Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

Very Easy to get the sound I was looking for. As with all EHX pedals the controls are VERY sensitive. Small changes produce wide range of tones.

I also have a MXR EVH Flanger and I like this one better. The EVH is a fantastic Flanger I just think the Mistress is more musical and organic sounding. Clean tones.....think The Police Message in a Bottle. Distorted it will do the Gilmore tone no problem.

I have been using EHX pedals since the 70s. I have only had one fail and that was MY fault for hooking up the wrong voltage adapter.

Here is where EHX shines for me. I had a EHX pedal that I messed up as previously stated. Contacted them and they told me to ship them the pedal. Exactly 8 days later from the time it left my hands till it was back to me in perfect working order. I even had a small slider switch that was still working but getting worn from use...they replaced it as well. "HELLO MESA THIS IS HOW YOU TAKE CARE OF CUSTOMERS"

I play Blues,R&B and Classic Rock. This pedal has a wide range of tones available. The only thing I would change is it needs a LED to let you know its on. For home players I know this isn't an issue but on stage this would be very nice.

Although he didnt work for me from the minute I bought it !!!

I bought it and when I plugged it at home - it didnt work at all !!!
I got it damaged from the first place...

Man.. it has hundreds of possible knob combinations that are able to create anything from trem-chorus effects to flying saucer ..of course it doesnt do extreme chemicals that we can hear from all those zoomie-plastic 10dollars craps but that not what are the real musicians looking for anyway. Pure analogue heaven... Boss flanger is crying in the drawer..

Visual sound anniversary volume pedal-EHX Hot Tubes-EHX Deluxe Mistress- EHX Memory Man Hazarai. I`ve got Few other pedals like envelope filter, tremolo, octaver and few overdrives which I use only for recording. Playing live gigs and singing main vocals I`m into simplicity and this one deliver all neccessary modulation that I really need. It use to be noisy due to internal power supply and crappy switch but recently it was by my amp doctor he changed the switch to true bypass, shielded power supply and setted volume levels and it just sings now!!! Think police, Nirvana and ME :-))

Well there are some contraversions about EHX products they have some problems when you buy them (crappy tubes, switches, pots etc..) But then when you modified them they really deliver what you want.. thats why 5

Nothing like that in Europe...

I play kinda... raw guitar music ..piece of punk rock ska grunge psychadelic and pop but I have recording studio where I produce everything from folk to house and techno and this is just my best modulation friend/ I bought it unmodified 5 years ago for 20$ in local no more existing shop. Paid another 20$ for further mods few weeks ago.(Yes.. eastern europe prices :-) I think I have the best sounding flanger in the world now and all for 40 bucks ..not bad Huh?

Controls: Color (resonance/intensity) Range (breadth of sweep) Rate (speed of sweep) Filter Matrix (frozen LFO - adjust manually with Range knob).

Also features a dry out for stereo setups.

I reviewed this seven or eight years ago, but I thought I'd re-review it after having much more time with the unit, and more technical knowledge about modifications.

The sound quality of the flanging effect is superb - it's one of the more "musical" flangers out there, meaning it's not as much of a special effect as it is something you can leave on for an entire song, if you wish. Not on every song, unless you're in a Police cover band, but certainly it won't wear out its welcome as quickly as something like an MXR Flanger.

While a wide array of sounds are available, there are four categories that cover most of them:

Jet plane
Swirly chorus
Rotating speaker
Resonant filter

The range of sounds can be expanded with a simple modification. Find the internal delay time trim pot - on my unit it is located furthest apart from the other three. Some units have five trim pots - I don't know where the correct one would be in that case. It will be the one that changes the depth or breadth of the sweep as you turn it. In my unit, it measured at nearly 10k. Simply desolder and wire an external 10k control pot in its place (once desoldered, measure your trim pot with a multimeter at lugs 1 and 3 and make sure this is the correct value - find a pot that matches that value). You'll need to drill a hole in the case for this external control, of course. There's plenty of room. This is much preferable than just drilling the hole in the case and using a mechanical probe to turn the trim pot. If you've never done anything like this, visit the forum at diystompboxes.com and see their wiki on pots and soldering.

Having this fourth external potentiometer gives you the ability to increase the delay time, which will give you a deeper, more chorus-like effect. You can also decrease the delay time, which will give you a lighter, more whooshy effect that sounds very good with distortion. At certain settings it sounds like it's nearly going to go through the zero point, ala the Foxrox TZF. Of course it can't quite get there, but it sounds good.

This unit has also been modified by Howard Davis to sound like the smaller non-Deluxe Electric Mistress. Google his name for contact information. He will perform modifications to most any Electro-Harmonix effect, and since he designed many of them, he knows what he's doing. He can also fix volume drop problems, noise problems, convert to true bypass, etc.

I've owned this for eight or nine years now, with no reliability problems.

The Mistress will start to make rhythmic noises in time with the flange rate, however, if certain conditions are present. I've read that this has to do with impedance mismatching and the shared ground of the internal clock. Suffice it to say that if I power my digital effects with a daisy chain or Dunlop Juice Box (similar to DC Brick), the presence of these effects in the chain will cause my analog Mistress to make noise. If I power them with their own Boss wall worts, the noise goes away. The Juice Box had no effect on the Mistress when used with my analog distortion effects - just the digital reverbs etc. The digital effects probably require more milliamps than provided by the Juice Box. Note that the Mistress is not powered by the Juice Box, but rather its own three-prong plug, in my case. But giving the (slightly) wrong sort of power supply to certain OTHER effects can negatively impact the Mistress. It's a bit of a prima donna in that respect.

If this is too much of a pain to deal with, Howard can also correct this tendency.

Most people don't have a lot of use for flangers these days - I admit I rarely use modulation now, preferring overdrive or fuzz, and reverb. But when I do use it, it's always inspiring. It's a nice flavor to have on hand, especially when playing less conventional music.

I'm playing a Telecaster into a Vox wah, OLCircuits Professor Tweed, Supreaux and Umble, a modified/rehoused Big Muff, a Danelectro Fab Distortion modified to act as a gated fuzz, a Runoffgroove Tonemender, the Mistress, a Korg AX3G, and a Digiverb (those last two are the ones that required wall worts in order for the Mistress to function properly).

I still like this better than any other flanger, even if I don't use it as much as I used to. For Gilmour, Summers, Trower and Lifeson fans, it's practically mandatory.

Now where's my rootbeer?

This is a review of the current production reissue of the original Electric Mistress.

I found the Deluxe Electric Mistress straight forward to setup. Three knobs: Rate, Range and Color. My only complaint is the lack of true-bypass (more on that later), and the lack of a status LED. There is basically no manual like with other EH effects, just a slip of paper telling you to plug it in.

Everything that comes out of this thing, from slow airplane swooshes to fast chorus-like sounds, are very useful and huge sounding--I was very impressed. The more extreme settings are mostly only useful as a one-shot effect for particular parts, etc. Where this effect really shines is in it's ability to sound transparent on the lower settings. This is where I keep it set 90% of the time: Rate around 9 o'clock, Color and Range around 10-11 o'clock. People ask me how I get that "amazing sound" and many times don't realize I am using a flanger at all. My chain goes basically like this, although like every guitarist out there it changes all the time: '94 American Strat w/ Warmoth Walnut Neck and Lace Sensors-->BYOC Big Muff clone-->EH Electric Mistress (modded)-->Crybaby Wah (modded)-->Custom Optical Compressor-->Boss DD-6 (modded)-->Custom Stereo Volume Pedal-->'70 Fender Silverface Twin Reverb (R) and '58 Danelectro DM25 (L).

As someone might notice, I modify pretty much everything I have to get it just the way I like it (...it doesn't help my obsessiveness to be at a school for Electrical Engineering and have access to most any parts I could ever need for free). Without mods I give the Mistress a 9, after mods a 10. Here's what I've done to it: converted it to true-bypass, added a status LED, changed out the ceramic capacitors for film capacitors. If you want to do the first two mods it is extremely straight forward as they already include a 3-pole switch in the case but only use one pole connection!? All you have to do is run a few new wires and change an existing one. For the LED you'll have to drill a hole--there is plenty of space--I chose to put mine above the "D" in Deluxe right in the black triangle area.

This effect can be a little noisy stock. I changed all the ceramic capacitors to film hoping it would help in this respect and it definitely did. Ceramic capacitors are dirt cheap (hence their use here) but they tend to be noisier than film capacitors in audio circuits. They also are not linear in the audio range (which isn't always bad--just a little known fact). (I could also go on a rant about Electrolytics in the signal path on many other cheaply made effects.)

One last note if you are interested in eliminating the most noise possible for the Mistress: Use a different power supply than the cheap wall-wart provided. Anything with external filtering would be better.

Now it want to hear one of the original models for comparison.

The hardware (pots, switches, jacks) are all high quality as well as the printed circuit board and I can't imagine them breaking any time soon. The power connector is a cheap plastic one. The case is the weakest part. It is relatively thin sheet metal and would dent easily if not given a bit of TLC. Also the silk-screened case decoration will wear off fairly easily. People often complain about EH product's poor quality but I look at it this way: Most of them sound quite good and to keep the price down I would much rather they cut back on the case quality and other parts than the actual electronics.

If yours seems to just randomly stop working and you're feeling brave, open it up and trying removing each IC from it's socket and cleaning the pins with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol and then re-inserting them. Since all the ICs are socketed the most likely cause of sudden failure is a bad connection with one of the pins (one disadvantage with socketed parts). Also check the power connector as it may not be making contact.

I've never dealt with Electro-Harmonix or any other effects manufacturer as I usually modify their products voiding any warranty :)

I play mainly psychadelic with experimental and ambient influences. I have been playing for about 13 years now. I am a huge fan of David Gilmour's work, hence my purchase of the Mistress (I ordered one without even hearing it first). I have probably about 50 FX pedals and several guitars and way too many amps but I always go back to my Strat and a few classic pedals and my Twin Reverb or old Danelectro. I find the older I get the less equipment I use and the less interest I have in fancy modern junk. Maybe I am less versatile this way, but I have my sound and I've never heard a modern modeled reproduction of it that even comes close.

The Electric Mistress will always stay on my board and in my opinion is the best pedal in it's category (flanger). I've compared it to other non-boutique flangers (Ibanez, Boss, etc.) and they all suck when put next to the Mistress. If you don't have one, GET IT, you won't be sorry. I have not had a chance to try the original but after hearing the reissue I would love to get my hands on one.

Very easy to use. Three control knobs and an interesting Filter Matrix switch. A little disappointed that the pedal did not come with an in-depth manual, only a little green piece of paper describing how a flanger works. Not a big deal though.

Being a Police fan, of course, I have been seeking this pedal for quite some time. I must say, it is able to recreate most of Andy Summers' tone to a T. That lush, chorusy swirling tone he is famous for. Also recently, I discovered that with a little tweaking in Filter Matrix mode it is possible to somewhat recreate Jimmy Page's metallic, shimmery tone on "Houses of the Holy." Currently I run the Mistress before my Boss GT-8, going through a Crate G-600 4x12. My main guitar is a Korean made Peavey Predator Plus. I also have a Standard Mexican Tele, which I have not yet used with the pedal. With the Peavey in HB mode and a little delay in the mix, the Mistress sounds smooth and spacey. I tend to like all the knobs somewhere in between 9 and 12 o' clock, which produces a lush chorusy tone, much like Mr. Summers. Very full and warm sounding pedal. There is the much expected analog noise, but it is not bad at all, and hardly noticeable at moderate volume. Overall, very impressive sound.

So far so good. I've read one a many bad reviews in this area, so we'll see. I will be bringing to its first gig in a couple days. I'll get back with ya then!

Not had to deal with yet.

I play lead/rhythm guitar in a classic/progressive hard rock band. The Mistress fits right into our sound. It's already been used in writing and I'm sure it will easily find its way into a recording session. I compared it to the EHX Polychorus and I liked it just as much, but this pedal had more hype and (like a good consumer) I bought into it. Fortunately it has lived up to its hype so far. Plus I'm sure it can do pretty much anything the Polychorus can do and more.

Simple to use. There are three knobs- Color, which adjusts how strong the flanging effect is, Range, which controls how wide the sweep is, and Rate, which controls how fast the signal cycles. It
uses a old stlye on/off switch (which I prefer), and is Stereo!

I have an original early 80's version I bought at a pawn shop for $75.00. It works flawlessly. This is quite possible my favorite effect of all time. Its that good. First it is dead quiet on or off,
there is alot of sounds you can obtain with some simple knob twisting. My favorite setting is Color- 12 oclock, Range- 9 oclock,
Rate- 9 oclock. That gives you a super smooth Robin Trower tone, you can run it mono with just one amp and it sounds cool, but if you run it last in your chain and run it stereo it is AWESOME ! It bridges the two amps togeather and gives you a much wider sound stage. You have to hear it to believe it. Very professional sound ,Highly recommended!

Mine has never had ANY problems, I take excellent care of my effects and keep them in boxes until show time. I have gigged with this unit
for years and don't even worry about it. I love that it is AC powered, instead of batteries or wall warts. It is a BIG effect box,
but the board inside is big, and I don't really care about its size, it looks Great on my pedalboard.

Never dealt with Electro-Harmonix, never had to.

My guitar mentor turned me on to the Tubescreamer and I was never the same, I quickly asked him what other killer effects he knew about
and he told me to get an " Electric Miscarraige', So the search was on. This pedal is well worth having if you like Hendrix, and Trower type tones. This thing will put a BIG smile on your face if you like those type tones, especially in Stereo! I'm pretty sure the reissue ones sound good too, but I always go Vintage, I just like older gear.
One of the alltime Great pedals, along with the Memory Man. I run my
1970 Strat> Vintage Crybaby> Maxon AD-900>Ibanez TS-9, Ibanez CS-505
Chorus>Deluxe Electic Mistress split into Marshalls.

I purchased this at a local pawn shop for about 75 bucks, and it didn't have a scratch until I gigged with it the following weekend. The 'manual' was a mere piece of paper describing the knobs, but what on earth is the 'direct out?' It's a 1/4 inch jack, so not ideal for DI. Anyway, it's fun to play with the three knobs and the filter switch rocks.

It came with a power supply, which is cool, because my One Spot power strip thing doesn't fit, and it doesn't have a battery input.

My setup is: a Hughes & Kettner Edition Tube 20th Anniversary 20 watt all tube ( 2 channels, it kicks, see my review!!!) and a small chain which is a Peavey rack mount Deltafex digital processor which I run through the FX loop, an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 reissue, and a Vox wah pedal which I run along with the Mistress through the guitar chain. My guitars are a Washburn WG-580 and a Godin Solidac Steel.

I'm gigging in a cover band playing stuff from the 50's to current music, genres range from rockabilly, blues, hard rock, reggae, to motown. My original stuff is similar, covering the forementioned genres with a modern twist.

Now, the sounds this bad chick can make are astounding! It can range from very subtle (I use it on Hotel California for an added kick), to almost overpowering, which makes for some kick-ass experimental tones. I take after Hendrix, Van Halen, Santana, SRV, Page, and Morrello in my original stylings, and this pedal covers them all! The filter matrix is different. The chiming tones the ad describes can be achieved, but I don't find it quite so. The tone varues from playing your guitar from inside a glass bottle, a far away, Floyd type sound, to the chime-like tones the ad describes, which are more metallic sounding than chimes.

I move and groove on stage, ham and cheese sandwich if you will... but I've only gigged with it once. My Big Muff, which I've recently retired (not because it sucks, but because my amp can produce the same tone), is quite rugged, and this pedal is built in the same manner.

I've never dealt with the company, and I don't believe in mods, besides, they void the warranty!

I'm very happy with this pedal thus far, and prefer the analog tones it provides to the abomination which is digital. I'm soon to give back the borrowed processor (I was going to buy it...) and replace all of the effects it has with analog sounds. It's worth every penny, but even more so to me seeing as how I got it at such a kick-ass price, still in the box ( it lists for about $220.00)!!!

The only negative quality is, well, the effect can be overpowering to the guitar tone, but I like that because I can use it. It sounds great distorted or clean, especially through my amp. Buy it!

The controls are easy to use once you get the hang of what they do. I'd say that the Rate control has a very limited useful range. Over about 9 o'clock the thing is just swinging wildly.

Many reviews ago, somebody here provided the key to dealing with the trimpots inside - THANK YOU very much. That was extremely helpful and quite important for making the pedal sound its best.

I really like the "filter matrix" thinger. That's a cool feature.

I've got a Tele into a Deluxe Reverb.

My Mistress is an older one, not the reissue. As I got it, it had some serious liabilities...

Firstly, the hum. I wonder what rockert surgeon decided to put the unshielded transformer inside the box right next to the unshielded circuit board and wiring. Even when bypassed this thing made an unacceptable amount of noise.

Secondly (and less critical) the bypass is just adequate. It doesn't ruin the sound but there's an impact.

So, I made the sucker true bypass with a DPDT switch (no LED) and I ripped the transformer out entirely and gave it an adapter for a wall wart. Goodbye hum! I also had to resolder a couple joints that were causing a crackling sound.

Now there's just that delicous flange-y goodness! With a few basic repairs and mods the pedal is quite useful and enjoyable to play. However, I'm gonna slam it a bit here for being essentially unplayable out-of-the-box.

I don't have that high an opinion of the durabilty of EH gear, sad to say. Still, I don't abuse my stuff and I see no reason to fear it spontaneously combusting. I'd gig without a backup. Does anyone other than a pro player have "backup" gear just sitting around waiting to go?

My experience here was really remarkable. I emailed EH and got prompt, courteous, helpful support within a day or two. This is for an old pedal that I got off ebay!

I asked for some info on changing out the switch for true bypass and they told me how to set it up to avoid a pop when switching.

Then I asked about some specs on the transformer to make sure the adapter I had would provide the juice the Mistress wanted.

Superb! I was amazed to hear back at all.

I play many different things, been at it for at least 20 years. Every so often I play a paying thing but mostly it's just for fun. The Electric Mistress puts a smile on my face.

Here, however, is where I once again have to nail EH. Why are the blasted boxes so big??? This effect is about twice as big as it has to be. I had a Mini Qtron for a while - that box was four times bigger than necessary. Why!??!? Is it to stash your weed or something? While they have the looks of the funky 70s, they're very unfriendly for a pedalboard.

To summarize: As I got it, this was not a good pedal. After a few simple, low cost mods and some repair, I like it quite a bit. I'm not sure it's there for the long haul but it's there for now and I get a kick out of it.

Fairly intuitive - just 3 dials to play with cant be that demanding even for us techophobes. Takes a little time to work out how the controls interact though. Part of the fune eh?!

If you are interested in my set up see my MXR Stereo Chorus review under R2D2.
I bought this US pedal and after 2 days I have it for sale on Ebay. I love the sound of this pedals sweep and flange and I've always wanted to get close to the David Gilmour "The Wall" sound which was electric mistressed to death. However, Mr Gilmour's EM (Pete Cornish tells me) was one of the US originals, powered by dual 9v batteries with additional circuitry by Pete Cornish to address the tone sucking and noise that plagues this EHX pedal. Sadly Pete cant do anything to fix the new mains only re-issue pedals but suggests that if I find an original I photo the innards before purchasing so he can appraise the pedal regarding its potential for modification. Since flanging is not THAT much of a part of my sound nowadays I'll stick to my MXR which may not give the EM sound but it doesnt suck tone and gets me close enough. The Jim Dunlop MXR is simply a much better and more expensive flanger pedal than the US mistress which just sucks tone. If you have a budget rig then the mistress would be great and it would give you great fun and sounds, (and you could maybe use an EQ pedal to help compensate for the tone sucking) but if you have invested #000's in your tone you'll perhaps pass this one by. Shame they don't make a Deluxe, Deluxe. They would sell like flippin hot cakes and I'd be 1st in the que. It is a unique signature sound.
If it didnt suck tone I'd give it a 9.

Sorry EHX but this amount opf tone sucking is unacceptable. Some of you other pedals are wonderful (like the Holy Grail which I love).

Easy to use.

Excellent! Great flanger sounds.

My story: my Deluxe Electric Mistress worked great for a year in my smoke-free, low-dust, bone dry studio. I absolutely babied this thing, never brought it outside or played out with it, never plugged and unplugged cords, never abused it, seldom even switched it off. Despite that one day it simply died. No flange, no nothing. Not particularly happy about this, since it cost more than $100, I looked at the Harmony-Central reviews to see if anyone else had had this happen to them. Lo and behold, my experiences were basically mirrored by dozens of users, one after another after another, all of them saying that their well-kept pedals simply stopped working, stone dead. Each of them was rightfully furious, having blown $100 or more on the most unreliable pedal imaginable. When I read them all, at least two dozen and probably more, I was so irate that I wrote my own scathing review of the pedal's reliability, then threw the damned thing against the cement wall of my basement. I should have sent in back to E-H that way but instead the pedal now lives at the local landfill. I also sold my other, almost new E-H pedal and yanked all the E-H tubes out of my amps, figuring they were all as unreliable as the Deluxe Electric Mistress.

Incredibly bad.

I expect this level of reliability from a $19.99 pedal, not from a $105 pedal. The tone is great, the reliability abyssmal. Stay far, far away from Electro-Harmonix.

Not super difficult to use, but it does require time to get a good sound. The rate and range knob really change the sound, though the color knob doesn't do as much as I hoped. The manual is not very usefull, it's better to figure out how it works on your own.

I use a Strat or SG > crybaby wah > mxr dyna comp > boss metal zone > mxr phase 90 > electric mistress > boss dd-5 > fender hot rod deluxe. It has great flanger/chorus sounds and the filter matrix is really out of this world. My favorite setting is with all the knobs at minimum. it gives a really subtle spacy sound, good for jeff beck/david gilmour sound. Classic flanger with rate turned up. The filter matrix takes out the ocilator (and rate knob) and gives strange bell like sound. Works great with my other effects. The only problem is that it cuts your volume a little when ingaged.

I really love this pedal and i am constantly using it. If it were lost i would have to replace it because it is great. Best flanger out there.(if you turn the color up too high it gets really noisy)

I see that a few are people saying that it is difficult to use, but I didn't think it was too bad. I mean, it sounds pretty good at most settings, as long as the rate is set quite low. I do think it is a bit more tricky to nail a specific sound that you have in mind though.
The Filter matrix is a nice feature, and as it only involves the colour and rate, it is quite easy to get some nice sounds out of.
I don't think I got a manual, so I don't know if it was of any help.

First of all, I would like to say that I like this pedal a lot. It sounds to me just how a flanger should sound. It is analogue and warm, whilst still being somehow metalic and resonant.
However, it does have a couple of crappy features. When you engage it there is a big loss of volume (well, quite big - certainly noticable) and it is a bit weak in terms of bass.

Cool. Seems reliable. I've had it a year or so.

Only ever dealt with them once and they were quite helpful

Good pedal. Could be better. It would be nice it just had a bit more, erm, balls I guess - a bit more power.
Apart from that I think my only other criticism is that I can't understand why it is so big - Why? It's so big you could fit three other pedals in its place.
If you want a classic sounding flanger and don't mind a couple of anoying features, get one of these and enjoy.
Oh yeah, and I own loads of other gear etc.... so you know I'm not completely full of crap.

This is not the easiest of pedals to use.
When i first plugged it in i was worried that i had bought a pile of junk.
Then i read a few tips for getting good sounds out if it, messed around a bit and....WHOOPPEEEEE..... I got it.

See my review of The Big Muff Pi US reissue for my full setup.

I bought this as David Gilmour uses one, and it's a well known sound in lots of Pink Floyd albums and live tracks.

Using it along with the Muff and my Dynacomp compressor i can get some great sounds.

I went from being scared to turn it on, to using it almost all the time. It really is great once you get into it, it gives a nice shimmer to clean sounds, adds bite and swirl to lead playing and souds great when palm muting.

BAD POINTS - It is noisy (use a Boss NS2) and it does cut your volume when you turn it on, so get ready with your volume pedal.

Set it to filter matrix, set the rate about 9pm, and the rest between 9pm -11pm, this gives a great and very useable tone.

Pretty solid construction, though i dont trust the power input jack, it feel s abit loos when you plug the adaptor in, there's nothing wrong with it, it's just that it never feels like it connects tight when you plug it in.

No idea

I bought this without knowing much about it except that Dave Gilmour uses it a lot.
At first it sounded horrible, all tinny and metallic, then i turned it to Flanger only and it sounded flat and dull. Then i turned on the filter matrix and set the rate at 9 and the others at 10 and there it was, The Wall sound.
Now i use it all over the place, it sounds great with the Muff and really adds character to your tone.

I love it, it takes a bit of time to work out, but when you do it's yummy.

The knobs can be a bit tricky at first, like most EH pedals the labels are misleading.

This pedal avoids the cheesy hokey flanger distortion for a more musical tone. It is not as extreme as some flangers but can make those jet plane sounds. This pedal really shines in other departments though, when played on clean, with the rate at its lowest you get amazing feedback and bell like over tones. In combination with any of my pedals (Octave Multiplexer, ibanez metal screamer or stereo chorus, phase 90, or my boss dd-20/dd-6, the pedal interacts great and makes up for it's slight noise problem.

Just got it...

Never had to deal with them

The pedal is the best Flanger on the market, it beats the shit out of the alt/nu-metal digital diatribe.

I got this about a week ago and used it pretty much all the time, to see where I can really take this pedal, and I love it. I bought it secondhand but all the original stuff was there, and this product is really easy to use. Three Knobs, and 2 switchs. The 2 switchs activate the flanger effect and the othger engages, the filter matrix mode. So its a pedal you can gte out the box and start strait away, you could give the manual a read but its only a sheet of paper.

The sound quality of this pedal is grea, alought i find it is slightly noisey, so when you stop playing you hear it in the background, which can be annoying, even though this pedal is true bypass so no tone sucking hear. The Flanger itself, is lovely, very thick and warm. So be warned this is not subtle flanger like others!!! This compared to my BF-3 is so much better, this being an anlogue pedal makes all the difference, definately one to get if your a flanger fan. And the filter matrix mode disengages the rate to give to manual postioning of the flanging effect, for "chime" tone as EHX describe it.

I'm using the pedal with several other, it running through my effects loop on my laney tube fusion amp. Here is the setup:
SEND > Small stone > mistress > CH-1 super chorus > DD-6 digtial delay >RETURN]

I have a distion, crybaby and filter modeler running from the guitar, this is noiseless setup apart from the small stone and mistress.

Don't let that put you off its an amazing pedal and well worth a look. EASY but oh SO WARM and EFFECTIVE!!

ITs secondhand and had some minor damage, but the metals solid and its a fairly big so its pretty solid. I would like to gig with a backup, but cant afford, but my rig is pretty solid and so is this pedal, you can gig without a backup for sure, but i like to know if something goes wrong i have a spare:)

Never dealt with the company, but i hear there a nightmare, but not sure i'll say not sure, i'm sure it won't come to that though.

I play a lot of RHCP, John Frusciante, Radiohead, Rock, Blues and gererally anything and my own riffs, and it great and pedal worth trying out. I own a lot of other gear, but its up there with the best because of its versatility, it goes from aslow sweep to leslie style..mmmmmmmm. If it where stolen i would hy another and probably second hand again as it better to buy just as new for 45 quid than brand new for #120. I help for make music cause i like to spice up with appegios or add some dlay some sound spaced out sounds.ALTHOUGH I WISH it has an LED sound silly but so you know when the ffect is on becuase soemtime you forget and it really mess a nice riff up.....sometimes. I've been playing for 3-4 years and had several different pedals and my previsous flanger the BF-3 from boss frankly got broing after a while there was do much to do on it, i like a nice simple flanger where ewasy sound can be obtained. The BF-3 was very sterile and cold compared to the mistress which is very warm.

3 knobs color, range and rate. It would seem easy but the range and color knobs are kind of vague in they're effect.

I play a modified Epiphone Sheraton 2 (57 classic plus in neck and bridge) into a Laney tube fusion (soon to be replaced with a fender)with the electric mistress in the loop. I can get a pretty good David Gilmour out of it as well as a Nirvana esque chorus. Like all the other reviewers have said this pedal is noisy where ever you put it but it still reasonably preserves the sound of your pickups. This being said...still best flange I have had the privilige of playing through

I don't know. I have heard horrible things about electro-harmonix but this pedal seems pretty solid.

never had to deal with them

I play a wide variety of music and the only genre I don't care to much for is new metal. If this pedal were stolen I would definitly replace it. I like the fact that it doesn't digitize your sound to the point where it sounds bad. I use to own a Boss Bf-2 and I definitly prefer the sound of the electric mistress.

Easier to get a good sound than the Boss BF-3 (which I also own) due to only three knobs (and one switch) on the thing. No manual - bought used.

Used with standard Telecaster and Peavey Bandit. Would sound better w/ a good tube amp (wouldn't everything?). It's not noisy, but it drops the deci-bells slightly when it's on. Maybe an issue for live playing, but not for me.

Effects are rich and non-harsh. Sounds very milky and warm. The most chorusy flanger I've heard. You could use it as a chorus in fact, as long as you don't use distortion--then the deception would be unmasked.

Great for The Police and U2, The Cure, maybe The Smiths, and that kind of thing (Andy Summers used an older version of this pedal, in fact).

I've had it for four years with no problems. I bought it used.

My favorite flanger.

It's quite easy to get a good sound out of this. There are three control pots and one switch for the Filter Matrix thingy. Very simple.

Firstly, I'm posting this to be helpful to those in the UK who're thinking of getting one, because before I got it there was some doubt about it's power requirements.
This is a recent reissue and was shipped to me by a UK gear store (online - stringbusters) and when it arrived I saw a little orange sticker with 'UK' written on it.
Thankfully this thing runs nicely off a 9v adaptor so all is well power-wise.

I'm using a Fender CS FMT Telecaster through a Sovtek Big Muff Pi > Electric Mistress > Digital Reverb > Marshall G30R CD amp.

It sounds great - tweaking it I found some useful Floydy-type sounds and when combined with the Muff it all made sense. It handles reverb well and isn't too noisy.
When I switched it on I did notice a slight hiss, though once I started playing and adding other effects I didn't notice it anymore. The Flange has a lovely warmth to it and with some dirt it positively buzzes with analog tone and tidyness. Totally dry the effect needs a bit of a boost, though I should think a Compressor would sort that out. It isn't even that big a deal.

I'd say I could depend on this - the casing is very strong looking; it seems to be about as strong as you'd need it to be. The polished metal almost makes me want to tap it gently when I turn it on, but it takes a knock or two. It takes them well.
I would gig with this without a backup - it's not too necessary an effect anyway, but something I'd love to have availiable to me in a live situation.

I've not had any dealings with EH yet.

Great for warm, full, analog flanging and fantastic for Pink Floyd fans. It manages a comfortable Hendrixy vibe sound and when you combine it with other pedals you're sure to find something you like.
UK buyers ought to take note of the 'new' power supply tweaks, as that's incredibly helpful. Great fun.

Just play around with it and you'll find that setting that gets it through most of your setlist.........
Mid to extreme settings ain't useful........subtle is best!
Older scratched up unit w/ the power cord.

Ok........Here we go........The mistress does drop in db's quite a bit when turned on, and then it robs your high end. I did the pot trimmer thingy, but the dang thing was nearly dimed to begin with and , well, it didn't change the volume much. It is placed in the proper position in my signal chain, and does add it's little noisy, cyclic thing as flangers will do anyway.
Given that it does suck tone in bypass, when it is ON, it is a sound that hits me right between the eyes for what I want to hear!
Rush's Spirit of Radio? Yep! And all of my other faves that need a flanger added....I love it....
Did the DOD FX747, hash browns, Ibanez FL9 etc etc...........No ADA and no MXR yet though.....
And I just love it and My strat, Muff and OD's love it too!
Oh yeah....If you try to wah it, it just smooths out the wah, making it not quite as edgey, but just good!

We'll see.............

Nope.......I support myself.........

I like this a lot, but make sure that there are VERY FEW non TRUE BYPASS items in your chain before getting there to the FLANGE stage.
Other wise you may dump THIS pedal thinking that there is something wrong with your tone!
Loop out all those bad bad pedals.......
Hell..........Loop this thing out too!
LOL

it's a guitar pedal...

first of all, i use this as an FX send in my mixing desk, to have an analogue stage to all the digital stuff, and to have a nice flanger, but now i use it for everything BUT what it's ment for: immense analogue distortion, when i turn up the color knob more than 1/3 it starts screaming away all by itself even (and this happened with a guitar too), it's great :) with the color turned down and a fairly dry signal i can hear it's flanger (with the color up it's like a jet engine going up and down in rpm over the top of my music) and a lot of beautifull fuzz from the filter (color up and its a very nice distortion with the range knob to change it to your taste)... and because of the immense feedback i use it as a sound-source too.. it's worth pointing out that i like these sounds... i love noise, industrial and stuff like add n to x, and with this i can get all that... the fuzzy basses from add n to x with my juno in mono and the mistress, and all the analogue distortion/feedback i could want from one simple guitar pedal... if u want something subtle on the other hand, don't take the mistress, she's a bitch and she likes showing it :) it IS VERY NOISY... it's even noisier than my computer and that's quite a feat... not a problem for me, i just turn down the send knob when i don't use it, but in a chain of pedals this would seriously bug me...

it's a guitar pedal... not as tank-like as my maxon OD-9, but solid none the less

i have to admit i'm not shure if mine is entirely ok... because of the immense feedback and distortion when i turn up the color knob.. other people don't seem to get this result... but i don't mind, i like it like this... so possibly, just maybe it's not as reliable on the inside...

well... it does what i bought it for, but it does sooooo much more for me... i can't miss mine anymore... it's not a flanger /filter, but a flanger/fuzz/distortion/sourceOfWeirdShit for me, and GREAT at it too... if u're not into madness and chaos though, then don't buy it

Just want to elaborate on some comments from my previous review:

* The flanging sounds good with the "Rate" knob at minimum settings, but starts to get really monotonous and mechanical as you move the rate up. My old DOD flanger, noisy, cheap bugger that it was, seemed to get a nice, slightly out-of-control "Leslie" thing happening when you turned the rate up.

* I wish the "Color" (feedback) control would go higher than it does. Alot of cool, ethereal sounds start to appear as you turn up the feedback, but this control doesn't go far enough to really bring them to the surface.

* Contrary to what I said before, this pedal isn't noisy at all. All you get is a bit of "swish" with the controls at extreme settings. I'm now thinking this pedal may be a little too clean for my liking. Maybe all the noise reduction circuitry in this box is why it sounds thin to my ears.

* You can get a much fuller, deeper sound from this pedal by running it along with a phaser. Still, an effect that costs this much shouldn't need a "helper" to sound its best.

I'll stand by my original review. This is a decent flanger, but I'm still wondering if there isn't something better.

As easy to use as any other stompbox flanger. Some of the terms used to describe the knobs are a bit confusing and vague. I think "Color" controls the feedback/regeneration, while "Range" controls the length of the delay. I would've preferred it if they had called those knobs "Feedback" and "Delay" instead. "Rate" controls the speed of the oscillator that sweeps the delay. The "Filter Matrix" switch allows you to disconect the oscillator, turning the pedal into a static delay unit. As a delay, it's pretty limited, but useful for cheesy metallic reverb effects or for making your guitar sound like a toy piano.
The manual is a one-sided, digest-sized photocopy. It contains no useful technical information whatsoever - nothing about input/output impedance, about what the knobs actually do, etc. While that's all you get for a manual, they've also included a glossy, full-color, 12-page catalog for their other pedals, and a glossy brochure for EH brand vacuum tubes. Interesting.
I would've liked it if a schematic had been included as well.
Despite these criticisms, the unit is really very easy to use. Just plug in and start twisting knobs until you hear something you like. After 10 minutes, it becomes fairly obvious how each of the controls affects the sound.

It's much quieter than the DOD flanger I was using before, though still fairly noisy. I don't fault EH for that, noise is just an inherent problem with the bucket brigade chips used in analog flangers. EH have done a respectable job of keeping the noise down.

A previous reviewer hit the nail on the head when he mentioned the Danelectro Cool Cat chorus. If you've ever maxed out all the knobs on a Cool Cat, liked the sound, and wished it could go further, then the Electric Mistress is for you. It takes off where the Cool Cat ends.

This thing is at the top of the heap as far as stompbox flangers go. I have yet to hear a better one. Despite this, I haven't been blown away by the Electric Mistress. It's a little thin, and the sweep doesn't sound quite right to me. The Mistress has a reputation for being extreme and over-the-top, but honestly, I find it to be rather on the tame and "musical" side. It's not the best choice for flying saucer sounds. Maybe the old ones are different? It doesn't really cover that much more territory than other flangers, it just does it more cleanly. That's its biggest strength, I think.

I just got it so I can't say.
It seems fairly sturdy. It's a large metal box with metal jacks, etc. It's weird they didn't put in an LED to show the effect is on.
The unit I got was (supposedly) new but was covered in scratches, discolorations in the paint job, etc., right out of the box. I suspect the store might've sold me a floor unit as new, but if that's not the case and they come from the factory looking this way, it doesn't inspire confidence in EH's quality control.

This is one of the better flangers I've come across, but if I had to buy it again, I'm not so sure I would. It comes closer to the sounds I'm after than any other product I've tried, but it's still only halfway there. If this is the best analog can do, I'll be taking a closer look at the digital devices out there. I would be curious to hear how this thing stacks up to the MXR flanger, though.

Tricky to remember what settings get you what sounds in specific. I usually stick to a fast and light flange, or a slow and deep sound.

I'm totally gaga over my mistress! It makes kindof a fuzz sound if i have my guitar up all the way, which really gives it an old sound. It makes this weird noise when i play with the range knob. very analog synth-esque, but only when i don't play any guitar notes. it's just part of the pedal's noise factor i love so much. it makes a good vibe sound if i turn the range up, but i prefer a phaser for that sorta thing. it does the whole tool flange-into-distortion thing beautifully, as well as make great cure goth sounds. most of the sounds are non-cheesy and are somewhat sophisticated and arty. love the pretentiousness of electro-harmonix. there is a definite volume drop, but since i run it into an amp that's almost-distorting, it simply cleans the amp's tone up while adding it's own lo-fi distortion to make up for it.

This will never die. I see so many vintage ones of these around that i am not so worried about one dying.

electro harmonix sucks with customer support, but that's just what i've heard from others...

Beautiful 80's sounds, good jet-plane whoosh, and nice trippy noise. the reason i don't shop for flangers as much as i used to. i do need this one cool green 70's ibanez flanger, however.

Very easy pedal to use..........only 3 knobs. Within seconds, I had a great flanging sound.

This is one of the best sounding flangers I've tried. Very noisy though. I have to use it with the "Range" knob turned almost completely down or else it completely takes over your sound. Especially with distortion.

I've only had it for a couple of months, but no problems yet.

Never dealt with them

Overall, I love this pedal and would gladly get another if this was lost/stolen/whatever. The only thing that I don't like about it is the size. EH pedals just take up too much space on a pedal board. But I kinda solved the space problem by putting my delay on top of the pedal between the knobs and the on/off switch. So, I give this pedal a 9 because nothing is perfect.

EASY TO USE. NO MANUAL ALL I GOT WAS THE WARRENTY CARD HASN'T BEEN UP-GRADED S FAR AS I KNOW

SOUND QUALITY OF THE EFFECT IS VERY GOOD BUT THERE IS A 60 CYCLE HUM OR EVEN A BAD GROUND HUM EVEN WHEN THE UNIT'S OFF. ESPECIALLY ON HIGH GAIN

NO IT'S TOO NOISEY IT MAKES YOUR WHOLE EFFECTS CHAIN SOUND LIKE LITTLE LEAGUE CRAP AND I'M TALKING SOLDANO,TC,MESA BOOGIE MARSHALL WITH GIBSON AND FENDER GUITARS

SENT BACK TO NU-SENSOR TWICE AND THEY SENT IT BACK THE SAME WAY

BLUES ROCK FIX THE NOISE THAT YOUR COMPANY SEEMS TO DENY. I DID HEAR SOME MENTION OF A NEW CIRCUIT I GUESS THE OLD ONE WAS CRAP.ALL I KNOW IS THIS PEDAL HAS BEEN UNUSUABLE SINCE I GOT IT NICE FLANGE IF IT WERE USABLE

This is VERY easy to use...it is very easy to get a good sound out of it, and their are only three large knobs...It doesn't get any easier than this pedal.

This FLanger has some very good sounds...It can be very noisy though..I have found myself turning the Depth of the flange town because of the amount of hiss I was getting from the pedal..It is an analog pedal though..and I did Kind of expect some hiss

I Play with no back up for it...It has never let me down..I also like that it doesn't use any batteries..

Overall, I really like the sounds you can get from this flanger..You can get good flange sounds, and can also go as far to get chorus sounds as well..My only complaints are that it's a little noisy and it doesn't have stereo output options, which is why I'll probably eventually buy a Boss flanger to help the Electric mistress out with the stereo stuff...

The pedal is very easy to use. I am submitting this review 'only' to put forward an idea which I came up with to solve the volume level drop when the flange is turned on.

If you are after a flanger that does it better than any other, this is the pedal for you. There is a volume drop when the effect is turned on. I really noticed how much of a drop when my amp was put through the monitors when playing live. Here is how I fixed it...and you may need someone with electronics experience to help you. I wired in an EMG-SPC mid-boost to the output of the flange section of the effect. I was also able to power the SPC with 5 Volts DC I found on the effect. I was then able to adjust the level of the effect when it was turned on to match when it was turned off. The extra mids actually added some warmth to the effect as well. Good luck!

I've only owned the effect for a week.

Have not had to use tech support yet.

I love the sound of this pedal and it was worth putting the extra effort in to make it perfect.

Seems easy at first, but those 3 knobs really can take your guitar tone to very strange places indeed, so a little experimentaion is needed.

This pedal sounds incredible, theres a few people whinging about noise (I'm about to aswell) but I can't really comment as I own the old 70's model and Electro Harmonix pedals are famed for there big ugly sounds, but in the best way possible. Its true that this pedal can produce lovely chorus sounds and traditional flange sounds, but i find the best set up is when the rate is turned up to the point where you get a very subtle vibrato, which sounds absolutely incredible when hooked up with a fuzz and octave pedal for one note/string riffs. Anyhoo onto my little whinge... basically theres a click in the lower part of the sweep of my pedal, this makes the faster settings virtually unusable... i was wondering if anyone could help me out? I'm from the uk too by the way.

I have a few old EH pedals, and as far as reliabilty gos, there a bit of a no-no. I've had to take them in for repairs a few times but of course its worth it, the new pedals are probably a lot more reliable however.

next day response from any e-mails I've sent, could of been a bit more helpful though.

This is a cracking piece of kit, you need to be into the EH vibe though before you buy anything off them, theres no point getting it if your gonna put through a crappy tranny amp, or just use it for the clean part in a nu metal song or whatever, but if you want a flange thats a bit different (from your mums) then you can't get much better than this.

Easy to use with three knobs (Color, Range, Rate), on/off switch, and the Filter Matrix switch (disengages flange sweep).

But, on the other hand, there are so many micro-varieties of flange sounds that it can take quite a while to find the exact sound you're looking for.

The plug in is nice I guess, but there's a lot of cord that I have to bunch up and looks unsightly on the pedal board. Oh well.

Like others here have said, this is very good for getting the Andy Summers (from the Police) chiming guitar sound, as heard on songs like "Walking on the Moon," "Bring On The Night," "When The World Is Running Down," "Tea in the Sahara..." Yeah, Summers used this pedal a lot, especially live. Play a telecaster with a good compressor, the Electric Mistress, and some nice delay/reverb, and you ARE Andy Summers.

It's kind of a chorusy flanger, as opposed to something like a Boss or MXR or Ibanez, which sound a bit dryer than this (but with a more pronounced sweep). All sorts of sounds are available. Good for the more arty 80's flange sounds (like Siouxie & The Banshees, The Cure, etc.) as opposed to 80's cock rock flange sounds (Van Halen, ad nauseum). Good Nirvana sounds as well. I realize many of you aren't looking to imitate other artists' sounds, I'm just using them as examples of the kinds of sounds you can get.

Here's a great setting for the classic Police flanger sound:

Color: 10:00
Range: 11:50
Rate: 8:50

Andy Summers described this sound as "warbling cloud." It's a pretty good description. Try striking a chord and fading it in with a volume pedal or your guitar's volume knob, using lots of reverb or echo. Very mysterious-sounding.

Never given me a problem.

Never had to contact them...

This is a good match for the music I play. I play a lot of strange, subtly dark music, in addition to more down to earth acoustic music. I like this flanger best clean, either palm muted or with jazz and suspended 4th/7th chords. It sounds good distorted too, but usually I like my distortion with no modulation effects. It's also perfect for playing Police songs.

I've been playing for almost five years. If it were stolen, I'd track the offender down and beat him with blow after punishing blow to the head and torso region, pro wrestling style. Right. I'm not sure there's such a thing as "best ever," but this is definitely my favorite flanger. Try it before you buy it to make sure it's the sound you're after. I love the beautiful, delicate pulses of chorusy flange. The sound, in my opinion, is infinitely more interesting than any other flanger I've heard.

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.

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...