One of classic rockās most revered players walks us through his expansive collection of modded Marshalls, iconic Les Pauls, and vintage stomps.
Guitar icon Peter Frampton invites Premier Guitarās John Bohlinger to his Nashville rehearsal studio to talk and demonstrate his sprawling live setup.
Designed to digitally emulate the character of classic tape-loop echo units and adds a unique feature of smoothly panning the echo left to right
Waltham, MA (January 15, 2012) -- ļ»æļ»æļ»æGig-Fx inc. has announced the release of the Pan-Ec echo-panning pedal. Designed with input from top players such as Adrian Belew, three years of R&D has produced an effect that's designed to digitally emulate the character of classic tape-loop echo units such as the Wem Copycat and Echoplex and adds a unique feature of smoothly panning the echo left to right instead of an unmusical ping-pong echo. This novel approach is said to produce a dreamy, atmospheric sound.
The pedal has an on-board expression pedal that can be assigned to adjust the speed, decay, or volume of the echo in real time. The user can pan either the entire signal (effect + dry), or just the effect in order to create a subtle ambiance. Finally, the Pan-Ec also offers a sweet-sounding reverb that can be left-right panned as well, giving the illusion of sound swirling around a room.
Gig-Fx founder, Jeff Purchon, whose first echo effect back in the day was the Klemt Echolette NG 51 S, wanted to digitally recreate the fun aspects of tape echo units and recapture the spacy, ethereal effects that those devices produced. "I was always fascinated with tape head delays, but at the same time frustrated by their unreliable tape loops that often snapped or degraded as they whisked around the heads and that also suffered from tape head build up and alignment issues," he explained. Just as with tape head units, the Pan-Ec can speed up a ātapeā loop in real time but can provide the convenience, clarity, and reliability that digital brings.
Gig-FX reports that during the Pan-Ecās research phase, Purchon demoed a prototype while also panning the signal with a Gig-Fx Chopper pedal. "The sound was amazing," he says, "totally unlike the tiresome and commonly available stereo ping-pong. Panning the echoes is a totally different sound altogether. The echoes swirl around like sound bouncing off cathedral walls or spiraling through a canyon. The spaciness is mesmerizing - more like real-life echoes with varying Doppler effects created as sound randomly bounces off walls at different times from different places. No other echo pedal does this."
In order to take full advantage of the on-board signal processor, a top-quality reverb function is also included. Like all gig-fx pedals, the Pan-Ec features "Better than true bypass," which presents a constant impedance to guitar pickups and amplifiers when effects are switched in or out and also tends to reduce high-frequency cable losses. The switching is seamless and pop-free.
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Gig-Fx
A wah with four unique voices: Classic Wah, MegaWah, Triggered Wah, and Auto Wah.
Download Example 1 Mega Mode: Gain 11:00, Resonance 3:00, Sensitivity 1:00 | |
Download Example 2 Auto Mode: Gain 10:00, Resonance 9:00, Sensitivity 2:00 | |
Clips recorded with a 1978 GibsonĀ Les Paul Custom into a Fender reissue Twin Reverb. |
Show me the Way
The aluminum Frampton MegaWah is a stout, sturdy device. And Gig-FXās practical design sensibility is very much intact in this signature model, which is laid out with two sets of knobs on either side of a compact (9" x 4"), I-shaped pedal. The design is among the most distinctive on the market, and it serves the two-fold purpose of making the controls more accessible and visible while keeping them out of harmās way on the sides of the enclosure. The improved access and readability is vital on the Frampton MegaWah, which is essentially four wah effects in oneāeach with its own unique voice and character.
The four wah modes are selected from a 4-way knob on the left side of the pedal and include Classic Wah, MegaWah, Triggered Wah, and Auto Wah modes. As I cycled through each mode, I felt a satisfying, solid click in each position of the selector knobā a sure sign that the moving components in the pedal are just as robust as the enclosure itself. The five other knobsāwhich controlled Auto Wah Rate, Gain, Sensitivity, and Resonanceāfelt just as sturdy.
I wasnāt too keen on having to use a screwdriver to remove the battery-compartment door. This is a small detail perhaps, but one that has proven to be a source of pain to road warriors when power supplies go on the fritz. It was a great feeling to know that there was nothing flimsy about the construction of the Frampton MegaWah. It was even better to discover that there was nothing flimsy about its tone, either.
Doobie Wah
Framptonās playing has always been synonymous with tonal expressiveness. His style can have an almost seasick quality to it, swaying back and forth from one tonal extreme to another. The Frampton MegaWah captured this sound exceptionally well. I explored the many shades of wah within the Frampton MegaWah using a trusty 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 1981 JCM800 2204 head with matching 4x12 cabinet.
After I flipped to the Classic Wah mode and stepped on the pedal, the amp roared with a thick, syrupy bite that coated every ā70s rock lick I threw its way. Thereās a lot of headroom, thanks in part to circuitry that doubles the voltage. And a Gain knob helps you use the extra headroom to make the wah more or less cutting for solos or rhythm work. The Frampton MegaWah also has a superwide rangeāmuch more than most wah pedals Iāve encountered. Many players have a problem with the relatively small amount of sweep on most wahs. But this is not likely to be a point of contention on the MegaWah, which has a pedal sweep that was enormous enough to literally throw me off balance in more expressive moments! The Frampton also includes Gig-FXās super-sensitive silent switchless bypass that not only detects the slightest movements almost instantly, but that wonāt wear out like conventional wah pots.
The Mega Wah mode, which was voiced especially for Frampton himselfāwas the most striking of the four. With the Gain control cranked all the way, I was able to coax some really cool synth-like tones that I could tailor by using the pedalās Resonance control to dial in just the right amount of peak-signal amplification (up to 15 dB). Essentially, it adjusts the pedalās intensity, making the effect more or less pronounced. This feature also helps make the Frampton one of the more unique-sounding wahs around.
Auto Wah is one of the most surprisingly cool modes. Ordinarily, itās an effect that can make a song when used sparingly or break it when used to excess. The Framptonās Auto Wah mode is particularly pleasing and smooth, however, with a nice, natural ramp from each end of the pedalās frequency spectrum. Unfortunately, you can only change the rate (which is indicated by a red flashing LED), and not the intensity of the modeās ramp. Itās a limitation that makes it a little harder to tailor the effect in a live setting. This is offset somewhat by the modeās rounded and less peaky tone. The funky Trig Wah mode, which responds dynamically to pick attack, does have a useful Sensitivity control that helps keep the effect in subtler realms, if need be. Conversely, if you want a taste of Framptonās āShow Me the Wayā talk-box tone, the Sensitivity control lets you dive deeply into this realm.
The Verdict
Peter Framptonās searing, vocal-like guitar tones are known the world over, and the new Gig-FX Peter Frampton MegaWah is capable of delivering those signature sounds, along with a world of additional tones. About as feature-packed and versatile as a wah gets, the MegaWahās smooth, natural tones encourage you to explore the outer limits of wah textures, yet also enable you to dial up subtler variations that will keep your less wah-enthused bandmates from casting the evil eye your way. Not having the ability to change the ramp rate in the Trig and Auto modes is a minor quibble. On the whole, this is a wah of unusual flexibility and toneshaping power, and itās a remarkable value too. So whether youāre after Framptonās classic colors or looking to spice up your funk, rock, or experimental playing with a wider range of wah-ness, the Peter Frampton MegaWah may well be the ticket.
Watch the video review:
Buy if...
you want a versatile wah with smooth action and extreme range.
Skip if...
your wah needs are satisfied with a single classic wah tone.
Rating...
Street $149 - Gig-FX - gig-fx.com |