Wampler Ego Compressor V2 Pedal: Natural Tone

Controls:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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In this review, we are taking a look at the second iteration of the Ego Compressor pedal from Wampler. The original model has been around for years and is widely considered to be one of the best compressor pedals on the market. Guitarists love it for its transparency and subtlety, so let's find out if the newly updated Ego is a worthy successor.

Features

The Ego Compressor V2 doesn't stray too far from the original version, which is very good news! This compressor pedal is all about keeping your tone as pure as can be, making the blend feature one of the most important. This feature allows you to accurately mix your compressed signal with your original uncompressed signal, which is effective while not discoloring the original tone.

That means you can dial in the most subtle changes without losing any dynamics or attack – as this is usually an expected trade-off with compressor pedals, it’s a big thumbs up to Wampler. As far as construction and image go, it's relatively unchanged from V1, with a solid American build, made to last with high-end components.

The only recognizable change is that the mono in and out has been moved to the top of the housing rather than the sides, which should make it easier to squeeze onto a packed pedalboard.

Controls

Wampler is a brand that likes to keep things simple, so everything on the Ego V2 is very easy to use. The only surprise is that there are five knobs, mainly because of the inclusion of the aforementioned blend control.

You have a sustain dial, which will determine the amount of compression on offer, and there's an attack knob that will define how quickly you want the compression to kick in. Those two, along with the volume control, are the basic functions that lay the foundation for your sound.

Now, the blend and tone controls are where this starts to become a special pedal. The blend control, as already mentioned, allows you to mix your compressed signal with your clean signal – all the way down is clean, while maxing it the other way gives you a fully compressed signal.

Finally, the tone control can add some sparkle to your sound with a nice high-end boost to cut through in a mix. Of course, don’t forget the footswitch, which is robust enough to take years of heavy use, just like the knobs.

Performance

The key to this pedal’s popularity is its ability to retain your natural tone while still doing its job effectively. It's that simple… but it's also pretty rare, which is why so many renowned guitarists love the Ego Compressor.

Too many compressors want to squeeze the life out of your tone, and it really doesn't leave a whole lot to work with. Wampler has created this pedal purely from a guitarist’s point of view rather than just an engineer’s perspective – and it shows.

Ultimately, take away the blend control, and you have a compressor that will compete with most pedals on the market. Include the blend control, and you have something very different indeed. In fact, many guitarists will tell you that this is the only ‘always on' effect/pedal in their set up – it's superb.

Conclusion

It's pretty easy – The Ego Compressor V2 is just one of the best compressor pedals you will ever own. It's not the cheapest out there, but at the same time, it's not ridiculously priced either. It does everything a good compressor should but feels more organic while doing it. For that reason, it proves great value for money and is a worthy addition to any compressor shortlist.

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