Tonal Nirvana
What do you get when you plug an electric guitar into a vintage film projector? Awesome tone. Many decades ago, adventurous guitarists in search of tonal nirvana found that the tube-driven audio section of that dusty old film projector in the attic made a fantastic guitar amp. This lore was not lost on the tone-chasers at Walrus Audio; and now we have the Walrus Audio 385, an overdrive pedal that models the tonal and drive characteristics of the tube audio circuit of a 1950s Bell and Howell 385 Filmosound projector. We love the Walrus Audio 385 — it's our kind of overdrive pedal. Dynamic, tubular, and amp-like, the 385 pedal is very responsive to your picking velocity and guitar's volume pot. Lean into it and up the grit; back off, and it cleans up nicely.
Improving on perfection
The original Bell and Howell 385 sported a simple but effective control set and a dual 6V6 output stage — a straightforward and highly responsive amp with a beautifully compressed overdrive when cranked. Its bass and treble controls, however, were stacked behind a single tone knob. For their 385 pedal, Walrus broke these out to separate knobs to give you more tonal flexibility at the extremes and the ability to sculpt midrange scoops and bumps. The 385 pedal is internally running at 18 volts, which helps nail the dynamic feel of the original amp in a highly touch-responsive stompbox. The Walrus Audio 385 overdrive pedal is a tonal inspiration. Highly recommended!
Walrus Audio: built by tone-tweakers for tone-tweakers
The artists, musicians, and engineers at Walrus Audio take pleasure in chasing sounds that inspire, like the perfect breakup of an overdrive, a beautifully thick distortion, an endlessly sustaining reverb, and a self-oscillating delay. Simply put, these guys love to play with sound. They design stompboxes that re-create the sonic textures that they hear in their heads. Built by tone-tweakers for tone-tweakers, Walrus Audio's guitar pedals are as versatile as they are functional. Complete with eye-grabbing graphics, Walrus Audio's pedals are the perfect tools for guitarists who want to sculpt their own unique sounds.
Walrus Audio 385 Overdrive Pedal Features:
- Modeled on the audio section of a 1950s Bell and Howell 385 Filmosound projector
- Control set: Volume, Gain, Bass, and Treble
- Robust, attractive die-cast enclosure with original artwork
- Internally running at 18 volts
- Power requirements: 9VDC (100mA minimum)
- Isolated power supply recommended (not included)
- Daisy-chain power supplies not recommended
Tech Specs
- Pedal Type: Overdrive
- Analog/Digital: Analog
- Inputs: 1 x 1/4" (instrument)
- Outputs: 1 x 1/4"
- True Bypass: Yes
- Power Source: 9V DC 100mA power supply required (sold separately)
- Power Usage: 100mA
- Height: 1.39"
- Width: 2.6"
- Depth: 4.77"
- Manufacturer Part Number: 900-1002
