The Custom Willys Distortion Pedal is a custom distortion pedal built by EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks, and its enclosure resembles a vintage, Forties-era Willys automobile1. Guitar World's reviewer Ron Zabrocki opened his review by asking, "How about a distortion box built into a hot rod?"2. It is a distortion design in the same family as the circuits covered on our Distortion Pedals page, but packaged as a model car rather than a conventional box.
The controls and the three-way voicing switch
The pedal has volume, tone and drive knobs, and Zabrocki found "they all work clean and even"2. The headline control is a three-way voicing switch that changes the characteristics of the distortion1.
| Switch position | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rear | Symmetrical clipping, described as more of a vintage voicing; the rear tail lights come on and off in direct intensity to your playing2 |
| Middle | Produces a tighter bottom and bumped mid-range2 |
| Front (up/front) | Asymmetrical clipping, what you might consider a modern distortion; the blower lights up in direct intensity to your playing2 |
As Zabrocki put it, "The voicing switch gives different clipping settings to voice your distortion type to your liking"2.
How it sounds, according to reviewers
Zabrocki's review in Guitar World described a pedal with, in his words, "a boutique, mature quality to it" that "does not alter the tone that you begin with on your amp," turning a clean sound into any variable of a great tube amp while staying articulate, solid and warm2. He also praised its response to the guitar's volume control: "The way it handles dynamics when I adjust my volume knob makes it a joy to use in the studio. It will be a secret weapon"2. He found it cleans up nicely when lowering the volume knob, even on the most radical settings2.
A pedal built into a hot rod
The EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks '41 Willys Distortion Pedal is a distortion pedal built into a hot rod car. "How about a distortion box built into a hot rod?" asks the description, and that is exactly what EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks has been doing. The pedal was designed by Eric Clarke, the designer at EJC2. In the demo video, the guitar used is a Fender Lone Star Strat through a Fender Blues Jr. amp1.
The car body is more than a novelty shell. With the voicing switch in the back position, the rear tail lights come on and off in direct intensity to your playing, and in the front position the blower lights up the same way2. Because the enclosure is a full model car, EJC included a True Bypass Loop Pedal: the loop pedal can stay on the floor or on your pedal board while the car stays connected to the amp2.
The pedal was hand wired, and the demo rig Guitar World used was a Fender Lone Star Strat through a Fender Blues Jr. amp1.
Videos
EJCcustoms
Ron Zabrocki
Questions
What does the voicing switch do on the Custom Willys Distortion?
The three-way voicing switch gives different clipping settings to voice the distortion. In the rear position it gives symmetrical clipping, described as a more vintage voicing. The middle position produces a tighter bottom and bumped mid-range. The up/front position gives asymmetrical clipping, what you might consider a modern distortion, and in that front position the blower lights up in direct intensity to your playing.
Who designed the Custom Willys Distortion Pedal?
The pedal was built by EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks, and the designer at EJC is Eric Clarke, according to Guitar World's review. The pedal was hand wired, and its enclosure resembles a vintage, Forties-era Willys automobile.
Do the tail lights react to playing?
Yes. When the voicing switch is in the back position, the rear tail lights come on and off in direct intensity to your playing, according to Guitar World's review. With the switch in the front position, the blower lights up in direct intensity to your playing instead.
Does the Willys pedal have a built-in loop?
EJC included a True Bypass Loop Pedal with the '41 Willys Distortion Pedal. The loop pedal can stay on the floor or on your pedal board while the car itself stays connected to the amp, so the full-size enclosure does not have to live on your board.
Sources (2)
- Custom Willys Distortion Pedal by EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks -Demo Video, Guitar World, 2014-06-04
- Session Guitar Review: EJC Custom Pedals and Guitarworks '41 Willys Distortion Pedal -Video, Guitar World, 2014-06-17
