The Wounded Paw Audio Attack Goat OD DI Bass Pre-Amp is a two-channel bass preamp pedal that combines a fuzz, an overdrive, a swept two-band EQ and a DI section in one box. Pedal of the Day, reviewing it on its introduction in August 2022, described it as "a 2-channel fuzz, overdrive, EQ and more", with the Attack Goat Bass Fuzz circuit up front and the EQ and overdrive behind it1. It belongs to the wider family of preamp pedals and fuzz pedals built for bass.
What it does to your sound
The front channel is the fuzz. It uses germanium clipping, and Pedal of the Day's Todd Tabor described it as an "old school fuzz section" with "a thick tone with more than a hint of octave up" that "is tuned especially for bass guitar"1. Its TONE control runs from mid-range heavy to a mid-cut with, in his words, "tons of bass and treble"1.
"The old school fuzz section with germanium clipping has a thick tone with more than a hint of octave up and is tuned especially for bass guitar."
The second channel is the EQ and overdrive. The overdrive "goes from clean to a little grit to full on grind", which is where a clean bass signal can sit under the fuzz, and its treble control tames high-end fizz by rolling off the higher frequencies1.
The EQ
The EQ has two sections, each with what the review called "a huge +/-16dB of boost or cut and a wide sweep of frequencies"1.
That sweep covers the low fundamentals of a four, five or six-string bass on the LO side and the upper mids and treble on the HI side1.
Outputs and using it live or in the studio
Four output options make the Attack Goat usable as more than a dirt pedal1:
- A dedicated XLR balanced line out with ground lift, for recording or feeding a PA mixer directly
- A built-in headphone output with an aux input, for silent practice
- A regular 1/4-inch output to an amp
- An unaffected 1/4-inch thru
The ground lift on the XLR output is there for the situations where a PA or recording interface and an amp create a ground loop hum, so the balanced out can be used alongside the amp output rather than instead of it1.
Where it sits in the Wounded Paw range
Wounded Paw Audio's range also includes the Wounded Paw Audio Siege Engine II Bass Overdrive, a bass overdrive, and the Bighorn Overdrive1.
Videos
Bass Gear Demos by Dawghouse
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Does the Attack Goat have an XLR output?
Yes. Among its four output options is a dedicated XLR balanced line out with a ground lift switch, intended for recording or for feeding a PA mixer directly. Alongside it there is a built-in headphone output with an aux input, a regular 1/4-inch output to an amp, and an unaffected 1/4-inch thru.
Does the Attack Goat have a headphone output?
Yes. The pedal includes a built-in headphone output with an aux input, so you can practice along with a track. It sits alongside the other outputs: a balanced XLR line out with ground lift, a 1/4-inch output to an amp, and an unaffected 1/4-inch thru.
What kind of clipping does the Attack Goat fuzz use?
The fuzz section uses germanium clipping, which Pedal of the Day describes as an old school fuzz with a thick tone, more than a hint of octave up, and voicing tuned especially for bass guitar. The TONE control in that section runs from mid-range heavy to a mid-cut with plenty of bass and treble.
Can the Attack Goat blend in the clean bass signal?
The pedal is built as a two-channel preamp: the Attack Goat Bass Fuzz sits up front, followed by an EQ and overdrive section that runs from clean through a little grit to full-on grind. That clean-to-grind overdrive channel is how the design keeps a clean bass signal available under the fuzz.
What frequencies does the Attack Goat EQ cover?
The EQ has two sections, each offering up to plus or minus 16dB of boost or cut across a wide sweep. The LO section sweeps from 50Hz to 500Hz, and the HI section varies from 500Hz to 5kHz, covering the low fundamentals and the upper mids and treble of a bass signal.
Sources (1)
- Wounded Paw Audio Attack Goat OD DI Bass Pre-Amp, Pedal of the Day, 2022-08-29
