The Caroline Wave Cannon is a distortion pedal from Caroline Guitar Company, a small maker in Columbia, South Carolina. It was the company's very first product1, designed by Philippe Herndon, the designer and head of the company2. The maker describes it as a tribute to op-amp distortions of the 1970s and '80s, and the current Wave Cannon Zero "delivers late 1970s-early 80s 'big amp' distortion sounds and the chance to get *weird*"3.
What sets the Wave Cannon apart from a plain distortion is Havoc: a second mode, on its own footswitch, that opens a feedback loop the player can tune with a dedicated control. In normal use it covers ground from a "clean" boost to heavy gain; in Havoc mode it produces oscillation, fuzzy craziness and whooping sounds that respond to the guitar's own controls45.
What it is and where it came from
The original Wave Cannon v1 was released in 20103, Caroline's first entry into the stompbox world310. Herndon has been direct about its origins:
"the Wave Cannon is derivative in that it is my tribute to my favorite op-amp distortions of the 1970s and '80s"11
He names his influences specifically: Ibanez Sonic Distortions and Fat Cats, Proco Rats, gray DOD 250s, and the first block logo MXR Distortion+ he owned11. Guitar World's review of the Wave Cannon Zero likewise describes the circuit as loosely based on classic op-amp distortion circuits such as the DOD 250 and Pro Co Rat9. The pedal is op-amp based, as the maker confirmed when describing a sibling circuit12.
The Wave Cannon was Philippe Herndon's first pedal, released in 2012, possibly 201313. The maker describes its normal mode as delivering great overdrive and distortion tones, while its Havoc mode unleashes what the company calls sonic hell, fuzzy craziness, and "Pole Position" whoops that can be tuned with the guitar's controls14. A variant of the pedal was sent to Rockhaus, the company's retailer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin15.
The controls
The Wave Cannon Zero carries the fullest control set of the line. Guitar Pedal X lists it as: Volume, Gain, Shape, Volts (Starve), Tone, Havoc %, Bypass Footswitch, and Havoc Feedback Oscillation Footswitch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level16 |
| Gain | Main gain level1 |
| Tone | Treble roll-off17 |
| Shape | Sets the character of the saturation, from distortion to fuzz; refined on the Zero for more depth at low and medium gain318 |
| Volts (Starve) | Voltage starve control, emulating a dying battery for gated and broken textures318 |
| Havoc % | Tunes and mixes the feedback signal3 |
| Bypass footswitch | Standard on/off1 |
| Havoc footswitch | Engages the feedback oscillation, momentary or latching3 |
A few details worth knowing:
- The Shape control on the original was based on Philip Ruetz's circuit mod, used with his permission11.
- The Voltage control was introduced on the Zero to let users get starved and broken textures3; Guitar World describes it as a voltage starve control for dying-battery fuzz sounds9.
- The earlier Wave Cannon v2 used big knobs for Volume, Tone, Shape and Gain, with a Rumble switch adding deep low-end and a Voltage trimmer opening up gated and "velcro" versions of the classic tones18.
- With the Havoc control, the Zero can now function both as the first thing your guitar sees or later in the signal chain3.
The maker marks its controls with symbols rather than words, with the speaker icon meaning Volume1610; a Guitar World video review walked through what each symbol is meant to do1610.
Havoc mode
Havoc is the Wave Cannon's signature feature, present from the original through the MKII and Zero53. Pressing the Havoc footswitch moves the pedal from distortion mode into "havoc" mode5. Caroline's own description of what happens next:
"release and you are back to our great overdrive and distortion tones"14
Caroline describes Havoc mode as unleashing sonic hell, fuzzy craziness, and "Pole Position" whoops, with the guitar's controls tuning the effect until you release and return to the pedal's overdrive and distortion tones14.
On the Zero, the Havoc control tunes and mixes the feedback signal, and the footswitch can be set to momentary or latching3. Guitar.com's reviewer noted the MKII "quite literally has a 'Havoc' switch"19. For bass players, Caroline recommends a bass with passive pickups to get the most out of switching from distortion mode to havoc mode5.
On bass
Caroline addresses bass use directly in its FAQ, answering the question "How is the Wave Cannon as a bass distortion?"5. The company's recommendation for havoc mode on bass is passive pickups, as noted above. Players comparing options can also see the pedal in the context of bass pedals.
Demos and the tour box
The Wave Cannon got early exposure through demos and a novel "tour box" program. Through The Gear Page forum, Caroline signed up fifteen members who would each give the pedal a try and then pass it along20. The maker described the scheme:
"We've been doing a 'tour box' on The Gear Page, where a Caroline Wave Cannon distortion travels the country and people try it"21
As part of that program, Nathan Sousa professionally recorded a soundfile of the Wave Cannon at a variety of gain settings21. Mike Hermans made a demo of the pedal for retailer MusicToyz22. Through The Gear Page, the company signed up fifteen members who would give the pedal a try and then pass it along20.
What reviewers said
- The maker, on the pedal's normal mode: the company describes it as delivering "great overdrive and distortion tones"14.
- The maker, on Havoc mode: in the company's words, it unleashes "sonic hell, fuzzy craziness, and 'Pole Position' whoops" that can be tuned with the guitar's controls14.
- Release: the Wave Cannon was Philippe Herndon's first pedal, released in 2012, possibly 201313.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
gearmanndude
JetCityMusic
Questions
Who designed the Caroline Wave Cannon?
The Wave Cannon was designed by Philippe Herndon, the designer and head of Caroline Guitar Company. It was the company's very first product, and Herndon has described it as his tribute to his favorite op-amp distortions of the 1970s and '80s.
Where is the Caroline Wave Cannon made?
The Wave Cannon is made in Columbia, South Carolina. Caroline Guitar Company describes the Wave Cannon MKII as dreamed, designed and created at its small batch workshop there, and the original was billed as a humble distorter made in Columbia.
What is havoc mode on the Wave Cannon?
Havoc is a feedback mode. A second footswitch engages a feedback loop that the Havoc control tunes and mixes, producing oscillation, fuzzy craziness and whooping sounds that respond to your guitar's controls. On the Wave Cannon Zero it can be set to momentary or latching.
What circuits is the Wave Cannon based on?
It is an op-amp distortion, loosely based on classic op-amp circuits such as the DOD 250 and Pro Co Rat. Herndon also names Ibanez Sonic Distortions and Fat Cats, grey DOD 250s and the first block logo MXR Distortion+ as influences.
Is the Caroline Wave Cannon an op-amp distortion?
Yes. The maker describes the Wave Cannon as op-amp based, and its circuit is a tribute to favorite op-amp fuzzes and distortions of the 1970s and '80s, loosely following classic op-amp distortion circuits like the DOD 250 and Pro Co Rat.
Sources (22)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-10-14
- JHS PackRat Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2022-08-23
- WAVE CANNON™ ZERO, Caroline Guitar Company, 2026-10-16
- Caroline Guitar Company Wave Cannon Pedal, Guitar World, 2011-05-25
- FAQ #9: Does it work well for bass?, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-04-20
- Great writeup and review at Effects Bay!, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-05-18
- Artist Profile: Henry Kaiser, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-02-10
- Wave Cannon MKII, Caroline Guitar Company, 2026-09-08
- Guitar World's 30 favorite guitar pedals from the past 5 years, Guitar World, 2025-06-02
- Guitar World names us to Buzz Bin and the Platinum Award for Excellence., Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-05-31
- Wave Cannon named to Guitar World's Top Ten Pedals of the Year, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-12-21
- FAQ: What kind of transistor/phase does the Icarus™ use?, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-12-26
- 5 BALLER PEDAL COMPANIES THAT AREN'T JHS, JHS Pedals
- And now, from our custom shop: CANNONBALLS, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-05-27
- new video, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-07-03
- FAQ: A big batch of FAQ, lovingly answered, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-06-04
- Caroline Guitar Company Wave Cannon MkII Superdistorter, Pedal of the Day, 2015-06-21
- Caroline Wave Cannon Zero Fuzzstortion, Delicious Audio, 2026-02-25
- Beetronics Nectar review, Guitar.com, 2024-03-25
- Wave Cannon Tour Box on the Gear Page, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-06-07
- Super cool new Wave Cannon demo file from the gear page tour box., Caroline Guitar Company, 2012-02-10
- Mike Hermans at MusicToyz demos Olympia and Icarus!, Caroline Guitar Company, 2011-12-05
