The Warhorn is a transparent overdrive pedal from Walrus Audio, announced in March 2017 as the latest stompbox to join the company's catalog. MusicRadar described it as a transparent overdrive, meaning a drive designed to push your amp or add grit while keeping the core character of your guitar and pickup selection largely intact, rather than imposing a strong voice of its own. It was released on 14 March 2017 and was available to preorder for $199 at announcement1.
The controls: Level, Drive, Bass and Treble
The Warhorn keeps its front panel simple: four knobs that MusicRadar summed up as controls that "tweak the tone"1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume of the effect |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive |
| Bass | Shapes the low end of the tone |
| Treble | Shapes the high end of the tone |
Having separate Bass and Treble controls is the main difference from a typical one-knob tone overdrive: a player can dial in a midrange-forward boost or roll off harshness without touching a screwdriver or opening the pedal. The onboard EQ also means the Warhorn can be tuned to sit differently with single-coils and humbuckers, or to shape how it stacks with other drive pedals on a board1.
Two flavors of clipping
The Warhorn's defining feature is a toggle switch that selects between two flavors of clipping, the way the pedal's diodes shape the waveform as the signal is driven. MusicRadar described the two modes as "a compressed, symmetrically clipped tone and an asymmetric, more open sound"1.
In practical terms, the symmetric mode gives the tighter, more compressed response players associate with a traditional overdrive, while the asymmetric mode leaves the sound more open and dynamic. It is a quick way to flip between two distinct drive characters without re-dialing the knobs1.
Power and bypass
The Warhorn uses 9V power supply operation and true bypass switching, both of which MusicRadar reported come as standard1. True bypass means that when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through without passing through the drive circuit, which matters on large pedalboards where several pedals in series can dull the tone. A standard 9V supply keeps it compatible with common pedalboard power bricks.
The announcement coverage gives 9V power supply operation but no current draw figure, so players building a power budget for a daisy chain or isolated supply will not find a milliamp figure in the launch reporting.
Where the Warhorn sits in Walrus Audio's overdrive range
Walrus Audio has built out a wide overdrive catalog since the Warhorn arrived in 2017. Players comparing mid-range drives from the maker may also come across the Walrus Audio Messner, the Walrus Audio Mayflower, the Walrus Audio Voyager preamp/overdrive, and the Walrus Audio Ages Five-State Overdrive, which covers five drive states in one box. The maker has also revisited its designs over time: the Walrus Audio Voyager Preamp/Overdrive MKII arrived in late 2024 with five clipping modes and a footswitchable parametric mid EQ, and the Walrus Audio 385 overdrive was updated as the 385 MKII in October 2023 with an A/B switch and a 385+ mode. A Warhorn Retro Edition has also appeared, keeping the original design in circulation in a different finish.
For readers weighing the Warhorn against the wider drive market, the site's Overdrive Pedals page covers the effect type as a whole, and the Boss SD-1 vs Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer comparison looks at two of the most common reference points players use when describing transparent versus mid-humped drive characters.
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Questions
Is the Walrus Audio Warhorn true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar reported at the pedal's 2017 announcement that true bypass switching comes as standard on the Warhorn, alongside 9V power supply operation. True bypass means the pedal's circuit is removed from your signal chain entirely when it is switched off, so it does not load down or color your clean tone when the effect is not engaged.
What does the clipping switch do on the Warhorn?
The Warhorn is a transparent overdrive with two flavors of clipping accessed via a toggle switch, according to MusicRadar's announcement coverage. One setting gives a compressed, symmetrically clipped tone, while the other produces an asymmetric, more open sound. Flipping between the two lets a player choose between a tighter, more squeezed drive character and a wider, less compressed response.
What did the Warhorn cost at preorder?
The Warhorn was available to preorder from Walrus Audio for $199 when it was announced in March 2017, as reported by MusicRadar. That preorder price was listed ahead of the pedal's release date of 14 March 2017.
What power does the Walrus Warhorn use?
The Warhorn runs on 9V power supply operation, which MusicRadar noted comes as standard on the pedal along with true bypass switching. No current draw figure or battery option was given in the announcement coverage, so players planning a power setup should plan around a standard 9V DC supply.
Sources (1)
- Walrus Audio unveils Warhorn Mid-Range Overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2017-03-07
