Guyatone VT-3 Vintage Tremolo

2 knobs -- can't get much easier to use.

GREAT vintage trem sounds. I've owned several combo amps with on-board tremolo -- Fender Deluxe Reverb and Twin Reverb, Ampeg SuperJet and Peavey Delta Blues -- and IMHO the trem on this pedal sounds better (smoother, more "throbby" than "choppy") than any of them. Also, it has true bypass so it doesn't change your tone when in the off position -- very nice feature to have (especially when you're stringing a bunch of pedals together).<p>
The reason for the low rating in this category is the annoying volume boost that Guyatone felt compelled to build into this pedal. I've owned MANY trem pedals (both Dunlop models, Boss PN-2, Boss TR-2, Diaz Trem-o-dillo, DOD Vibrothang) plus too many digital effects processors with trem to name here. This WOULD be the best if not for the volume boost! I wouldn't mind if it were a slight boost but it's pretty substantial -- I actually had to roll the volume down to 6 to compensate! Why they designed it that way I have no idea -- what a shame. I actually returned the pedal days after buying it because I couldn't live with the extreme boost.<p>
The Boss TR-2 is a nice pedal with the opposite problem, the volume drops when you kick in the effect. Right now I'm waiting for delivery of a Dano Tuna Melt that I won on eBay. That is supposed to have a slight volume boost too but not as extreme as the Guyatone. If that doesn't cut it I guess I'll have to spring for the extra bucks and try the Voodoo Lab tremolo pedal after all. Ouch!

Great vintage trem tone and true bypass BUT has an extreme volume boost when you kick it in. Buy it only if you can live with the boost -- I couldn't.

A simple, straight forward pedal that does very well. It couldn'r be more simple to use.

After careful consideration and reading Rick's review below I was all set to turn the intensity up to 12 o'clock. Rick also mentioned that the pedal was very quiet. I found on mine that I still get useful effect turning down even to about 9. and the pedal hisses just like the old tremolo amps. This is O.K., in fact prefered as it does sound exactly like the old Fender/ Ampeg amps of yore. A little sonic enhancement is welcomed when searching for that "vintage" tone. So, I rate this pedal to be ideal. It is not pristine so it gets a 9.

This pedal is as stout any and better than most. With an inexpensive micro pedal it's a moot point. No need for backup here.

This company does a good job with their web site. I suspect they are as good as any Japanese company in this catagory.

I primarily use a tape delay and wanted a splash of wave for surf-rock and duplicating some of those old early sixties tunes. It fits the bill perfectly and at a reasonable price point. I don't place any creedance on Editor picks from GP magazine. They thought the Zoom 505 was great. But they did hit the nail on the head on this one. It's way cool !.

Like most Guyatone pedals, there is minimal difficulty in getting a great sound. With only two knobs, how hard could it possibly be? I'm not crazy about the battery access (a rubber ring around the bottom plate) but no big deal really.

I use two Telecasters that I made. One has Seymour Duncans (loud rock)and the other has Rio Grandes (twaaaang!). My amp is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, which you absolutely can't beat for the money but you'll have to go to that review for more on the amp. Occasionally I use a Boss CS-3, but the tremolo and compressor are rarely used together--it just doesn't sound good. This tremolo is good for getting a jumpy, boogie-down funk a la Southern Culture on the Skids or just groovy twangin' surf/spy music. Using it with distortion just muffles the effect really, but it is good for noise in that respect. It doesn't compare to amp tremolo in most respects, but it is only a 3 inch box! Also worth mentioning is the fact that it gives you a slight signal boost. This can be good or bad, depending on the user--I like it myself.

I have only had it for a few months but it seems pretty solid and it is obviously put together well.

I have never dealt with them. That speaks for the reliability I guess.

I have never been one for a floor full of pedals, but I bought this because I heard tremolo on so many songs I loved. I am very satisfied with it. The only way I have compared it is by price and by sound clips at musictoyz.com and other sites. It fit my budget and it sounds as good as anything on any C.D. I've heard, so that is good enough for me.

If simplicity is what you crave in an effect, look no further: Input, output, 9-volt adapter plug-in, a knob for speed and another for intensity, on/off switch, indicator light. Nothing more, nothing less. Almost impossible not to get a good sound out of it unless the intensity knob at less than 12 0'clock, then it's a trifle weak. The manual (as if it's really necessary...) is a generic map of all the features of all of Guyatone's "micro" series effects and tells you what you need to know if you've never used a tremolo effect before--and this, of course, is not much. In other words, everything you need in a good tremolo box.

I'm running it with various guitars (G&L legacy, Les Paul, Guild Starfire) into an SKB pedalboard w/ a Dano tuner, reissue Vox wah, Boss BLues driver, CE-3 Chorus, the Guyatone and a Boss RV-3 reverb/delay and amplified by a reissue '59 Bassman. All of my effects are fairly quiet, but this is the quietest of them all. The 'true bypass' switch is absolutely noiseless when switching, and when it's off, you'd never know it's there-- unlike Boss' trem boxes (I own a PN-2), where there is an audible clicking sound that gets worse as you turn up the amp.
The effect itself is very, very intense when you want it to be, and seems to have more depth than even my PN-2. It also goes much faster, although I am aware that the PN-2 is capable of going just as fast with a simple modification. In any case, I do not need or want all of the speed and depth this thing is capable of-- however, it always nice to have more on tap than you need, and I can get some fabulous tones out of it. It doesn't quite nail the sound of the PN-2 or that of a vintage Fender amp, but it's sound is quite pleasing, and well within the scope of what one could easily call 'vintage.' With enough reverb you can positively nail the 'Twin Peaks' tone, for example, and reproduce surf-type sounds convincing enough for live work or recording. Not bad for a solid-state gizmo.
It does have certain limitations, however. The one that bothered me the most was listed above: the weakness of intensity settings less that high noon. Past this point, you've got all the throb you can stand, but it would be nice to have an effect whose entire range is useful-- although, to be truthful, I don't believe I've come across any such pedal yet. The second big thing is certainly no difficulty for me, but it may pose problems for those out there who prefer sharper, 'square wave' tremolo sounds. You can't get 'em. End of discussion. The pedal is called 'Vintage Tremolo' because that's what it does- smooth, triangle wave modulation. I've never so much as swtiched over to the square setting of my PN-2, so I don't miss it, but if square is what you crave don't look for it here. My other beef with the sound is very minor, and has to do with Guyatone's addition of a volume boost. I don't find this necessary at all, although I can see the reasoning behind it. Their website says that this ensures that no notes will be lost. This is true, however the boost seems to be just a tad too harsh. It'll start to break up a tube amp on anything over '2.' I tried it with my Bassman, my Sovtek MIG 100, and a solid state Fender at the music store. Both of the tube amps started getting crunchy even with low-output single coils. It actually is a cool sound and if you don't want it, it can be corrected pretty easily, of course, by backing off the guitar's volume. I didn't feel that any detail or clarity was sacrificed by doing this, but I see how it could be a hassle. I wouldn't change the design, though, as it is a rather interesting quirk and that's one of the reasons I prefer pedals to multi-effect racks and such.

Simplicity and reliability often go hand in hand-- although they are not necessary correlates. This pedal is consummately simple, and it's stamped steel casing and apparently elephant-proof footswitch hint of extreme reliability. The bottem, however, tells a different story. The battery case is held on by a rubber gasket that wraps around a sheet of something that isn't quite cardboard and isn't quite aluminum that comprises the bottem casing and battery door. Cheesey. The circuit board looks very neat and tidy, but there is nothing separating it from the battery or the other guts. This isn't a problem for me since I power it through my board, although I could forsee a leaky battery destroying a circuit or two on someone who isn't so equipped. Needless to say, I took the included battery (although it is a nice touch) out immediately. Overall, I think it is dependable and I would gig with it without a backup. There's very little that can go wrong and without a battery, less still.

A warrenty is included... I'm not sure how long. Never dealt with Guyatone, no idea how they would treat you. They are based in Japan and the pedals are distributed by another company. This might be problematic....

I play may different styles of music, and its tone certainly matches every kind of tremolo effect I've ever needed. From spacey psychedelia (think 'Beyond the Twilight Zone') to raunchy surf trembling to mellow jazz warbles to waves and walls of swamp boogie wiggles, this little gem will handle everything I do-- but it won't do square waves in case you missed my comments above.
I've been playing for 13 years and bought a Boss PN-2 when they first came out. I got the VT-3 so that I wouldn't have to risk taking my discontinued Boss out on the club&bar scene, and what I got was something that will definitely fill in for it live-- but has a distinct voice of its own and might be useful for recording by virtue of this quality.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd pray nothing happened to my PN-2 while I had to use it before having the funds to purchase another Guyatone.
I absolutely love its elegant simplicity and wish the Boss had fewer frills. I love its compact size, and its bizarre-yet-enchanting white background/purple lettering. The voulme boost is unnecessary and perhaps a trifle annoying for late night flash-of-inspiration work, but it does lend an element of character that other trem pedals lack.
Whilst shopping around I found the only other comparatively priced pedal to be the new Boss TR-3, and I don't know what changes they made to the ciruit, but that thing is not fit to wiggle the volume of the lowest grade rig. The Dano Tuna-melt is quite a bit cheaper, but I found it to be a bit on the weak side (although you can get square-wave sounds out of that one), and, well, just lacking the overall character of this box. The only thing that might sound more like an old Fender is Guyatone's own FLIP series tube tremolo box, but that darned thing is at least half-again as much; the tube is just a different class of pedal.
I would not add or change a thing about the VT-3, except for the weakness of its left-of-center intensity settings-- although this is easy enough to overlook. Bottem line: a superb deal for a solid-state tremolo. If you need affordable, convincing 'vintage' tones, look no further-- it will also take you out into a wilderness of trem tone all its own if you want to tap into it, just keep the intensity up there.