We recently reviewed a great preamp pedal from RST Custom Effects, the Magic 6, and were extremely impressed by what it could do, so the thought of reviewing more of their effects was welcome for sure. The next pedal we got was the aptly-named Queasy Seaman Vibrato, a true vibrato pedal that produces sounds not likely to come from your standard tremolo or phaser pedals. Featuring a simple control setup and nausea-inducing graphics, this is a pedal we were excited to test out.

The Queasy Seaman only has two controls, but there’s a lot going on in this basic knob layout. Fathoms is a creative moniker for the Depth control, which lowers or raises the overall intensity of the vibrato effect, ranging from subtle shifts to full-blown Perfect Storm territory, thrashing your sound up and down through beautiful sonic waves. The Knots knob effectively adjusts the speed of said vibrato effects, again with a big range, starting with a slow, mellow roll to a fast-paced, seasick-inducing blaze, with a vast array of varying degrees throughout the entire course of the knob.

The wobbly true pitch vibrato comes from the Queasy Seaman by producing a cyclical waver of the pitch by altering the frequency, making it an effect all it’s own, and one not easily found through typical vibe or tremolo pedals. An instant transport back to classic sounds of decades past, this pedal will immediately transform your sound, and breathe a whole new life into your guitar’s tone. Thanks so much once again to Scott and all at RST Custom Effects for letting us demo this rad pedal – make sure to check out the RST Custom Effects website, and also make sure you heed their advice when using this pedal: Dramamine advised. Life jacket optional.

Submitted by Mike B, Website

Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard