Tremolo Pedals

Tremolo Pedals come in a variety of styles and provide an easy way to add an organic, natural texture to your guitar playing. From a subtle pulsing to a helicopter-style chop, they are capable of producing a wide range of tremolo sounds to suit many guitar tones and playing styles. As the tremolo effect is a very popular one, you can find options available from most pedal brands including the likes of Boss, MXR and Strymon.

Tremolo is one of the earliest guitar effects. Found as vintage amp effects as early as the 40s, it is particularly well-known for appearing in Fender amps however was misnamed as ‘Vibrato’. Many guitarists like to partner a tremolo effect with a reverb pedal to provide an even more atmospheric sound to their guitar signal.

Some tremolos are sine waves, which means they smoothly fade in and out - think Buffalo Springfield's ‘For What It’s Worth’. Others are square waves, which means they have a more noticeable, ‘choppy’ effect like in ‘How Soon Is Now?’ by the Smiths. Modern tremolo pedals often give you control over the waveform via a wave knob. This makes them much more customizable than the old amp effect. Some even feature tap tempo functionality, allowing you to easily sync the throbbing effect to each song. Rate and depth controls are commonly found on tremolo pedals along with a volume control and some also offering an intensity control or a low frequency oscillator.

Why Should I Choose a Tremolo Pedal?

• An iconic sound that can liven up songs
• A tremolo guitar pedal is a vintage effect
• Organic, natural texture
• Excellent for both rhythm and lead phrases
• A vintage style effect that can range from subtle to percussive