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PEDAL SNAPSHOT � Phil Traina
Key Features
Warm analog vibrato / chorus
Cuts through mix well
SHIN-EI Vibe-Bro Honey $ 699 Expression pedal $ 199 Over 40 years have passed since the Shin-ei Uni-vibe hit the streets . Now , this iconic pedal is back and is being built in the USA . The Shinei pedals were a big hit with notable players like Jimi Hendrix , Robin Trower , and David Gilmour ( You may have heard of them .) When it comes to the new Vibe-Bro by Shin-ei , they have captured everything that made the original so great and added a couple modern twists . For our readers that don ’ t know what a Uni- Vibe is , it ’ s an analog vibrato / chorus pedal . The tones that come out of this box are a luscious sweeping chorus and wobbly vibrato . With the added expression pedal you are able to unlock all that the Vibe-Bro has to offer . I was channeling Machine Gun by Jimi Hendrix the moment I plugged it in . I have to say ; I have played many vibe pedals in my day . This one takes the cake for one simple reason : it does not kill your punch . What I mean by that is that many vibe pedals I have played make me feel like I ’ m fighting to poke through the mix , but not with the Vibe-Bro .
I want to take a moment to speak on the improvements that Shin-ei has made to the current version of the pedal . Number one : the noise floor is much lower . There is a certain amount of noise that comes with a pedal like this , but this unit is much quieter than vintage ones . Number two : they made the preamp switchable to bypass . Some people don ’ t want the guitar signal colored by the pedals preamp , which is understood . I found it warms up the signal a bit . Lastly : they added an IEC connector instead of having the power cord hardwired in . Overall , the Shin-ei Vibe-bro is an awesome box , and if vibe / chorus is your thing you won ’ t mind the larger footprint .
www . Shin-ei . com
LAZY J PROJECTS Cruiser - £ 199 Cruiser Deuce - £ 250
Key Features Boost & Overdrive Compression Switch
Touch Sensitive Overdrive
Jesse , of Lazy J projects , has made a career of building low wattage tweed style amps in the UK . The Cruiser and Cruiser Deuce are an extension of that great tone . The Cruiser pedals are essentially a boost and an overdrive in one . The Cruiser Deuce separates the boost and drive sections beautifully . The drive section is a very organic , touch sensitive , open , and uncompressed overdrive . There is a compression switch that allows you to go from totally open to heavy compression . The heavier the compression , the heavier the drive . If you run it pretty heavy you can dial back your volume on the guitar and you will clean right up . The boost section is great . It ' s just enough to push the amp into overdrive . The boost settles in with your core tone and gives you that extra something . If you can get your hands on anything from Lazy J , you will not be disappointed .
www . LazyJProjects . com
44 Jul � Aug 2016 CollectibleGuitar . com