Fender has revealed a new range of nine pedals for 2022. The Hammertone series has been designed by in-house effects whizz Stan Cotey and is intended to offer a more affordable alternative to the firm’s higher end range, which debuted in 2018.
The range covers all the basics, including various distortions, two delays, overdrive, reverb, chorus and fuzz, with a variety of digital and analog circuitry. All of the pedals are offered in grey powder-coated metal cases with colourful dials, use true-bypass switching and come at street prices below $100/£85/€100.
Hammertone Distortion
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99
An analog distortion with active two-band EQ (controlled by the Bass and Treble dials). Fender describes the tone as ranging from “light drive to heavy crunch”.
Hammertone Overdrive
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99
The Hammertone overdrive uses an analog drive circuit and has the usual controls for tone, level and gain. In addition, there’s a dial for pre-mid-boost – which controls the mids pre-gain. Boosting this will help lead lines cut through crowded mixes.
Hammertone Delay
£84.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
A digital circuit with a maximum of 950ms delay. Alongside Time, Delay and Level controls, the Hammertone Delay packs in two toggle switches, which engage modulation or switch the delay type. There’s also an analog dry-through to keep your tone tidy when the delay is engaged.
Hammertone Reverb
£84.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
Fender has good form in reverbs and its new Hammertone pedal uses two toggle switches to offer a fair-bit of flexibility, with Hall, Room and Mod reverb effects, plus a tone switch. Other controls include Time, Damp and Level.
Hammertone Fuzz
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99
It’s probably better to describe this as an Octave Fuzz, as the pedal’s single toggle switch engages an octave circuit. Inside there are two silicone diodes, which will give it plenty of top-end – useful in full band scenarios.
Hammertone Metal
£69.99 / $79.99 / €79.99
A high-gain distortion unit, the Metal features High and Low EQ, plus controls for adjusting Level and Gain settings. That’s about it: a no-nonsense noisemaker.
Hammertone Chorus
£84.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
Fender describes the tones from its Hammertone Chorus as “glassy, shimmering and bubbly”. It’s a classic chorus box, then. However, toggle switches for Type and Tone should offer some flexibility.
Hammertone Space Delay
£84.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
Producing a tape delay-style tone, which combines “analog-style saturation and gorgeous ‘tape’ warble”. Pattern and Mod toggle switches allow you to change the delay or add modulation to the tone. Like the other Delay, there’s an Analog Dry-Through.
Hammertone Flanger
£84.99 / $99.99 / €99.99
All the swishing, swirling goodness of a traditional flanger, the Hammertone offers Manual, Rate and Depth controls, plus toggle switches for Resonance and Type.
