The Matthews Effects Whaler v2 is a fuzz pedal, and unlike many fuzzes on the market it is not a clone or a re-creation of an existing circuit. In Sweetwater's demo video, Mitch Gallagher describes it as "an all-original fuzz design," and Delicious Audio likewise calls the Whaler "an original Matthews Effects circuit" that works for guitar or bass12. Matthews Effects positions it as a pedal that covers a wide range: "From gentle breakup to chaotic mayhem, this pedal delivers it all with astonishing versatility"3.
Delicious Audio's description gives a sense of that range in practice: "It can take you from worlds of velcro to warm dark chasm's of fuzz's of old"1. In other words, the Whaler v2 can do the spluttering, gated "velcro" sounds as well as warmer, vintage-style fuzz, which is a broader spread than a single-voiced fuzz typically offers.
The Whaler v2 is listed as sold out on the Matthews Effects product page, and the maker's Cosmonaut V2 and Chemist V2 pages are also marked sold out3. A player wanting a Whaler v2 may need to look at the secondhand market.
An original fuzz, not a clone
Plenty of fuzz pedals trace back to a handful of classic circuits, but the Whaler v2 does not. Sweetwater's Mitch Gallagher opens his demo by noting that "instead of re-creating an existing fuzz circuit, the Matthews Effects Whaler v2 fuzz pedal is an all-original fuzz design"2. Delicious Audio's Christopher Scapelliti makes the same point, calling it "an original Matthews Effects circuit and is great for guitar or bass"1.
For a player comparing fuzzes, that matters. The Whaler v2 is an all-original fuzz design rather than a re-creation of an existing fuzz circuit, and its controls, especially Squish and Body, are shaped around that circuit. The Squish control adjusts for a smooth or gritty fuzz texture, while the Body control lets you scoop the mids231.
The controls: Output, Sustain, Squish, Tone and Body
The Whaler v2 has five knobs. Delicious Audio's control list and Mitch Gallagher's demo walk-through together give a full picture of what each one does12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Output | Volume of the effect1 |
| Sustain | Controls the amount of fuzz; the gain level control12 |
| Squish | Controls the bias of the fuzz, for a smooth or gritty texture31 |
| Tone | Turned clockwise, increases highs and decreases lows, and vice versa1 |
| Body | Adjusts the mids; lets you scoop them, with the far-right position scooping the mids way down12 |
A few of these deserve a closer look, because they work a little differently from the standard fuzz control set.
Squish is the character knob. Matthews Effects describes it as "providing effortless adjustment for a smooth or gritty fuzz texture"3. In the Sweetwater demo, Gallagher puts it in playing terms: "this changes things from sort of a ragged breakup tone to again a smoother higher gain sustaining tone"2. Set one way you get a rougher, breaking-up fuzz; set the other way the fuzz gets smoother and sustains more.
Tone is a tilt-style control rather than a simple treble roll-off. Gallagher explains that "when you turn this you're adjusting both the base level and the trouble level as you turn one down the other one goes up"2. Delicious Audio's phrasing matches: clockwise increases highs and decreases lows, and counterclockwise does the opposite1. So the Tone knob trades bass against treble in one motion.
Body is the midrange control, and it is the one that shapes how the pedal sits in a mix. Delicious Audio describes it as letting you scoop the mids1, and Gallagher notes that the far-right position "scoops the mids way down"2. Delicious Audio also highlights the payoff: "Its dynamic tone controls will allow you to create unique and original sounds that help set you apart in the mix"1.
Version 2: a new Sustain control and an extra gain stage
The Whaler v2 builds on an earlier Whaler. Matthews Effects says that "building upon its highly regarded predecessor, the Whaler v2 incorporates an additional gain stage"3. Delicious Audio reports that the V2 was introduced at NAMM 2019, "which features a completely redesigned sustain control and an extra gain stage," and notes the V2 comes in a dark enclosure1.
The practical difference is range. As Gallagher puts it in the Sweetwater demo, "the Whaler v2 adds another gain stage which drastically increases its sonic range"2. The redesigned Sustain knob is the gain control for that stage, so the v2 can push further into high-gain fuzz territory than the original while still dialing back to lighter breakup sounds.
What reviewers made of it
Published coverage of the Whaler v2 has been positive. Delicious Audio frames it broadly: "If you're looking for a pedal that can handle anything from classic fuzz tones to a modern high gain fuzz your search is" over, and points to its dynamic tone controls as a way to stand out in a mix1.
Sweetwater's demo, published in April 2019, walks through each control and the sounds available from them. Gallagher's overall verdict2:
"great sounding fuzz pedal that provides a ton of tonal possibilities for you"
The demo covers the full control set, from the Output and Sustain knobs through the Squish, Tone and Body controls, and demonstrates the range from ragged breakup to smoother high-gain sustaining fuzz2.
Videos
Eirik Stordrange
shnobel
Questions
Is the Matthews Effects Whaler v2 based on an existing fuzz circuit?
No. In Sweetwater's demo, Mitch Gallagher describes it as an all-original fuzz design rather than a re-creation of an existing fuzz circuit, and Delicious Audio likewise calls the Whaler an original Matthews Effects circuit. That sets it apart from the many Big Muff-derived fuzzes on the market.
What does the Squish knob do on the Whaler v2?
Squish sets the bias of the fuzz, moving between a smooth and a gritty fuzz texture. In the Sweetwater demo, Mitch Gallagher describes the change as going from a ragged breakup tone to a smoother, higher-gain sustaining tone, so it is the knob that shapes the fuzz's character rather than its amount.
What does the Body knob do on the Whaler v2?
Body adjusts the amount of mids in the signal. Delicious Audio describes it as letting you scoop the mids, and in the Sweetwater demo the far-right position is said to scoop the mids way down, which is useful for a classic scooped fuzz sound or for cutting through a band mix.
How is the Whaler v2 different from the original Whaler?
Version 2, introduced at NAMM 2019, has a completely redesigned Sustain control and an extra gain stage, and it ships in a dark enclosure. Matthews Effects says the added gain stage builds on the original Whaler, and Mitch Gallagher notes it drastically increases the pedal's sonic range.
Is the Whaler v2 still in production?
The Matthews Effects product page lists the Whaler v2 as sold out, at a sale price of £146.00. Other pedals in the maker's v2 line, the Cosmonaut V2 and the Chemist V2, are also listed as sold out, so finding one may mean looking at the secondhand market.
Sources (3)
- Matthews Effects The Whaler V2, Delicious Audio, 2019-05-21
- Matthews Effects The Whaler v2 Fuzz Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2019-04-21
- The Whaler V2 Fuzz, Matthews Effects
