Gamechanger Audio first made its name back in 2017 with the Plus Pedal, an infinite-sustain stompbox that took its visual cues from a piano sustain pedal. Now, a few high-profile users and Jack White collaborations later, the Latvian effects innovators have focused their efforts on bringing another mechanical innovation into the digital realm: the Bigsby vibrato.
First sighted at NAMM 2020, the Bigsby Pedal uses a proprietary pitch-shifting algorithm focused on lower-interval pitch bends – this, combined with a spring-loaded foot controller, which uses custom-molded metal parts, promises to capture the famed vibrato’s feel and sound.
While Gamechanger reckons these sounds are indistinguishable from the original hardware, it has also crammed in Whammy-esque octave shifts and divebombs, promising an interval range from a quarter-tone to a full octave, in both upward and downward trajectories.
Onboard controls include Rate, Bend and Depth, while an Invert switch located on the pedal’s back panel changes the direction of the shift.
In the interests of maximum authenticity, the pedal has been developed in conjunction with Fender, which acquired Bigsby at the start of 2019.
The Bigsby Pedal will be available to order from June 21 for $379, with official demo videos expected around the same time. We’re eagerly awaiting those clips, but in the meantime, you can get more info over at Gamechanger Audio.
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