O
ne of the beautiful things
about tremolo is that it can be
as simple or as complex an
effect as one wants it to be.
Many wonderful sounding trem pedals
get by on two knobs or less, while the
most complex models seem to require an
associate’s degree in engineering (or at
least some serious woodshedding with the
owner’s manual) to operate competently.
For being based on such a fundamental
10
TONE TALK //
concept as volume modulation, it can
be a gloriously multifaceted effect when
all possible parameters are in play and
available for tweaking. Of course, many
players prefer to keep things simple and
easy to dial in, and for these guitarists, the
basic two-knob, amp-style bias tremolo
usually satisfies their needs. For the
frustrated scientists among us, though,
the many-knobbed, fully featured, tremolo
mini-laboratory is the only way to go.
Tremolo Laboratories for Mad Tone Scientists