The Electric Love x Brian Wampler Aquatone Overdrive is a collaboration overdrive pedal released in 2023 at a list price of $199. It was designed by Ben Carlin of Electric Love together with Brian Wampler of Wampler, and it takes the familiar Blues Driver format as its starting point while expanding on it with a fuller control set1.
What it does
The Aquatone is built around the Blues Driver style of overdrive, a circuit family known for touch-responsive, amp-like breakup. Where a typical pedal in that format keeps things simple, the Aquatone adds a six-knob layout that gives the player more shaping options, including an active mids control and a switchable gain structure1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive |
| Gain Structure | Switches the character between more distortion (up) and more overdrive (down) |
| Volume | Sets output level |
| Bass | Low EQ |
| Mids (Active) | Active midrange control |
| Treble | High EQ |
The active mids control is the standout addition for players moving over from a standard Blues Driver style pedal: rather than a fixed mid response, the Aquatone lets you cut or boost the midrange directly, which makes it easier to sit in a mix or push an amp's front end in a particular way1.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, writing in January 2024, counted the Aquatone among his favorites of the previous year and spoke well of how it handles its source material:
"and was one of my big hits of 2023 - really takes the Blues Driver format forward in the best way"1
Stefan Karlsson, Guitar Pedal X1
He also described the pedal as "Ben Carlin's super collaboration with Brian Wampler"1. For players already fond of the Blues Driver sound, that verdict positions the Aquatone as a deeper-featured take on the same idea rather than a departure from it. If you are comparing it against other drives in the same territory, the Overdrive Pedals page covers the wider field, and the original Electric Love Aquatone is also profiled on this site.
Videos
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Sources (1)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-01-26
