The Wampler Paisley Drive is an overdrive pedal built by Wampler as country guitarist Brad Paisley's signature pedal. Brian Wampler developed it over a period of months, sending Brad Paisley circuits until the design matched what the player wanted: a pedal that would go from totally clean to saturated, amp-like breakup without sacrificing the tonality of his guitar and amp1. Wampler's own description of the target sound is that it needs to be clean but get crunchy with some "beef" to it, with a fluid tone when soloing2.
The pedal launched in November 2010 at an introductory price of $179.97 for the first week1; its current list price on Wampler's product page is $219.972. It sits among the early Wampler standards, alongside the Pinnacle overdrive and the Nirvana Chorus, in the words of a Guitar.com interview with Brian Wampler3.
The controls
The Paisley Drive keeps its control set compact: Volume, Gain and Tone knobs, plus two switches, Presence and Mid Contour21. Wampler says the switches give the pedal 3 EQ curves alongside the switchable presence control, and the maker's claim is that there is no combination of guitar and amp the Paisley Drive cannot sit well with2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive, from clean to saturated breakup1 |
| Tone | Shapes the overall brightness1 |
| Presence switch | Switchable presence control for top-end character2 |
| Mid Contour switch | Selects between the pedal's EQ curves2 |
The enclosure has a powder coated durable finish1, and the jacks are top mounted, which saves width on a pedalboard2.
Power: 9V to 18V
The Paisley Drive runs from a 9V power jack with a Boss-style barrel plug, and a battery connection is included21. Power draw is between 9mA at 9V and 17mA at 18V2, low enough that it is easy on a pedalboard power supply. The larger Paisley Drive Deluxe shares the same 9V jack and battery connection and can run up to 18V for more clean headroom, drawing 32.8mA at 9V and 39.8mA at 18V5.
The Paisley Drive's current draw of 9 to 17mA is modest, but the battery connection means it can run without a supply at all if you prefer2.
Brad Paisley's signature overdrive
Wampler's relationship with Brad Paisley goes back to a time before the original signature Paisley Drive pedal6. The design process was collaborative: over a period of months, Brian Wampler made circuits and sent them off to Paisley until the pedal matched his requirements2. Premier Guitar's launch announcement framed the brief as a pedal that would go from totally clean to saturated amp-like breakup without sacrificing tonality1.
The Paisley Drive became one of Wampler's standards, and the relationship later produced the Wampler Paisley Deluxe, a dual overdrive that combines a Paisley Drive and Brian's Underdog circuit in one pedal6. In a Sweetwater demo, Brad Paisley described how he uses both sides of the Deluxe, the Underdog for the heavier stuff and the Paisley Drive, and both together7.
The Paisley Drive and the Paisley Drive Deluxe
The Paisley Drive Deluxe is the Paisley Drive's bigger sibling. Wampler built it by cramming a Paisley Drive and Brian's Underdog circuits into a single dual overdrive pedal56. Channel 1 replicates the discontinued Wampler Underdog overdrive, with its Nobels-like grit, while Channel 2 is the same versatile, amp-like drive as the Paisley Drive8. Brad Paisley calls the Deluxe the "PaisleyDog"9.
| Paisley Drive | Paisley Drive Deluxe | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Single overdrive2 | Dual overdrive, two channels5 |
| Circuits | Paisley Drive soft clipper4 | Paisley Drive plus Underdog5 |
| EQ | Tone knob, Presence and Mid Contour switches2 | Full 3-band active EQ on Channel 15 |
| Bypass | 3PDT true bypass2 | Relay true bypass, switchable true bypass or buffered510 |
| Power draw | 9mA at 9V to 17mA at 18V2 | 32.8mA at 9V, 39.8mA at 18V5 |
| I/O | Top mounted jacks2 | Each side has its own dedicated input and output on rear mounted jacks9 |
The two sides of the Deluxe can be used independently or stacked in any order for more harmonically rich drives6, and Gearnews reported the Deluxe at 40 USD more expensive than the normal Paisley Drive9. The Paisley Drive side of the Deluxe adds a side voicing switch for mid-scoop and elevation9.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar reviewed the Paisley Drive in Guitarist issue 338, February 2011, and its verdict was short and positive1112:
For the Paisley Drive Deluxe, MusicPlayers.com's review by Bruce Sokolovic gave it a 3.1-star overall rating13, while Delicious Audio described Channel 1 as providing the Underdog's Nobels-like grit right alongside Brad's signature tone8. In the Sweetwater demo, Brad Paisley himself said of the Deluxe:
"it's really good it's got the versatility of the two sides when your name's on it you want it to be good"
On That Pedal Show, Mick and Dan walked through the Deluxe's controls, noting the Channel 1 bass, middle and treble controls with level and gain, and the switchable true bypass or buffered operation10.
In the Sweetwater video, Mitch Gallagher and Brad Paisley demo the Deluxe, with Paisley explaining that inside the pedal you'll find the Paisley Drive you know and love as well as the Underdog, both individually selectable and stackable7.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Sweetwater
Wampler Pedals
Questions
Does the Wampler Paisley Drive take a battery?
Yes. The pedal has a battery connection as well as a 9V power jack, so it can run on either. Current draw is low, between 9mA at 9V and 17mA at 18V, so a battery lasts a long time at 9V.
Is the Paisley Drive true bypass?
Yes. The Paisley Drive uses a 3PDT true bypass switching arrangement, so the signal passes around the circuit when the pedal is off. The larger Paisley Deluxe uses relay true bypass, switchable between true bypass and buffered.
Is the Paisley Drive a Tube Screamer clone?
Not a clone, but reviewers hear the family resemblance. MusicRadar's review praised its "superb TS-derived sounds", and Strymon groups the Paisley Drive with soft clipper circuits such as the Timmy rather than with mid-scooped pedals.
Where is the Wampler Paisley Drive made?
Wampler builds the Paisley Drive in the U.S.A., according to the maker's product page. The pedal carries Wampler's limited 5-year warranty.
What is the difference between the Paisley Drive and the Paisley Drive Deluxe?
The Deluxe is a dual overdrive that puts a Paisley Drive circuit and Wampler's discontinued Underdog circuit in one enclosure, with each side selectable on its own or stackable in any order. It costs about 40 USD more than the standard Paisley Drive.
Sources (13)
- Wampler Pedals Releases Paisley Drive, Premier Guitar, 2010-11-01
- Brad Paisley: Paisley Drive, Wampler Pedals, 2026-07-06
- “Back in 2000 to 2005, what we would call a boutique pedal was different”: Pedal maker Brian Wampler on the ‘B-word’, Guitar.com, 2020-09-28
- What are some examples of the 6 circuits available in Sunset?, Strymon (www.strymon.net), 2021-07-15
- Brad Paisley: Paisley Deluxe, Wampler Pedals, 2026-08-16
- Brad Paisley & Wampler Pedals, Wampler Pedals, 2026-08-11
- Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe Demo with Brad Paisley, Sweetwater, 2019-02-20
- Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe, Delicious Audio, 2017-10-05
- Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe: Brad Paisley, The Underdog and the Paisley Drive, gearnews.com, 2017-11-15
- TPS Pick'N'Mix, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2017-10-23
- Wampler Paisley Drive: Demo | MusicRadar, MusicRadar, 2011-01-14
- Wampler Paisley Drive review | MusicRadar, MusicRadar, 2011-02-23
- Wampler Tumnus, Ethereal and The Paisley Deluxe, MusicPlayers.com, 2018-10-31
Brad Paisley
Tom Quayle
