Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

This pedal is very easy to use. If you take about an hour fooling around with it you can get the sound you want. The manual don't tell you much. But you don't need it. Just explore and you will fing the sound youre looking for. The reason I give it an eight is because it is way to big. I opened up the unit and found all of this extra space inside. EHX used to make a smaller and cheaper version of this pedal back in the 70's but they havent reisued it yet.

Great sound. Very warm. When I play through the flanger without a distortion, I get the cleanest sound ever. With distortion it gives sort of a compressed sound. But there is a 15% volume drop when the unit is switched on. I beleive that you can can fix the problem with the four 'trim' pots inside. This pedal is great for getting those Jeff Beck sounds from 'Wired'. Also if youre into the Police, you will love this pedal. The filter matrix is unique. If you have it set right, you can get an out of phase sound that is great for leads.

I just got it yesterday.

I play rock, classic rock, blues, jazz, you name it. It has the most sounds you will ever want out of a flanger.

This is just an update to my previous review. I forgot to mention something really cool about the Electric Mistress. If you put it in front of the distortion instead of behind it like any God-fearing American would, and play with the knobs, you can almost get a Hendrix-Univibe "Star Spangled Banner" sound. No joke! Can't believe I forgot to mention that.

Same as my first review.

I previously reviewed this effect and did re-purchase an Electric Mistress which I immediately returned because of major noise (more than I remember my first Mistress having). It was so intense that it was hard to hear the flanging effect. Not only was the noise bad when the effect was engaged, but there was a noticeable hum coming through my Line 6 Flextone XL when the pedal was in bypass. Bummer.

No change from my first review.

When I returned it to the store, they called E-H to inquire about a Mocro Synth and responded immediately. Didn't tell them about the noisy MIstress.

I had high hopes but was disappointed. I'll probably save my $ for a Fulltone ChoralFlange. On the other hand, I bought a Q-Tron at the same time as I bought the Mistress and it's perfectly quiet and the effect is awesome.

There are three knobs, Color (intensity), Range (depth), and Rate. There is also a "Filter Matrix" switch which has the effect, for all you Boss Flanger owners, of cranking the Res on a boss and putting all the other knobs to zero, only you can fine tune it better. Steel Drum effect, in other words. Regular out and dry out. Plugs straight in to the wall, easy as sweet potata pie. Requiers ear for tasteful sounds, but not much brain power.

Andy Summers in a box, ladies and gentlemen. Turn the rate to about 9 o'clock, Range and Color both to 11 o'clock. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Much warmer and richer and tasteful than my Boss flanger. Although it can deliver the old airplane flanger trick, it's strength is that it delivers warm but shivery chorus type tones. Think of a Danelectro Cool Cat. Now add swirl. No, not cheesy airplane noises, but pulsing, warm swirl. Got it? No? Listen to "Bring On The Night" or the "Reggatta de Blanc" break in "Can't Stand Losing You" on the Police Live! album. Also "Walking On The Moon." You too will need a clean pair of underwear and a cigarette.

Also delivers various Nirvana mod. tones, from "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" to "Come As You Are" to various live versions of "Teen Spirit" and "Heart Shaped Box." Basically, just turn the rate up until it lifts off like an alien space craft. Electro-Harmonix and Kurt Cobain. Like pasta and garlic bread, my friends, pasta and garlic bread. I don't think he actually used the Mistress, but whatever, it works anyway.

Of course, if you're into airplane noises (which can be cool, i.e. "Love" by Smashing Pumpkins), the Mistress can do that just fine too, though the Boss flanger had a bigger range--somewhat of an insane range, actually. Oh, another thing, the Boss is much brighter sounding than the Mistress, which got annoying when I hit the distortion button. Ouch!

I play a Fender Telecaster through eight different effect pedals into a Peavey Bandit 112s w/attached extension speaker. I'm very picky when it comes to effects. I'd always wanted the Delux Electric Mistress, but didn't want to spend $140 on a flanger. But then I saw it used for $90 at the guitar store, so I brought in my Boss and paid the difference. Now I sleep with the Mistress by my side. My lonely nights are over. Hey, don't knock it, the Mistress treats me better than most girls.

Oh yeah, why does it get a nine? Slight volume drop when you turn it on. Not a big deal, easy to compensate. Still, I would prefer no volume change at all.

Why knows? I don't know, it looks like it's seen a lot of use, and it works just fine (though I had to replace a couple of knobs that were missing when I bought it). Gig without a backup? Nobody needs a backup flanger, except maybe Mr. Summers when he was with The Police.

I have no idea.

I play all sorts of rock 'n' roll, from blues rock to quiet instrospective rock to psychodellic to alt-rock to industrialish to experimental. Whatever labels you want to slap on all that. I've tried the Boss Flanger, the Morley Flanger, the black plastic Ibanez flanger, and have heard the MXR flanger. The Delux Electric Mistress is by far the best of the bunch. What can I say? Playing through it is like making sweet, sweet love. In a hot tub.

The Electric Mistress is extremely easy to use and very intuitive to play around with. While the manual is sparse, it explains the basics enough to get you started. If you ever used any other flangers then you'll have no problem navigating with this one.

When I owned one (I'm considering re-purchasing another) I had it in a chain with a T.C. Electronics chorus, Q-tron, Electric Mistress, & Memory Man hooked up to a Flextone XL. It was a little noisy (at least I thought so when I owned it) but upon reflection and listening to tapes that were made with it, it wasn't so bad. I did occasionally hear slight radio interference. The flanging effect was awesome, more trippy than the Boss and less heavy than the MXR and definitely more organic than any digital multi fx or rack piece. Distortion really brings out the mistress' voice and you can nail the Floyd sound with it.

This is why I unloaded my first on. I had problems with it occasionally not engaging when I would step on it to turn it on. I didn't try to contact E-H because I'm the type to just get rid of something I'm having problems with. As far as tone goes, the mistress always got that trippy, I'm floating away feeling.

Never dealt with them.

I play the Dead, Floyd, classic rock, and folkadelic jam-based stuff and the Mistress is probably the best of all the flangers I've used for tone and vibe (and I've tried a bunch). I've been playing for over 20 years and own (or have owned) more gear than necessary. I use loopers a lot and I use many effects as a painter uses colors to layer tones and sounds, and the flanger is one of my favorite effects (along with delay, rotary, wah) to "paint" with. I am considering buying another Mistress even though I had problems with the first because the tones seem to be more suited to what I do than other flangers (although they work for me too). Even with the occasional problems, E-H pedals are among the coolest line of gear around. While other manufacturers make great flangers (and other cool effcts) E-H stuff is always unique, not just another version of the same.

its easy to get a good sound from it, make take quite a bit of tweaking to get the sound in your head, especially if you're really critical. it has 3 knobs: rate (controls sweep speed), range (controls sweep width), and color (same as regeneration on most flangers) also has a small switch on the back which selects between normal and "filter-matrix" mode. filter-matrix mode is just a bypass of the rate (it makes the sweep stop) you then use the range knob to manually position the notch wherever you want it in the frequency spectrum, and use the color knob to control the intensity of it.

it sounds excellent!! the best sounding flanger i have heard. i used to own a dod fx75B flanger, this is much better. i also used to have a MXR flanger reissue, it was really great, but i like this much better. i've heard some multi FX's flangers and i didn't care for them at all. its very sweet sounding, it has such a lush, shimmery sound to it, almost watery. the rate knob has a wide range to it, and the range has an even wider range!! then there is the filter matrix mode, it's really cool too, its similar to the sound of a ring-modulator, but more usable. this pedal is pretty quiet, not silent, but considering it plugs into the freakin' wall its pretty damn quiet. i shielded the wires going to the footswitch in mine, that made a big difference. also, flter-matrix mode is noisier. i use this with a bently strat copy into a boss ds-1 distortion, an arion stereo chorus and an RFX volume pedal into a peavey Renown 160 watt combo. i also have reviews on my distortion and chorus pedals, check them out. overall, its good for regular flange sounds, and for weird, wacked out effects.

i've had mine for about a year, and it seems really dependable, then again, i wouldn't purposely abuse the thing. but its so beautiful, why would you want to abuse it? paint does scratch easy, i found out the hard way. metal will scratch easy too, you may want to give it a good coat or two of polyurethane or something like that.

i love this pedal, its a key component to my sound, if it were stolen or lost i'd buy another one. musician's friend and AMS sell them at decent prices. it really sounds great, you've got to hear one. it is the kind of thing that grows on you, the more you mess with it, the cooler sounds you get, and the more you love it. it gets great sounds right out of the cool-as-hell wooden box, but to really personalize it and appreciate its sound, you have GOT to twiddle and experiment with it. i'd didn't really get this pedal to copy anyone, the only sound i had in my head as a reference was the jet-plane swoosh like the guitar in Love, by the Smashing Pumpkins. but i knew i loved flange, and i am happy to announce, i can get a huge variety of great sounds from it. it can also make some bizarre Sonic-Youthish noises, as well as some of the nirvana in utero modulation sounds also a lot of the korn sounds, if that's what you want. one tip: don't do like i did when i first got it and set everything middle to high, especially the range and color. it sounds cool, but keeping the range and color low, especially the range, is where the useful, cool, and diverse sounds are.

Very easy to use pedal with three knobs for Color, Range and Rate. Also has a Filter Matrix switch which gives your guitar a very metallic dimension. The manual, well, it gives you a start but this pedal is a no brainer.

The sound is excellent. It gives it the jet sound with an increedible depth unlike other flangers out there that are very thin sounding. It is not noisy and really gives your music another dimension. With the by-pass or the effect switched on, the guitar's tone is not affected.

You plug it to the wall!!! No worries if your batteries are going to run out. The housing looks very sturdy plus this is a big sucker.

Never dealt with them

I really like it. It is full sounding and the color lets you control from a hint of flanging to the full jet. I compared it to Boss and DOD flangers and they were very thin and metallic. The mistress on the other hand was full and deep while not changing the guitar's tone. If it got stolen I think I'll cry, but I'd definitely buy another one. Try it, I think you will like it.

I took this out of the box and immediately started groovin' Only three knobs and you can actually tell what they do to the sound.

I'm run pedals off of the effects loop on my Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (4x12 Boogie cab) so that eliminates a LOT of the noise. I tested in inline also and it's pretty noticable there. I can get a good Pumpkins sound pretty easily.. good for their soft intros... I have a parker fly deluxe that I play most of the time and it lulls me to sleep... I love this pedal!

Truth is, ElectroHarmonix pedals can be problematic.. I ordered mine and I had to send it back to get it fixed.. it just hummed really loud when I hooked it up the first time.. I've heard of a lot of people having to open theirs up and adjust some things but I'm not that brave...

Like I said, I had to get this repaired and they did it promptly and with few questions... I'd buy from them again based upon this fact again..

This matches my style and now that I've had it in my chain I don't think I could do without it..

The thing only has three knobs, but it can sometimes be confusing, but this is a result of it's versatily. The range of sounds is quite amazing.

I use Ibanez Talmans, one with two humbuckers and one with three lipsticks. I use a TS-9 before the Mistress. You gotta put the distortion first, makes all the difference in the world. You can get some really cool swooshy sounds, although it's tough to get something REALLY deep, like say, Static X. Over all though, it's really cool. One thing I like that a lot of people don't like are the "useless" sounds. There is so much weird crap you can do with this pedal. I've been making up some songs with some friends. We're going to form a metal/spaz/experimental band, and it makes the coolest sounds. One thing is that this definately works better with a tube amp. I have a Sovtek Mig 60 and notice it is much quieter with that than with any solid state amp I've used it with. Also the effects sound more pronounced with the tube amp.

It's metal. Don't have to worry about it sucking batteries, because you have to plug it in. I'd trust it.

Never dealt with them.

Like I said, it might not be the one for everyone. For me it's good because I like to make weird sounds, but I can get a deep flange out of it. I've heard flangers that can get deeper, but they aren't as versitile in relation to the other sounds they can create. For me, it's the perfect center. Hella better than any of the digital flangers I've used (Boss, DOD0. My advice, try before you buy, but definately check it out, it might be what you're looking for.

3 knobs and a switch, isn't hard for all?. Plug it in into grounded socket.. cause it cuts a lot the Line Noise.to get my sound i spend about 1 week.. but this Pedal Kick asses, it's better for me than a ShittyDigitalUltraPoisonCrappy Megapedal.. I can play ANYTHING like Old 60,70's Rock and to Get INto Korn's Style.. It's has 3 Knobs: Rate Which controls the Sweep rate, (a bit Slower than a small clone), Depth, (Which Controls the Depth, technically, it controls the duration of the information recorded in the delay chip, with more amount of memory, it has more pitch shifting and bass respones); and a color knob which controls the amount of phase, also used as a feedbacker.. very cool feature. the Filter Matrix Knob, is just a RATE bypass.. You can Achieve the Scenttless Apprentice guitar sound almost closely. well without the slapbackecho, but....

I use this pedal after a Ds-2 distortion goin into a Peavey transtube Bandit Clean Channel with a little gain.Using a Modificated peavey Raptor 1 Series...(i like cause it has a smaller body and a smaller neck). i can go into grunge, Retro, Smashing Pumpkings hipnotic sounds... Sonic youth.. Well... awesome. This pedal Is very Quiet, Except of the bypass circuit.. when you are bypassing the signal through the flange circuit, it loses abut 15% of level. using it in front of a very low gaine clean channel, it is almost not noticeable. Alsop using this pedal in Fender Single Input Like priceton, or another high gain input, it sounds like a Digital Flanger, extremely brightm but finding the right gain, you can dive into these old retro sounds, like Brain Damage of Pink Floyd.Also a very close emulation of the Small Clone can be achieved usin' this pedal, also the flanging effects of Kurt's Polychorus. Well Both Pedals Have the same IC's,even the clone has the same IC's of delay.. With My ds-2 it's sounds very Analog, Liquid, well it's not an ADA but this is the Best Flanger for me.. Very VERSATILE Also Runnign the Direct Out into the Input of the ds-2 i can emulate a MINI MOOG:. Setting the Flanger in Chorus almost, NO COLOR; FULL DEPTH RATE about 9'o clock. Also i can get Chorused sounds of RUSH.

Except for the signal lost in the bypass section, and the rate knob is really acting weird(it's dirty, just use a wd40 and Problem Solved) this pedal is the most reliable piece Vintage Gear that i have. This pedal has the wires unshielded, so isn't hard to change the Bypass wires with shielded ones.. this mod cuts A LOT the line noise, of the internal power supply

I have never dealed with them, I think that this unit was stored about 15 years. A friend of mine bought the Reissue.. it cames in a Wooden Box.. i Receive this pedal in the White with black letters box. Like the old small Clones.I've emailed them for the signal lost of the pedal. This pedal has 5 trim knobs internally,yo can use fot fine tunin' but the sound is just the RIGHT one for me... NO COMPLAINS..

Well I play ANY style, and using this pedal opened me a wider world of options. I can use as:PHASER,CHORUS,FLANGER,almost a quite close emulation to an Rotating Speaker... I'm into Sonic Youth And Nirvana and this is perfect for me. But also i've played with bands like RUSH style, and it adaptes perfectly, You have to mess with the knobs a little , you'll get a wide range of sounds...It really help me to make music, specialy NOISE.. This pedal is a Vintage One, it cames with 3 scratches on top, and the box, but the manual was of the reissue models.. but i don't know... if the big box reissues cames in the wooden box like BigMuff Reissues...