Building on the platform of the company''s original Mini Trem, the rebooted Black Cat adds new tone-tailoring features like Tone and Boost controls for vintage-style tremolo with some extra kick.
What makes the difference is how those volume changes are made. While super choppy, ragged tremolo can sound really cool in the right situations, sometimes nothing beats the tone of a smooth, natural and softly undulating tremolo. Black Cat Pedals’ tremolo unit has always favored the more vintage, natural end of the tremolo sound spectrum. Now they’ve unleashed the Mini Trem, which recalls both Black Cat’s older tremolo units and vintage amp effects with some new improvements and tweaks.
All Shook Up
Gear aficionados might remember the Mini Trem from Black Cat’s original run of effects several years ago. It was a fairly simple device; with controls for Speed and Depth, a single bypass footswitch and an internal trim pot for boosting the volume. The new Mini Trem is not really a reissue of the original, but rather an update that retains the classic-voiced tone of the original with new features for tailoring the tone.
All tracks recorded with a 2011 Fender 60th Anniversary Telecaster into a 2011 Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Multiwatt head.
The Mini Trem is influenced by early stompbox tremolo units of the late ’60s. But unlike a lot of vintage and modern tremolo units, hand-wired Black Cat circuit is designed to emit the lowest amount of background noise possible and eliminate any unwanted, thumping artifacts heard in some vintage tremolo circuits.
This newest iteration of the Mini Trem has two more controls than the original—Tone and Boost controls that compliment the first version’s Speed and Depth knobs. Turn the tone knob counter-clockwise and you move into bassier realms. Counterclockwise adjustments produce a progressively sharper and more treble-y edge. The pedal’s FET Boost (controlled by the Boost knob) effectively (but much more conveniently) serves the same purpose as the original pedal’s internal volume trimpot.
There’s now an additional footswitch for moving between slow and double-time speeds, though the proximity to the bypass switch can be a little too close for comfort and it can be easy to stomp the wrong one on a dim stage.
Serious Ampli-tude
Just a little time with the Mini Trem reveals uses beyond simple tremolo effects. I even enjoyed using it as a simple boost—all I had to do was drop the Speed and Depth knobs down to their lowest settings, and adjust the Boost and Tone controls to taste. But beautiful, pulsing tremolo is what this compact pedal does best. Using a 2011 60th Anniversary Fender American Telecaster and a Mesa/Boogie Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier, I achieved some really smooth, controlled blues rhythm tones without sacrificing the bite and high end cut I wanted out of the Tele. With a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom in the mix, the pedal’s boost function brought out a natural definition in the high end that was a joy.
The Mini Trem really shines when set for a slow, pulsating tremolo, and the slowest speeds are reminiscent of an old blackface Fender Twin Reverb. Kicking on the pedal’s Speed mode to double the rate offered a whole new slew of fast and percussive volume effects. With the Speed knob set at noon, you’re already in pretty fast-pulsing territory, while settings higher than that can transform the Mini Trem into space-age stutter ray. Some of the coolest, most unique tones from the Mini Trem are available via these more extreme settings, though a nudge on the Boost control is often needed to get the pedal to cut as well at faster rates.
The Verdict
Black Cat’s new Mini Trem is a worthy successor to the original pedal, with enhancements that help tailor the effect with greater precision. It can double as a pretty cool boost pedal, and at more extreme settings unleashes some very out-of-this-world, sci-fi textures.
The proximity of the two footswitches is a little frustrating, and it wouldn’t hurt have it voiced with even slower speed settings or a waveform control. But these are minor quibbles for a pedal that captures the vibe, attitude, and performance of some of the best vintage tremolo circuits and effects out there.
Watch the video review:
Buy if...
you hunger for vintage-voiced tremolo.
Skip if...
you’re accustomed to the greater wave-shaping potential of digital units.
Rating...
Street $175 - Black Cat Pedals - blackcatpedals.com |
Stompboxtober Day 29 is live! Enter today to win a pedal from StewMac—more chances to win tomorrow!
StewMac International House of Overdrive Pedal Kit, With Bare Enclosure
The IHOO is based on the Crowther Hot Cake, an overdrive that became available around 1976. It was one of the earliest hand-made boutique effects pedals available. The circuit was designed to be what is now referred to as a “transparent” overdrive. An effect that enhances the player's sound while keeping the original tone intact.
This circuit has undergone many changes since its inception, and we have further expanded on the design by returning to an earlier version most revered by players and removing the buffer, which resulted in a reworked circuit that is true bypass but still retains the charm of the design.
We also include the original LM741 IC chip found in the originals, as well as the TL071 that is found in later versions so you can experiment with which IC best suits your playing style.
Developed specifically for Tyler Bryant, the Black Magick Reverb TB is the high-power version of Supro's flagship 1x12 combo amplifier.
At the heart of this all-tube amp is a matched pair of military-grade Sovtek 5881 power tubes configured to deliver 35-Watts of pure Class A power. In addition to the upgraded power section, the Black Magick Reverb TB also features a “bright cap” modification on Channel 1, providing extra sparkle and added versatility when blended with the original Black Magick preamp on Channel 2.
The two complementary channels are summed in parallel and fed into a 2-band EQ followed by tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo effects plus a master volume to tame the output as needed. This unique, signature variant of the Black Magick Reverb is dressed in elegant Black Scandia tolex and comes loaded with a custom-built Supro BD12 speaker made by Celestion.
Price: $1,699.
Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine is one of the loudest guitarists around. And he puts his volume to work creating mythical tones that have captured so many of our imaginations, including our special shoegaze correspondent, guitarist and pedal-maestro Andy Pitcher, who is our guest today.
My Bloody Valentine has a short discography made up of just a few albums and EPs that span decades. Meticulous as he seems to be, Shields creates texture out of his layers of tracks and loops and fuzz throughout, creating a music that needs to be felt as much as it needs to be heard.
We go to the ultimate source as Billy Corgan leaves us a message about how it felt to hear those sounds in the pre-internet days, when rather than pull up a YouTube clip, your imagination would have to guide you toward a tone.
But not everyone is an MBV fan, so this conversation is part superfan hype and part debate. We can all agree Kevin Shields is a guitarists you should know, but we can’t all agree what to do with that information.
This episode is sponsored by Fender.
Learn more: https://www.fender.com./
The masterbuilt limited-edition John Frusciante Stratocaster is a meticulously crafted replica of Frusciante’s beloved 1962 sunburst Strat.
“Frusciantes’ Strat is right up there with the most iconic Fenders of all time; being able to work on his first-ever Signature model was a true privilege,” said Paul Waller, FCS Master Builder. “Recreating this instrument’s many beautiful imperfections was no easy feat, but behind every ding and dent is a story and it’s our job to make sure that this guitar’s narrative is told in full, stunning detail. For an instrument this heavily reliced, it still retains so much of its original beauty. A ton of work went into this one, and while much of that can be reflected in its visual components, the whole team is tremendously proud of how this thing plays. The neck has that singular worn in quality that is usually only attainable with a pre-owned vintage guitar and the Abby hand-wound pickups really speak to Fruscinate’s expressive, crystalline tone.”
While Frusciante has been known to wield a number of different Fenders, his 1962 Sunburst Stratocaster is by far the most well known. Much of Frusciante’s style can be attributed to his tremendous technique and otherworldly fusion of punk rock intensity and complex funk rhythms, but the Stratocaster® guitars unique voice informed his playing and signature sound. While many players might relegate themselves entirely to the bridge or neck pickup, Frusciante taps into the Strat guitars true potential by frequently switching between all five pickup combinations. Thanks to the bridge pickup’s midrange bite and robust output, his solos cut through both on records and live. With the flip of the switch his tone seamlessly turns crystal clear, delivering lush rhythm lines with all the roundness and warmth one could hope to expect from a neck pickup.
To honor the indelible mark that John Frusciante has made on the musical stratosphere, the Fender Custom Shop™ has spared no expense in recreating his beloved 1962 Stratocaster. The unmistakable reliced finish is expertly cast onto a two-piece alder body that is as comfortable and lightweight as it is deeply resonant. The early-60s style “C” shape rift sawn maple neck and slab rosewood fingerboard harken back to the prized trappings of the Stratocaster guitars golden era—this will leave Fender obsessives jumping for joy while players across all skill levels will revel in the neck’s comfort and playability. A set of three '60s-style Strat pickups handwound by legend, Abigail Ybarra, sing with profound dynamic range, versatile frequency response and sheer sonic power. An Ilitch Electronics Hum-Canceling system allows players to experiment as wildly with gain effects pedals as Frusciante himself without the need to worry about excessive noise.
Masterbuilt Paul Waller John Frusciante Stratocaster® Heavy Relic®
After joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988 at the age of 18, John Frusciante was quickly embraced by fans thanks to his unique blend of intricate, funky, soulful playing and unmistakable tone. Over the next three decades, Frusciante’s 1962 Sunburst Stratocaster became his go-to guitar. For this limited run, Fender Custom Shop Senior Masterbuilder Paul Waller painstakingly replicated this cherished guitar—from the faded and beautifully aged lacquer finish down to the heavily worn body contours. All the dings, dents and scars that cover this infamous Strat give players the feeling of holding a true piece of rock and roll history in the palms of their hands. The highly-resonant, select two-piece alder body, early-‘60s “C” profile rift-sawn maple neck and slab rosewood fingerboard are perfect examples of prized golden era Stratocaster appointments. The combination of those quintessential pre-CBS specs and the trio of Abigail Ybarra Hand-Wound Stratocaster pickups, with an Ilitch Electronics Hum-Canceling system, gives players the same warm, clear and expressive tones that are the foundation in Frusciante’s signature sound. Other premium features include 7.25” (184.1 mm) radius, 21 narrow tall (6105) frets, Vintage Strat wiring, 5-way switch, vintage-style synchronized tremolo, vintage-style tuners, bone nut, wing string tree with metal spacer and certificate of authenticity. Available in 3-Color Sunburst