Dunlop Uni-Vibe

Pretty easy to get sounds with...I mainly use it at the same intensity and adjust the speed (slow for hendrix fast for a trem/chorus sound).

Using it with an Elmwood Modena90 amp. The sound quality is good - it gets me close to SRV, Hendrix etc.

Its a little noisey but barable. For the price it should be true bypass...its a simple unit and dunlop dont even spend any money on the box.

A lot of people have talked about problems with this pedal however mine is still working fine after a year...I dont take it to gigs though because its not a big part of my sound...I generally use it at home. Knowing other people's experience does make me wary of using this pedal live though. Im using a dunlop power brick for current.

Never dealt with them.

I play a range of styles and this pedal generally encourages you to play Hendrixy/SRV blues...It also sounds good with distortion ala Joe Satriani (think Chickenfoot).

I dont really love or hate this pedal...its something I bought to have the univibe sound and this does it well. I dont know how it compares to the original uni-vibe's of the late 60'd/70's but it sounds fairly decent. I guess the best thing is its very expressive. Almost every time I use it I go into 'machine gun' by default!

When it's working, it's fairly easy to use. I haven't bothered with the pedal for it because it started malfunctioning after a couple months of live use. To use, it's fairly 'straight up', nothing tricky if you've ever used floor units before. Getting the 'wet' volume to match up with the 'dry' volume is about the biggest issue and just requires some live play with the rest of the band to see how bad it's gonna 'cut' when you hit it.

When it's working, it's pretty close to the original and the rotating speaker effect is phenominal...when its WARM (get to this in a second). Ive heard alot of reviews that said the bottom drops out, when engaged but I think it's how you run your tone to begin with. No problem in THAT department!

Now we've come to THIS part! As you may have noticed, there's a common thread to my opinions, 'when it works'! The reason for that is the reliability factor for this piece of junk is downright awful! No, I'm not gear stupid but is there actually, a little rotating speaker in this little box (I know better!), that refuses to move or slows down or take the sweep away when it's cold? This testy little cuss wants to forecast the weather outside for me and I dont want it! If your playing a gig where your gear has been in a car or truck and plug this sucker in and expect it to directly work, forget it! I'm deciding on a backup as we speak because I count on that tone for any Trower, Hendrix or Bad Company and it's decided last minute if any of their music will be included in the set, by if this damned thing works! I dont wanna take a chance on a backup because this one was brand new and it was garbage (it was obviously bought in the summertime, WHEN IT WORKED!). No thanks!

Haven't dealt with them yet and cosidering my warrenty (if I sent it in?) is still valid. That's why I was reading the other reviews on here and they dont look to favorable for 'customer support'. Might just chalk it up as a loss and dont get fooled again!

Most of the Jim Dunlop 're-issue' stuff is 'iffy' at best. It was bought for me as a 'much appreciated' gift, so I dont stew about it much, but it sure would be nice to rely on it, when needed. I wouldn't put it on a fixed pedal board, because you might discover that you and your fixed pedal board have a new, really close relationship that you didn't need. The Wah-Wah reissues get about the same reviews from me. Just something else to tear your hair out over and not worth the hassle!

use a stereo cable to the exp control

the controls are touchy and it goes from too little too much in less then a 1/16th of a turn.

once it's too much it is muddy and destroys the attack ...esspecially on strats and teles.....if you play with a lp you won't notice as much.

muddy...squishy.....darks the tone of a strat unless you keep it VERY light intensity.


its just a chorus pedal to me.....

i think i need to hunt down a real univibe and go into hock to buy one.

On the surface...its a stomp box...HOW could you fail to understand:
in here.....out there....step on it....LOok SoUnD comes out...Weeee

but there is Lots of room for error
....requires fine touch to find JUST the right speed and Intensity.

And you'll need to know how to effect loop it in to avoid the tone sap that some of our better hearing people have mentioned before.

.....it can be a pain to keep fussing with loops inside loops inside your loop....yes, I have 5 A/B's figure THAT out.

Dear Dunlop:
How many A/B boxes are too many? I mean REALLY.

If you buy any Dunlop Pedal Product
...then Buy two A/B boxes at the same time
....one in front and one behind it in A&B mode....yuk!

Knobs are too small to grab with toes....(ewwww TOE CHEESE!!!)
....Electro Harmonix has everyone WHIPPED on that one feature.

sorry...the Pulsar can't do Leslie Sim.

Waiting for that day when ElecroHarmonix launches their Leslie Sim...

IF you use the Bridge Position Pickup in your PRS,
or LP CUSTOMS CRANKED thorugh RAT'S or MUFFs
and THEN run them into the DISTORTION channel
on your MAZE-A-BOOGIE cranked to Spinal Tap's 11
PLEASE....please, just stop reading hear...it's a waste of your time.

On the other hand, if you are like me...and HAVE 60's strats,
a couple of Good LP's and USA Gretches, a few Fender Relics
and some old hand wound Tele pickups in a 52' blonde
....and you run them through Pre-CBS Blackfaces,
Bassmans, and vibrochamps and Vibroluxs
If you Ever saw Les Paul Play live and was SHOCKED how he got his Solid Body to sound SO SO close to your L7's acoustic tone....
Well then....you will be more likely to agree with me.



The UniVibe is Muddy...even when in standby
......MORE so if you click "vintage" which essentially
IS a Low Pass Filter...only god knows why.

the effect is obscured sounding....I don't know how else to say it.

It isn't Pronounced clearly
...is doesn't sound the way a Leslie sounds.
LARGELY because the Leslie ACTALLY reverberates off a different wall every few seconds...and your ears pick up on that FAR more then the dopler effect at the point of origin.....if your on stage all that is gone...but LESLIE'S were INTENDED for the INSIDE OF CHURCHES...not outdoor festival stages.

...it sounds somewhat like the BAD recordings of Jimi Hendrix Live

as though recorded through crappy mics in a single position
run to a substandard portable tape machine of the 1960's hazy
and a little fuzzy with the tape rot.

To Sum up:
maybe I'm just too much of a nit pick.....if you spend more then 10 minutes picking out a MIC to record on....spend another 300-500 and BUY THE LESLIE. if you are on stage....the UniVibe will do.

Don't know yet....Just got this one used....I'll tell you in a couple of years.

They answer my questions....but their answers are always the same..."well, yes, that IS the way it is.....no we don't intend to do anything about it. Thanks for giving us your money"

Dunlop makes their bucks on pics and straps....and name endorsements for MXR's which really are their better line.

They have yet to impress me.....but then again I'm impossible to impress...I'm completely full of myself.

Welll....This is WAY better then that hissy box of line noise they
call the "RotoVibe"


BUT!

When I plug in the expression pedal (to the UniVibe)
it intentionally disables the bypass!

so WHY ...please tell me WHY
THE BYPASS IS THE #1 MOST VALUABLE PART of ANY pedal
its what separates the overpriced middle range stomp
from the Pro-Utilitarian equipment staples

....the Bypass! ...it just SEEMS SO OBVIOUS TO ME!

Sometimes ALL a pedal has to do right is the ByPass and everything else is often forgivable....

Is the disabling a throwback to emulate the original design?

EVEN IF the original worked that way too,
Why not FIX that mistake in the more recent incarnation?

If you put an ON/OFF for the "vintage"
tone...Effectively FIXING the darker Tone effect of
the original.....well....HOW is this any different? except that
the Bypass is essentially more useful....then a button that makes my strat sound like a LP jr.

"I'm jus' sayin'..."

This ia a new Dunlop UV-1 Uni-Vibe, and it is a snap to use. Speed, Volume and Intensity knobs, a footswitch that engages the effect, a footswitch that toggles between Chorus and Vibrato, and an in/out button that turns the Vintage mode on or off. There is also an input for the optional foot controller (which I don't use or own).

I think this unit sounds great. I also have a Fulltone Deja-Vibe, and the Uni-vibe outshines the Deja Vibe imho. The UV has a more lush, more alive and complex sound than the Deja, which has a weaker and dryer overall sound. The UV-1 doesn't drop your volume like the Deja does, even with the volume dimed. I use my Uni-Vibe in the non-vintage mode, mostly in the Chorus mode. My chain is Bud Wah, Keeley Comp, Uni-Vibe, LovePedal Eternity, Dano PB&J, Zvex Super Duper. I use a Fender Strat into a Fender Concert II amp. The order in which you place the Uni-Vibe greatly affects the sound, and this setup works best for me.
I also can get a fairly convincing and useable sound in the Vibrato mode with some careful tweaking, but too much on the Intensity knob will quickly land you in seasick territory. In Vibrato mode, a little goes a long way.

It looks sturdy as a tank, but only time will tell. I will say that I own a Dunlop-made MXR EVH Phaser, and the AC jack on that pedal crapped out after a few weeks.

This thing fits my rig to a T. I find no signal loss, no hum, just a beautiful, lush, dimensional swirl that instantly evokes the classic Vibe sounds of Hendrix and Trower (I know everybody says that, but it's true!) It's earned a permanaent slot on my board.

Easy enough to use. In & out , two footswitches and a few knobs. No problem getting a Uni-vibe effect .........

I have tried several of these units to make sure that I did't have a defective one. I also tried different amps and different guitars. Bottom line is this - it is not only a tone-sucker in bypass mode, but also in effect mode. Also in bypass mode, switching the Vibrato switch on and off changes the guitars tone - while the effect is in bypass ! Compared to what Roger Mayer and Fulltone offers, the Dunlop Uni-Vibe sounds like crap. Not sure why everybody seems to like this unit.

Really nice stainless steel enclosure. I would not depend on this unit because the in and out jacks, the switches and potentiometers are all circuit board mounted, which has proven to be a major no-no for stomp boxes. The other major no-no of course is the internal pin connectors on the circuit board. In all fairness, this unit could probably take a lot of abuse, but I would never put faith into something constructed like this. The stainless steel enclosure is realy nice though.

I have only dealt with people from the sales department, fast email responses, but the communications had nothing to do with this effect box.

The stainless steel enclosure is really nice. The insides are put together exactly the way an effect box SHOULD NOT be constructed. Other than the stainless steel box, I should mention that it is kind of cool that Dunlop has the right to use the "Uni-Vibe" name.

This effect is all hype and marketing. If you don't notice the tone sucking problem in bypass mode, then I am sure you will love this effect just because of the name. Dunlop may have bought up all of the good names over the years ( Fuzz-Face, Uni-Vibe, MXR ) to sell their units, but that can not make up for inferior products.

Easy to use. How hard is it to figure out three knobs and two buttons? There was a third button added once when I sent the pedal in to be fixed. I think it is a vintage switch.

I have used this through a Peavey Classic 50 and a Fender Hot Rod DeVille and has sounded fine with both setups. It can get a bit noisy when used with alot of gain. Anyone looking for that Robin Trower sound, this might just be the thing for ya!

Had trouble with one of the switches and the power supply went bad once, but it's still cool.

These people were great with both issues I had with the Uni-Vibe. They even did the upgraded vintage switch once when the unit was in for repair at no extra cost, although I can't really tell much difference between the vintage and normal setting.

I've been playing blues, rock and everything in between for about 30 years.

In the past I've used this effect with the Ibanez TS-9 and Dunlop Cry Baby which seem to work well together.

I bought this pedal to get a rotating speaker effect. It comes very close. To me it is a very cool chorus and at times I have been able to get a organ effect when playing with bands that had no keys. I have found it to useful when playing rythym and back ground guitars as well as the lead work of Robin Trower and switched to the flanger side, Pat Travers, etc.

The Uni-Vibe may not be the most cost effective, but I still think it's Phat!!! If ya know what I mean!

It's pretty simple, once you figure out what color led is chorus ad which color is vibrato. Took a sec to dial in the right tone with the knobs. Very easy to use.

It sounds great. I gives just the hendrix-y sound that i bought it for, plus it sounds killer with a ds-1 in front of it. I use a jeff beck sig strat into a ds-1 into a Wylde Wah into it into my fender showman. It responds really well to the front(neck) pickup and i love the way that it sounds with the wah.

When i first got it, the previous owner had TRASHED the power supply, so the actual chorus didn't quite work right. Fortunatley, when i turned it on, it only fattened my tone.
But, since the power supply was trashed enough for the effect not to work, i am forced to wonder how reliable it will be.

GREAT service. I ordered a new power supply for it, and it came to my doorstep about 10 days later. I was very pleased with it and i am glad that i have several dunlop effects because i feel that i can rely upon their cutomer support.

I play blues, funk, rock, metal, jazz and everything in between.
I've been playing for a few years and i own a '91 Jeff Beck Strat, a Boss DS-1, a Boss graphic EQ, a Boss tuner, a dunlop Wylde Wah, of course the Uni-Vibe, a dunlop arbiter fuzz face reissue, and a '64 fender blackface showman head.
I would most definatley replace it if it were stolen. I might even buck-up for a new one as opposed to the used on that i bought.
I want to get the expression pedal for it, just so that it would be easier to control.
I highly recommend this pedal to those in persuit of killer tone.

Only 3 knobs to worry about - volume, speed and intensity - plus the chorus/vibrato switch and the on off switch. I am not interested in the vibrato. I bought it for the "chorus" which is actually a phaser, of sorts. I bought it for the usual Hendrix, Gilmour, Trower thing which. It took me about 30 minutes to appreciate the versatility of this pedal - it's not just a case of wacking the intensity up to max. Playing with position in signal chain and intensity / speed in combo with diferrent distortion device settings nails some great and some pants sounds. There are a couple of subjective sweet spots though.

I have a USA series strat, Ibanez JS100, Orange AD15 class A valve combo, Boss equaliser, V-Wah, chorus, digital delay, super overdrive, noise gate, tuner, digital reverb, Ibanez tube screamer, Pete Cornish ss2/P2 duplex (giggle!!) and everything is mains powered always by one mains point to bring mains hum under control.

I shouldnt need to describe the sound.. it's a great sound which makes me giggle its that evocative.

There are some nice sounds with the intensity backed off. Wack it to 10 with aclean sound set up and you can get Gilmour's intro chords to Breathe very, very easily. Much better than any phaser I've tried, probably cos the Univibe has a unique asymetrical and very interesting sweep. The sweep is part of the deal. The Boss V-Wah "Univ" setting is pants compared with the real thing. The sweep is completey different. The Univibe seems less repetititive and a little unpredictable. Complex is perhaps the best word.

Yeah it sucks some tone... but I can live with that and the GE7 helps me tweak.

And if you want cod Hendrix or Trower it's there but because the tone with my set up can get so close to Jimi's it makes my Hendrix imitations actually sound worse! Exposing every flaw. Like buying a stradivarius wont make you sound like stefan grapelli or buying a Fireblade wont make you Barry Sheene or whoever. It aint gonna happen. But it will give you an edge over someone with a ?5 pawn shop violin and a moped. And you can dream.

Only had it 2 days.... nice Ebay purchase. Some great pedals on there! Bidded for 3 Dejavibes and lost out each time so I settled for the Dunlop Univibe.

No idea

A great addition to my peddleboard. Only need a compresor and a decent flanger and I've got every base covered. There is something special about this pedal - look at the heritage. I am approaching 50 years of age and I've heard the analogue v digital, tube v transitor, tube v digital modelling debates since they started. I like to blend old and new - but valves in the amp DO sound best, Strat at the other end and a mix of old and new effects in between. This with my playing style gives me "my" unique sound. Maybe I am a boring old fart but some of the old pedals have a special charm, probably because they have become iconic. The Univibe is one such pedal. Highly recommended blast from the past.

Volume, Intensity, and Speed. It was very easy for me to get all the calssic tones you would expect from a Uni-Vibe. The Vintage/Modern switch on the back is a nice touch and does cahnge the sound some. I like both settings equally but find myself using the Modern more. the Vintage setting is a little grittier(which sounds great)and has a touch less low end to my ears.

I like it better than my buddy's Deja-Vibe. True Bypass would be nice but it doesn't seem to color the sound when bypassed very much at all. I think this pedal sounds more like the vintage Uni-Vibes and sounds on those old Trower and Hendrix recordings than any other vibe clones I've heard. It's nice and deep and swooshy, but not muddy like the Deja's can get. It's also somewhat better than the Micro Vibe I used before getting the Uni-Vibe. Best value if you want the "real" sound.

I've heard bad things about some of the early ones, but no one I know has had any problems with their Uni-Vibes. Mine has been used a bit before I got it and you can tell. It's case is bent up a little and there are some scratches etc. Still works fine though. I expect it will work fine for years like the ones my friends own.

I've emailed asking question about several Dunlop products. Rotovibe, Wahs etc. I have always received a reasonably fsat response from them.

I love this Uni-Vibe. I woud be very sad and angry if it were ever lost or stolen. I would have to break down and buy another Dunlop Uni-Vibe. Bottom line is that the boutique vibe-clones are not worth the extra cash when this delivers the goods and looks really cool as well. True Bypass is also nice on some pedals, but doesn't matter as much as it's made out to. I use this in front of all True Bypass oedals and it's buffered output helps drive the signal through all those switches on the TB pedals I use. If youve a lot of pedals, true bypass ones will work better if you have a good quality buffered pedal in front of the chain anyway. That's been my personal experience anyway.

Three knobs, as easy as they come...

With my rig, I definitely notice the Uni sucking the life out of my tone. I have the volume set at full--all the time. I've had it for two years. The sound does not--in my opinion--sound too much like an authentic Leslie, but it is still on my pedal board (with TS9, vox 847, mini bi-comp, Boss DD-3 and more). It does just enough to keep itself there. Does not blow me away by any stretch. If you're in the market for one, save an extra chunk of cash and get a true bypass unit...check for a boutique or analogman's vibe. If I had $300 laying around, I'd get rid of this one in a heart beat and upgrade.

big, heavy, metal...I think it's solid. Would gig w/o backup and if it died, I wouldn't be heart broken

Never dealt

Playing a range of stuff from the 60's to present day, I stomp on this effect every 3rd song or so in a set, maybe less. Depends. If you're looking for Hendrix, Trower, et al...this gives you a tiny flavor, but it's not the real deal. Granted most of their distinctive tone attributes came from their right/left hands respectively, so don't think this (or any pedal combo really) will give you an identical sound. Basically this is a "close, but no cigar" effect---yet I still use it. Plus it's big/heavy on the pedal board.

ESP Eclipse (med output stock humbuckers)->Various pedals->Uni-vibe->noise gate->mesa dual rectifier (6L6 tubes) 4x12 recto cab.... The uni-vibe vibrato sound is thick and the chorus sounds pulsy and i dunno bubbley-phasy? thick sound with round highs. I wouldn't call it a chorus. It's definatly a different sound i was expecting. I got it from Zzounds.com, knowing i could send it back if not satisfied. I actually like the sound character. It sounds much more pronounced if your using a compressor unit before it (as most effects do.) when the effect is bypassed you can hear the thick background hiss (quite loud with higher gain settings). but a noise gate hides it, and cleans it up real nice. Many claim that it 'sucks your tone'. for me the negative effects on tone is not that noticable. >i would definately recommend using a noise gate with this unit. or get a effects bypass unit to completely remove the effect from the signal path when not in use. i give it an 8. only because of the hiss.

seems fine

N/A

I think this is a great effect, the tonal characteristics are interesting. as with any effect, you should really try it out first at a store. (that was not available to me). I put rubber knob covers over the rate and intensity knobs ( the ones that come with MXR effects) so i could turn the knobs with my foot for kind of a real time control. I think this is a cool sounding effect, if you can get the noise under control when it is bypassed. I use it in clean, overdiven, and super high gain channels and i get a nice weird wobbly sound with the vibrato and thick pulsating sound with the chorus. i don't know if it really sounds like a leslie.... but this unit is a suprise/mistake that i was very pleased with.

This pedal is fairly easy to use...two buttons, the on/off switch and one that switches between the Leslie effect and vibrato. Three knobs: speed, intensity, and volume. By adjusting the intensity and speed to your desired levels, you can go from that slow "phasey" Hendrix like sound all the way to chorusy organ sounds and everything in between. All in all, after playing with it for a bit, you should be able to figure out how to get the sound you want.

I have a plethora of axes, but currently the one I've been using the most lately is my Epiphone Dot with Bigsby through Vox amps (AC30 or Pathfinder). The pedal is not noisy at all and gives me any sound I want from it, from that thick Hendrix sound to the faster, almost organ-sounding warble. The effect itself is nice and strong as long as the volume knob on it is pegged, as I've found. My one gripe with this pedal is that it tends to muddy the middle frequencies if you add too much distortion, but with just the right amount coupled with this...wow. By the way, the vibrato feature on this is decent, but why the hell would you use that? That's not why I bought the pedal and probably why you reading this didn't buy it (or are planning on buying it for).

Well, I bought this used and it does have one little glitch...the switch seems to be loose, so occasionally I'll step on it to turn it on and nothing will happen. Whacking it on the floor once or twice will fix that usually. I bought it as is for considerably less than they usually go for, so I can't complain too much. Otherwise, it's a tank...just look at it!

N/A

I play music that's an amalgam of Hendrix/Who/Zeppelin/Cream and Suede/Blur/Beatles. I've been playing for 15 years and own other pedals, but this one is a mainstay of my pedal set-up. I love the sound, esepcially the richness and depth of it. Another great feature I forgot to mention was the separate speed-control foot pedal...you have to buy it separatly but it's well worth the money so you don't have to reach down to adjust the speed. All in all, an awesome pedal for the price and about as close as you'll get to Jimi's Uni-Vibe sound without shelling out hard-earned cash (and time!) hunting down a vintage one.

Pretty easy to use

Hendrix used this device - but.......there is nothing here that cannot be achieved using a decent Phaser....i have a Boss PH3 and all i have to do is find a low modulating setting and of course play around with the rate....it achieves an identical sound.

Its not a good emulation of the leslie sound.....try the danelectro rocky road and you will be much much closer to the rotating speaker sound. you really dont have to shed the money out on this

seems sturdy

dunno

you could try this and like the sound enough to buy it.....but trust me....if you want a better rotary speaker emulation try the danelectro rocky road....needs a mod but it will be much cheaper and sounds much closer to the real thing.

If you want this exact sound (ie the sound the univibe produces...hendrix on start spangled banner) get the Boss PH-3 (phase shifter) - it can manpulate you signal in exactly the same way as this and hosts many other features...hence better value for your money.

In itself this is a good unit.....but ultimatly its over priced and has limited strength in a very competitive market.

pretty straight forward-3 knobs and 2 switches. You really don't need a manual.

15 year old clapton CS strat ( but I tossed the awful lace sensors and put in an amazing set of 70s Tokai PUs) >>> Carl Martin compressor >>>> old budda phatman with Raytheons >>>> univibe >>>> Ibanez AD99 analog delay >>> Bad Cat cub II. I have always liked the basic combination of good low output strat PUs and a classA EL84 so I don't use effects other than delay. But like all crazy tone freaks I have sought out just the right "vibe - trem - leslie - magnatone" effect to lay down a little shimmer behind that good tone. For years I thought a 'vibe' pedal was the answer and I've tried 3 - dunlop/fulltone/voodoo micro vibe. I was looking up the wrong tree. All these vibes took away the chime of my tone. The Dunlop was no different.

seemed very solid.

don't know

I have played 40 years - now in an R+B / poprock cover thing. - gig 1-2 times monthly. About a year ago I got smart and picked up a high end tremelo pedal - mine is made by Monster Effects - not too well known. This gave me the shimmer and doesn't take away my strat chime. I learned how to use just subtle amounts of effect and it really does what no vibes can do ESPECIALLY live. I sold my Dunlop and the other vibes and never looked back.

This is a classic effect. The uni-vibe was the only pedal I've seen that had the foot controller for the speed of the effect. I'm sure you can get it custom done for other effects. The effect is mostly pretty easy, one button selects if the effect is engaged, the other selects the type of modulation : vibrato and chorus. The is a button for "vintage" and "non vintage" that seems a little bit of a EQ difference , vintage is just like the old ones , and the other seems like the high end is clipped a little bit. You also have to have a STEREO, or a tip, ring and sleeve tip for the activation of the foot pedal. If you hook a mono tip 1/4" to the effect it will not work. The manual is specific on this , also how the effects function.

I think the effect sounds great. It might not be as clean as a Boss digital delay; but this effects is the classic sounds of the late sixties with hendrix and others. The end of "gypsy eyes" from the electric ladyland can be replicated with the foot controller uni-vibe. The volume of the signal in the chain comes down a little bit, but not much enough to discard the effect. I don't know any effects that are exactly going to perform with out altering the signal somewhat, it's all an approximation. The chorus sounds are nice classic as if you can hear the bulb inside gleeming with different colors, and the tremelo effect is great , especially when playing "willie and handjive" sounds accurate , it doesn 't modulate the pitch like the chorus, no "de-tuning per se. This is one of the best effects for psychedelic music becuase the foot controller allows you to control the oscillation of the effect, really trippy if done right, really cool with feedback. Like with any modulation effect sometimes distortion sounds to aggresvie; but this does have a nice sound ; however, it's not going to sound like the Roland Jazz chorus with the chorus selected. This isn't like the clean 80's chorus , like the Boss , Ibanez and others. It's not designed with stereo in mind, it's supposed to simulate a actual leslie speaker that deals with actual moving parts in the leslie, a leslie litterally spins the horns on it's axis. The reason the effect is so expensive is that this uses a small bulb to spin inside and create the effect. The uni-vibe works and sounds better after it's been on for about 10 min. So , I wouldn't be banging this effect around alot, I would keep in a pedal board case , or some kind of protection from shock. I've never had a problem, but the design isn't a chip and PC board like othe foot pedals. Basically , you need to check one of these out before the purchase, this isn't a effect that sounds like something else. I know there are pedals that say they can replicate the sound of the uni-vibe , but trust me they don't and can't.

Nice metal housing, nice metal knobs , buttons and switches. This isn't cheap metal housing , it's nice stainless steel , it appears to me, I've had mine since 1997 and never had a problem with the effect pedal. I did have a problem with the foot controller being to sensative, it kept on engagin with the slightest amount of stage sound; I would have to keep my foot on the back of the pedal to keep the pedal from switching the effect to "on". I called Dunlop and I've had great relationship with them ever since; I wish I had all Dunlop/MXR effects; maybe some day I will!

Dunlop is a great company, they will answer your questions and address your concerns. They handled a problem with a effect very professionally , so that made me believe in their products and philosophy of effects. I had since become a "artist in residence" with thier company with the hopes of being recognized by the company. I would endorse thier products; great company; great products! Very High quality stuff that's worth the price!

Great stuff, I really believe in analog effects for guitar. I'm not a fan of modeling and digital effects from a mixer or the like. Dunlop makes really nice effects , well built; and sound exceptional.

I am a professional musician in good standing with the AFM (11-637)

Plug and go! No manual needed

The chorus/rotary is very good BUT the tremelo is no tremelo! Shame really...

Up to now I have no issues.

Great Hendrix sounds but there is a loss in sound quality, the bypass is not a 100 % hardware bypass so there is a loss there too and is is noisy with a hi-gain amp. I have a Peavey 5150 and it overloads my noisegate... facit : I have to unplug it when the song does not need it or else it sucks tone - I am now even considering buying a a/b switch to select it when I need it.

Three knobs and two switches. If you can figure out a guitar fretboard, you can definitely figure this thing out. 10 for ease of use.

Sounds fantastic. Really hypnotic and fun to play with. Very warm tone. If you have come to know the analog vs. digital thing, you'll be able to put your finger on this one. Definitely analog tone. Good stuff.

Another guy posted that this thing sucks tone, well, I found this FAQ on the Dunlop site which describes the use of the Vintage Switch, which sounds suspiciously like the tone that guy claims was being sucked...

Uni-Vibe Vintage Switch

The Vintage Switch sets the Uni-Vibe's input to either "High" impedance or to the Original 60's Uni-Vibe's "Low" impedance. The choice between "High" and "Low" will offer two different sounds when a guitar with non-buffered magentic pickups is connected directly to the Uni-Vibe's input jack by stereo cable.



HIGH - (button in the out position) The "High" impedance setting preserves the full range of the guitar's output frequencies, letting through the crispness of the high frequencies, which is known as the "Unloaded Sound"



LOW - (button in the in position) The opposite is true in the "Low" impedance setting, which creates the "Loaded Down Sound" This setting causes a high frequency roll off, which is dependent on the type of pickups in the guitar being used. This made each guitar have its own, what was termed, "warm" sound. This was one of the simple, yet magical elements of the Original '60's Uni-Vibe. Although the "warm" sound was a wanted character, when the Uni-Vibe effect was active, you could not get the full sound of the guitar when the Original Uni-Vibe effect was turned off. The Jim Dunlop 90's Uni-Vibe takes care of that problem, by automatically changing the Input to High impedance when the Uni-Vibe is bypassed, allowing both the original warm effect and the unloaded bypass sound.

Have only had it a couple days and no problems. But having read all the bad experiences reported here, I'm going to get Guitar Center's Performance Guarantee for this one. It's too expensive to be stuck out of luck if it does fail.

N/A

It's a great sounding pedal and it fits well into my rig Strat->CryBaby->Uni-Vibe->H20->Big Muff Pi->Mesa Boogie Road King. I can nail any tone I want and it's the real analog deal (other than the H20 that does a respectable job of making a digital delay sound analog).

Simple to use yet near imposible to make it work ;)

This thing is not worth the money like most of the Dunlop products it is based on circuits from the late 60's drug labs. Well this sounds as lo-fi as it should and that's part of it's nostalgic charm but really what use is it in the modern age if all you want to do is Hendrix sounds? The uni-vibe is another effect to as poorly used and abused as the wah wah has been by every helicopter crash test dummy Hendrix wannabe from 1970 to the present day.

Use it, but in your own way and not to imagine you are nailing such and suches sound in your head when in reality it actually sounds like a very sad imitation.

For KA "When it comes to foot pedals, the rule of thumb is to put your modulating effects first in-line then your fuzz/distortion."

What planet would that be on?? If there is any rule of thumbs it's that all modulation effects go AFTER distorsion and before delays and reverbs you idjit.

The Uni-Vibe is pretty simple to use, three potis interacting in output and sound, one jack for input, one for out plus pedal-control. But watch out: it needs a SPECIAL DUNLOP EXPRESSION PEDAL(!!!) to use this function, no other will do!

So here's what it's all about: I've been testing this device with nothing but the finest Planet Waves patch cables for making sure that it does not alter the sound when bypassed. This was my first point of interest since so many of you guys claimed it to be from ultra quiet to feeble and noisy. And here's what I came up with: Yep, it DOES alter the sound in a very negative way. It robs definition, directness and upper mids, further dynamics are reduced. I was very dissappointed for there is no way in my effect chain when choking my signal, so I sorted it out from that point on (even my girl-firend was able to hear the difference!!!). But of course I wanted to know whether it is the real thing when turned on. I compared it to a) the Line-6 MM-4 Uni-Vibe modeling, b) the Boss V-Wah's modeled sound, c) the Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe and d) the Voodoo Lab's Mico Vibe. In comparison it's effect was thick but edgy, not at all subtle or creamy. When turned faster this proved to be an advantage for it sounded much more 3D, swirls a great deal. I liked the Mico Vibe's smooth but fat sound most (last not least for it's true bypass!!!) and think the Voodoo Vibe to be the best deal overall (infinite possibilities, true bypass, expression pedal jack that worked with everything, tremolo sounds, etc.). The Uni-Vibe's Vibtrato mode is really feeble; go and look for a Boss Vibrato at eBay or use the Line-6 MM-4 modeled one, it's superb!

I'm working at a guitar store for two years and we had two Uni-Vibe units to be repaired. I was told that the problem is a machanical one: the switches tend to break the circuit's board. Futhermore sometimes the speed poti didn't do it's proper job at all times (Does it have to get warm? - I guess so...). I would not rely on it on tour.

Since I's writing from Germany I would be evaluating the german distributor... wouldn't make any sence, would it?

For studio use to get that Hendrix swirl for one or two songs, it's great. To get the Pink Floyd swirly chorussy sound, get yourself a Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe. When you are in need of using the expression function, the Roger Mayer Voodoo Vice the real deal for you. When looking for the Vibrato sound mode at it's best, the Boss Vibrato is THE thing and may be found modeled tremendously in the Line-6 MM-4. Hope I cound REALLY help :o)))

Plug in and GO! No problem. Manual is short and sweet, as it should be.

I've read through the reviews and I want to throw some things out there to consider and maybe help. This is not a slam on anyone as everyone idea of a sound or tone is subjective. For the most part, everyone seems to have pretty decent amps and guitars. Now, some of you getting noise should consider the following rule: When it comes to foot pedals, the rule of thumb is to put your modulating effects first in-line then your fuzz/distortion. Otherwise, you can end up with an EQ disaster. Makes no tonal sense to boost and distort your signal and then modulate it. Using the amplifier effects loop with an effects processor (not a pre-amp) for modulation and delay is a different approach and better. A possibility concerning the power problems: plug the adapter into the unit first and then plug it into the wall. Otherwise you could get an arc and blow the power supply or the unit. Some folks just want to SPEND more money to get what the UNI-VIBE does. I've heard the Fulltone and it sounds good, but I can't justify an extra $200 just to have a UNI-VIBE clone touched by Mike Fuller. Trower endorses the Fulltone Deja-Vibe (Do you really think he sought out the Deja Vibe or paid for it?). Robin used UNI-VIBE's for most of his career and probably still has the originals, what's he need a clone for? The Voodoo Lab Micro-Vibe is a good alternative if you don't want to spend the money on a UNI-VIBE. Anyway.......my set up is: a '62 reissue Strat > VOX WAH > UNI-VIBE > MESA BOOGIE V-TWIN > TS-9 > FENDER TWIN (The Evil one!) No noise and sounds great. Gets Trower and Hendrix tones with no problem. Maxed out, it even gets a great SRV Cold Shot vibe. Very inspiring sound. Gets the creative juices flowing. Thick, swooshy rotating chorus....it's what you are looking for, beleive me. The vibrato actually bends the note, but not like a true vibrato, and I haven't really found a use for this function......yet.

I've only had it for about a month, but so far so good. As far as dependable, the kid at the music store rummaged around for the adapter quite a while, then found what he thought was a compatable adapter (Keep in mind this is a new UNI-VIBE) and plugged it in to show me that it worked. The adapter was 2 volts and 300 milliamps too much. I urged him to find the original adapter and he finally did. So, my point is that even over powering it didn't hurt it.

I emailed the service tech for a newer manual that covers the vintage switch and within a day or so, i got a nice email with an adobe version of the new manual.

I play blues/classic rock and dabble in jazz-fusion. Been doing it since 1976. I tried some of the clones, Deja Vibe, Micro-Vibe, etc., but this one was the one. Great sound and very usefull musically. It gets right in the Hendrix/Trower/SRV arena and it is a beautiful thing! I'd buy another one.

Huge and needs seperate PS. Hard to find room for.

G&L Legacy w/Dimarzio Virtual Vintages, Heritage 535 w/SD 59's into
Mesa Blue Angel, Victoria Bandmaster, '67 Deluxe Reverb. It is noisey even when it's off w/no effective bypass. Huge tone and range loss, adds harshness. Sterile, stiff response.

30 yr. professional player. Won't do the Ry Cooder (or any other) Leslie thing. Won't do Hendrix well as it also works poorly w/other effects (germanium Fuzzface, FD2, TS-808). I bought an early white Deja Vibe to replace it which was much better, but was still lacking alot. The newer Deja's have an improved ac power a couple weeks after I bought it and they are a little better than the originals. I had to sell it for 1/2 of the $300 I paid for it. It was a month old and in LN cond. I traded my month-old $225 Dunlop Uni-vibe back to the store for $85 worth of tubes. This was 4 years ago. Don't waste your $ too.
There are much, much better products like MJM 60's Vibe, Sweetsound Ultra-vibe, ect.

Super ezy!

well, i have been using my univibe for more than 5 years right now. of course with the speed controle pedal, which is the only way it makes sense! i sold my intellifex, because i was through with all that digital shit! i am absolutely happy, you can recreate all the hendrix sounds pretty easy. i even used it on a cd that i recorded with a new metal band - that is the pont - it is versatile and stable. forget about the true bypass! in my eyes the little influence this pedal has on the original sound is only of advantage, you will see and love it.

never had a problem! come winter, summer or whatever, i coulsd always rely on it.

how could i tell, when i never had a problem?

mybe this unit is not the original one, but it does a great job. i also play a roger mayer axis fuzz myself, but i think that every guitarist should find his sound by listening carefully and find the right stuff. names are nothing, even if it was dumbshop instead of dunlop i would buy it again.

Simple to use

Running it from a Paul..to a Fender Hot Rod
Only thing I find that I didn't like was unwanted noise when I run it from a drive box. Don't think the foot pedel is all that great,..very very touchy,.I don't like it.

No problems with it so far

n/a

I play blues,.it gives me what I want,..but I just don't care for the pedel. I'm happy with it,.and probably would get another one if it got stolen.

Very, very easy to use! I didn't get amanual with mine, but you'd have to be an idiot not to figure this one out. Volume, speed and intensity controls - I have the optional footpedal for speed which is really cool.

Has both vibrato and chorus effects. I think the vibrato sucks and the chorus is so-so. It is supposed to simulate a Leslie speaker but it doesn't really sound like one. It is, on the other hand, very versatile and I can change the sound with the controls. Although it doesn't work well as a Leslie, it has it's own character. It does add a nice psychedlic effect, but again if you want a Leslie sound I recommend buying a Leslie speaker! I recommend the foot controler so you can add emphasis by adding more speed. I'm running this thru an Orange AD30TC and a Marshall DSL 401.

Built like a brick - I've had it for just under a year and have had no problems!

No idea?

I play blues/rock and it does have it's place for some tunes. Been playing about 2 years. My rig is fairly simple Les Paul run through dunlop wah > uni-vibe > tuner > MXR phase 90 > A/B box > 2 amps. If it were stolen I would replace it - I only use the chorus effect so I would probably recommend if your looking for just chorus to buy a chorus pedal since this one is pretty expensive.