Danelectro Big Spender Spinning Speaker review

Hey, Big Spender!

  • £99
  • €85
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MusicRadar Verdict

A stylish, practical and affordable way to add a dedicated rotary speaker pedal to your ’board.

Pros

  • +

    Compact.

  • +

    Good price.

Cons

  • -

    Not as authentic as some alternatives.

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Rotary speaker sounds are complex to recreate but there are several stompboxes dedicated to the task on the market.

A cool alternative to chorus or phaser pedals, they are generally a source of lush modulation such as the Fender Vibratone tones as heard on SRV’s Cold Shot. Most, though, offer stereo operation, have large footprints and are a lot more than this Big Spender. 

What you’re getting here is a compact mono pedal that could slip into a tight pedalboard space yet still offers a second footswitch for transitioning from slow to fast speeds. The Speed knob sets your chosen fastest speed and hitting the Ramp footswitch takes you from there to the slowest speed or visa versa. 

There’s plenty of output in the volume knob to add a bit of grit. The Big Spender may not be quite as slavishly authentic as some rotary pedals out there but it’s certainly a decent shout for the asking price. 

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.