Authentic Uni-Vibe-style modulations and slicing overdrive offer tastes of Hendrix, Gilmour, and weirder variations on those dirty, wobbly themes.
Cool and easy-to-use routing and preset options. Rich modulations. Bright tone signature could be an advantage for players with darker-sounding rigs.
Toppy qualities might not be the best fit for some brighter rigs.
$299
Eventide Riptide
eventideaudio.com
I’ve been on a streamlining kick lately. Where stompboxes are concerned, that trend has manifested itself in all kinds of odd exercises, like forcing myself to use no more pedals than will fit in a lunchbox, or on a roof shingle. It’s hard to say what these exercises reveal about my mental state. But I’ve realized one thing: I don’t think I can shrink my pedal rig to much less than a boost, a vibrato, and a delay.
So, the Eventide Riptide is, in some ways, the pedal of my downsizing dreams. It consolidates excellent digital approximations of the optical-circuit-based Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe and variations on that theme, with two digital overdrives. The two effects can be used independently or together, and you can flip the routing of both. The Riptide also allows the player to dig deep into the possibilities of these sounds, offering stereo output, five onboard presets, and expression pedal functionality that enables you to change any parameter, in any direction, with a single expression pedal sweep. There are certainly cool possibilities here that a dedicated overdrive and Uni-Vibe or phaser effect cannot easily cover.
Born of the Mothership
Like the TriceraChorus stomp that Eventide released in 2021, the Riptide has origins in algorithms from the capable and expansive H90—in this case the Weedwacker Tube Screamer-style overdrive and the Even-Vibe Uni-Vibe model, which, together, make up the H90’s Hendrix-inspired Indigo Fog preset. The Riptide features two variations on those algorithms in the form of a less midrange-y red overdrive (selected via the small button above the drive footswitch) and a red Uni-Vibe setting, which is a more phase-forward take on the green Uni-Vibe sound.
On the Uni-Vibe side of the effect, the controls essentially correspond to that of a real Uni-Vibe, with the partial exception of the vibe knob, which at some counterclockwise settings effectively doubles as an effects-level control. At its furthest clockwise position, the vibe knob removes the unaffected signal, taking the place of the vibrato setting on a Uni-Vibe rocker switch and producing pure pitch-vibrato. At noon, the control approximates the sounds of a Uni-Vibe in its more famous chorus mode (which actually functions more like a phaser, but that is a story for another time). This configuration of the vibe control means you can create blends of the vibrato and chorus effect or, on the counterclockwise side of noon, use high intensity modulations at low mix levels. This extends the utility and musical flexibility of the vibe effect significantly. The three knobs assigned to the drive side of the pedal—drive, tone, and level—are the same as the Tube Screamer and other drive pedals.
Watch for Wobbly Drivers
No Uni-Vibe worth its salt is subtle, but the Riptide is extroverted in its own way. It’s unmistakably a Uni-Vibe sound, and a nice one at that, with plenty of chewy, vocal elasticity in the modulations. But compared to real Uni-Vibes I’ve met (memories of which are less than fresh) and the modern optical vibe effect I used for reference, the Even-Vibe section has a slight high-mid and treble emphasis that, to my ear, makes some intense modulations a little less rubbery and vowel-y. There are advantages to this kind of tone profile. Humbuckers sound a lot less muddy with heavy modulations, for one thing, and if you use Fender-style single-coils it’s unlikely you’ll go missing in a mix.
“No Uni-Vibe worth its salt is subtle, but the Riptide is extroverted in its own way.”
The toppier profile also has advantages in many of the blended chorus and vibrato settings, and when the modulations are backgrounded in the mix. In the former, the extra high-end seems to accent some pitch wobble effects, lending complexity and cool whistling overtones to combined chorus/vibrato voices. In the latter application, it contributes a little extra cut to low effect mixes that lends a ghostly presence. The phasier “red” voice, by the way, does strike a cool balance between Uni-Vibe and Phase 90-style tones. But it also offers sounds that exist outside the Uni-Vibe canon that will give more experimentally minded players lots to work with.
The Verdict
There are few modulation textures as liquid or capable of shifting the mood of a song as a Uni-Vibe. The Riptide has the same power to compel and push a song or a player’s approach in soulful, manic, and explosive ways. It has its own tone signature, and for many players that high-mid-forward emphasis will be preferable—particularly, I would guess, for Hendrix and Gilmour fans trying to coax Fuzz Face and Marshall qualities from, say, a Les Paul and a Fender Deluxe. You could argue that $299 is steep for such a specialized effect. But you’ll pay at least that much for an overdrive and a decent Uni-Vibe clone with many fewer routing and customization capabilities. If you’ve never messed with a Uni-Vibe clone before, a world of weird and wobbly awaits. But purists, too, will find plenty of thrills in this smart, compact combination of effects.
Eventide H90 App & Riptide Pedal Demo | NAMM 2024
Make the most of the time you have by focusing on both the technical and emotional sides of practicing.
Getting a practice routine is hard enough when the world is “normal.” In this particularly disorienting and intense time, it can be even more challenging to find one. It’s hard to know what to practice and how long to practice for. I used to hate practicing, but I have found developing a ritual around it helps tremendously.
In this article, I’m first going to share an important tip on how to approach practicing. Then, I’m going to break down what a practice session looks like for me.
Let me lay out this one very important tip that radically changed the way I approach practicing:
Play, don’t practice.
My state of mind is an essential aspect of my practice sessions. One of my mentors, Bruce Forman, gave me invaluable advice when I was studying with him. He said, “We are never practicing, we are always playing.”
Bruce helped me realize it doesn’t matter if you’re running scales in your room or on a stage performing for a huge crowd—we are always playing. It’s a privilege to play music. Any time that we get with our instrument is a gift and we need to treat it like that. It’s an opportunity to create music, not a task to be completed. If we can reclassify practice into playing, we are already in a better place.
Alright, now that we’re in the right headspace, let’s dive into what my hour-long practice session consists of.
The First Five
When I first pick up my instrument, I give myself a little time to connect with it. It’s like when you wake up in the morning and need a few minutes to remember who you are and what you are doing. The same concept applies to the guitar: Take those few minutes to reacquaint yourself with it. I find that giving myself that moment to breathe with my instrument helps me be more musical during the practice session, which then continues on to live performances.
Also, I’ve found that this time has helped me tremendously with my tone. It sets a precedent of more conscious playing. I am listening to what sounds I am producing, and playing dynamically.
I typically choose a mode, a key, or a sound, and just go—chords, single notes, phrases. Your first five minutes is a great time to work on a new scale you’re learning. Instead of just running a new scale up and down, make music with it. Explore!
In Ex. 1 I’m exploring E Dorian (E–F#–G–A–B–C#–D). I am listening to my guitar, trying to connect with it, and create music. Notice that I am playing chords and single notes. some things are in time, and some things are rubato. There are no rules. I just play.
Something Brainy (10 Minutes)
Reading music notation at the start of my practice gets my brain and hands working together. This doesn’t have to be for an extended period of time. Even reading through an excerpt a couple of times can be a good way to start your practice with a solid foundation. Sight reading was not a part of my routine for a long time, so coming back to it has been eye-opening. Not only does it make me a stronger reader, but it also helps me play more fluidly. The first five minutes is my emotional warm up, this is my mental warm up.
If you are not a sight reader, I suggest putting something else “brainy” here. Maybe it’s a technical exercise, or running a new scale, maybe even new chord voicings. But keep in mind, it’s never too late to start reading.
Deep Dive (35 minutes)
The majority of my practice is spent on one specific thing that I go deep on. This is often a song I am working on. During this time, I develop ways to approach the chords and improvise over the song. This portion has a couple of main elements to it.
Record Yourself!
A very important aspect of practicing is recording and listening back. One of the hardest things to do is to hear yourself play, but on the flip side, it’s also a guaranteed way to improve. It hurts, but I promise you, recording yourself and listening back will help you improve as a guitarist and as a musician.
Variation, Exploration, and Regimentation
I give myself rules to follow, and then I record and listen back to see if I accomplished what I set out to do. I’ve found that giving myself structure to work around is a great way to force myself to actually be creative. I open new doors by having to come up with a way to work around the “rules” instead of slipping back into doing the same things I always do. Below, I walk you through what this all means. Over the following examples I’ll improvise over a C–E7–F–G progression.
Below are examples of “rules” I make for myself. I do each task a handful of times before moving on, but always stopping to listen back to the recording of myself.
Developing a Motif
In Ex. 2 I am still thinking of a melody, because melody is king, but I am using sixths as a way to develop a motif.
I am developing a rhythmic and melodic motif in Ex. 3. While the rhythmic motif repeats, I’m keeping an E melody note central to the theme.
Play Melodies, Don’t Play Licks
In Ex. 4 I’m simply thinking of melodies. I don’t think about playing cool scales or sounds, but rather just let my instrument sing. Sometimes I think of a beautiful melody and try to emulate that in my playing. This helps put me in the right zone, so I don’t play like a guitarist, but rather as a composer.
Focus on One Range
We all do it. We have our comfort zones and avoid certain areas of the guitar. This is a good time to work on those less cozy areas of our instruments. In Ex. 5 I am playing only below the 5th fret on the bottom three strings.
There are countless rules. Make up your own and see what new doors open for you!
Putting It All Together (10 minutes)
After playing through the progression with rules, I then play without rules to see what comes out. I find that I am most free during this part of my practice. After going through so many tasks, I have more control over what I do. This allows me to play what I hear, not just licks.
Notice in Ex. 6 that the things I worked on come out in my playing: various ranges, 6ths, and melodies.
Have fun. And wash your hands.
From surf to shred, these vibrato units will help you get your bends on.
Vega-Trem
VT1 Ultra Trem standard
A sleek drop-in replacement for S-style guitars, this two-point vibrato is designed for both descending and ascending motion without having to route your beloved instrument.
$259 street
vegatrem.com
BIGSBY
B5
The ultimate old-school whammy mounts to any flat-top solidbody with just four screws and is available in polished aluminum and gold.
$149 street
bigsby.com
DUESENBERG
Les Trem II
This easy-to-install unit mounts onto the bushings of a Tune-o-matic or stop-tailpiece-style bridge and uninstalls just as easily.
$125 street
duesenberg.de
MASTERY
MV
This offset vibrato features a full-contact fulcrum plate, a high carbon steel spring, and a stainless steel arm housing.
$210 street
masterybridge.com
FLOYD ROSE
Original Tremolo System
Hey dive-bombers! The o.g. double-locking trem pairs hardened steel with a nickel-plated-brass sustain block for maximum shreddage.
$231 street
floydrose.com
STETSBAR
S-Style
This unique-looking option comes in a variety of fits, for S-style, T-style, stop-tailpiece guitars, and more.
$329 street
stetsbar.com
SWOPE GUITARS
Descendant
This drop-in offset-style replacement offers a steeper break angle than vintage units and includes a removable arm.
$195 street
swopeguitars.com
FENDER
American Vintage Series Stratocaster Tremolo
Hard to argue with a classic, which includes “Fender”-stamped saddles and vintage-style string spacing.
$179 street
fender.com
KAHLER
2300
This top-routed unit features six fine tuners, top spring-tension adjuster, and can be locked into fixed position.
$419 street
kahlerusa.com