Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box

---Follow up to my last review on the free speech talk box----

---Word of advice, always clean off the tube, even the inside. So much moisture forms inside the tube and outside of it, but if you just play, use it, and leave it and don't clean up, that's going to be one nasty experience the next time you use it. The Dan. tak box comes with a clear tube, so you can see how far the moisture goes, make sure you clean all of it out! Make sure you get like a paper towl or something to get all the moisture out of the stupid little foamy things on the mics, or else the moisture just soaks in and gets to the actual mics itself and may make one or both of the little mics not work. It happened to me, forgot to get the moisture out of the little mics, and it killed the one little mic, and didn't feel like replacing it, so used the one mic for a while, then bought a Shure mic and had to do a little rewiring to keep it simple. I got sick of it, so I had to order a Rocktron Banshee today (READ BELOW). With the Banshee, you will just have to clean the tube, inside and out, no mics or anything. I'll review it in a few months, I added on below.

***If you are wondering what song on Appetite for Destruction Slash used a Dunlop Heil talk box for was the song "Anything Goes", but I was wrong, you can't get all the sounds from the Dan. talk box that you would need in order to play that song, you really need the Dunlop Heil or Rocktron Banshee. Also, if you wanted to know what song Brian Robertson used a talk box for on one of the Thin Lizzy CD's, go out and get or listen to Thin Lizzy's Bad Reputation CD, I don't remember exactly what song he used it on, but you need a Heil or Banshee to recreate the same sounds he did. And like you should know, if you want to be able to make all the sounds Frampton did, go out and get the Heil or Banshee. ---I HIGHLY recommend buying the DUNLOP HEIL talk box or Rocktron Banshee talk box over the Danelectro talk box, I know I wish I did even though I ordered the Rocktron Banshee today, so I'll review that in a few months once I can get all my facts straight instead of posting a useless "glowing new toy" review like many do. I'm not saying the Danelectro talk box is really bad, but for o-n-l-y $50 more you can get a talk box that is a lot better!!! Either the Dunlop Heil or Rocktron Banshee. I'd recommend the Banshee if you want to be on the safe side due to the Heil possibly blowing your amp up. THe Rocktron Banshee doesn't require *any* extra setup other than put it on your board, run the tube up the mic stand, and play. It doesn't require an extra mic, you can add one in if you want, but you don't need one. Extra output for an extension cab, and no risk of blowing your amps up. Can it get any easier and better? I bet not. Can't wait for my Rocktron Banshee to come in, I've seen great reviews on it and asked musiciansfriend.com a ton of questions on it, which aided to me buying it. I don't even have the Banshee yet, but I guarantee it is DEFINITLY BETTER than the Danelectro talk box, I don't know about the Heil, but I really don't want to take the chance of blowing my amp(s) up or having to order new parts or totally replacing the thing. THe Dan. works ok for both rhythm and soloing, but really won't give you the sound you are after. Like I said already, just spend an extra $50 on a Rocktron Banshee, you won't be making a wrong choice, you'll make out a lot better and get better sounds out of the Banshee. The Banshee is supposed to have more than enough volume and distortion, I've heard that more than enough volume comes out the end of the tube, way more than the Danelectro talk box produces even when at max volume.

Less work than the other talk boxes, but just doesn't give you the exact sound you hear from the guys that made this cool effect famous. You just plug it into your setup, run the tube up a mic stand, and make sure if you use the little mics this thing comes with, you put them very close to the end of the tube. Very easy, no extra amps or anything, unless you don't want to use the mics this thing comes with, which is something you should change anyway, use a Shure mic or something like that, better results.

I'd like to find out who that last reviewer was, he should consider doing his own mods or something, I'd modify my talk box, but I'd end up messing something up. The talk box doesn't sound too bad, it's actually pretty good, I can't really say it's as good as the Rocktron or Dunlop talk boxes, but at least you don't have to worry about blowing up your amp (Dunlop Heil). I'm going to buy the Rocktron Banshee soon, seems to be really good, a lot better than the Danelectro talk box. The Dan talk box isn't that bad, I really can't use it during solos, it doesn't work that great at all for solos, but works really good for rhythm work or just getting that your guitar to talk. If Danelectro would have put a tone control on the pedal, I bet it would have been better. I have to say this talk box is more for rhythm work, example - Slash, on one of the GNR songs from Appetite for Destruction, he used a talk box for the rhythm part, you can get the same sound using the Dan talk box. I don't really like Bon Jovi, they were a pretty good group, you can get some of the sounds he made from his talk box from some of their songs. The main problem is that the pedal has no tone knob and that the internal amp is pretty small. You really can't get that throaty talk box sound that you've heard from a few of the greats, you can mainly just get a computery talking sound and different ranges you can come close to getting by using a wah pedal. Cool little effect, but I don't think it's as good as Dunlop or Rocktron's talk box. I don't really have a volume problem with mine, I have the volume usually set anywhere from 3-max and distortion varies, I'll usually put it anywhere from 10-3, the distortion on this pedal gets pretty heavy. You can get a few of the sounds you have heard from these guys, not all of the sound they got from their talk boxes: Frampton (you really need a Heil or Banshee to pull his stuff up, Free Speech isn't throaty enough), Slash (he mainly used his for rhythm work on a few songs, you can nail them pretty good with this), Brian Robertson (if you are wondering who this is, it's one of Thin Lizzy's best guitarists they had, even though they had many insane guitarists. You can't really get the sounds he made, you need a Heil to really get it right on, maybe a Rocktron can pull it off too, but not the Free Speech) Sambora (you can get some of his stuff, I'm not too sure, really don't listen to Bon Jovi). Their are others, but I'd really recommend buying the Rocktron Banshee or the Dunlop Heil (if you are willing to risk it:Heil)

The volume situation seems to vary, you really shouldn't come across any major problems with this pedal, volume may be your own problem or it might not.

Overall, the Danelectro talk box isn't too bad, I'd definitly recommend the Rocktron Banshee over the Dan talk box, or maybe even the Heil. They both cost like an extra $50 more, but who cares, they both sound a lot better.

I did a bit of mod'ing to my pedal, but it's still very easy to use, and sounds better than the stock Danelectro talk boxes.

I modified my pedal like this: I added in a tone knob so I could change how the pedal sounded, because it really couldn't produce that nasaly sound you all are hoping for, with my modded in tone knob, this thing is finally getting some use by me. Also, I added in a volume boost switch and volume control knob, I can add in anywhere from 0 db to an extra 20 db, I could have made it more, but that's already more than enough, I didn't really have any volume problems to start out with, but just added it in for more flexibilty. Before I modified my talk box, I barely used it at all, because I couldn't really get that nasaly sound that you would hear from Frampton. So, I had to add in the tone knob which really changes the pedal, if you heard it, you wouldn't think it's the Dan. talk box, it's really that much better. I can get any sound from a deep, throaty sound, to nasaly, to that famous framptone sound, to the sound of Brian Robertson's and Gary Moore's talk box sound, and also a very squaky, throaty sound, which is pretty cool. Without the mod'ing I did to it, it sounded ok, but not what I wanted, you couldn't really play past like the 12th fret and have that sound you want, once you played past the 12th fret, the talk box couln't really hanlde that range. But, up by like the 1st through about 5th or 7th fret, you could hear the talk box really shine, you could really make your guitar talk, but didn't have that sound you might want or have heard. Even without the extra volume boost switch and volume knob I added on, I didn't have any volume problems with the pedal. Before I modified the pedal, I barely used it because I couldn't get the sounds I wanted. With the modifying I did, I always want to use the thing, it sounds so good! I would like to get Frampton's talk box, but not for $500, I can just buy another free speech talk box and mod it exactly to how Frampton's talk box sounds, well probably not exact, but close enough if I take enough time on it. A stock Danelectro talk box, I'd give it about a 6 or 7, with the mod'ing that I did to it, it get a 9, it's not quite perfect, but better than a regular Dan. talk box and better than that Rocktron talk box. I never tried a Dunlop Heil talk box, I'm going to buy it soon, but I just don't like all the setup you have to do for it. The Dan. talk box can just plug right in with your board and straight to your amp and just run the tube up a mic stand and use the stock mics if you want. I updated the mics because one of the little mics that the pedal originally came with died, and I didn't think the stock mics were too reliable. I don't put the talk box in a PA, there's no need for that unless you might have some problems with yours, but I don't or didn't when I didn't mod mine. Also, the distortion on the pedal isn't that bad. The pedal can also be used as a little practice amp, very little, and you can still put the tube in it to use as a little practice amp. I don't think I have ever used it like that, but you can. If you don't want to plug into your amp at night and want to use this pedal, just plug the adapter in, plug the tube in and there you go, pretty cool.

I really don't like the on/off switch, it works perfectly, but seems like it can just die or not function properly out of nowhere. Once it starts to show any sign of malfunction, I'll have to fix that with a on/off switch like the one on the Digitech Whammy pedals, the WH-4. That on/off switch never gives off unwanted noises or sounds when I switch it on or off, it'll be a lot better to have on the talk box rather than the "button" that the Dan. talk box comes with. Also, the little mics on the end of the tube aren't that great, they are ok, but should be replaced. The pedal is built very strongly, it's built a lot tougher than most other pedals. Its got a very solid and strong metal housing, the bottom of the pedal is covered in rubber. The battery compartment is on the bottom, I use adapters for all my pedals thought. All of the jacks are located on the front of the pedal, it is a bit conjested up their if you use an adapter, but it all works out fine. I wouldn't want to drop this pedal though, even with its heavy-duty metal housing, the stuff inside is compact and if something breaks or comes loose when you drop it, have fun fixing it. Even when I modded mine, the space was pretty constricted. I really like the physcodelic paint job, I better not ever scratch the pedal, the paint job is awesome.

I'm not even sure if Danelectro has a website? They might, but I've never checked and don't need to.

I bought my talk box two years ago, but didn't really use it that much once I realized it couldn't give me the sounds I really wanted/needed it to produce. Once I modded the pedal I use it a lot, it's an awesome pedal to have. Even the stock one isn't that bad, but just wasn't cutting it for me. I never bought or used any Danelectro pedals before, I doubt I'd buy any of their other pedals, but a few of their pedals seem good, I'm not talking about those mini pedals though, they seem like they are just a waste of like $20 or $30. But, the normal sized Dan. pedals seems pretty good, I've heard a lot of good things about the Fab Tone, but never used it before. Overall, a talk box is a really creative and fun pedal to have, especially if you can get it to sound good. I'd leave my screen name for questions about the mod'ing I did to my Danelectro talk box, but I really don't want to get tons of emails from people asking to modify their pedal also.

The easiest of the few talk boxes out to use. The manual for this thing is a joke, it is like a page or two, barely any information on it at all?

I got this pedal to sound great, but I still want more from it. It is the most fun pedal to use. If you are having problems with volume, you probably have the pedal going anywhere after the guitar and then straight into the amp. If you have it that way, there is a drop in volume, quite critical for stage purposes. Run it through your effects loop, this way it doesn't drop your volume, it can add to it. For me it works perfectly, I don't know if it will work out for everyone else. I suppose everyone who has this pedal has a half stack, full stack, or even more. Definitly, if you are not running this through your effects loop, put it in there, or at least try it out to see if it works better. My head has input and output volumes, and an added volume boost button, which I have turned on since I have the talk box in my effects loop. My talk box doesn't drop in volume, I have it louder than my regular signal, due to my added boost button and effects loop volumes. If you have it in your effects loop already, try it in a PA, if you can, I don't know if it makes a difference or not, I never tried and don't need to try it out, but I wish I have so I could let you know. Another option is to replace the mics, I am sure changing the mics can make a difference. Just don't replace them with cheap ones, get quality ones. Or, if you left the small mics where they were when you bought this unit, which they are pretty far from the end of the tube when you buy it, move the little mics to just about the end of the tube, that makes a difference also. Try out these solutions if you are having a problem with the volume of this pedal, it can be solved.

Seems to be reliable, I just don't like the on/off switch, seems like it can go out without any warning.

Nothing to it really.

I'm a rock/metal player. Basic LP or Floyd Strat into pedal board then into a Marshall. On it's own it's fantastic but in a band setting I'm having some trouble. I turned it up all the way and it broke. (they sent me a new one) But because it sounds great at home I'm determined to get it to work with a live band but that hasn't happened yet. On my own I simply love this thing. It's a lot of fun and a very cool effect. It's not a pro quality one like the Framptone ($$$) but it's very useable. Just needs more power. Frampton stated in many interviews that the secrete to getting a good talk box sound is power. The sound coming out of your mouth HAS to be loud. Turning the mic up is not the way to do it.

Like I stated, I turned mine up all the way and it broke. But the Evetts Corp. replaced it right away without any hassle.

Took them one week to send me a new one after I sent them my broken one.

I like it. I play anything thats overdriven rock. I have another talk box that I made but it's a hassle and I don't use it. Takes too long to set it up and too much stuff to lug around. This is the easiest way to get a talk box sound without needing another amp. It could use more power. But it works the way it should. I was surprised at how easy it was to get it set up and going.

Getting a good sound is not a problem, despite the coloquial and rather silly 2 page manual.

I use a Washburn HM20V with Dimarzio Evolution bridge humbucker, the tone and vol pots at various settings. The amp is a Marshall MG 50 DFX. I use full gain on the dirty channel, plus bass @7, thingy at 5, tone at 7, vol various depending on situation.
The one thing I needed was a giggable unit - ie loud enough - and this one isn't. OK, so I use a lot of gain, but it howls at living room volume and the makers try to sell more FX on the back of this seemingly disastrous gaff - due to the little mics inevitably looping. If you wanted to do Sambora Walsh whoever you'll get it - but at the expense of being unable to gig with it. I've not had chance to exp with other FX, but I intent to try this with the clean channel; in the hope it might reduce the squealing. Opinion? it sounds great until you try to use it in realistic circumstances when it becomes a useless hazard.

It's obviously well made, but I can't see me using it for a gig. I have some fatter tube which I might try, leaving of the little mics so I can try it through the PA. But in my experince, 50 watts is minimum. This 5 watts thing isn't going to be heard over a folk band, let alone a metalblues doodad like RockandRollGypsy

I've not dealt with Danelectro beyond asking if it was loud enough. Slight terminalological inexactitude, here, then?
Maybe we might see some honest guff on their home page? I think the best PR is admission and adjustment - even product withdrawal. I could of course be the silliest of people and be getting something wrong, but I think after 10 hours of messing I'd have got something right by now?

Erm...metalblues come tribal rock - I don't like hyphens and I don't like categories - my sound ranges from chain saw to waterfall.
Played since 1968/9, got through shoploads of everything. Just have the electric and a Spanish really, plus delay, phase and Crybaby (HIPPIE!!!)
This freespeech? Nah, I'd make one myself.
I love using it and the sound, but I loath the inadequacy.
I went allover the internet & more; I chose it because I was mislead - perhaps by folk who don't use feedback as part of their sound range?
Volume.
Right under me feet.
I should have known better than to buy something so personal off the net. I have such a driven set up for normal playing that most things need special treatment. Be warned, rockers, bluesers, metal, grunch et al. Try one before you buy one.

One simple pedal to use that sounds awesome (most people who review this pedal give it a bad review because they don't know what they are talking about and how to work/use the pedal!). I have it last in my line of a ton of pedals, I get NO FEEDBACK AT ALL!!! You morons getting feedback, turn the volume knob down, duhhhh!!!! It is an awesome, sorta cheap pedal, compared to the Dunlop and Rocktron one! Just make sure you move the 2 mini mics close to the end of the tube, you gotta get that in your mouth too if you want the talking effect to go through to the amp!

Its got 2 knobs, Volume (obvious what that does!) and Growl(distortion). The distortion on this pedal really isn't bad at all! I was expecting a weak distortion, it really isn't bad, and trust me, I have a ton of distortion pedals, from light to the heaviest possible, this pedals distortion is kinda like the DS-1. I use a Les Paul, through a ton of fx (talk box at the end of the line) and through a Peavey stack. Awesome sound, Peter Frampton at one time used this exact pedal!!! I will say it isn't the same as Frampton's Framptone Talk Box.

I never used Danelectro pedals before, but I am very impressed with this pedal, I wouldn't need a backup for this pedal, this thing will last me!

Don't know, don't have any problems! So, can't say!

Don't listen to everyone else that said this is a bad pedal, they are wrong, they just don't know how to work/use the pedal right! *Make sure the 2mini mics are by the end of the tube to get that in yer mouth too!!!* If this pedal got stolen, I would definitly buy another one, but if I had an extra $50 at the time when I had to buy another, I would go for the Dunlop talk box to see how that is, but I think I wwould stick with the Dan. Talk Box! You can really get a cool talking guitar sound outa this thing! If you say something, you can hear it perfectly even though it has that cool roboty sound!!! One awesome and fun pedal!!!!

TOO EASY TO USE EXCEPT FORGET ABOUT THE ON BOARD MIKES AND RUN IT THROUGH THE BOARD!!!

HEY ALL YOU NEG. REVIEWERS...IF YOU WANT TO NAIL FRAMPTON AND SAMBORA ET AL.... DON'T EXPECT IT TO COME FOR UNDER A HUNNY BEE..TRY PAYING THE $150 FOR THE HEIL, BUY A SEPARATE HIGHWATT 50 WATT AMP AND BLEED IT INTO THE HOUSE P.A. OR, JUST TRY SENDIN THE TUBE UP A MIC STAND AND INTO A SHURE SM58 AND INTO WHAT EVER AMP IS LAYING AROUND OR INTO YOUR BANDS P.A. YOU'LL COME PRETTY CLOSE FOR A LOT LESS DOUGH. FORGET ABOUT THE ONBOARD MICS!!!!

BUILT WELL

NOT BEEN THERE

DOES WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO DO, IT IS UO TO THE USER TO FIND/COMPROMISE A WAY TO GET THE SOUND UP TO A BETTER VOLUME WITHOUT FEEDING BACK

It was as easy to unpack and put together as a cheese sandwich! Unfortunately, like the sea monkeys I had when I was a kid, the overall feeling diminished in about 5 minutes. This pedal is pretty useless.

I plugged it into my Marshall JCM 2000 and it screamed feedback. I was a room away in my apartment and it still howled. I plugged it into my Fender Twin Reverb and instead of feeding back, the sound was non-existant. I used a BOSS grunge pedal and a Dan Fabtone, but nothing worked too well. Strange? I experimented to no avail.I used a Strat through my Fender and a Flying V through my Marshall. I doubt this makes a difference though.

I would fear that everyone at a gig would just wonder why there is no sound coming from my amp while I would be attempting something pretentious on my guitar.Quite silly I guess. It stays in the box until further endeavors.

I am a fan of Danelectro. I own several Dans- a 59 DC, doubleneck 59 DC, Innuendo 12 string and a string of their pedals: cool cat, fab tone, cry baby, daddy o, the dreaded free speech and a flange pedal.The flange pedal would be better if you could control the noise level a little. The sitar pedal is a joke though. I emailed Danelectro once- they never responded nor did they bombard me with spam either. Odd?

I play grunge/ garage- whatever the word is for rock at the moment!
I have been playing 9 years. I own 23 guitars and 4 amps.If it got stolen, it would be less clutter occupying my music room. I wanted this pedal because I admired Danelectro's pedal line. They have blundered with their pedals lately though. It is not worth owning, and anyone who thinks it is, is pissed off because they are out a hundred bucks. Be honest and admit it. I am sending this page to Danelectro and I encourage everyone else to do so.

It's easy to use, two knobs is no big deal, just stick the tube in the hole, plug the mics and you're ready to go.
Don't really care for the manual and you don't really need it if you got a good brain working.
About the construction: as a whole it appears to be really tough and heavy but look closer and you'll have the feeling you're holding a toy. I don't know if it's the tie-dye "paint" or just the general aspect of the thing but when I think about it, there's definitely something fishy here, like a bad omen.

Well, I used it with two different amps and even tried it on those little Marshall "pocket" amps for the hell of it. I tried it on a 35 watts Fender Jam amp, an '81 JCM 800 and the above mentioned Lil' Marshall. Guitars were a '78 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a '99 Gibson SG.
The results were almost the same on each amp, it just produces uncontrollable and nasty feedbacks, I could get something hardly decent on the Fender amp but at a ridiculously LOW volume, same with the Lil' Marshall but this pedal is absolutely unusable on my JCM 800. I had brought it on rehearsal just to experiment with it, plugged the thing while the drummer was setting up his kit but only got feedbacks, ditch the thing aside, end of the godammed story.
To conclude, if you like to play at very low volume or just want to record (I frankly doubt it though) you can find a use for this pedal...maybe.
For my part I didn't.
This pedal is just a gizmo.

Depend on it? Are you kidding?

Gig with it? Well, you can be the king of Rock in your bedroom with that thing, sure.

Didn't deal with the company, don't plan to although they're lying about their product, this pedal is a total waste of money, they should be sued for that.

I saw the ad for this pedal and thought it was a really good idea knowing that with a regular talk box you need a p.a. system, I should've known better!
If it were stolen? Well, Danelectro already stole my money so if someone would stole the pedal I wouldn't see that big a difference.
I wouldn't buy it again for anything in the world, I should've save up the money and buy something more useful for me like a Phase Shifter from BOSS which is a real good company with real quality products.
I always thought, and this pedal kinda confirms this idea, that Danelectro offers a wide range of gizmo pedals, they're more toys than real effects.