The Vick Audio V-2 is a distortion pedal from Vick Audio, announced in September 2015 and created to replicate the sound of the Pete Cornish G-2 at an affordable price1. Premier Guitar describes it as the company's twist on the much-coveted Cornish G-2, and notes that at its heart it is a Big Muff circuit2. It is a hand-wired, boutique quality pedal made in the USA, built in a powder coated aluminum enclosure1.
A Big Muff variant by way of the Cornish G-2
The V-2's circuit traces back to the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. According to Kit Rae's history of the Big Muff, Pete Cornish created a third evolution of the Big Muff circuit, the G-2 Fuzz, utilizing Pete's double buffer design and germanium diodes rather than the silicon found in most Big Muff circuits32. Aion FX's technical analysis, which traced the G-2 circuit in 2009, puts it plainly:
"It's a Big Muff with Cornish buffers and a simplified tone control."
Until that 2009 trace, the G-2 was not known to have been a Big Muff variant, but the familiar topology was quickly apparent once the circuit was examined4. Aion FX also notes that a number of value tweaks throughout the circuit mean the end result does not sound much like a classic Big Muff4. The G-2 used the same PCB as the Cornish P-2, with germanium diodes rather than silicon and 16 parts changed from the P-23.
The V-2 follows this lineage but is not an exact reproduction of the original. Vick Audio kept what made the original great and made some improvements for consistency and flexibility1. The most notable change is in the clipping stage:
| Cornish G-2 | Vick Audio V-2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Clipping diodes | Germanium | Bat41 silicon1 |
| Bypass | Buffered | True bypass1 |
Guitar Interactive Magazine reported that the V-2 chooses to use Bat41 silicon clipping diodes in place of the germanium diodes found on the original unit1.
Controls, power and bypass
The V-2 was designed to be a true bypass pedal rather than a pedal that uses a buffer when bypassed. This allows the input buffer to function when the pedal is engaged, but not when it is turned off1.
Power comes through a 2.1 mm Boss style power jack, and there is no internal 9V battery clip, so the pedal needs an external supply1.
Because the V-2 has no battery clip, it cannot run on a 9V battery. It needs a power supply or a pedalboard power brick with a 2.1 mm center negative Boss style output.
What it does to your sound
Guitar Interactive Magazine describes the V-2 as able to give musicians overdriven tones with excellent harmonics at lower sustain settings, or full-on singing distortion at higher sustain settings1. That range, from lower-gain overdrive to saturated distortion, comes from the sustain control sweeping the circuit's gain.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reviewed the V-2 at a $139 street price, testing it with a Fender Stratocaster, Rickenbacker 330, Fender Telecaster Custom, a Fender silverface Bassman, a Fender Champ and a '60s Fender Bassman2. Their verdict on the pedal's strengths:
"Rich and slightly civilized distortion tones. Easy to record and forgiving in the studio. Silky lead tones with great sustain2."
Premier Guitar2
The reviewer also listed the fair price among the pros2.
Videos
gilmourish
Jack Fossett Guitar
PedalNerds - Nathan Shafer
Questions
Does the Vick Audio V-2 take a battery?
No. The V-2 has a 2.1 mm Boss style power jack and no internal 9V battery clip, so it runs only on an external power supply. Plan for a 9V DC output on your pedalboard power brick.
Is the Vick Audio V-2 true bypass?
Yes. The V-2 was designed as a true bypass pedal rather than one that uses a buffer when bypassed. Its input buffer functions only while the pedal is engaged, not when it is turned off.
What clipping diodes does the V-2 use?
The V-2 uses Bat41 silicon clipping diodes in place of the germanium diodes found on the original Cornish G-2. That is one of the deliberate departures from the original unit's design.
Where is the Vick Audio V-2 made?
The V-2 is a hand-wired, boutique quality pedal made in the USA, built in a powder coated aluminum enclosure. Vick Audio also builds other recreations such as the 73 Ram's Head Big Muff.
Sources (4)
- Vick Audio Replicates Tone of Cornish G-2 with Release of V-2, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2015-09-09
- Quick Hit: Vick Audio V-2 Distortion, Premier Guitar, 2016-03-29
- The Big Muffs of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Kit Rae, 2024-07
- Tracing Journal: Cornish G-2 (two versions), Aion FX, 2024-08-02
