The Wilson Effects World War is a distortion pedal handmade in Guilford, Indiana, built to deliver what the maker describes as crushing, amp-like distortion with the flexibility to dial it back into a more restrained, touch-sensitive overdrive. Wilson says its tonal range runs from aggressive high-gain riffing to deep low-end or a scooped distortion character, at times bordering on fuzzy territory1.
The World War delivers a range of sounds, from aggressive high-gain riffing to a more restrained, touch-sensitive overdrive1.
Hard and soft clipping and swappable diodes
The World War's defining feature is its two-stage approach to clipping, the part of a distortion circuit that flattens the peaks of the guitar's waveform to create the grit. Instead of one fixed clipping arrangement, the pedal carries both hard and soft clipping sections and gives you two ways to work with them.
A Style switch chooses between two modes:
- Style switch up: activates the Blend knob and the H/S switch, letting you mix the hard and soft clipping sections together for a wide range of tones. The Blend knob sets how much of each section you hear, depending on the H/S switch position21.
- Style switch down: enables the Clip 1 and Clip 2 switches and disables the Blend knob and H/S switch, so you can swap out the diodes in each section for different clipping options21.
That diode-swapping mode is aimed at players who like to voice a distortion circuit themselves: changing the clipping diodes changes how the pedal compresses and how aggressive the edge of the distortion is. The Clip 1 and Clip 2 switches select between the installed diode options in each section2.
Gain and controls
Gain is adjustable in two places. On the outside, the Style switch and Blend knob shape how the clipping sections combine. Inside, an internal gain trimmer is set to maximum gain by default but can be turned down for lower gain applications, which lets the pedal cover everything from full distortion to a milder overdrive voice1.
Power, bypass and practical details
The World War runs on a standard 9VDC 2.1mm center-negative power supply or a high-quality 9V battery, so it works with a shared pedalboard supply or on its own1. True bypass keeps the signal uncolored when the pedal is off, according to the maker1.
Wilson Effects covers the pedal with a one-year warranty with full coverage on parts and labor1. Orders from the maker ship via USPS Priority Mail, and returns are accepted within 7 days of receiving a new pedal, with shipping costs not refunded and return shipping the customer's responsibility2.
Where it sits in the Wilson Effects range
Wilson Effects builds its pedals by hand in Guilford, Indiana1. The World War is the maker's take on a high-gain distortion, and it sits alongside other Wilson drives such as the Lusus Naturae organic overdrive, the This is the Art overdrive/distortion aimed at scooped 1980s thrash tones, and the Capstone transparent overdrive. For more on how distortion differs from its milder cousin, see Distortion Pedals and Overdrive Pedals.
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Questions
Is the Wilson Effects World War true bypass?
Yes. Wilson Effects describes the World War as true bypass, which the maker says keeps your signal uncolored when the pedal is switched off. The pedal is handmade in Guilford, Indiana, and carries a one-year warranty covering parts and labor.
Can the World War run on a 9V battery?
Yes. Wilson Effects says the World War runs on a standard 9VDC 2.1mm center-negative power supply or a high-quality 9V battery, so it can sit on a pedalboard with a shared supply or run standalone on battery power.
Where are Wilson Effects pedals made?
Wilson Effects pedals, including the World War, are handmade in Guilford, Indiana, in the United States. The maker says they are crafted with premium components and backs them with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
Can you change the gain on the Wilson World War?
Yes, in two ways. An internal gain trimmer is set to maximum gain by default but can be adjusted for lower gain applications. The Style switch also changes how the clipping sections interact, which shapes the character and amount of distortion you hear.
