Electro-Harmonix Tube Zipper

preety easy to use, no manuel. I wish that you could download at their
website.

Incredible sound. I use a single rectifier and various boutique pedals
with strats, esp. If you are a innovative fusion rock player you will
be able to express yourself.

I am having huge issues with the weird power supply tip and housing on
the unit. mine failed and the worst connecter I have seen yet. Very frustrating because I have to change but will be way better off after I do. And It is in my bourd so it goes wherever I play.

No phone number at the site but it is on their products I have to call just qwerk them.

this pedal is not for the faint at heart. 6 knobs, with 3 doing most of the work, it can be a slight bit difficult at first. then there are the 2 switches which change the sweep from a normal phase type sweep to almost a deep vibrato. i mainly use it for the insane noises that can come out of it. but funk players can get into this as well as experimental and rock players.

american strat w/ red lace sensor at bridge & 2 gold lace sensors>mxr blue box>sovtek/EH greeb big muff>boss ph 1-r>EH tube zipper>5150II. depending on how you have the zipper set will depend on how much noise will come out of it. since the filter is manual, you can turn up the resonance and turn the sensitivity down turn it on to the lowest frequencies audible. that is really cool since you can manipulate the sweep from sub-bass to almost alien spacecraft highs. with the switch to trill and the resonance about 3 or 4 o clock, you can get these self oscillating noises. or if you want a good auto wah sound, back off of most of the knobs and presto...
the distortion on this is very dirty and grungy. i really dont use it souly for the distortion, but with the distortion cranked, it makes the filter more dramatic. honestly, this pedal will surprise you every time you turn it on with new textural sounds and sick-ass noises. and i've been told that replacing the stock tubes with higher end tubes will make this sound a lot better. if you have the cash and are in to really whacked out noises...get one.

usually EH makes some sturdy pedals. but this type of pedal with the 2 12AX7s in them are very light weight and almost cheap feeling. i try not to slam on it since it cost so much, but sometimes i cna't really help myself. i do gig without a back up and unless you're rich you will too. but this pedal could be a strictly studio pedal with no problems.

when i got this, i figured i should send in the warranty card at least just in case something with the parts went wrong. but the warranty card was sent back...i've sent emails and no word about what i should do...so i guess they're not very supportive.

i play rock music. some experimental sounds are usually thrown in for good measure so this thing does the trick beautifully. i've been playing guitar for about 8 years and i've come to know good sound IMO. these pedals are great, expensive but great. if it were lost, i would probably cry for a few days over the loot i didn't have...if it were stolen, i would definitely become a bounty hunter and track down the bitch who stole my shit. there are a few other pedals out there that will do about the same things this pedal will, but those are mainly boutique pedals that cost more than this one. and i wouldn't say this helps me create music, but it definitely doesn't get in the way. if anything its just gravy on top...
here it in action
www.sideaonly.com

I absolutely love this pedal, but it can be extremely hard to use the top three knobs. Bottom three are a piece of cake. (Top 3 - Resonance, Frequency, Sensitivity/ Bottom 3 - Master, Drive, Gain) In addition, it has two modes (Tron and Trill) and env up/down. As endless as the possibilities may be with this pedal, unless you use pretty mid-range settings (Which still sound great!), this pedal is NOT for beginners. I lost my settings sheet, which was a bummer, so I've had to figure out this tone monster for myself.

For the trouble involved in getting your optimum sound out of this, it is WELL worth it. I have NEVER heard a pedal I liked better than this one. I own four, and it blows two of the three others completely away (Funnily enough, the third is another Electro-Harmonix). If you play rock, there is no doubt that you can find your tone on this spectacular-sounding, versatile pedal.

It seems very sturdy. It has a guard for the tubes so you can't break them by missing a step (say, in a dark gig). Having said that, I would take anything to a gig without a backup. Just the smart thing to do. I'd definitely take my other EH rather than anything else though (For the record, the other's a Hot Tubes). I don't think it'll ever break down, though, unless I do something stupid. The one feature I don't like is the fact that the tubes appear to be turned on even when I bipass the pedal. It's pain to plug and unplug this at home whenever I stop practicing.

Never had to deal with 'em.

I play several kinds of rock. Blues, metal, alternative, general. I own a Les Paul '57 Black Beauty and a BC Rich Beast. Both ROCK on this pedal. It also goes well with my Fender 90 Watt DSP. To the beginning player, it seems expensive, but I can't imagine a better distortion pedal. If it were stolen, I'd instantly be online to order another one. I absolutely love the sound and versatility of this pedal. My favorite feature is definitely the trill/tron mode switcher. Very unique. My least favorite is the tubes staying on as mentioned before.

I could not get along without this pedal as far as distortion is concerned. I wonder how I ever bothered with my Boss, DOD, or amp distortion. From this experience, it would take a lot to convince me to buy pedal products from any company besides Electro-Harmonix (I'm even considering gettings their new strings!)

This pedal is a challenge. There are 6 knobs and 2 slider switches to contend with. Knobs for: Resonance, Frequency, Sensitivity, Master Volume, Drive, and Input Gain. The last 3 knobs are easy, they control the distortion effect and your overall volume levels. I'm actually using this pedal as my main distortion effect right now. The distortion sound can be killer, but tweaking those bottom 3 knobs is essential. Resist temptations to max out the Drive knob, because it can get muddy. The top 3 knobs and 2 switches control the filter...they are what control all the craziness of the pedal. The manual is actually quite long by EH standards, and actually gives you a full page of sample settings! Messing around with the pedal and investing some time will prove invaluable.

Dead quiet - true bypass! This pedal is a truly unique item...and honestly a bit challenging to describe. You can get a really good distortion sound, and many, many different filtered effects. Mutron-like effects, typical wah type sounds, crazy bleeps and blips, and unexplainable noises that you simply have never heard before. I've had it for a couple weeks and I still feel like there is so much left to be discovered. The sound quality is really brilliant though. The tube warmth is unmistakable.

Very solid. The only issue is the weird power supply, which has a specialized tip on the end of it - so if you lose it or break it, you'll have to order one from EH. No radio shack replacements here. Also, it gets plugged in on the SIDE, which I could do without.

This pedal scores big points for originality. The tube warmth and true bypass also won me over. As for the effect itself, it's unbelievable...you can create sounds with this thing that you probably never even thought were possible.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF LINKS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT if you are interested in this pedal.

http://buzzfox.com/el-zipper-swf.html - This is a "virtual" Tube Zipper! Not nearly as cool as playing the real thing, but a decent demo.
http://www.ehx.com/ - EH has MP3s on their site of the Zipper.

Overall, I love this pedal. It's a bit pricey and slightly hard to find in stores, but the sounds you can create are almost limitless.

Good luck if you're looking for something out of the box with this unit; the manual is informative, but you'll need lots of time to get to know your TZ. There's just so much going on with it since it's so versatile...but beware the oscillation!

I tried it out of the box with my '92 American Standard Strat into a Bedrock 600 Series 1x12 Combo. The TZ sounds like nothing else I've heard. Everything from killer distortion to Mutron-type stuff to things yet to be described.
The coolest thing I've found so far is that I can get a grungy open chord thing on the upper strings, edgy but quiet, and then hit the low strings and CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZY things happen. It's like a whole bunch of pedals chained weirdly that self-activate on attack. You have to hear to know what I mean.

It seems rock-solid, but it will live in its groovy stash box and not be allowed out of the house. Were I gigging, this would be part of the arsenal and I'd use it without fear.

Haven't yet, but the folks at EH seem to be quite proud of this pedal, so I'd think they'd give me help if I asked.

I've been playing for 20 years. I have an '82 Schecter PT, a '72 Les Paul Custom (McCarty pickups), a '99 Ampeg AMG-1 and the Strat. For effects, a PEI Yardbox, ProCo TurboRat, a Distortion+, an old EH Soul Preacher, a '75 EH Crying Tone, a Wah Face, and some 80s Boss and Ibanez stuff. I'm currently playing through the Bedrock solely.
This pedal is the most amazing device I've ever heard for the electric guitar, hands down. It has a lot of sounds I know, but lots that I heard for the first time tonight. It has already inspired a really cool new riff, and I expect it will continue to do so. I look forward to trying some of my old standby stuff (blues and rock) out on it to see where it can take me.
This is the best money I have ever spent on a pedal, except for the $25 I spent to buy the Crying Tone back in '81 (it's appreciated a bit in value!)
BUY ONE NOW!

Killer Sounds - Period !!!
This is a Killer Effect -
no Presets - is a bummer - dialing in the right sound live
will take practice @ home for sure
simple - easy to read manual

50's reissue Strat(Vintage Hot fralins)>Fender Deluxe 40W Tube Amp
NOISE IS MY COMPLAINT - I am waiting for EH to respond to my email -
my unit pops crackles - buzzes out my speakers - YUCKO -
I can run my hands around the box & get all kinds of static buzz -
when bypassed my other effects are fine - clean tone - I tried diff cables - location - nothing works - very frustrated w/ the purchase -
I know I must have a faulty unit - the sound samples just sounded too good & w/ my CC2 > TS9/808 > FD2 > SHO i get wonderful tones & I wanted the ZIPPER to add my Jerry Wah joy & more but.... hmmmmm

@ this point - I can't even use it -
It ruins my tone - & it would send the fans packing....
I would not take it to a gig - unless it gets fixed or exchanged...

We will see about that ....
EH has my email .....
I will post a new review about the result of my experience ....

I play ROCK !!! - if it becomes functional - it will be my fave pedal - I love the way you can tweek it into a frenzy - very handy
for a long jam where you want the kids to start melting....
If it was stolen - I would try one in a store & hope for a solid unit
It was between the Line6 Filter - & the Zipper - the zipper sounded more radical & I sold my dead quiet yet somewhat sterile FM4 to obtian this device of crackles, pops, & BUZZZZZZ
even when I don't play & just sit the guitar down - it just makes horrid noises - YUCKO !!!!
I wish it had Presets like the Line 6 FM4
Just look for a follow up review ....don't let this stop you -
I think in the end - I will have a quiet ZIPPER
please email me if you have info on the possible problem....

A little hard to get used to but it's got a lot you can adjust and it comes with a cheat sheet to get you started. They have done quite a bit with 6 knobs, 2 switches and on on/off foot switch! It's NOT a typical stomp box, the knobs change the sound a lot...

This baby really cranks out the trippy sounds. It was hard for me to get used to the envelope filter but once I did I loved it. I use a Fender strat / SD pickups / Fender HR Deville 4x10. One thing I noticed is that you need to get your amp up to tone in order to get the full sounds out of the zipper. Just like any of your effect pedals, it sounds better cranked. The distortion is similar to the big muff distortion sound. You can turn the distortion on / off if you want to use it with your current distortion pedal. You can also turn most all of the effects on or off. Very nice! I would give it a 10 except that it really only has one "sound" and the knobs change that one sound greatly. Two or three sounds would have been great for the price!

Seems very reliable.

Never have needed it with these guys.

If you want an evelope filter sound with a wild twinge that is all tube, this is your pedal. If you don't know what that is, perhaps the term porno distortion will help you. Maybe not, get some sound files to make sure you like this sound. I can't live without it now.

Well, ease of use??? Not really. It's a typical stompbox, only it has 6 knobs, and 2 toggle switches. It will take some getting used to. :)
The manual shows a few suggestions for effects, but this is one of those pedals where you really have to sit down with it for HOURS before you start to understand what it's capable of. It's definetely NOT a "plug-in-and-play-right-away" kind of pedal.

I currently use an early 80's Laney TUBE 1/2 stack, 2 Fender American Deluxe Strats, 80's USA Kramer Baretta, ...etc

Noisy: Uh, not too noisy....No more than any other pedal. The effects are NOT weak in this pedal. Just takes a while to get the "right" effects. Being an Envelope Filter/Distortion pedal, it's kind of a "wild" sounding pedal. Gets some STRANGE sounds....But, COOL!

I'm not too keen on the distortion, only because I'm not really a fan of "fuzz box distortion". However, being a tube pedal, and having this really wild Envelope filter, one can really be inspired to write some cool new songs.

Well, Electro-Harmonix is not well known for building the most "sturdy" of pedals, so, I'd always have a backup. However, I mostly use this pedal at home.

Never dealt with EH.

Been playing for approximately 20+ years.

What I love about it: The weird, wacky effects this pedal gets.
What I hate about it: The "fuzz" distortion.

With all the other "tube dist pedals" out there, I thought this pedal might be a bit more agressive sounding. It's your typical Big Muff/Fuzz Box sounding distortion. However, it's a bit warmer sounding, and smoother. However, I DO find it pretty good for 70's classic rock.


Overall, this pedal is really fun, fun to play with, and fun to listen to what comes out of it. The more you mess around with it, the more you'll appreciate what it can do. However, you HAVE to give this pedal some time to grow on you.

I bought it on a whim, just because I wanted something different.

If it were stolen or lost, I'd be pissed that they stole a $260.00 pedal, on the other hand, I'd just save my money, and put it towards a nice HIWATT head instead. :)

Hey...I'm first. Wow! This thing can be a bit daunting. It's an envelope filter/distortion pedal that can modulate and act as a synth. It has resonance, frequency, senstivity, master volume, input gain, and drive knobs as well as two dip-switches for up and down modes and tron (smooth follow) and trill (modulated follow) modes. Whew. These controls are processed by two life giving 12ax7's. The plethora of options is not the stumbling block rather it's the high degree of interaction the knobs have on each other that is daunting. While it's not hard to get a good sound it is complicated by wide sweeping pots and that touch interactivity. However this should not be construed as a negative as it is the source of the Tube Zipper's magic. It's not that hard to get used to but there is a higher degree of difficulty than a Boss pedal or something. The manual is very helpful w/ good suggestions to play around w/ right out of the box however it seems geared solely towards guitarists. Oh well, bassists just cut the frequency and and resonance to taste and the tolerance of your cab for highs. All in all, an easy to use considering that this pedal is designed to have very few boundries.

My guitar setup:
Fender Am Std Strat (Ash) -> Crybaby 535Q -> EH Tube Zipper -> EH Big Muff Pi (NYC RI) -> Boss PH-3 Phaser w/ EV-5 foot control -> Epiphone Tube 10 or Ampeg VT-120

My Bass Setup
Mongrel Squier P-Bass Body w/ EMG P pickup (soon to recieve Warmoth ebony J-neck) -> Crybaby 535Q -> EH Tube Zipper -> EH Big Muff Pi (NYC RI) -> Boss PH-3 Phaser w/ EV-5 foot control -> SWR Workingman's 300 -> Mesa 1x15 Diesel Cab

Sound quality...Electro-Harmonix is thy name. While not necessarily boutique EH pedals conjure up pretty sweet tones and this is no different. Convention envelope setting ring through w/ warmth. Distortion tones can be high eq'd and lower in gain but sweet. The combined distortion/filter produces strange sounds w/ good tone in the midst of chaos. Trill mode is nice as it seems non-sinusoidal at times but usable and predictable (this is because you can make it zig zag the filter to a crescendo). Very nice sound quality. Has true bypass.

Don't know about reliablity, just got it. 12ax7's seem well mounted but I'm tempted to get a pedal board w/ a true bypass switch to keep my pedals nice and unstomped. Has one year warranty. Backups are out of the question w/ my finances.

Don't know. I guess I'll find out if something goes wrong

I like making noise. I like playing conventional rock, space rock, emo, hard rock, punk, and hard industrial noise. Been playing a tad more than 2 years on guitar and a couple months on bass. On bass I slap, pluck, and pick. Haven't gotten fingerstyle down that well. My other gear listed above should give some insight as to my style. Obvious Tom Morello fan. I love strange barely musical sounds and pushing my equipment. Love the whole thing, love the price. This thing helps my creativity, though one should be able to creative w/ a clean signal or an acoustic. Saw it's specs and the price and heard the samples on Musictoys and new I had to have it without having played one or physically seeing or hearing one. Wish it had parameter controls for resonance at least but big deal. It helps a great deal. Equally great for hitting groovin' rhythmic min7 chords or for wild noises or right hand mutes or anarchic solos. Love this thing goes from plain Jane to Wild thing w/ the flick of a few knobs. Very versatile. Like a multi-effect that doesn't suck and is analog.