Summer NAMM 2016: Ernie Ball offers on-the-fly control of overdrive and delay with new Expression Series guitar effects pedals

By Michael Astley-Brown
published

Expression Overdrive and Ambient Delay due to land later this year

SUMMER NAMM 2016: Providing expression control of pedal parameters is becoming de rigueur for modern stompboxes, but Ernie Ball has gone one further by merging overdrive and delay effects with on-the-fly treadle control.

Building on the idea set about by the MVP volume/boost, the Expression Overdrive promises valve-like overdrive right up to gain-laden lead tones, with settings for drive, boost and tone, and a foot-sweepable overdrive control.

The Ambient Delay, meanwhile, offers delay times ranging from 50 milliseconds up to one second of delay time, plus reverb, with settings for delay time and feedback, reverb level and a foot-sweepable effect level control.

Both pedals pack a PVC-coated Kevlar cord and spring linkage for enhanced durability, while power supplies are included.

The Expression Overdrive and Ambient Delay are available Q4 2016 for $179.99 and $199.99 respectively.

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.