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Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??  (Read 11965 times)

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Offline Platefire

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Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« on: December 06, 2010, 04:19:02 pm »
I'm a classic type tremolo fan and have it in my Mesa Boogie Rocket 440, Peavey Pacer/AB 763 Deluxe reverb conversion, my two Silvertone 1482's and a Dunlop Stereo Panner/Tremolo on my main pedal board. I needed a trem for my smaller pedalboard that has my basic elelments--analong delay and distortion pedal. So I've been reading reveiws and looking at specs to find the cheapest, best features and best sounding tremolo pedal for under $50.00. My research has led me to the Daneletro CT-1 Cool Cat Tremolo. The Dano Tuna Melt gets pretty good reviews for sound but is very delicate plastic case and knobs. The cool cat has metal case and true bypass. I did look on e-bay but couldn't see buying used when for couple of bucks more could get new. I went ahead and ordered the Cool Cat from MF for $39.00 with free shipping. Anybody got any input for a good classic type trem pedal in this price catagory--???
 
http://www.coolcattone.com/product_trem.html

BTW-I found ARTEC SE-VTM Vintage Tremolo that I liked the appearance(boutique like), has a steel case and true bypass but the overall reviews indicates its sound and performance was not very good.   

http://www.artecsound.com/effect/index.html
« Last Edit: December 06, 2010, 06:51:56 pm by Platefire »
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Offline Platefire

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2010, 12:19:47 am »
Well it seems nobody is interested in talking cheap tremolo pedals  :cry:  Anyway I got mine in this afternood and tried it out with all my tremolo songs and it passed the test with flying colors. If you looking for a tremolo to provide a vintage type tremolo especially like classic fender amps and really like most classic amps with tremolo--this is the read deal. I have one basic setting I set all my tremolos (mild depth and fast speed) to on my amps/pedals and it only took me a second to find it on the soft setting.
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Offline 12bz7

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2010, 10:57:09 am »
It's not that nobody's interested it's just that there's not much around in that price range. I use the tuna melt with a loop pedal so I don't have to mess with the fragile switch. That means it takes up twice the  room on a small board, should have got the cool cat instead, oh well.

Offline Platefire

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2010, 02:19:00 pm »
According to all the reviews the Tuna Melt has the sound. It's just everything on the exterior is fragile. I found a site that tells how to mod/reinstall it in another chassis. On the Cool Cat I found a site on how to install a level pot in the existing housing. I see no need in that for my purposes--the level pretty much matches the original signal as far as I can tell--that all I need. The only thing negative I can say about the cool cat is it seems to have a little treble boost when it's engaged.
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Offline Boots Deville

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2010, 04:01:32 pm »
I've got a Boss Tremolo pedal that has been modded by Keeley that I like.  The nice thing about the mods is that one of the pots was replaced with a dual-concentric pot, one of which reduces the effect of the tremolo as it's rotated clockwise.  The result is, when turned fully clockwise it functions as a nice clean boost.  Since "For What It's Worth" is the only song currently in the set list that uses Tremolo, I use it way more as a clean boost than I do for the trem.  In that respect is saves room on the pedalboard.

Offline Cups

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2010, 06:19:08 pm »
I think the major reasons people were not responding is because we were in agreeance with you. There are not that many choices for Trem under 50$.

Offline Platefire

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2010, 11:59:08 pm »
Well I'm glad you guys finally showed up!  Thanks! :grin: Yeah I was really wondering if I could get a really worthy tremolo for cheap. Thats why I did a lot of review reading before I pulled the trigger and I think it paid off and so far really happy with it. Prior to this I've always looked down on the Dano pedals as cheap undesirable stuff. I really don't care for the pedal's looks, but the sound/operation is there and it don't degrade my original signal. I just never would have guessed dano but 90% of all reviews are good and I think I could write a good review on it myself. Only time will prove the reliablility but the sound and operation is great for my purposes.  

There was a Boss Trem on e-bay for $58.00 that was tempting. I kept reading that the older Bosses had a problem with volume drop when engaged?? I did read about the Keeley mod was suppose to correct that and also about the boost. I don't think the newer bosses have that problem. Boss make a great reliable pedal----been at it for years. I've never had a problem with a Boss pedal. The Boss was just a little more than I wanted to spend on myself here a Christmas  :rolleyes:
« Last Edit: December 11, 2010, 12:06:36 am by Platefire »
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Offline Platefire

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2010, 01:28:34 am »
I was playing around with this trem tonight and tried it with the depth and speed turned all the way down. It adds a nice little sparkel or something to the sound plus seems to add a slight compression. I will have to try that when I'm playing live with my group and see how it goes and cuts through. Platefire
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Offline Cups

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Re: Best Cheap Tremolo Pedal??
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2011, 01:48:01 pm »
If the Dan is based on the EA trem then the EA has a nice sounding preamp driving the trem. There are mods to bypass the trem and use the pedal as a boost.

Are there schems of that Dan trem?

 


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