Danelectro DJ-15 Chicken Salad Vibrato

Just updating my earlier review dates 5/14/03

I couldn't figure out why this thing sounded so much better with the adjustable Radio Shack Transformer than any other 9V tranformer I would hook up. I finally got out the meter and measure the output voltage on the tranformer. BIG SURPRISE! It was delivering about 11.5V on the 9V setting. In fact every setting was delivering more voltage than stated. Now I need to find out if I'm damaging the Vibrato Pedal running at 11.5V. I certainly hope not because it really has a brighter more open sound at this voltage. Almost chorus like.

Very easy to use, but it loose one point for the name. Dano folks should rename it to Chicken Salad VIBE,
since it doesn't sound like a true pitch vibrato.

It nails the Univibe sound. Put before your fuzz for Trower and after for Hendrix. I have mine last in line, after a Big Muff. No noise added, but any hiss caused by other pedals (like a cranked compressor) will shrill in the background.
Some have noticed a little treble and output boost. The treble part is true, but it doesn't add volume, only make you sound more full in all frequencies.

I can depend on it, and I never bring backup.
The plastic case is sturdy and Dano suplies a protector for the Knobs.

But here is the reason why I dicide to submit this review:

Some have have noticed that it eats bateries. Thats not true!!!!
It will indeed suck the bateries that Danelectro suplies with, the "Vintage Power Source". Those are carbon-zinc bateries based on obsolet desing. STICK WITH ALCALINES AND YOU WILL BE FINE!

A real Bang for the Buck! A great univibe clone for 1/4 price of the Voodoo Las and 1/8 of the Dunlop.
This unit is suited for any mellow tune playing clean, and for wierd/experimental when drived hard. Love the sound and the price.
If it was stolen right now I would buy it again. Of course there are better units. I really loved the Sweet Sound Ultravibe but for now I'm not willing to cash 300 bucks on a effect. If Wish it had a foot switch out to control the speed like the Dunlop and the Ultravibe, but thats not realy a issue.
Overal a great product.

2 pots, pretty simple

Great clean sounds through both my 100W Lee Jackson/Ampeg, and 15W Fender Blues JR. with vintage strats, and new deluxe strat. Kind of chorus like with slight boost. I set the Intensity between 9-11 o'clock, and the speed 10-1 o'clock. Forget using with high gain unless your looking for something outer limits like.

Seems very touchy to voltage changes. Sounds good with 9V battery for about 10 minutes. Bought the Dano power pack (rated 9.6V) and sounded awful, very harsh. Went back to using and universal adjustable transformer I think I got from Radio Shack years ago, and it sounds great @ 9V, 300 miliamps, just like the first 10 minutes of battery life.

Experiment if using other effects. I've noticed some swoshing noise in downline effects when pedal is off.

Seems sturdy for the size. Would keep an eye on dano postings to see if the switch holds up.

haven't hat to try yet

For $30 you can't go wrong if you play clean tube amps. Just seems to fill up the empty spaces. Would definately replace. Would like it if it sounded good with the Dano power pack.

Boy howdy its easy, set Speed and Intensity and Stomp (be gentle) To small to close your eyes and put foot down as you'll probabilly hit the speed turner

Stagg Flying V>>>AXL Tube Overdrive>>>Dano Chicken Salad>>>AXL Flanger>>>Kustom 20W 2 channel. Virtual bypass. Not got a gain boost of any kind. Pretty good effect off it all the time. I can nail the Bridge in "Can't stop" using this (Where fruiscate uses a vibrato) I also use it as a chorus pedal for now untill i get one. The sounds is terrible when the battery is low, it sounds distorted or something

I'd depend on it, mainly cos i only use power supplys for my pedals. This little monster eats batterys for breakfast. I got curiose as to how stong the plastic is, i jumped on it from 3 foot (I say jump, i mean stamp) and it still works, i heard a snap of some kind but theres no damage on it, still i probably wouldn't go without a back-up

N/A

considering it is free its is pretty sweet. but since it was free i'd not buy another one, i'd get a marshall vibratem or something as its more solidly built and can dial in more variables. I use the intensity at about 3 O'Clock turning point and speed at 1 O'clock turning point. I wish it had a true bypass and a metal body but its quite novel as it is.

Super easy to use. Speed and Intensity knobs. Manual give one setting, but it's actually the best one

Sounds amazing clean. Wooshing everywhere. Pink Dloyd never sounded this close.
On overdrive, don't even think about using this unless you want really weird experimental sounds.
But the clean is amazing considering the price

Switch is iffy. I don't really like that design and its a small...Afraid i would crush it.

Never dealt with them

Very cool..especially for 28.00 Definitely would buy again!!

Pretty easy to use.

No manual.

This pedal sounds good if you use batteries and if you only use it on a clean channel. Once you plug it into an AC adapter the sound gets muffled (a little) but then if you add distortion it doesn't sound good at all ... it has too much of a "whooshing" sound, plus it boost the signal ... which is not something used want all the time.

It has a decent "Univibe" type sound but only if you set the knobs past 1:00.

The 1st one I bought I took it home and it didn't work (batteries and AC adapter didn't do anything for it), then I took it back to Mars and they gave me another one and it worked fine and has been working fine ever since.

It should last for years as long as you don't stomp on it.

I have my pedal in the Dano plastic case (with the AC plug in).

I've never had to deal with them.

A decent (and very cheap) "univibe" / vibrato sound. It could use some help in the sound department when used with distortion ... but for the price I'm not going to complain.

This is just an update on my previous post... the problem with the pedal causing static noise/distortion was due to inferior cables and batteries. Use an adaptor and it is fine fine fine. Go and buy this pedal!!!

Simple, simple. Two knobs (speed and depth) and an on/off switch. I set them both to about 1 o'clock and I was away. Couldn't be any easier to operate.

Very impressed! I can't believe they've captured this sound on such a budget. Having owned a Dunlop Rotovibe before and heard many of the other vibe units around, it sounds pretty darn authentic. It swirls and takes you on a time warp just like any "vibe" pedal should.
I do find it a little bright - although it was the warmer of the two in the store and unlike the other posts here I probably lose a bit of gain when it's switched on. It's more like the bottom end drops a little bit.
For reference listen to Hendrix's "Machine Gun" or Woodstock version of "Star Spangled Banner" - I'm a Hendrix nut so that's the benchmark for me and this dinky little thing does it well. It's also remarkably quiet.
As for the problems with the battery consumption everone seems to mention - I had the same problem with my Rotovibe and my guess is it's just an inherent problem with this kind of circuit. Just stick to a power pack!
I'm playing it through a Line6 FlextoneII XL and it's a great addition to the set up - and WAY better than the univibe setting on Line6's modelling unit!
The lack of bottom end is the reason I'm down-scaling to an 8.

A little to early to say. I've being using it for about 4 months now and so far so good.

Never had to try this yet.

I've been playing for 20 years, most of which professional, in all sorts of bands - blues, country, grungy rock...etc. Over the years I've owned a hell of a lot of pedals and I'm really taken by this one. If it were lost or stolen I'd have no hesitation in getting another.
The curse and irony of the full time musician is that we often have less expendable money to spend on new products than others. I for one couldn't afford or justify the going rate for a Fulltone or similar boutique equivalent - especially in New Zealand where you pay 3-4 times the US price - and that's if you can find one!
So for Danelectro to bring out this "vibe" on a budget - which sounds bigger and more expensive than it is I'd say incredible value.

Another point: These types of pedal by their nature have very strong individual personalities. You could easily spend god-knows how much more on an original that doesn't even compare to this one. Try out and compare as many as you can before you buy!

Two knobs - how much easier can it get?

I was after an effect that would give me something similar to a really slow leslie effect or a uni vibe type effect. While I haven't bothered to try a univibe (too much fucking money, just like everything else from the US), I did try the Marshall vibratrem to see if I could kill two birds with one stone... The vibrato on the marshall was more traditional I guess, but not swirly and mushy like this pedal. The best example I can think of to describe how this sounds is the main riff from White Discussion by Live (off Throwing Copper) or the notes that are played on the first beat of each bar in the song 'Ghost' by Live off of the Secret Samadhi record. It's more of a phasery sort of sound, but as if you are "stepping" on the note and squashing it every now and then. Really nice, smooth wobbles, fantastic. Perhaps not so good for fast rhythm parts, but great for long drawn out phrases. The pedal does boost the gain a little bit, but this makes the effect a little more noticeable.

Here's the problem - I tried this out in the shop and it was causing mild buzzing/distorted noises from the amp... I changed the batteries and it did the same thing, especially when I played the guitar hard. There is apparently a problem with the particular pedal I was playing, and there will be a new one in the store in a few days. So I am afraid I can't give it a good mark for reliability yet. Having said that, for a pedal this cheap you can't expect lifetime guarantees or anything. If you think that then you should try putting your guitar up your anus and playing.

Haven't dealt with them - store is. If it does break down, then big deal? I wouldn't bother the makers, I would just go back to the store and get them to do it.

I play alternative, rock, a bit of blues and sometimes try my hand at a bit of metal. I have been playing for about 5 years now, and am not going to write down my other equipment coz you aren't here to read that are you?!?!?! If you are looking for something a little different than your regular phaser/vibrato, then give this a go. Make sure you check it in the store first!!! I laugh my arse off when I see some tosser who has bought something through mail order or something and it breaks/doesn't work/doesn't sound like they thought it would etc... Keep the music stores alive and use them, not some fat chumps at an online ordering place.

Ther are two knobs and a foot switch. Its either easy or you are stupid.

For $25 you can't get much better than this. There is even a subtle increase volume when you step on it. Not too much, just enough to show off the effect.

Well, the thing will kill you if you use batteries, use an AC, my battery lasted less than 10 minutes. I put in another battery that was 75% full, and after a couple minutes I could hear the effect turning off. I wish I was recording, best effect money can buy.

ITS $25!!!!!!!! If you need a better Vibrato then just get a Vibrolux.