If its name doesn't make it clear, Gamechanger Audio are clearly a company to watch for innovation, but with the Bigsby Pedal it's collaborated with Fender
(parent company of Bigsby) to go back to the future. And anything that allows the thrills of a Bigsby vibrato without the labour involved with string changing (though we know a shortcut for that) or even retrofitting it on your electric guitar to begin with has to be worth further investigation.
The Bigsby-style polyphonic pitch shifter pedal is now available to buy and you can hear it in action above and below.
The Bigsby Pedal isn't just designed to reproduce the feel and sound of the iconic Bigsby tremolo arm, GA has crafted it to be capable of much more.
The pedal features Rate, Blend, Tone, and Depth controls, along with an Invert switch on the back panel to change the pitch shift direction. In addition, the Detune parameter seeks to mimic the "imperfections and dissonant properties of traditional mechanical string-bending hardware".
The pedal is powered by the SHARC Audio Processor, and runs a 'hybrid' algorithm developed by Gamechanger Audio.
An external footswitch input allows for expansion to turn on the pedal's Latching Mode, and its expression output even allows you to use the Bigsby Pedal as a spring-loaded EXP controller for other audio devices. It also offers full MIDI CC and PC control over all its parameters. Sounds like there's a lot of scope here for experimental sounds, and the video demos from Gamechanger Audio show the kind of ground it can cover.
At €379, will these digital features be enough to coax players who love their old school Bigsby to stay on the guitar? We think it might encourage a fair few who never considered a Bigsby before.
Find out more at Gamechanger Audio (opens in new tab).
