The Wampler Andy Wood Gearbox Signature Overdrive is a dual overdrive pedal that puts two of Brian Wampler's drive circuits in one enclosure: a modified Tumnus on one channel and a modified Pinnacle on the other1. It is a signature pedal for Andy Wood, the Knoxville-based guitarist, and Wampler says Wood named it the Gearbox because it was designed to be the driving force behind your sound1. Released in May 2021, it retailed for $269.97 and is built in the USA2.
The idea is straightforward: instead of carrying a Tumnus and a Pinnacle as separate pedals, the Gearbox gives you both, plus an order switch to stack them either way, a noise gate, and dual inputs and outputs that let you run the two drives completely separately12.
A Tumnus and a Pinnacle in one enclosure
Wampler describes the Gearbox as featuring modified versions of two of Brian Wampler's best loved drive circuits, the Tumnus and the Pinnacle1. MusicRadar called it a two-channel design that brings the Tumnus and Pinnacle circuits together in one fully-featured drive pedal2, and Delicious Audio described the circuits as reworked and refined versions rather than straight copies3.
For a player, that means two distinct flavors of gain in one box:
- Channel 1 is based on the Tumnus, Wampler's compact transparent overdrive. Gearnews describes the Tumnus as a Klon-style boutique transparent overdrive of the '90s, and says Channel 1 delivers a sweet-sounding yet versatile overdrive4.
- Channel 2 is based on the Pinnacle, which Pedal of the Day calls one of Brian Wampler's most popular distortion pedals, and says it delivers that legendary "Brown Sound"5.
The controls on each channel
The two channels are laid out on opposite sides of the pedal. On the Tumnus side, MusicRadar found controls for Tone, Gain, and Level arranged triangularly2. The Pinnacle side carries the controls for Wampler's Pinnacle overdrive/distortion, which Delicious Audio lists as a three-band EQ with a Tone knob on top23.
| Channel | Circuit | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Modified Tumnus | Tone, Gain, Level, arranged triangularly2 |
| Channel 2 | Modified Pinnacle | Three-band EQ with Tone knob on top, plus Gate knob3 |
Pedal of the Day's reviewer found Channel 1 versatile enough to stack with another pedal to push or shape the total amount of gain, to use as a stand-alone overdrive, or as a slightly dirty boost to push the amp's front end5. On Channel 2, the three-band EQ lets you dial in a soaring lead tone, and the unique noise gate keeps the clarity on point5.
The order toggle and the noise gate
A toggle switch on top of the pedal selects the stacking order: run the Tumnus into the Pinnacle, or the Pinnacle into the Tumnus2. Wampler's own description is plain about what it does: "The Order switch lets you select which pedal comes first in the signal chain."1
The Gearbox also adds a side-chained noise gate with a Gate knob, which Delicious Audio highlighted as an extremely powerful addition to the two drive circuits3. For a player using the higher-gain Pinnacle channel, that is the control that keeps the background hiss down between phrases.
Power and connections: dual inputs and outputs
The Gearbox takes a 9V DC power supply or a battery2. Its connection options are where it differs most from a simple two-in-one drive pedal. Each circuit has its own inputs and outputs3, and both sets can be connected to an external switcher to mix or match the two drives in parallel or in series4. MusicRadar described this as taking the idea of mixing and matching further than the order toggle alone2.
Because the two channels have separate inputs and outputs, the Gearbox is not limited to series stacking. With an external switcher you can run the Tumnus and Pinnacle sides in parallel, or use one channel on its own while the other feeds a different path4.
Designed by Brian Wampler for Andy Wood
The pedal was designed by Brian Wampler for Andy Wood14. Delicious Audio notes the tweaking Brian Wampler made to the resulting circuit to suit it to the ear of the Knoxville-based guitarist3. Wood's album "Junktown" was recorded with a prototype of what became the Gearbox, so the design had a real-world test before it reached the market6.
What reviewers said
Early coverage was positive. MusicRadar wrote that "it will give you options, lots of options, from what looks to be one of the most interesting drive pedals we've seen this year."2
"it will give you options, lots of options, from what looks to be one of the most interesting drive pedals we've seen this year"
Gearnews judged the new signature model good value for money, reasoning that with two popular drive circuits combined into one pedal it could be a big seller4. Delicious Audio summed up the combined sound as "warm, yet brutal grunt; delicate and controllable harmonic overtones; and beautifully defined distortion that cuts through the mix."3
Sweetwater published a demo video of the Gearbox in July 2021, in which Don Carr walks through the two channels, noting that channel one is based on the Tumnus and showing how the pedal's switching and stacking options work in practice.
Videos
Wampler Pedals
Andy Wood Music
Questions
Can the Gearbox run on a battery?
Yes. The pedal takes a 9V DC power supply or a battery, so it can run without a power supply on a small board or in a setup where a wall supply is not available.
Can I run the two Gearbox channels in parallel?
Yes, with external switching. The Gearbox has two sets of inputs and outputs, and both can be connected to an external switcher to mix or match the two drives in parallel or in series.
Is Channel 1 the same circuit as the Wampler Tumnus?
It is based on the Tumnus but not identical. Wampler describes Channel 1 as a Tweaked Tumnus, one of two modified versions of Brian Wampler's drive circuits that make up the Gearbox, adjusted to suit Andy Wood's playing.
Where is the Wampler Gearbox made?
The Andy Wood Gearbox Signature Overdrive is built in the USA, according to MusicRadar's coverage of the pedal at its release in 2021.
Does the Wampler Gearbox have a noise gate?
Yes. The Gearbox includes a side-chained noise gate with a Gate knob, which Pedal of the Day's reviewer said keeps the clarity on point when the higher-gain channel is working.
Can you use the two channels of the Gearbox separately?
Yes. Each circuit has its own inputs and outputs, so the two drives can be used independently, stacked with each other in either order, or run in parallel through an external switcher.
Sources (6)
- Andy Wood & Wampler Pedals, Wampler Pedals, 2026-08-11
- Wampler releases the Andy Wood Gearbox Signature Overdrive, MusicRadar, 2021-05-07
- Wampler Gearbox Andy Wood Signature Overdrive/Distortion, Delicious Audio, 2021-05-13
- Wampler Andy Wood Gearbox Signature Overdrive combines Tumnus and Pinnacle circuits, gearnews.com, 2021-05-05
- Wampler Pedals Gearbox Andy Wood Signature Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2022-08-10
- Andy Wood: Gearbox, Wampler Pedals, 2026-08-31
Andy Wood
