Joe Walsh is undoubtedly rock royalty. As guitarist for The Eagles, The Barnstorms, The James Gang, The Party Boys, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, his 50+ year reign is undeniable. So the Joe Walsh Double Classic is a big deal to us!
When we began working with Joe on this design his desires were very specific and uniquely interesting. The drive needed to be amp-like and the compressor needed to be studio quality, both of which are things Analog Alien is known for. And then there’s the order switching which you wouldn’t normally see on this type of pedal.
About The Pedal
The onboard Pre/Post switch acts as a virtual patch bay for your compression and amp tones. With a flip of the switch, you can swap the placement of the compression circuit to before, or after, the Classic Amp section. You can try this for yourself using our interactive demo here.
Joe Walsh uses this extensively – dialing in the amp side to shape and push the compression circuit into a smoother more natural drive of its own. Either way you run it, at your disposal, you’ll have 100% analog signal path, premium tones inspired by Joe Walsh.
Remember both sides of the pedal can be used independently for even more versatility in your rig.
Classic Amp Circuit
The 4-control layout on the Classic Amp section makes dialing in great guitar tones simple. These essentials, bass, treble, gain, and output can easily provide all sorts of different tube amp sounds. From clean and sparkling to fat and driven, a twist of the Gain knob gets you there instantly. Discerning guitarists love how the 100% analog signal path of the Joe Walsh Double Classic pedal ensures your guitar tone shines through. The Classic Amp was designed to simulate the classic American and British tube amps Joe has used over the years.
Compressor Circuit
The compression circuit in the Joe Walsh Double Classic delivers a pristine, produced quality that shares much more in common with rackmount studio compressors than it does with many of today’s compression guitar pedals. Whether you want a straight tone or something with some amplifier color, this completely independent compression circuit has you covered.
This gives you full access to the compressed sounds inspired by the hardware used at our Cloud 9 Recording Studio.
Reviews from other users
Mark Phillips
Vintage Amp Fans – Check This Out!
I own (and have owned) an extensive array of vintage amps (’55 Deluxe,’62 Princeton, ’62 Super, ’69 Marshall 20w, Reverberocket, and ’64 Vox AC4, to cite a few). The exquisite tone of those amps has been always hard to match in a roadworthy, volume-competitive, and portable amp. I have a couple of Fender Pro Juniors that come close.
The JWDC has changed all of that.
The JWDC is an extremely “musical” device. That is to say, when you adjust the knobs you always maintain usable tones (like the aforementioned amps). So many amps and effects nowadays have knobs whose range take you into a predominantly sonic wasteland.
What I particularly like is when you back the volume off on your guitar, you maintain quality (i.e., clarity with less breakup) sound. The JWDC provides a breadth of tone and (most importantly) maintains the character of the instrument which makes it a joy to use.
I’m running it through a Mesa 20/20 power amp (no preamp), into a mid-sixties Vox Berkeley cabinet wired in stereo. With all the amps/systems I have – this is now clearly my favorite.
Let me also note, that I have run this through a cheesy Fender Frontman 15 (I know… this anomaly in my stable was a gift) with equally splendid results.
I can’t recommend this enough!
Don Lunceford
This is an incredible-sounding pedal.
I think most people really like the amp side which is really great but I am really impressed with the compressor. Look up some YouTube videos and listen with headphones – It will sell itself. I highly recommend it, but don’t listen to me, listen to Joe Walsh who has forgotten more about guitar tone than I will ever know. This pedal is well made and the two brothers who designed and built it stand behind their product.
Joe Walsh Double Classic cheat sheet.
This is where we provide some tips to get the very best tones.
Sensitivity
By adjusting the sensitivity, the output level of your instrument can be controlled (so as not to distort the input of the compressor). The opposite is true if the bass or guitar has passive or low-output pickups. Raising the Sensitivity control increases the input level, providing a stronger input signal, which the compressor needs to work properly.
Ratio
Understanding these points can be very helpful. The range is adjustable from 2:1 to 10:1, so the more you turn this knob up (clockwise), the higher the compression ratio. There is also a soft-knee feature built into the circuit, which means that the ratio will start low, and then increase [in direct proportion] to the amount that the signal exceeds the threshold. Everything from mild to fairly heavy compression settings is possible. The compressor is a very flexible circuit that has both smooth and natural sounds. You will be able to control the dynamic range of your instrument, while simultaneously preserving its tonal character.
Bass
This knob allows you to cut or boost the low frequencies of your guitar/bass. The EQ curve is very smooth and versatile. You will be able to dial in the right amount of low-end to give your guitar punch and power, while still retaining low-end clarity. Listen for a bump in bass frequencies when turning the knob as this will help match it to your amp without boosting too much.
Treble
The Treble knob in fact controls both the mid and high-range frequencies. You can dial in the right amount of mids and highs, without making your guitar or bass sound too brittle or harsh.
Gain
The Gain knob is very versatile. At lower settings (counter-clockwise) there is very little, or no gain at all, sounding warm and full – with no distortion. Keeping the Gain control in this position will really allow you to experiment with the EQ settings. You can make some fine adjustments to your sound by simply experimenting with the Bass and Treble controls. Turning the Gain control up (clockwise) introduces distortion. The distortion that the Classic Amp produces is not over-the-top, instead, the sound breaks up, naturally, while at the same time, retaining much of its clarity. Turning the Gain up (clockwise) will also give your more drive and attitude. Experimentation is the key to unlocking the potential.
