The Santa Ana V2 is a Class A JFET overdrive pedal that operates internally at 18V; this design provides the touch sensitivity and high headroom that players expect from a Fender tube amp pushed to its limits, and even beyond. At the heart of the unit, this dual-voicing distortion circuit offers three simple controls as well as a "Voice" switch to toggle between a precise, natural overdrive (Voice A) and rich, creamy lead tones (Voice B). The Drive and Tone potentiometers offer a wide range of adjustment to precisely dial in gain and treble presence, while the "Tight" switch located on the back attenuates certain low frequencies before the distortion stage, for an even more defined and focused sound.
To further refine the frequency response of your distortion, an independent, switchable 3-band EQ circuit is integrated around the Santa Ana V2’s distortion engine. The active Bass, Middle, and Treble controls offer a wide range of correction, allowing you to cut or boost each frequency range, with a center detent indicating a flat response. You can precisely determine the EQ behavior with the "EQ Placement" switch, which allows you to place it before or after the distortion circuit: placed before, the EQ alters the overdrive response by determining which frequencies are clipped most by the circuit; placed after, it allows your raw guitar signal to hit the distortion directly, while sculpting the final output for a more pronounced EQ effect.
Featuring an optimized JFET distortion engine, an independent EQ circuit, easily switchable buffered and true bypass modes, as well as multi-function footswitches (momentary and latching modes), the Santa Ana V2 is an intuitive and ultra-versatile overdrive pedal, offering a vast sonic palette.
SPECIFICATIONS
Class A JFET overdrive pedal with 18V internal power supply for high headroom, just like a tube amp
Two distinct overdrive types, with different levels of dynamic clipping for a wide range of options
Switchable and independent 3-band EQ, which can be placed before or after the overdrive circuit
Multiswitch on the back to choose between latching (single press) or momentary (held press) footswitch operation
Switch on the back to choose between true bypass or buffered bypass, with automatic relay bypass if power is lost
Top-mounted jacks on a rugged aluminum chassis
Powered by 9V center-negative AC adapter, not included