Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box

It's easy to use. Nothing more to say.

The sound quality is below average, due to the small built-in amp and driver. Not beefy enough when comparing to a Heil or Banshee (which are both more expensive).

The worst part is that the DTB-1 CANNOT be used in a band situation. It doesn't matter if you use the supplied mics or a quality vocal mic (I used an SM57, which is the ideal mic for a talkbox) and a professional PA. The DTB-1 simply does NOT produce enough volume to cut through the mix in a band situation. If you turn up the mic, the only thing you will hear is feedback. No limiter or gate can compensate for this.

You should be OK when you use the DTB-1 in a studio or home environment where there are no other sound sources to compete with.

It didn't break down on me, but I have been gigging for close to 30 years and I know what crap looks like. The housing is fine but the knobs and inputs/outputs are feeble.

The DTB-1 draws 300mA of current when engaged and that's a lot for batteries or even most adapters. Make sure you use an appropriate adapter or bring a lot of batteries.

don't know

Stay away from this product unless you are sure you will only use it in your bedroom.

If you really want a good and easy to use talkbox (and use it on stage), go for a Banshee. Or get a Heil if you don't mind bringing ean extra amp and an A/B switch.

I bought this used, mics, tube, box, not really knowing if it'd do anything useful for me, but the price was right, and I needed to buy something :?? That said, it plugged in, and worked like a charm. I had to tinker somewhat to avoid feedback, but after a few minutes I was mouth-wah-ing stuff I just can't manage with my feet on a normal wah pedal.

Okay so it doesn't sound like Frampton (Show Me the Way) or Joe Walsh (Rocky Mountain Way) - the only two songs I've ever heard use a talk box. I had no expectations, and opened my mind and ears to the possibilities of a completely new toy. The first thing I played using it was Steve Vai's For the Love of God, and it was the most unique, gratifying aural experience I've had in years. Of course, that might sound dreadful to anyone else here, so this is a case of YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

My board is set up with distortions before and after the wah pedal, so I tucked the talk box right next to the wah. Pre or post distortion gives distinctly different sounds, same as pre or post placement with a wah.

I've used it with a variety of guitars (Strat, RG, UV) and each has found its own voice with the talk box, it's amazing. A little difficult to control at times (evolution pickups through a Hughes and Kettner Switchblade) but manageable. And that's with the original mics. I haven't tried it yet using my Sennheisers.

Good or bad, I can't really say. But with this order - distortion, talk box, wah - using all three, I get almost the same sounds as those cats under my bedroom window make at three in the morning. Actually, since I got the talk box, it seems to have made the cats find another place for their trysts. No bad horsies, but lots of mad cats. I'm retired and I make interesting sounds for a hobby, and this pedal sure has helped.

I read other reviews saying it won't work in a performance situation. I've managed to do some interesting things live, and the aforementioned feedback concerns don't arise. The box certainly appears sturdy, however the switch and control knobs seem kind of cheap. I'd expect them to go after a few hours of heavy use. I would definitely gig it without a backup, while I enjoy it, it's certainly not the only club in the bag.

Danelectro's site defines "useless" as far as getting any real info. It's nothing but a "hey lookee here" for their stuff. I've never dealt with them, and I doubt I'd even try.

I play mostly hard rock, and experimental jazz fusion stuff, and this fits right in. I don't think I'd try very hard to replace it if it were stolen, but if I saw another one I'd get it. I'm a bit impulsive, when I see a pedal that someone's practically giving away, and as an added perk, the pedal looks like someone tossed a bag of Doritos onto my board, I pay and enjoy. :??

I'm 13 and have had my talk box for about half a year now. I do like danelectro effects and even their guitars! I am new at the world of talk boxs and for my buget the free speach realy gives the bang for your buck. Sure it's not the best, but for the price it is great! I found it easy to use and also it only has 2 nobs to simply make it easyer to use. If I can figure it out, so can you!

I got this today. It is very easy to use - if you use it correctly. The mics that come with it will feature in sound quality, but here, this i really easy to use. Shove the tube in the hole, set the volume, and add a touch, and only a touch, of grit. It works immediately throwing your guitar sound into your mouth. To use it right, it has a clip for a mic stand, and that makes it all much easier.

This is where all the people who give it 1 out of 10 are missing the point. It's not a guitar effect, it's a vocal effect, and you control the effect with your guitar. When I orderd it, I didn't know it had two little bat's balls attached near the mouth end of the tube to send the sound through to your amp, I assumed you used it like all other talk boxes where you mic up the tube by putting it with a mic in a stand. So I wasn't surprised that the mic's with it didn't work, especially when a good vocal mic costs more than this whole effect pedal. The sound that it made as I mouthed and played was what I expected, and now I'm inspired to sound like a robot in songs. It's essentially a vocal effect, and if anyone's ever tried putting any heavy effects on vocals in a live environment, you'll know they feedback like stink. Don't think of it as a guitar effect, think of it as a vocal effect where your guitar sings for you. It's good for practising on your own and writing cos the sound is straight in your head, and I'm gonna hook it up to the PA in my practise room and see how it fares at deafening volumes tomorrow. And don't put stupid amounts of gain through it, you can't do that with vocals without expensive gating equipment, so why would a cheap stomp box work better!

These big ole danelectro pedals are sturdier than most within this price bracket. My danecho is going strong after much abuse, so this should hopefully be alright.

Seriously, why are there so many dullards rating this so low? I'm rating it up to give a more reasonable and fairer score. It's a really cheap talk box, it does what it's meant to when you use it like all the other talk boxes available, and does it pretty well for the money. Forget the little attached mics, stick it to a proper mic, plug the proper mic into an amp or PA at your practise room / gig venue, keep the gain pretty low, and watch as your seemingly weak, useless talk box suddenly goes all Frampton on you. There are much better boxes available, but for a fraction of the cost this does the job WHEN YOU USE IT PROPERLY. Plus, it looks pretty cool too.

This is, as described on the box and on Danelectro's product description, a very straight forward, "in-line" and simple effects pedal. This product is really aimed at perhaps more 'budget-orientated' players, rather than those who can afford and have space for a separate PA system to run a Heil or Banshee Talk Box.

All you need to do is plug your guitar into the unit, then connect the unit into the amp (front of FX loop, whichever is preferable), fairly simple.

The only problem (other than those noise problems) with getting the sound from this pedal, is that the tube is a fair bit longer than the length of the microphone cable, so to get the best sound (withouth gagging!) is to either cut the tube to length (probably not advisable) or as I have done, simply pull the microphone cable to the end of the tube so the tube has some slack, and you actually have the mics in your mouth as it is used, which can create unpleasant remnants on the end of the tube and on the mics.

I've had this product for almost two years, and have only just submitted this review as I've really worked out how to use it correctly.

As most reviews state, this product will generate huge amounts of noise when used through an amp with relatively high gain, making the product unbearable and embarrassing for live situations.

I've read the reviews, and I've tried putting this pedal in the front of an amp (clean and overdrive channels) and into the FX loop.
I previously used an original Marshall Valvestate 8100 head, with which this pedal I found some problems (said noise and unbearable feedback) through the overdrive channel, and not enough signal through the FX loop.

Currently, I am using a Marshall JVM410H half stack, and have experimented with the clean, overdrive channels and FX loop, with similar problems encountered on the latter two setups.

I have found that the best way to use this pedal, without changing the provided microphones, modding the electronics etc, is to set the "growl" low (and the volume to whichever preffered) and plug it straight into the clean channel.

This gives a decent representation of the classic talkbox sounds ala Frampton, Walsh, Slash. As said before, this pedal cannot really be used through overdrive channels, and although the sound is inevitably inferior to those of Heil Talkboxes and Rocktron Banshees, the pedal is quite novelty-like but still does a reasonable job if set up correcty.

Now that I have found a decent set up with this pedal, I would be comfortable gigging with it. I have cranked my amp up pretty loud, and the pedal doesn't give that uncontrollable feedback through the clean channel like on overdrive channels.

The pedal chassis is sturdy and could handle some abuse on the road. Not sure how long the microphones would last, but you can get replacement tubes and mics online for reasonably cheap which is no problem really.

Haven't dealt with Danelectro, so no comment.

I play a variety of styles, anything from blues, flamenco to classic rock and right up to thrash metal. This pedal is really suited to classic/hard rock, and creates reasonable sounds for those Bon Jovi and Frampton Comes Alive moments.

Still, with the setup I have found, the pedal can be used effectively with no excessive noise problems. The bottom line is, don't use this pedal through a gain channel. The pedal provides additional distortion which works well in boosting the clean channel to get a gainy sound, and has a volume knob which can be used to cut or boost volume, although this 'ideal' setup is limited to those with facilities available.

This pedal is fun to use and creates cool sounds, but even more ideal would be to actually use a Heil or Banshee talkbox. As said before, this pedal is aimed at players who don't want the hassle of blowing up their amp head or having to find a PA to run original talkboxes through, but is still useful in certain situatons and if used correctly.

Easy to use straight out of the box. That said here's the qualifier to that...you can really only get rehearsal or bedroom levels out of it through the amp. I even used it through the effects send on my Marshall as one user suggested but could not get enough out of the box even with a 100% wet signal.

I pulled the dinky little microphones off and strapped it on my mic stand and ran it through a Sennheiser 835 vocal mic into the PA. Job Done!! I'm able to run it through the distortion channel on my amp with full volume and full growl on the talkbox. I found I needed a hotter mic signal to the PA to get the talk box effect to sit well in the mix but as long as you EQ the mic properly it's no drama.

I play PRS Custom 24s into a Marshall DSL401 and extension cab. On stage it gets miked with a Shure SM57 into the PA. I have a Boss GT6 for my other effects and this little talkbox.

Noise through the unit is a little high but disappears as soon as the band is at performance level. As I said earlier, you really have to run it through a proper mic into and amp or PA to get the effect level to sit really well in the mix. If you're just rehearsing in your bedroom the little mics will be enough.

I can't emphasise enough that you read all the reviews and get what you can from them as far as different setups people have used and methods that worked or didn't work.

I got this specifically for Livin' On a Prayer and after an hour of facial contortions I've pretty much got the Ritchie Sambora sound nailed. No problem using a gain channel as long as you use an external mic.

It looks like a pretty solid peice of equipment but I've only just got it so time will tell.

Not needed it yet but if the user manual is anything to go by... I hope I never have to!!

If it were stoled, yeah I'd get it again... I'm only using it on a couple of tracks, Livin'on a Prayer and Foo Fighters - Generator so I can't see why I'd spring the extra cash for a higher spec unit. I looked at the Rocktron unit but this functions exactly the same way but has the stand alone mics as a bonus so it's perfect for me.

got it to sound great in rehearsal & studio settings. live: beware - it didn't work at concert volumes

easy to get good sounds in rehearsal and to tape. not useable in live settings.

i wouldn't use it live, again, after being embarrassed by it onstage. another of Danelectro's pedals with a similar footprint, the reverse device, has failed, i think it's the switch. metal case is nice, plastic knobs will break off.

30-year-ish+ pro musician, tech, FOH engineer, etc. have many effects setups, and experiment. device was disappointing live, but brought smiles in rehearsal and in the studio. danelectro effects are the tinker toys of the rock world, fun and neat at home, but... won't weather the road, my friends.

ease of use is pretty simple two knobs and a button.Got it used so no manual.It's pretty much stock.

Here lies the problem with the free speech talk box.This thing is not usable with an amp.Upon reading previous reviews having to go through what you have to go through this thing is worthless.I don't have a PA so running this thing through my crate vintage club30 amp will not work with factory mike it just kicks out a high pitch squeel.Tried using it without the mike through garageband vocal mike and no dice.I have a fat strat configured guitar and tried all switch positions and to no avail crappy sound.

Would not dream of using this thing in a live situation.IN all fairness to danelectro this pedal was purchased with a box of other stuff at a pawn shop so I only paid a few dollars for it.It came without the mike and tube so I bought that for 13.00 bucks.I would say it's probably reliable because there's no reason to use it.I'm not much on the talkbox thing gave it a try and discovered I don't like it.

never dealt with em

Play jamband music.Been playing 15 years.Playing an old casio pg 380 midi electric guitar and a custom thinline tele copy with a humbucker on the neck and a hot rail on the bridge through a vintage club 30 all tube crate amp with a rc20xl loop station into a boss ns2 noise supressor,danelectro fish n chips eq,ibanez de 7 delay echo,small clone eh4600,bbe greenscreamer,boss ph2 phaser and a jimi hendrix crybaby.Wish this thing worked but the old saying rings true you get what you pay for.

The pedal setup is pretty straight forward and easy.

Well, the pedal is extremly prone to feedback!!! Have tried numerous things to get the feedback to stop and nothing has worked yet. This pedal is NOT usable in a live gig situation.

Typical Danelectro.....beat it, kick it...and it keeps working!!

Do not buy this effect. Nothing but alot of feedback. If your thinking of using this in a live situation, think again! It will not work!!! Buy a Heil talkbox, you will be glad you did!

Easy to use.

ok here's the deal, i just bought it, didn't get in the mail yet but i've seen it, i showed this guy how to use and set it up for him and now he is really happy and thats why im buying it.

#1 DO NOT USE THE MICs THAT COME WITH THE PEDAL.

#2 buy a stereo 1/8" plug and wire the ground and the hot together, in other words you need to kill the sound of the mics that way, why would you do this? so this way when you turn the pedal on it'll shut off the sound of the amp and you wont get any noise thru the amp

#3 use a mic for the pedal going to the PA

#4 use a Humbucking Pickup, this is not a HIGH END pedal or a HIGH END brand so the components on it are cheap, which means the distortion is gonna be noisy and if you use a single coil pick up you are in for trouble.

#5 keep the growl at a very low setting, the guy i set it up for plays les pauls with burstbuckers which are HOT pickups so he kept the Growl at 9 O'Clock so if you have HOT pickups keep it very low, your mouth will still overdrive the sound and give you a talking sound even at low distortions, frampton used the talkbox using his amps which at the time didn't have the amounts of distortion that new amps have or that the actual pedal has, soo keep the drive low!!!

#6 Use a Vocal Mic like a SM58 not a SM57 like others use, why? becuase this way you won't need to crack the volume on the talkbox to get a great sound, the 57 needs a loud sound to come into it to make it work good, so this will save you feedback and also a HEADACHE which is what happens when you use most talkboxes (yes i've own plenty of them and this is for experience)

#7 don't expect it to sound just like a high end talkbox! this is just a wah controlled by your mouth, you wont get the Living on a prayer sound right away.. you gotta learn how to use it and get used to it!

I Hope this helps, I just wanted to show you hows the best way to get a great tone out of that cheap piece of crap, sometimes the cheap pedals are the best.

strong pedal

nope

read above and you'll get the best sound out of it

This is pretty easy to use technically but there are a few problems, Mainly Mics. Other reviewers have had problems with the provided mics, and i have to say they don't pick up a great deal unless they are right up close, and keeping them there is difficult. The controls are easy to use (Volume and growl which is distortion) but i imagine using a stage vocal mic like a shure SM-58 would greatly improve things. The provided mics are suspect to feedback, and if you are using them you need to be careful and make sure the amp setting is totally clean otherwise you WILL get feedback, even at low volume. In conclusion it's easy to use, but not so easy to use to it's full potential.
The manual was typical danelectro style briefing. a paragraph or two telling you how to use it and a little bit of advice on how to get the best sound. Fair i suppose.

I was looking for something to the effect of Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way. This thing does the trick if you have the tube in the right place. People are saying there's not a very throaty sound and it's too quiet. I disagree with that. Firstly, the volume is about the same as someone singing, so using a proper vocal mic would be fine on stage. Secondly, It won't provide a throaty sound if you don't have the tube right in your mouth. It can gag you but you get used to it, if you place the tube above your tongue about 2 inches into your mouth it will do the trick. When used correctly, speaking clearly is still difficult, but it can be recognisable. Remember you need the mics really close to your mouth for them to get the sound. The distortion is great on it's own, i wish i could use that as a separate effect!
I had a lot of buzzing to contend with but that was just my fender strat and probably wouldn't happen on my other guitars (if you own a strat you will know what i mean). I am using an old Torque Tube amp which is very powerful and has a very clean channel, i haven't gigged with it yet and will probably be using the house PA through a real mic.

This thing looks indestructable. My other Danelectro pedal (Dan-Echo) is all bashed about and looks terrible but still works perfectly, i think that this one will probably still work after taking that sort of punishment. I would (and will) gig with it definitely, and since dano pedals are nearly indestructable i doubt i'd need a backup.

Danelectro are notoriously terrible for customer service. Just look at their site, it's just a big advertising space giving no useful information on their products at all. I haven't needed customer service yet and hope i don't have to.

I play rock and blues mainly and this sounds great for the sort of things i do. I have been playing guitar for about 10 years and have picked up some pretty nice stuff along the way, like an original crybaby wah pedal, a Rickenbacker 4001 bass among other things. If this pedal was stolen or lost i'd get a Danelectro again, there's just something i like about Dano stuff. I like the sound but i also like the paintwork. The worst thing is definitely the microphones, for a start they make the tube look a bit suspect.. But they are a good feature to have in a recording environment i guess, and the distortion is nice too. If could be used as just a distortion pedal it'd be perfect for my needs as the distortion is perfect for the style of music i play. This thing has given me some nice ideas for recording so it is helpful.

Theres only 2 knobs; 1 for volume (which does almost nothing) and 1 for growl which increases the raspiness of the sound. You have to use a mic stand to keep the tube up to your mouth, i've tried pinning it to my shirt and everything but only a mic stand will work.

Worthless piece of junk. The only sound that you hear is the sound coming out of the unit itself...its got a little .5 watt speaker in it, much like the speaker they put in those singing greeting cards. No matter how loud I crank my amp up, I still cant hear more than 5 decibels of output from this thing. The internal speaker is louder than the output it sends to my amp. I used my really big amp and all it does is feed back. The only way this thing would be of any use is if you mic'ed the actual unit itself and cranked up the output.

I would never gig with this piece of junk. The only way to get any sound is to put a mic on the floor and mic the little speaker inside the pedal, and then you'd hear every time I moved my feet, it would be awful.

Most worthless piece of guitar eqipment I've ever bought.

terrible

it is now in the bottom of my bin, in bits...

I think this should really be aimed at very much the bedroom guitarists, as to use it live in a typical situation is impossible even using it in the same manner as the heil.. feedback with the "supplied mic" no where near enough volume out the tube, it should rattle your teeth... i destroyed mine to use the fitting for the tube in a home built version which is what i should have done rather than wasting near on 100 quid on this pile of useless junk.

This pedal is very easy to use, plug it in, and put the tube in your mouth. Getting good talk sounds takes some practice, but that is expected.

I do not like the microphones that are included with the tube. Although they are a good idea to make the pedal compact for the everyday guitarist, they do not always work well for me, sometimes I feel like I have to put them very close to my mouth to get them to work, sometimes making it uncomfortable or hard to talk. However, when they do work, the actual talk sound sounds very good and very cool. My only qualm with the actual sound of the talkbox is that I cant get huge range in terms of the equalization of the sound, but this could just be my voice's fault.

This is my first Danelectro pedal, and they always seemed like a cheesy company to me, but I was surprised at how well constructed the pedal was, just as sturdy as any Boss pedal. Occasionally the button doesnt switch, but as long is you hit it vertically it works fine.

Talk boxes are very cool, and unless you have an extra mic and PA and a lot of cash, the Danelectro Free Speech is the only way to go. The pedal is solid and sounds good, aside from the few problems that I listed above. I dont use this pedal as frequently as I expected, I mean its a fun little toy to use, and I use it during some live solos and on one of my band's recordings, but I think I'll keep it for a while (not that anyone will want my slobbered tube...).

I think its pretty easy with a bit of pracitice to get the right sound, mine works great.

ok, heres the trick, i think all the other guys on here are techniquely challenged because i've found the right setup that ill be gigging with in a matter of no time. All you need to do, get rid of the stupid minimics, all they do is not produce any sound, gag you, and cause feedback. Put the amp into the pedal, and your guitar. Hook up the power and such. Then, put the tube in, and cable tie it up to a mic stand, all the way up the mic, and a bit of it hanging out. (you can adjust it later) Turn on the mic, the amp, and the pedal, and start doing your thing. yeah, that easy

thing looks like its made from freaking cast iron ..i think so

never delt with, hope i never will

i play rock ..been playing for only about 9 years. own a crate with carvin mic amps. ive got a fender strat, sg, les paul, blah blah blah. if it was ever lost or broken ...id get a heil talk box ..just cuz i think there better, and i think the sound might be better. over all ..good product ..the band gets a kick out of it.

Depending on what you are using it for this can be awesome or just so-so. now for direct recording this thing is amazing. right out of the box I got the exact sound of rocky mountain way (Walsh) and house that jack built (metallica), and i'm talking exact I played it along side by side with the songs (through my 16 track and computer)and I was amazed at how well it sounded. my method was just turning up your track and puting the mics right infront of your mouth (Not in your mouth) and it sounded exact (prob best guitar sound I've ever got from a guitar from recording). now for live or goofing with an amp, you have to...HAVE TO... put the mics inside your mouth si that the amp will pic up the sound. this is harder to get a good sound because you are almost gagging on the tube and mics. DO NOT USE DISTORTION ON YOUR AMP WITH THIS!!!! the pedal already has distortion that is the growl!

I'm using PRS guitars coming through a line 6 spider 2. it only has feedback when you are using distortion!!! with practice you will be able to get the noises you want (unless you are direct recording, then you will be able to get the noises right away) through an amp you will probably need to turn up the volume on the pedal, but don't touch the growl!

I could definetly depend on this pedal, the soul reason is I will rarely use the pedal, it's pretty much a fun effect.... you will have to really work to find ways to fit this into every song... but it's still great! but the thing looks friggin tough!! you will have to clean the tube though just hang it up so everything drips out...

Never dealt with them.
bought from guitareffectspedals.com great service through them, only took 3 days to get to nova scotia!

I play everything pretty much rock and folk. i've been playing for around 12 years I own 3 prs guitars, an ibanez ak85, fender acoustic, yamaha classical, greg bennet bass, fostex vf16 digital multitrack, line 6 pod xt live, line 6 spider 2, behringer v-amp, bass v-amp, ultravoice digital, dualfex pro, virtualizer pro.... yada yada yada if it got stolen I'd eventually buy another one because they are so cool!!

cool only two knobs and a hole to insert the tube,

only had it an hour lol. but starting to sound good i think with practise i will get the hang of it and stop gaging lol.

metal casing heavy duty, i think itll last.

never need help!!!!!!

great gadget, will help me to be more like my hero "slash" lol, be good wen the band aiming to miss (my/our band)start gettin the gigs comin in. cant wait yipeeeeeeeeeee

btw, i got mine from a german site, thomann.de #52 with delievery
quik delievery thx guys :)

Easy to use, volume and growl (distortion). Figuring out how to use the mini mics effectively is another story, but once I got that down it sounded good(more on this later). Didn't come with a manual, so I had to figure it out on my own, which is no different from any other pedal I've gotten, with a little (errr...maybe more than a little) tweaking I molded it into something that sounded good to me. I find this process takes time, effort, and an ear for whatever sound your trying to achieve, and I've had to do it with every pedal I've owned, which is pretty much common sense.

This pedal sounds pretty decent once you figure out how to control the feedback. I Use a G&L S-500 through a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 50watt amp. My effects include dunlop classic crybaby, boss blues Driver (BD2), Big Muff, and Boss Super Chorus. I use the Distortion from my amp mainly usually with it around 10-11(12 is max), the BD2 at a lower gain to get a clean overdriven sound with good response to dynamics and as a volume boost for my amps distortion(which sounds nice and heavy without breaking up the tone), I use the Big Muff with either of the other two combinations or by itself naturally which can give me sounds anywhere from Jimi Hendrix to Alice in Chains self titled album (examples sludge factory, and again, etc.). Back to the Free speech, It took me a while to figure out how to control the feedback, but I think I found a solution at least for me. The problem is that the stupid mics it comes with don't pick up the sound very well at all, so naturally I turned up the volume and/or growl, but through my clean channel I wasn't quite satisfied with the tone quality so I tryed to use my amp's distortion to bring the pedal to life, but then I got this NASSSSTY feedback. So I turned down the volume to just below 9 o'clock and the growl to about 11 o'clock and it sounded great, but It was REALLY quiet through my amp. So I messed around with it for another hour or so...and then found that by placing the mini mics JUST inside my mouth, w/o completely saturating the mic I got the volume I wanted. I just had to dry off the mics after I was done using it(it's not the most sanitary thing in the world). So far I have not had a problem with the mics dying on me which if they did I could always use a different mic through a pa, although I'm not sure I'd be able to get the tone I like so much when playing the free speech with my amps distortion. I have not had the chance to play live with this pedal yet, which I have read a lot of negative reviews, but I'm sure with a little patience and common sense of where to place my amp/pedals I could find a way to make it work, it's not like it's one of those pedals I would use all the time, just for certain songs etc. I can easily get the sound of songs such as rotten apple, and man in the box from Alice in Chains, but I truly believe that tone mainly comes from a guitarists fingers not his effects. I gave it an 8 because the effect by itself through the clean channel wasn't everything I was looking for, but with the overdrive of my amp I got the growl I was looking for.

Seems pretty sturdy, I'm not very hard on my pedals/guitars anyways, my guitars and effects are some of the few things I don't totally destroy.

I play a wide range of music from hard rock, classic rock, jazz, blues, funk with my fav artists being Alice in Chains, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Collective Soul, Jeff Buckly, Clapton/Hendrix etc. I've been involved with music my whole life playing piano for 8 years, trumpet for 7yrs, and after I graduated high school I picked up guitar and have been hooked, I've only had 3 years experience, but as my fiancee has told me I'm obsessed...well lets just say "I like to play." If it were stolen I would probably get it again, but I might be tempted to try the Heil box out since that's what cantrell used for his sounds, but Being that the dano was $50 or so cheaper, and seemed like less hassle I decided to give it a try. What do I love about it....hmmmm that it makes my guitar talk, I hate the freaking feedback I had to deal with (I think the feedback screams haunted my dreams for a while). It would be sweet if it had a Tone control that's my only true gripe about the pedal.

Yep, this is a cinch to use. A volume and a "Growl" knob - easy peasey. There's a hole to shove the tube into, in and out sockets, a DC in and the on/off button - that's it. Paint job reminds me of something I ate.

The manual is brief and that's a gross overstatement!

Strat plus -> Vox Wah -> Free Speech -> Marshall Edward -> Ibanez Auto Wah -> Ibanez Chorus -> Ibanez Delay/Echo -> Digitech Reverb -> Marshall TSL601

It feedsback big time unless the amp is in a different county! This is a pig to rehearse with when the band is cramped into a small space. It may prove to be a pig to gig in a small stage area when you are practically standing on your amp in the first place.

It sounds absolutely wild without the tube attached, it roars like a goodun!

Since being an adult and having ceased shoving all and sundry into my gob for want of a better thing to do I now find I have a strong gag reflex to contend with. I just get the feedback under control and, whoops, I feel I want to vomit!

I've only had this device a few days, and so I will experiment by removing the cable with the two spittle drenched mics (as supplied) and substituting an SM58 running through a mixer and PA unit. I will rehearse by myself without being on the receiving end of many ribald remarks from my cohorts until I can get over my urge to puke and get some sensible sounds via my vocal mic. (The one about putting the tube where the sun doesn't shine is wearing thin with me)

To be fair to Danelectro, their token manual has a note about the suppied mics being detachable which suggests that that is what they actually expect you to do if you are serious about music. Their aim appears to be the provision of a product that works straight out of the box without the need for two amps, AB boxes, vocal mics and PA systems. (They almost succeed)

I will therefore state a "No Opinion" in this category at this time. (I will return to say more once I change my shirt etc etc)

Well, the best part of it is metal or some heavy duty plastic maybe. The section where the knobs and tube port are situated is definitely plastic and doesn't warrant a dig with size 10 trekkers I would think. The knobs themselves are not Boss quality but because the pedal is oversized compared to most stomps you probably won't step on the knobs in error. (I say "probably")
If I had backups of all my gear I would be in default with my mortgage supplier and so I take care and carry spare tubes, fuses and leads only. Ok, a spare amp and guitar makes sense if I'm playing for money.

I dare say that this product will prove reliable, No Opinion at present.

Not needed but I don't know how to reach Danelectro directly. Have you seen their website? They just splash some products in their comic book style with no links for contact that I can see.

Played for 30+ years in bluesy rock and latterly reggae.

I use a GR-20 by Roland (now that's sweet to get on with)

If it were stolen, I'd hunt the sap down, back him/her into a corner and hand over the manual and rush round to all their gigs to find out if they have figured out how to use it properly. I wouldn't buy another. A Heil maybe, or maybe not.

Hmmm, it gets in my way at present but who knows, with a bit of cutting and pasting and a handy vomit bag, I just may get something all of my own out of this curious gadget. I will post again to update these first observations by early July 2005. I'm saying 5 here because I won't condemn anything out of hand until it stops breathing, or I do!

It's the simplest talk box you can buy, may not be the best, but is worth it. No extra setup, no mic amps or PA (unless you want to hook up your own mic and get rid of the mics it comes with). Like most have said, the manual is ridiculous, it is about 2 pages long (actually 2 pages short) and doesn't really say much, just tells you what you should aready know, common knowledge stuff. You really aren't goin to find an easier talk box to use, so it has to get a high rating here.

To begin with, I have a Rocktron Banshee also, and it does require a mic and a mic amp or PA (works great with a PA). It is useless if you don't hook up a mic to it, if you don't, nobody will hear what you are doing unless they are a few few away from you and it's a quiet room. The Dan. talk box isn't that bad though, it's not as good as my Banshee. The distortion on the Dan. talk box is a lot better than the distortion on the Banshee. I too have to say, if there was a tone knob on the Dan. talk box, it would be a lot better. With the Dan. talk box you really can't get those squaky sort of sounds made famous by Frampton. Good example of how the Dan. talk box sounds, listen to GNR's Anything Goes, the riff Slash plays using the box you can recreate, but you can't get that high pitched sounds he does at times. Feedback won't be a problem unless you can't figure out how to adjust the pedals volume and where you place the pedal (how far from your amp). It's not as bad as some make it seem, but there are better talk boxes out there that will help you produce all the sounds from guys you've heard use a talk box. The Dan. talk box is just the simplest/more convenient talk box to use, you don't need to have a mic on the mic stand to pick up the sound from the end of the tube, no extra amp, and no risk of damaging any of your equipment.

I'm not, and never have been, a big fan of Danelectro, I just bought my Dan. talk box a few years ago because I needed one that was simple, since I don't use a talk box on every song. The pedal is very rugged, I think it can last a while. The paint is cool, wouldn't want to drop it just because of it. The only thing you would have to replace for it would probably only be the 2 mini mics if you use them. Other than that, nothing should ever go wrong with it unless you are a monster with your stuff.

I think they have a website, but no email, not sure though. They aren't the best company out there, I do have to say that the talk box has to be their best pedal, but I've never tried any of their other pedals and don't plan on it.

If you only use a talk box for a few songs or just need one that is very simple, no lengthy setting up, try this pedal out, it's going to be better than you are expecting. It's no Rocktron Banshee or Heil, but it is good enough if you just need something new or you don't use a talk box a lot. There is a huge difference in the volume of sound that comes through the end of the tube between my Dan. talk box and my Banshee, the Banshee is capable of dishing out 5 watts out the tube so the mic will pick it up with no problem at all. The Dan. talk box isn't as loud as the Banshee, probably can only max out to about 2-3 watts, not sure exactly, but I'm sure on the Banshee. If you use the mini mics, put the very close to then end of the tube.

---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.