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Pigtronix Gloamer Review

Pigtronix Gloamer Review

Whether or not it’s a Radiohead homage, this compressing volume-swell device would likely get a lot of love from Jonny and Thom.

Cool, non-menu-driven way to get quirky, swirling textures.

Usefulness depends on your other effects. Somewhat unpredictable functionality.

$279

Pigtronix Gloamer
pigtronix.com

4
4
3
3


I have no idea if the Pigtronix Gloamer’s sounds or name were inspired by “The Gloaming”—a 2003 Radiohead track that doesn’t have a lot of obvious guitar work. But if so, it’s certainly apt. This 6-knob, compressor-outfitted volume-sweller is rife with undulating, burbling, bleeping sounds of the sort Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood would gleefully approve.

Here’s the catch: To get to the goods, Gloamer pretty much has to be paired with other pedals. Otherwise, the audible effect of even drastic volume-, blend-, sensitivity-, and attack-knob settings might pass by too quickly to grok what’s happening. Same goes for the even subtler decay function (governed by a separate knob and footswitch).

I found that mating Gloamer with spacious reverb(s) and delay units, and setting its compressor and sensitivity knobs toward their nether regions, was particularly effective. (Blend seems to need to be decidedly past noon, as well.) Get creative with what you put before and after Gloamer, and that’s where the effed-up magic happens. In fact, the more atmospheric effects you can add to the equation, the better. The more I stacked—including a Catalinbread Cloak reverb, a Gamechanger Audio Light reverb, an Ibanez Analog Delay Mini, and a SolidGoldFX Electroman MkII (and somewhere in the middle, a Silktone Fuzz)—the more disorienting and glorious the textures became. Just the way Thom and Jonny would like it!

Some of these are deep cuts—get ready for some instrumental bonus tracks and Van Halen III mentions—and some are among the biggest radio hits of their time. Just because their hits, though, doesn’t mean we don’t have more to add to the conversation.

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A dual-channel tube preamp and overdrive pedal inspired by the Top Boost channel of vintage VOX amps.

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The compact offspring of the Roland SDE-3000 rack unit is simple, flexible, and capable of a few cool new tricks of its own.

Tonalities bridge analog and digital characteristics. Cool polyrhythmic textures and easy-to-access, more-common echo subdivisions. Useful panning and stereo-routing options.

Interactivity among controls can yield some chaos and difficult-to-duplicate sounds.

$219

Boss SDE-3 Dual Digital Delay
boss.info

4.5
4
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4

Though my affection for analog echo dwarfs my sentiments for digital delay, I don’t get doctrinaire about it. If the sound works, I’ll use it. Boss digital delays have been instructive in this way to me before: I used a Boss DD-5 in a A/B amp rig with an Echoplex for a long time, blending the slur and stretch of the reverse echo with the hazy, wobbly tape delay. It was delicious, deep, and complex. And the DD-5 still lives here just in case I get the urge to revisit that place.

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Reader: T. Moody

Hometown: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Guitar: The Green Snake


Reader T. Moody turned this Yamaha Pacifica body into a reptilian rocker.

With a few clicks on Reverb, a reptile-inspired shred machine was born.

With this guitar, I wanted to create a shadowbox-type vibe by adding something you could see inside. I have always loved the Yamaha Pacifica guitars because of the open pickup cavity and the light weight, so I purchased this body off Reverb (I think I am addicted to that website). I also wanted a color that was vivid and bold. The seller had already painted it neon yellow, so when I read in the description, “You can see this body from space,” I immediately clicked the Buy It Now button. I also purchased the neck and pickups off of Reverb.

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