The Wampler Mofetta Overdrive/Distortion is Brian Wampler's tribute to the MOSFET-driven magic of a 1990s classic — the MT10 MOSTORTION. A mainstay of countless top session players, the Mofetta honors the soul of that elusive yet classic circuit while revealing its untapped potential.
Think of the Mofetta as a supercharged MOSTORTION, reborn and amplified. I made sure that it delivered the classic, amp-like overdrive, massive headroom, and versatile 3-band EQ that made the original so famous. But I also wanted more and added a Texture Switch that introduces actual MOSFETs into the pedal's overdrive section for a bolder, more articulate tone. The Mofetta preserves everything you love about the early '90s legend with a powerful new dimension.
The original MT10 MOSTORTION was released in 1990 as part of a budget pedal series to meet the demand of a growing market. Despite the pedal's cheaper qualities, guitarists began to take note of its amp-like low-gain tones, attributing them—arguably incorrectly—to the onboard MOSFET Op-amps. Though the pedals were discontinued a couple of years later, used ones command insane prices today and are extremely hard to find. The Mofetta is my way of bringing it all back and re-creating those singing tones while diving even further into the amp-like world of MOSFETs.
TRUE MOSFET CLIPPING
One of the original MOSTORTION’s little known secrets is that it doesn’t actually use MOSFETs for its overdrive. It uses a MOSFET based op-amp, but it uses clipping diodes to produce distortion. This left me thinking, "What if I built one that could actually use MOSFETs for the clipping, using multiple gain staging like a tube amp?" That’s what the Mofetta’s Texture feature is all about – it takes the pedal from smooth overdrive to fiery distortion with the flick of a Texture switch.
ARTICULATE VOICING
MOSFET clipping delivers a bolder, more articulate voice – louder, tighter, and slightly more aggressive than the original’s diode-driven dirt. While still not “Brutal High Gain,” the Texture switch gives you a wider range of overdrive and even distortion that’s even more responsive to your playing dynamics. Is it better than the OG? That’s up to you, but I think it’s what the MOSTORTION was always meant to be.
3-BAND EQ
Part of what makes the Mofetta so versatile is its unique 3-band EQ. While many overdrives before 1990 relied on a simple tone knob, the idea of a dirt pedal like the MOSTORTION with bass, middle, and treble controls was darn near revolutionary. It lets you dial in the Mofetta for a full-range drive or achieve transparent grit that complements your clean tone. If you dial up the mids and treble a bit, you can even use it as a focused boost to push your amp’s breakup, or stacking with another gain pedal, tightening its response and enhancing its character.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
