GuitarWorld.com's latest readers poll—the first annual Jim Dunlop Effect Pedal Throwdown—has reached Round 2!
For the past month, we've been pitting Dunlop, MXR and Way Huge pedals against each other in a no-holds-barred shootout. Now the competition is guaranteed to get even tougher.
Therefore, we're pulling out all the stomps! Sixteen stompboxes will go head to head — or toe to toe, if you prefer — leading up to the king of Dunlop/MXR/Way Huge pedals.
You can check out the current bracket — with all 32 competing pedals that starting things off in Round 1 — in the Scribd.com window below (Be sure to click on the "full screen" button in the lower-right-hand corner to expand the bracket).
The bracket is updated after (almost) every matchup, and matchups will take place pretty much every day, excluding weekends. Each competing pedal will accompanied by a demo video created by the Jim Dunlop company, and you'll always find a photo gallery of the competing pedals at the bottom of each matchup.
Today's Matchup
In today's matchup, the MXR M68 Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato goes foot to foot against the MXR M101 Phase 90. Start voting below!
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: Yesterday, the Way Huge WHE202 Green Rhino Overdrive (57.5 percent) just barely defeated the Way Huge WHE301 Fat Sandwich Distortion (42.5 percent) to advance to the next round! To see all the matchups that have taken place so far, head HERE. Thanks for voting!
Meet the Combatants
MXR M68 Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato
The Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato is one of the most iconic effects in music history. Since the late ’60s, groundbreaking guitar players have used it to expand the tonal and textural palette of the electric guitar. The MXR team has just remastered the classic effect for modern players. The MXR Chorus/Vibrato delivers the same chewy, Leslie-sounding goodness with a smaller footprint.
With its simple three-knob interface, you can dial up the iconic effect to your taste in short order. First, use the VIBE switch to select either Chorus Mode—dry signal mixed with pitch-shifted signal—or Vibrato Mode—only pitch-shifted signal. Then, use the LEVEL control to set the effect volume, the SPEED control to set the sweep rate, and the DEPTH control to set overall intensity. The MXR Uni-Vibe Chorus/Vibrato comes in a Phase 90-sized housing—a fraction of the size and weight of the original Uni-Vibe pedal—and features true bypass switching. Perfect for taking this lush, swirly pedal out on the road.
This device has found its way into many of Eddie Van Halen's recordings, adding a shimmery velocity to lead passages or a more dramatic swoosh to muted strumming. Not just for guitars; it works well with bass, keyboards and even vocals. Vary the speed from a subtle, long cycle to a fast, watery warble...and myriad vintage vibrations in between.
