If you dig Van Halen (not Van Hagar), and you play guitar, you’ve probably always wanted to be able to rock out the beginnings of both “Unchained” and “And The Cradle Will Rock…”, haven’t you? Well, there are some imitators out there, that will try to dazzle you with a bunch of nonsense and Tom Foolery, but the only way to TRULY get those jet engine sounds is by using the original: the MXR Flanger.
Four control knobs make up this vintage pedal: Manual, Width, Speed and Regen. Manual affects the degree of the phase shifting, the Width and Speed knobs set the intensity and speed of the time delay section, and Regen controls the amount of intensity the Flanger brings to the table. Half the fun of a pedal like this, beyond the incredible sound at just about any setting, is sitting down with it for a couple of hours (or days, if you have a lot of free time) and playing with the different setting to see what killer sounds you’re able to conjure up. This pedal is instantly recognizable for good reason, as it has stood the test of time, and sounds just as great today as it did back in the late 1970’s.
While there have been some reissues of this classic pedal, the general consensus seems to be that they just don’t have that “thing” that the originals do, and whatever that may be just can’t be perfectly replicated. Not only do these gems make you instantly sound like EVH and Randy Rhodes, they can be used for more subtle purposes and sounds as well. Plus, they’re not overly expensive to where they’re going to break your piggy bank in half, which is sometimes a rare thing with vintage gear. If you see one for a good price, and you love a good flanger, don’t hesitate to snatch it up.
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
