The Battering Ram V2.1 from Wounded Paw Effects is a 2-in-1 pedal, combining overdrive and fuzz in a single enclosure. The two sides can work together or independently, depending on a mode switch, and each side carries its own set of controls. Reviewing it for Pedal of the Day, Mike B summed up the overall sound this way1:
"The Drive section is just beefy enough to push your amp, while the Fuzz section is warm but fierce at the same time."
For a player weighing it against running a separate overdrive pedal into a fuzz pedal, the appeal is the switching: one box that can act as a single combined circuit or as two channels you engage as you like1.
The controls, side by side
The pedal's layout puts the overdrive on one side and the fuzz on the other, with a mode toggle between them. Here is what each control does, as described in the Pedal of the Day review1:
| Side | Control | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Overdrive | Drive | Controls the amount of gain present in the output signal |
| Overdrive | Hi | Controls the high frequencies added in, sort of like a tone control but with focus on the high-end |
| Overdrive | Toggle switch | Acts as a low end booster, which works really well for bass players, but can also make for some deep, fun sounds coming out of a guitar, too |
| Middle | Mini toggle switch | Selects between the 2-in-1 option, or each channel separate, letting the player pick and choose which side (or both) is present at any given moment |
| Fuzz | Level | Does the same thing as the volume on the overdrive side |
| Fuzz | Mini toggle switch | Boosts the fuzz side up an octave, making it a killer soloing tool; the LED switches color when you switch it on |
The octave boost is the fuzz side's distinguishing feature: engaged, it shifts the fuzz up an octave, and the LED changes color so you can tell at a glance which setting you are in1. Players curious about octave shifting in general can read more on the octave and pitch pedals page.
Running the two sides together or apart
The middle mini toggle is what separates the Battering Ram from a simple overdrive-plus-fuzz chain. In "normal" mode, you must turn the overdrive side on first in order to access the fuzz side, and they must work together1. Switched the other way, each channel is separate, and you can pick and choose which side, or both, you want at any given moment1.
In 2-in-1 mode the fuzz cannot be reached without the overdrive being on first. If you want to stomp the fuzz on its own, use the separate-channel setting on the middle toggle1.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
The GUITAR PEDAL REVIEW.
Questions
Can I use the fuzz side of the Battering Ram without the overdrive?
It depends on the mode. A mini toggle in the middle of the pedal selects between a 2-in-1 option and separate channel operation. In normal 2-in-1 mode, you must turn the overdrive side on first in order to access the fuzz side, and the two must work together. Switched to the separate option, you can pick and choose which side, or both, is present at any given moment.
What does the toggle switch on the overdrive side do?
The toggle on the overdrive side acts as a low end booster. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it works really well for bass players, but noted it can also make for some deep, fun sounds coming out of a guitar too.
Is the Battering Ram good for bass?
The overdrive side's toggle switch acts as a low end booster, which the Pedal of the Day review said works really well for bass players. It can also be used with guitar for deep sounds, so the pedal is not limited to one instrument.
What does the Hi knob do?
Hi is on the overdrive side and controls the high frequencies added in. Pedal of the Day described it as sort of like a tone control, but with the focus on the high end.
Sources (1)
- Wounded Paw Effects Battering Ram V2.1 Overdrive/Fuzz, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2015-04-29