It was rough outside, the weather was brisk and wet and the temperature was dropping. Max didn’t mind; he was true, he was faithful and he was easily recognized by the tone of the bell around his neck. That’s right, Max is the head ram, the one the rest of the flock looks to; Max is the bellwether. No matter what the weather or terrain, Max never gets out of hand or runs off on his own. No wonder this was the name of choice when Colt and the crew at Walrus Audio sat down to name there killer new delay unit.
There are some truly great features about the 1000ms, analog path on the Walrus Audio Bellwether delay but can I first say, “oh my headroom!” this delay is crystal clear and cutting for a bucket brigade delay unit. The tone knob is definitely desired but man does it unlock a world of different uses for the Bellwether. Then again, dialing the tone knob back and adding in the a bit of chorus from the superb onboard Modulation and you just might get lost in the lush soundscapes this delay pedal can create. Oh and that chorus is 100% analog, as well!
Some analog delay units, though great for one sound, can be lacking in character and versatility when looking for a single go-to delay.True analog delays can lack the cutting character of a digital delay or the tone-rich bright response of a tape delay. However, I see no reason why the Bellwether couldn’t be the cornerstone for all your delay needs. Simple slap back, ambient washes and even easy-to-adjust galloping rhythms via the dedicated tap tempo switch. Need more control? Grab your favorite Exp. pedal and plug it in to control the “time" or “repeats” on the fly. Another great tool is the FX loop. Accessed via a TRS jack on the top of the unit (with all the other ins and outs) add an octave, envelope or even more delay and reverb and lose your self in the sound.
I should mention that my first experience with the bellwether was the day it arrived here at the shop, the Pettyjohn Pettydrive was brand new that day also and they were actually hand delivered by Steven Pettyjohn, himself. I almost sold my pedal board after playing them (Pettydrive & Bellwether) together. The bellwether handled everything i could through at it, gain wise, from the Pettydrive and still had headroom to give. No squash or loss of articulation on the preamp. I even recall Steven saying the same thing about this pedal pairing.
Well, if all the above wasn’t enough to make you log in and grab one now, RGS just got a shipment of custom Pearl & Gold Bellwethers through our front door! Come one, Come all! that’s right we want to put the tone that leads the flock in your hands and we want it to look stunning at the same time and nothing says elegant like Pearl & Gold from Rogueguitarshop.com. Hit us up - sales@rogueguitarshop.com or 844.447.6483 and we can get your’s out the door today.
Until next week, Rock on... and on... and on..... and on.
nate