MXR mini housing, this is the go-to overdrive to have on your pedalboard. It’s versatile and it saves space, and unlike the original pedals it’s based on, it won’t cost you thousands of dollars.
Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q Wah
PRESS RELEASE: The Cry Baby Mini 535Q Wah provides the perfect balance of wah control and pedalboard-efficiency.
Set the tonal character of your sound with the Range Selector, which allows you to choose one of the standard 535Q Wah’s four most popular sweep ranges.
With the Q control, you can shape the wah’s response, from a narrow bandpass that emphasizes higher end harmonics to a wide bandpass that emphasizes lower end harmonics.
If you want to a bump up to the front of the mix, just crank the Volume control and then kick the Boost switch to engage the level change. There’s a handy LED next to the Boost switch that lets you know when it’s active.
The Cry Baby Mini 535Q Wah comes in at half the size of the standard version, and on the inside, it sports the legendary red Fasel® Inductor. If you want to save space while retaining ultimate control over your Cry Baby Wah sound, this pedal belongs on your pedalboard.
MXR Classic 108 Fuzz (Mini)
PRESS RELEASE: Now in an MXR mini housing, the Classic 108 Fuzz gives you all the same vintage fuzz tones in a much smaller footprint.
Like its larger predecessor, it’s loaded with the silicon BC-108 transistor for a round and dirty crunch.
This Classic 108 Fuzz also has the same no-nonsense control interface—just crank the Volume and Fuzz controls to your liking and start riffing. Use the Buffer switch on the side to make the fuzz play nice with wah pedals.
Way Huge Smalls Russian-Pickle Fuzz
PRESS RELEASE: Now in a Way Huge Smalls housing, the Russian-Pickle Fuzz dishes out smooth, creamy fuzz tones in a much more pedalboard-friendly package.
It’s got the exact same circuit and controls as the original, so you can keep trembling the earth with the same punchy midrange and fat bottomed thunder.
Whether you're going for '90s-era grunge, swinging stoner grooves, or raw two-piece garage rock riffage, the Russian-Pickle Fuzz is the perfect comrade for your pedalboard.
Way Huge Smalls Blue Hippo Analog Chorus
PRESS RELEASE: The Blue Hippo Analog Chorus sounds as lusciously liquefied as ever in a Way Huge Smalls housing.
With its simple Speed and Depth control interface, you can dial in everything from lush tone-widening to full-on rotating speaker modulation madness.
If you want to splash on some thick vibrato goodness, just flip the Vibe switch to give your already aqueous tones a little more texture. The Blue Hippo Chorus is straightforward and no-nonsense-just plug in and dive into the deep end.
Way Huge Smalls Aqua-Puss Analog Delay
PRESS RELEASE: The Aqua-Puss Analog Delay is famous for its bright, jangly repeats and wonderfully straightforward operation.
Now, all of that wholesome goodness comes in a Way Huge Smalls housing that your pedalboard will love you for.
With 20ms to 300ms of delay time on tap, this pedal is all about tone-thickening and old school slap-back. The Feedback control regulates delay duration and intensity, but beware!
Extreme settings are known to throw this pedal into wild, space-and-time-warping self-oscillation. Use the Blend knob to set a balance between dry and delay signals, from mild to wild!
The Aqua-Puss Analog Delay is a must for players who want to add a little depth to their tone or conjure up some slap-back sweet enough to earn the envy of any rockabilly or country legend.
For more info on all these releases, head over to Jim Dunlop.
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