Tag: univibe

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series Pedals

Dunlop recently released their new Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series. The line includes 4 pedals based on what Hendrix was using in the late ’60s. All of the pedals (except the wah) are enclosed in a small footprint, making them pedalboard-friendly. In addition, these pedals are true-bypass. So lets take a look at these 4 pedals in detail.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Fuzz Face 70th Anniversary

According to Dunlop, this pedal is supposed to be a faithful recreation of a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz from 1969-1970. If this is true, then it would be an amazing fuzz, thats for sure. The fuzz is built using BC108 Silicon Transistors. It would be interesting to see how close this pedal is to Dunlop’s JH-F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz that has been on the market for some time. That pedal too uses the BC108 Silicon Transistors. Since the price point of these pedals are relatively similar, perhaps what’s on the inside is around the same as well. All in all, this 70th Anniversary Fuzz is a good price point for a pedal that will get you in Hendrix fuzz territory.

 

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Octavio 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Again, Dunlop claims the Octavio to be an exact reproduction of Jimi’s octave-up pedal. As well, Dunlop also has the JH-OC1 Jimi Hendrix Octavio Pedal that been around as well, and features the cheese-wedge enclosure. The 70th anniversary features controls for Level, Fuzz, and DPDT on/off switch. Couple this pedal with a solid fuzz to drive it a bit, and some good octave up tones are to be had.

 

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Univibe 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Probably the pedal most will be excited about is the legendary Univibe. This pedal gives that famous heartbeat to the guitar, with options for either chorus and vibrato settings. Controls for Speed, Depth and Level are included to shape those leslie-eque tones to your liking. Jimi famously used the Univibe pedal on Machine Gun, Isabella, and Hey Baby to name a few. This is the pedal to really add that psychedelic vibe to your rig.

 

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Limited Edition Crybaby Pedal 70th Anniversary Tribute Series

Last but not least, a recreation of Jimi’s most popular pedal, the legendary wah. At the time, Jimi was using wahs made by Vox. Dunlop’s recreation is definitely more on the crybaby side of things. Enclosed in a sleek black aluminium body, the wah will help make your guitar sound more vocal. Jimi was the king at making his guitar talk, and the wah was a big factor in making this possible.

Well there you have it, the Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series. These pedals are indeed limited editions, so I would recommend to act fast if you are interested.

’60s Guitar Tone

Today’s article will teach you how to achieve vintage guitar tone of the 1960s. In this era, some of the best guitar players ever came into the spotlight such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimmy Page, and many more. Not only are they incredibly talented players, they also had guitar tone that many today still desire. So lets look at elements of why their tone is the way it is, so you will know how you can get closer to that ’60s style tone yourself.

Guitars
If you are using Schecters or Ibanez guitars (with the exception of copies), most likely you won’t get that vintage tone. The guitars used in the ’60s include Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, and Gretsch. Of course there are many others, but these were very notable at the time, especially the Stratocaster and Les Paul. Also in this era, the electronics were different then they are today. So if you want to make your modern day guitar more vintage-sounding, try installing low-output pickups.

Amps
During the ’60s, digital didn’t exist. The amps used during this period were tube amps. In Britain, Marshall and Vox amps were very popular, specifically the Marshall Bluesbreaker and Plexi amps, and the Vox AC amps. You can find Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton using the Marshall Plexi amplifiers, while the Beatles were partial to the Vox amp (in the early ’60s). In the west, Fender Amps definitely were the most popular. These days, vintage amps can run you thousands of dollars. Check out old Traynor amps which replicated sounds of both Fender and Marshall at the time, but at a fraction of the cost. If you have a newer amp, you can change out the stock tubes with NOS tubes (new old stock) to get that vintage tone. While NOS tubes are expensive, you can with one pre-amp tube in V1 of your amp will have the most dramatic effect on tone. Mullard and RCA are among the best in the NOS tube world.

Pedals
Again, no digital pedals in this era. You want to look for analog pedals. Around the late ’60s, Fuzz pedals made their way onto the scene. If you want a 1967 style fuzz, which can be defined as warm, fat and creamy, look for a fuzz with Germanium transistors. If you want that more aggressive, in-your-face fuzz tone, go with the silicon transistors. Other pedals that became popular in the ’60s are Wahs, Octave, and of course the legendary Univibe.

So there you have it. Mix tube amps, with legendary guitars (with low output pickups), and pedals from this era, and you’ll get much closer to that ’60s guitar tone.

FoxRox Aquavibe Review

As promised, I said I would post my Aquavibe review. I finally got it, and have had a chance to play with it for about a week now, and I must say, I am very impressed. I also own a BBE Soul Vibe, and after some comparing, really there was no competition. The Aquavibe is far better. Enclosed in a cool blue casing with green LED, it sure looks as awesome as it sound. So lets get to the features, as well as some tips and tricks!

One thing to note is that the Aquavibe definitely sounds better with single coil pickups, compared to humbuckers, but thats just my opinion. Another thing I noticed is that the Aquavibe is extremely quiet! I found my soul vibe to get annoying when stacked with other pedals. Definitely not the case with the Aqua.

In terms of tone, this pedal really cops some Hendrix vibes. I was able to dial in Machine Gun settings, and Hey Baby settings in the vibrato mode. I also got some nice Pink Floyd sounds as well (Breathe). But whats great about the Aquavibe is that it does much more than the other vibe clones out there. With the Center knob, one can dial in variations of the sweep. Since the original Univibe varied from unit to unit, this Center knob helps to get a different range of vintage Univibes! Very awesome, especially if you wanna tweak it a bit so no one else has your exact vibe tone.

I like how the speed dial is big enough to control with your feet. I however still prefer to use an expression pedal, but if you don’t wanna spend the extra cash, you really don’t have to. The speed knob has an incredible range going from really slow phasey sounds to super fast underwater tones. The width knob controls how pronounced the effect is. You can go from a very subtle effect, to an exaggerated sweep.

Chorus Mode: So this is your typical univibe mode. I found the chorus on the Aquavibe to be very nice, and not too overpowering. Based on the clips, the Megavibe may have a slightly better chorus sound, but its hardly noticeable. And when you have Randy Hansen doing clips for you, of course its gonna sound good! Still, the aquavibe does some impressive vintage univibe tones.

Vibrato Mode: Probably the best I’ve heard in terms of Univibe clones. This mode is really great and can get really psychedelic! What I really love is how well it keeps your original guitar tone, especially in vibrato mode. If you put in a a subtle sweep, you can’t even really notice any tone coloration!

Awesome Aquavibe Settings:

Chorus mode

Great authentic univibe: Speed: 12:00, Width: 1:00, Center: 11:45

Great underwater tone: Speed: 3:30, Width: 3:30, Center: 12:00

Vibrato Mode

Psychedelic vibe: Speed: 2:00, Width: 1:00, Center: 11:45

Aliens have landed!: Speed: 5:00, Width: 5:00, Center: 12:00

As you can tell, I’m having a lot of fun with this pedal. Every time I play it, I find a new sound. The FoxRox Aquavibe scores a 10 in my books. I find that its a very inspiring pedal, and really helps in the creative flow of things. If you are planning on getting one, get on the waiting list now.. its about a 1 year wait, but totally worth it!

If you already have an aquavibe, post some settings you like (along with a description) in the comments section.

The Best Univibe Pedals on the Market

If you are a fan of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, or Robin Trower, I think you are well aware of the famous Univibe pedal. You know, the original Shin-Ei/Univox, with the foot pedal, and how acquiring one today is rare, and quite expensive. You also probably know that it is tough to find a clone pedal that recreates the authenic vintage univibe swirling tone. However, there are some great pedals out on the market that get really really close to the original. Lets take a look at what those pedals are..

1) KR Musical’s Megavibe

If you are familiar with univibe clones, you know the Megavibe. Many argue that the Megavibe gets the absolute closest to Hendrix’s Machine Gun, at least on the chorus setting. Randy Hansen (also known as the Hendrix Clone) uses a Megavibe, and many say that his tone is closest to Jimi’s. The only downside of this pedal is that they are extremely hard to obtain. You may be only able to find a used one on Ebay at inflated prices, as KR Musical seems to have been out of the scene for a little while now.

2) FoxRox Aquavibe (Review Here)

Dave Fox is known for building quality boutique vintage-esqe effects. His Aquavibe is no different, producing that vintage univibe tone, while also adding more flexibility to create different vibe tones such as the ability to change the position of the sweep. The Aquavibe has also been known to have the best vibrato out of all the univibe clones out there. Only downside is that there is about a 1 year waiting list.

3) Sweetsound Mojo/Ultravibe

Built by the late Bob Sweet, the Mojo and Ultravibe have been around for awhile, and have been a benchmark for great univibe tones. These vibes are right up there with the aqua and mega vibe.

 

4) MJM 60s Vibe

Around the forums, many have been raving about the MJM 60s Vibe. Over at MJM, the 60s Vibe has been modeled after an original univibe. Some really great tones coming from this pedal. Best part is, the MJM 60s Vibe is readily available with no waiting list.

 

5) Fulltone DejaVibe

Word around the street is that the original Deja Vibe (gold unit) has some pretty authentic univibe tones. Some have argued that this pedal is closest to the original.

 

I really believe any of these Univibe clones will make you happy, as all are close enough to the original.

How to get Stevie Ray Vaughan Tone

In the electric world of the blues, there has been many guitarists who have set the standard in regards to playing, feeling, and tone. Among these guitarists are BB King, Albert King, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, etc. These guitarists started out quite early, playing a lot of gigs in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. They showed the world how the blues should sound on electric guitar. Pretty much, these guys were untouchable. However, in the 80s’, a man by the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan came on the scene, and blew everyone out of the water with his amazing energy and godly technique. His bluesy style sounded like a mix of Jimi Hendrix and Albert King. And his tone was hot. So hot that it was on fire! Very biting and in your face, SRV’s sound was enough to knock you off your feet! Lets take a look at ways to cop his tone, so us mere mortals can get a taste of the Texas blues.

First off, we’ll talk about SRV’s amps. Its common knowledge that he was a fan of Fender tube amps. He really liked Vibroverbs and Super Reverbs, usually running them in stereo to fatten up his sound. SRV’s clean tone was quite amazing, which is what Fender amps are popular for. Of course he ran his amps cranked in order to get that tube saturation.

Though just having the amp cranked definitely wasn’t enough overdrive for those rippin’ solos. Stevie used an Ibanez TS-808 tubescreamer to get his tone on the edge. In fact, sometimes he even used two of these pedals at once.

When it comes to the guitar, SRV was huge into Stratocasters. His main guitar looked quite beat up/relic’d which added to his look. The pickups in his strats are generally hotter than most other pickups. Using Fender Texas Specials will get you there. If you really want the sound, there is a SRV American Strat on the market, that looks just like his number 1. Also, don’t forget about the strings, as they play a big role in his tone. SRV often used quite heavy strings, 12s or 13s.

Other pedals Stevie would use are a Vox Wah, and a Univibe. For the wah, a Teese Picture Wah will do the job. And for the Univibe, either a Megavibe or Aquavibe will get you to the authentic vibes.

Once you get the rig set up, the last thing to do is analyze his playing, as his pick attack can get an array of different sounds. Check out the songs Texas Flood and Lenny, and take everything in. Those songs will help you get a feel for the tone. Have fun!

How to get Jimi Hendrix Tone

When it comes to tone, Jimi Hendrix never fails to amaze me. Of course his guitar playing is light-years beyond any human form, and top it off, even his tone is untouchable. With his rig, he was able to project a harmonically-rich, monstrous roar that was so elusive, so mind-boggling, yet very pure and organic. His rig gave him the dynamic to be able to tell a story with his amazing skill. The components of his rig allowed him to express himself deeply, whether he wanted to make his guitar sing, laugh, cry, scream, or whisper. With all of this dynamic, Jimi could take us on a trip, describing the ways of the universe, enlightening our souls with pure energy. No one will ever be able to do what Jimi did. But wouldn’t it be great to come close? Wouldn’t it at least be awesome to get some of those great tones that he got?

Well lets start with the basics. First the guitar: it should be a Fender Stratocaster, with three single coil pickups. These pickups should be low-output as that’s how they were in the late 60s’ and play a big role in the tone equation. There are some good copies on the market that’ll do better than a lot of Fender Strats produced today. If you can get your hands on an 80s’ made in Japan Tokai Strat, you’ll get a really well crafted guitar, a lot having the 60s’ specs. Jimi’s guitars were coated with nitrocellulose which some say allow the guitar to breathe better then today’s poly finish. In the last two years of Jimi’s short life, he primarily used a black and a white strat, both with maple necks. Also he typically used light strings (10-38) tuned down a half step (Eb), allowing him to bend notes with total ease.

On to the Amp: its gotta be a 100-watt superlead, superbass, or jtm45/100 with at least 1 4X12 cab. The 100-watters offer a lot more headroom, and the cab will make for a bigger sound. The amp power tubes can be KT-66s, EL-34s, or 6550s. Two great amp makers that specialize in building these plexi style amps from the late 60s are MetroAmp and Germino. Both excellent brands that go the extra step to nail that vintage tone. Don’t forget about the speakers in the cab; they are very important in achieving the sound. Jimi used Celestions, a very good brand. However, currently they don’t make the same speakers today that they once did. Scumback is great brand of for getting vintage spec speakers. Finally, you will realize that a 100-watt stack will blow your ears off. Consider getting a PPI Master Volume installed, or look into purchasing an attenuator. This is crucial since cranking the amp is part of getting the tone, and getting into pure tube saturation.

Lets talk about Effects: Hendrix used a wah, univibe, fuzz, and octave in a live setting. I’m sure most of you know what these pedals do, so I won’t go into it too much, but I will recommend some brands. Most mass produced pedals on the market today do not replicate the pedals used in the 60s/70s, and even worse, a ton of them are digital! So to get closer to the tone, you’ll want to look into boutique pedals. For the wah, the Real McCoy Teese Picture Wah is said to be the closest. For univibe, an original shin-ei would be amazing, and incredibly expensive. So the Megavibe by KR, and Aquavibe by Foxrox are fantastic. For the Fuzz pedal, Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz and KR’s Gypsy Fuzz are very expressive. Here’s more on Hendrix Fuzz Pedals. And for the octave, the Chicago Iron Octavia is a favorite of Hendrix enthusiasts. Finally, the cables used also are also a piece of the puzzle. Jimi used coily cables that are said to smooth out the treble a bit.

Now go out there, hook everything up, crank the fuzz and control it with your volume knob to go between clean and fuzz tones, and start exploring the world of great tones. You’ll find that there really are endless amounts of different tones you can get with a little tweaking. Enjoy!