Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

UPDATE #4: EZ Electric Mistress Mod!

Okay, it's me again. Having played with two of the four internal TRIM POTS (screws) some more, I have concluded two things: the one on the far right is actually the one that will fix your volume/gain problems, not the middle one below the three upper pots. And, that one below the three can be adjusted without taking your flanger apart. How? I'm glad you asked:

If you turn the Mistress upside down and unscrew the bottom (leaving in the wire attached to that bottom plate, just 'cause), you'll see four trim pots on the circuit board, arranged like so:

(O) (O) (O)


(O)

If you have a volume drop or if your signal distorts when the effect is turned on, play with the one on the far right until it sounds good. Do this while your guitar is plugged in (and running through other effects like compression that you'd generally use with the flanger) and the amp is on so you can hear the sound difference. You can also play with the top middle pot; it does about the same thing (at some point the pots will just make the flange into a clean signal--play with them until you have the flange signal going at the right gain). STAY AWAY from the far left pot, it will make the Electric Mistress scream like Britney Spears on a date with Carrot Top.

Okay, so the lower middle pot will change the effect from the usual classic Andy Summers-esque shimmery flanger sound (that's what I usually dial up, anyway) to something a bit more like the Boss flanger to a flange that's only really audible with distortion to a slinky, almost phaser-like sound when the color knob is cranked up (not harsh like it usually would be with the color cranked). In other words, this pot alters the basic character and intensity of the flanger.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could play with this fourth control just like the Color, Range and Rate controls, without having to leave your Mistress's guts hanging open while you do it? Well Chuck, here's how I altered mine to do just that:

You will need:

a ruler
a permanent marker
a drill
the long part of a pair of cheap,
drug store reading glasses--you know,
the part that goes out to your ear,
should be thin and flat and metal
(most of it, anyway)
packing tape
wire cutters
screwdriver
pliars
root beer

Okay, so basically you run a ruler across the bottom of the flanger while the circuit board is still exposed. Mark at the 4 edges places directly across from that lower, middle pot. Extend those lines so that they go up to the top of the unit. If you're freaking out right now, don't worry, you can wash off the lines later with paint thinner or nail polish remover (for Cure tribute bands).

Screw on the bottom plate again and flip the unit over. It should be unplugged from everything. Use the ruler again and the four marker lines and mark on the unit where they all meet. It should be about in between the last two s's on the word "Mistress", right on the corner of the black area that is behind the "Elecric Mistress" writing. This point, if you haven't botched the job like a total tool, should be directly above the trim pot.

Get your drill. The bit should be at least a little bigger than that section of reading glasses (or anything else that you think will work) that we're basically using as a screwdriver/knob. Begin drilling. Do it slowly. Stop frequently. You don't really want to drill all the way through, you might dip in too far and wreck the circuit board. Drill till it looks like you've made a sizeable pockmark in the metal casing. Prod often with a screwdriver or other hard impliment until the metal is thin enough for you to poke through. Once it is, twist the screwdriver around until the gap is widened sufficiently. It's really not as scary as it sounds, just drill in short bursts and probe often. And try to keep your mind out of the gutter.

Once you have your hole, get out that flat section of reading glasses wire. Make s

What can I say? I'm like the Delux Electric Mistress support guy. I swear, I don't work for Electro-Harmonix. However, I'd gladly accept money for all the customer support I've been offering on this page (hint, hint).

In cash.

Small, unmarked bills, please.




;) <- obligatory emoticon

pretty simple, just 3 knobs. it takes a while to get the sound you want but you'll eventually find it.

my setup is EH Big muff pi> Boss DS-1> EH Big muff pi> and fender princeton chorus and sometimes i use a VOX wah wah. I've never used a flanger before so i dont have anything to compare it to. all i know is that it sounds really good with my setup. i bought it from a pawn shop for 40 bucks, the guy wanted 65 bucks but i threw in an old ibanez delay pedal i never used and he knocked of 25 bucks. it was a good investment.

it's hard as a rock and it plugs in. i'm getting ready to start a band so saving the 4 dollors on a 9 volt really helps.

never delt with them.

i play punk/grunge stuff and this thing adds a nice touch to some of my songs, it was a good investment on my part, i'm glad i found it.

Quite easy. Always using some time to find the right sound, but it's only 3 knobs.

My setup is; Japanese 57 reissue Strat=Vox Wah=Small Stone=Big Muff Pi=Boss GT-3 Multi efx=Electric Mistress=Volum Ped.=Sound City Amp. I think the Mistress sound best at the end of the efx chain. If you place it before the overdrive unit, you'll get a strange,swelling sound. The colouring is perfect when placed at the end. I try to get the right Gilmour sound. And by just using a clean signal, a little delay and the Mistress, you'll have a heavenly sound. I also discovered that it's a wonderful Leslie simulator. Other chorus/flanger units tends to get sour or untuned when you turn the rate up, but this one gives a perfect swirling sound. I never understood the filter switch though.

Never had any problems so far. Had it for about 2 years.

I play in a Pink Floyd Caover band and without this pedal you simply won't get the Gilmour sound. I get different delays and reverbs from the Boss Gt-3, but i stick to good old Electro Harmonix for the vintage 70ies sound. The Mistress is the best flanger pedal I've ever heard and it's so versatile. You can get a smooth chorus, a fat flanger or a heavenly leslie. Just the best! If anyone else uses this pedal or any other Electro Harmonix pedal
to create the ultimate Gilmour sound, PLEASE contact me on e-mail and share your experience and knowledge!

The Deluxe Electric Mistress has three knobs, one two-way switch and three sockets. The function of each of these is clearly indicated, so anybody with an IQ above room temperature should be able to integrate it into their sound without a great deal of difficulty. It isn't supplied with a manual, so some experimentation will be required to find a sound that appeals to you. That's all part of the fun, though, isn't it?

My setup is somewhat unorthodox, in that I don't actually use a guitar amplifier. The chain is: Fender Lone Star Stratocaster ---> DOD Milk Box compressor ---> Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress ---> Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi ---> Dunlop Crybaby 535Q ---> Line6 POD ---> Roland VM3100 Pro mixer ---> Samson studio amplifier ---> Spirit Absolute-2 studio monitors. The Tone Nazis may sneer, but I think the POD sounds wonderful, and for my purposes it beats a "proper" amplifier any day. (Incidentally, I also use a Boss AC-2 Acoustic Simulator, but that's fed directly to the mixer.)
Up until a few months ago, I had never considered buying a flanger, since I didn't realise that the effect could be used for more than cliched jet plane noises. While browsing the Effects section here one day, however, I happened to read the review below which hailed the Electric Mistress as "Andy Summers in a box". I've always loved the timbre of the Police Chord (you know the one I mean, from "Walking On The Moon"), so the box that Summers used became a must-have for me.
While the Deluxe Electric Mistress is relatively expensive, I think its price is reflected in its flexibility. It'll do the classical whooshing flange thang, but at moderate settings it adds a lovely, chiming, ever-shifting depth to your sound - like chorus, only more interesting. My concept of tonal nirvana is best captured by Marty Wilson-Piper and Peter Koppes of The Church. (Remember "Under The Milky Way"? And yes, they're still going strong.) Stratocasters and Rickenbackers, heavily compressed, chorused and delayed, and amplified with clean but characterful Vox AC30's. The Electric Mistress and the POD have brought me a long way towards replicating their sound, together with the lush stereo chorus and sweet EQ offered by my VM3100 mixer.
That's its primary application for me, but there's more. For example, New Wave aficionados will be interested in the following: Set "Color" to 12:00, "Range" to 4:30 and "Rate" to 3:00. Arpeggiate G added sixth (high to low) at the twelfth fret, into your amp's clean channel: the sound is instantly identifiable as the memorable, synthy lead guitar tone from "Israel" by Siouxsie and The Banshees. (For God's sake, though, roll back the volume and tone on your guitar before you play anything, or your amp - and quite possibly your ears - will melt.) Alternatively, flick the "Filter Matrix" switch on and twist the dials for some spooky "Doctor Who" pseudo-ring-modulation weirdness. Retro-futurism, dig? Finally, it's worth mentioning that Robin Trower had two of these units on his pedalboard during his glory years in the mid-Seventies.
The Mistress, being an analog device, will add a little bit of noise to your signal. Since it's not a gain-type effect, though, the damage is minimal.
I'm giving the Mistress a "9", but only because I don't believe any effect unit yet made can be said to be a perfect "10".

Solid looking and quite heavy, with a metallic chassis. I guess it'd survive plenty of knocks.

If it went wrong, I'd take it back to the dealers to see what they could do. I'm sure the Electro-Harmonix boys are too busy sniffing glue in the restroom to deal with customer complaints.

I notice that the majority of the authors of Harmony Central reviews seem to be Nu-Metallers or shredheads. Well, if you always play as loudly as possible, and with as much distortion as your amp can crank out, then don't bother with an Electric Mistress, unless money is no object to you. If making the kind of noise that frightens animals and small children is where you're at, and you want a flanger to add a little something extra to a song, then just buy something cheap and nasty. The Mistress is too expensive an investment if you're only going to turn it on occasionally. Keep on saving up for that triple-rectifier head you've been dreaming about.
Caveat emptor: the Mistress doesn't have a battery compartment. It's powered by a 24 volt wallwart. Also, bear in mind that it's a big box: have you got room for it on your board? (If you do buy one, of course, you'll find yourself constantly stealing admiring glances at it; with its brushed-steel casing and Pac-Man logo, it's a handsome, funky-looking item.)
To conclude: yes, if my Deluxe Electric Mistress were lost or stolen, I would buy another. It's become an essential component of my guitar sound.

Three knobs, on/off switch.

The pedal I got had a horrendous amount of noise--it was far noisier than any pedal I'd ever heard, it was unbearable. I don't know if that's how all of these pedals are, but it was really horrible. I could hear the flanging, but there was an awful lot of hissing going on too.

I've owned another Electro Harmonix pedal--they are not made well at all, and this particular one seemed to barely be working.

Didn't try contacting them.

This rating reflects the pedal I got--like I said, not all of these pedals may be like this. Mine was a real piece of junk. I didn't bother trying to get it fixed or anything. Just sent it back and got a refund.

Very easy to use. The only reason it's not a ten is because it takes some tweaking and getting used to what each knob does before you can dial in the right tone.

It's analog, which I prefer. Sounds great at most "reasonable settings". The reason I say that is because although it's get's pretty spacey, it also get's noisy and pretty harsh at extreme settings - but these can be used effectively in some freakout jam session if you're into that sort of thing (I am sometimes). I love the filter matrix mode with color at about 2 o'clock and range at about 10 o'clock - nice hollow, gritty edge to my distorted tone. When used in conjunction with my small stone at a low setting - UNBELIEVABLE! I play either a '67 Gibson SG or an Aria Pro II les paul custom, which go directly to my Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10. The effects loop goes: Mistress >> Marshall Vibratrem >> Small Stone >> Dan-Echo >> back to amp. When I really want to get a haunting sound, I break out my Ebow.

Haven't had it long enough to say yet. But it's built like a tank. (It takes up as much room as a tank too)

???

I've been playing about 6 years (late bloomer) and I've kinda turned into a tone freak so I really prefer vintage sounding analog effects. This very inspiring pedal certainly fits that bill. I like experimental/improvisational and rock/blues/jazz. My favorite guitarists are Gilmour, Hendrix, Trower, Ry Cooder, Page, Warren Haynes, Clapton, and Jeff Martin of the Tea Party (just to name a few). The mistress definately lets me dial in some of their most recognizable tones. What I really love about it is the filter matrix mode. It has a wide range of tonal possibilities and it adds that extra edge to my distorted tone that really makes a huge difference. Well worth the $100 I payed for it. If it were stolen, I'd be pissed and I'd buy another.

This is my second update. I'm always discovering new and sometimes frightening quirks with this pedal. Most importantly, I found out how to fix the volume drop problem that everyone here keeps bringing up. You know, like when you click it on and suddenly you can't be heard over your drummer/bassist/rhythm guitarist because a slight volume drop erases you from the mix? And then you have to reach down and turn up your amp, which after a while gives you repetative motion back injury and you have to sue Electro-Harmonix for their company, which is probably worth 20,000,000,000 rubles (or about $12.50 US). Well, here's what to do if you have this problem:

Open it up. Unscrew the cover, tip it upside down. Be careful of your back while doing this because EH can't pay your doctors bills. In the circuit board (from the bottom of the unit) you'll see four holes with trim pots (read: screws) inside. Get yourself a very thin screwdriver for this one. Okay, there are three screws on what to you is the top of the circuit board, and one in the middle of the circuit board below the other three.

The three on top don't affect volume, really. The two on the right just switch between dry and effected. Make sure they are turned all the way to the effected side (I believe one is clockwise, the other counterclockwise: use your ears). Watch out for the one on the left. I think I was turning it counterclockwise (and had my guitar plugged into the Mistress which was plugged into my amp) and the most horrible screeching noise came out. It was like Cher meets Barbra Streisand--ooh, that gives me the willies. Anyway, it scared the crap out of me. Don't mess with the one on the left, unless of course your Mistress already makes a horrible ear shattering screeching noise.

The screw below the top three is the magic one. If you turn it all the way counterclockwise it makes the flange kind of weaker and thinner. Turn the screw clockwise and it gets back to the familiar watery Mistress flange. On mine it was originally set somewhere in the middle. Okay, TO FIX THE VOLUME DROP PROBLEM TURN THE SCREW ALL THE WAY CLOCKWISE. Your mistress will sound as good as it did before, but with NO VOLUME DROP. WHOO HOO!!! Remember, watch out for the screw on the left, it's the Cher knob (if you're plugged in and turned on). Avoid sounding like Cher at all costs (I don't believe in love anymore, all because of her voice).

Okay, here's the other thing I found out. If you own a Danelectro tremolo (which I do), and you put the tremolo after the mistress in your chain, your Mistress will sound like it's broken, even with the tremolo off. It will make this creaky board/rocking chair sound that might sound cool for one part in a song, but would get annoying after 15 seconds or so. So if you want your Mistress to sound normal w/a Danelectro Tuna Melt Tremolo, put the tremolo BEFORE the Mistress. I have no idea why this should be. But, life is strange. (Bush and Gore, two brain-dead politians who live in the corporations' pockets are our leading presidential candidates while Ralph Nader, a man with brains, good ideas and morals when it comes to not selling our government to AOL-Time-Warner, goes on virtually ignored. Yes, life is goofy-strange.)

Maybe I should write a column entitled "adventures in flanging" or "frightening experiences with made-in-Russia guitar equipment, with preachy sidebars about my personal politics." Pretty catchy, huh? Tell some guitar magazine or Harmony Central about me, wouldja? All right, so I'm a no-talent hack. Like you got skills. Hrmph.

Flanging with myself,
Ben

This is an update from my last revue. I read that if you put the Mistress before youre distortion instead of after it, you get a really cool rotating speaker sound going. With my guitar going to a crybaby wah, to the Mistress, then to a Danelectro Fad Tone, I nailed the Hendrix Star Spangled Banner tone easy. Also some pretty cool vibrato effects can be acheived at the turn of a knob. My favorite setting is COLOUR-10:30, RANGE-7:00(all the way off), and RATE-9:50. This setting gives you a very good leslie/chorus sound. My advice to you is to experiment as much as you can with your Mistress. There are so many sounds. Also I found that the 15% volume drop has dissapered! The volume is now consistent. Enjoy the info.

All I can say is that looks are decieving. Though it only has three knobs (colour, range, rate) and one switch (filter matrix mode), the mistress is capable of yeilding amazing sounds. It can take a bit of time to get the desired sound, but once ya do...whoo boy, it sure is sweet!

The sound is great. I've tried all sorts of flangers such as the purple boss one (vomit), the ADA one (drool) and many others, and I can easily say that this either matches their sound quality or beats it. My only gripe was the amount of time that it took me to get a really deep flanging sound, sometimes the frequencies would be too high-pitched and quite annoying, but once I learned the limit of every knob it was great. You can get amazing chorus/leslie speaker sounds, deep flanging sounds and weird metalic effects (with the filter-matrix mode on). I have a lot of pedals, and my favourite of the bunch are always my Electro Harmonix boxes. Just like the Big Muff and the Small Stone, this one's a classic!

I'll spell it out RELIABILI-T to the max, this thing is incredibly durable and looks cool too. I really like the AC cord which not only looks incredibly badass but also takes away all the noise that you get with conventional pedals and does away with batteries and those annoying AC adapters. They'll never improve on this.

Can't say as I've dealt with 'em, no need.

I love the Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, stuff like that, and this pedal does a great job of getting the natural tape flanging effects that I have so loved on my favourite recordings. The sound is not exactly tape-like but pretty damn good. Mike Mathews...I salute you.

Three knobs and a filter matrix switch. Just move them around till you get what you like.

Chain goes like this: Mexi Strat with EMG DG20 pickups -> Boss CS-2 Compressor -> Ibanez CP-9 Compressor/Limiter -> Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer -> Sovtek Big Muff Pi (reissue) -> ProCo RAT II -> Jim Dunlop JH-1 Hendrix Crybaby Wah -> Electroharmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress -> Boss OC-2 Octaver -> Boss CE-2 Chorus -> MXR Digital Time Delay -> Fender Frontman 15 Amp. This pedal brings out lush sweeping sounds from a watery jetlike swoosh to the tin-in-a-garbage-can twangy resonence. Only drawback is the AC hum which I think can be fixed by using some shielded wire instead of the stock configuration, I'll have to look into it.

Only complaint is some of the outside hex nuts on the case can become loose if you yank cords out without being careful. Its a big pedal, you aren't going to lose it. Won't fit on any pedalboard unless its big.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for 13 years and this is probably the most wide ranged flanger I've encountered. Sounds really cool when you move the knobs while playing, wish there was a footpedal for it! I'm a Pink Floyd nut and if this was stolen I'd find the bastard and pull a flanger with a Ginsu on his fingers.