Danelectro DJ-15 Chicken Salad Vibrato

Two knobs, easy as that. No manual comes with it, but again, two knobs.

Here's the part that got me, I played this at the store with nothing chained to it, and loved it. I have been wanting a Univibe, but didn't want to spend so much money, and this pedal really surprised me. It had a really rich sound, and the effects were really versatile, so I bought it. Then I take it home and put it in my chain and it sounded like crap. First, you can't use this pedal with distortion...at all. If you use it after distortion, it creates a noise like a model airplane buzzing your bedroom window every couple of seconds. If you use it before distortion, it's a tone sucker. So now I use it after my distortion, but only clean. It's also noisy no matter where it is, but I use a Boss noise suppressor to zap that. That's the best I could find for it.

Plastic, so one day I'm sure I'll have to bury it. I think that if you take care of it, though, and get one of those knob guards (which the store clerk gave me) it should be ok.

Never dealt with them.

I play alot of jam type stuff (Phish, Gov't Mule), so really wanted that rotating sound, and I get it, so long as it's not with distortion. If I lost this pedal, I doubt I'd replace it, because I am only able to use it for a couple of things.

2 knobs(intensity, Speed)
1 foot switch(on/off)
Very easy to use.

Honestly, I haven't tried any Uni-vibe pedals, but I've been playing for 7 years and I usually can figure out what sounds good and what sounds bad.
Used with clean channel, it sounded GREAT for such a cheap pedal, warm and swirling univibe sound. But, using it with fuzz or distortion, the effect took over the sound too greatly and sounded very muffled. So, instead of thru effect loop, I ran it thru the input of the amp and it sounded MUCH better for me. The same thing with MXRPhase90, I much prefer it thru the input when using with distortion. I use this pedal with Fulltone Ultimate Octave and I love how they sound together. It's not a true bypass, but it doesn't afflict with tone when it's off.

I wish it was metal casing, and those knobs... I don't know what Danelectro was thinking, those knobs would come right off with little bit of force on your finger.
The Battery... reviewers here are NOT exaggerating, it literally EATS batteries. I put a brand new battery and strummed a chord, "sounds great" but I suddenly had to go to bathroom. I went back 5 minutes later the led lights on bright but NO sound. I was going to put a new battery in it, but then I read the reviews here and I knew I had to stick with an adapter.

I play blues, rock.
I wanted some unique modualtion effect to my sound and I got this Dano since it was only $20 at Guitar Center.
I wish it had metal casing, or at least use sturdy knobs, but for only $20 it's a fantastic value.

Couldn't be easier to use. Two knobs. No brainer.

I'm using this with a variety of Ibanez, Fender and Gibson guitars. All sound great with it. it's not noisy at all. Other reviewers have stated it was muddy or cut out the highs or boosted volume, but I haven't experience anything but thick, lucious, swirling, Trower-ism. This pedal is everything I've been looking for in a Univibe...Trower in a box, basically. I own a Dunlop Univibe as well as a Voodoo Labs Microvibe. While they're both very cool pedals, the MicroVibe thins out the sound and the Dunlop is one dimensional. This one has got them both beat! Really!! The Chicken Salad has some really cool nuances to it's sound that the other don't. Much more complex sounding. I'm about to record a track for a Uli Roth tribute and you can bet this pedal will be on it.

I've not had it long enough to judge reliability, but the other reviews pretty much make it sound like a piece of crap. One thing I notice is that several reviewers say their pedal stopped working after 5 minutes or so. It's my guess that their batteries merely died instead. You absolutely MUST use a 9 volt power adapter with this pedal. The pots they use on this pedal are really cheap too. The knobs are one piece with the shaft, so if you kick a knob and snap it off...game over. The guy at Guitar Center was cool and stole a plastic protector from another Dano mini pedal and gave it to me! If this thing breaks, I'll transplant the guts into a new Radio Shack project box and buy some good pots for it. Hell, I might do that anyway, slap a cool boutique sounding name on it, paint it psycho colors, resell them for $150, and read all the cool reviews here on HC! :^)

I wouldn't bother. It's too cheap a pedal to sweat over. Buy another. At $29 they're disposable like Bic lighters.

This thing is so cool, it's not funny. The little Dano FX are awesome, at any price. I also have the 7 band EQ and it blows the Boss unit away. I use it for a gain boost/overdrive. I've been playing hard rock, and shred for almost thirty years. Visit www.ericsands.com
This pedal has earned it's place in my pedal board. I'd certainly buy it again, in fact I plan on buying a spare as I understand they are discontinuing this line. I wish it were sturdier built but I'm glad I at least found this little secret weapon.

two knobs, how simple can it get...

92 strat with classic stack in neck position>old crybaby>chicken salad>rogermayer octavia anniversary model>tube screamer reissue>unknown ibanez fuzz>fender silverface twin reverb master volume. the pedal is noisy but for 25 buck's for the pedal, 9 for the adaptor, whaddya expect..sucked three batteries dry in 10 minutes...not quite the sonic clarity of the univibe but a good substitute

dont know yet bought it today

great for hendrix,trower etc on a budget..couldnt swing the dunlop or voodoo labs so i took a chance

very easy , 2 knobs and they can explain themselves.

very nice, i use this pedal for most of incubus tunes in exchange for a very expensive phaser and flange. i really love it . of course, you can only love it when you have a 9v power supply, this thing literally eats up battery's.

eh, i first got this pedal for 14 bux new and i brought it home and runned it through my rig and i was pissed off. On my certain speacial needs pedal it only makes whooshes when it is above the mid point and less than max on the speed dial . the intensity works fine i beleive.
DONT USE A 9V ADAPTER THAT IS USED BY A HOUSEHOLD ELECTRONIC/ UTENSIL, IT WILL MAKE THE PEDAL CATCH FIRE! ONLY USE THE 9V THAT ARE SOLD FOR PEDALS! im not even bullshitting on that , im seriose , live by it.

its all good

This unit is very easy to operate. All it has is two knobs. Very easy to use.

This pedal gives a nice swirling sound. The sound is nice, but can tend to be noisy for me. I would like it more if the was possibly a llittle more control. But for what this pedal does, it sounds good.

I don't like the fact that this thing is made out of plastic, but probably my biggest problem with it is the fact that the screw to the battery compartment is plasstic aas well and strips way too easy. I have had problems with this unit and it took me some time to get it working, because evidently it likes to drain batteries. I probably wouldn't be taking this one to a gig period.

I like the way this pedal sounds, but I don't like at all the way it is built. I would like this thing a lot more if it were possibly in a hrad metal casing. I have actually thought of switching it to a new housing on my own before. Playing around this is a neat pedal, but I wouldn't reccomend buying one if you don't require having one.

Easy as pie. It's two knobs are "intensity" and "speed." No manual and no need for one.

This is damned close to a UniVibe, I know because I have owned two-the Dunlop and a Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe. It can be noisy as others have noted. I do not remember if the Dunlop was, but the Micro Vibe was noisy as hell(at least the one I had). The effect is most noticeable at fast speeds--past twelve 'o' clock, with the intensity maxed. I use this lil' beaster in this order: American Lefty Strat w/Duncan '59 in the bridge and Rio Grande single coils in the mid and neck=> Roger Mayer 9090A wha mod in a Vox shell=>Chicken Salad Vibe=>Peavey Delta Blues 210. I also split my signal after the vibrato to go between the Peavey and Pro-3 rotary horn w/a bass amp for the low rotor(if you're lost think of a Leslie speaker). This pedal is a bit brighter than the other vibes I have owned, but I knew that it was built around the same schematics as those two vibes. I actually looked at the circuit board and IT USES THE PHOTOCELLS AND INCADESCENT LAMP just like the $200 Dunlop and $150 Micro Vibe!!!! So for anyone who dares to say it isn't close, listen again. That makes me wonder why Dunlop and Voodoo Labs ask so much? Of course the chorus mode is the only option(like the Micro Vibe), but what is the expense? The shell? I can't say how well it works with a good fuzz sent into it and then into a good tube amp, as I got rid of my fuzz face a while ago.

Here's the shitty side and why I believe other vibes are more expensive. The Chicken Salad is in a plastic shell. My friend has had the Dano mini-phaser for over two years and no problems, so hopefully I will have the same luck, since he bought that phaser off of me. I would use it at a gig without a backup because as I once read, if you need to have a backup...it's probably no good in the first place. But again, you should take care of your pedals and then they will last forever. Though I am not like everyone else, so I definitely see this pedal as easily destructable to a heavy foot and no conscience. Its lamp and photo cells are more secure than on the Micro Vibe, so there's a plus. But again the plastic shell and bite-size are drawbacks. So to be honest...I have to give it a 5.

Musically, I'm all over the damned place. So this pedal is just another flavor for my tonal arsenal. I mean you never know when you might need to get "freakish" and become a voodoo chile again. I've done too much acid to ever get sick of that sound. I've been spending my money and calling myself a "musician" for almost seven years. I have had so many different amps, guitars, and effects, I wish I would have just saved the cash a gotten a better car! So if the lil' Dano was stolen...I wouldn't hesitate to spend another $30. Danelectro has some great stuff for great prices and this pedal is an example of that. I only wish this had the ability to switch between chorus and vibrato like the Dunlop, but again $30 isn't a huge investment. I would also say that Dano needs to call this the Chicken Salad Vibe.

ez ez

really good for money a little noise when on, and does not suck tone when off.

be careful but price and sound make up for that I use their pedal board and I think that will extend its life somewhat.

ok but SLLLOOOOWWWWW slow

after a tunamelt I prefer a chickensalad. I am into the sandwhich named pedals you can't go wrong. I am getting a pb&J next.Money great sounding tool

2 knobs how har can it be.

For a clean sound it does a good job. It is similar to a phase but with it's own sound.Now as far as useing this with distortion, well thats where it sounded like garbage. There was too much swooshing that was brought out by the high gain so I just couldn't see it's use on high gain settings. The only other problem I found was that it robs your tone big time if you turn the intensity anywhere below 5.I was a little bumbed about the tone robbing but for me I like the intensity turned up around 7-10. Like i said for that clean smooth sound yeah the chicken salad will do the trick and for the price even if I only get one sound out of it it's worth it.

Bottom line for 25 dollars it's hard to ask for an effect to do everything. If you want an effect to do it all then go spend 100 dollars or more and buy a Boss.

Two knobs. Easy to use. Fiddle with them a bit and fiund a sound you like.

Excellent sound. It gets that Uni-Vibe thing down easily.

Thank goodnes for Harmony Central. If I hadn't read the reviews here first and known about the fact that this pedal sucks batteries like a vampire at a boold bank I'd have sworn it was broken and taken it back. The battery that came with the pedal lasted, and I timed it, less than three minutes, but an old Boss AC adapter had it up and running perfectly. You HAVE to use this pedal with an AC adapter, it should have that written on the front of the box.

I'm going to send a note to Danelectro about the whole battery thing. They're really doing their customers a disservice by not telling them up front that you should use an AC adapter.

Sound? Great.
Battery life? Sucks big time.