Exclusive lessons, interviews, presales and features from the GW archive
Curated Newsletters
Handpicked guitar news, lessons and gear highlights
Early Access
Our biggest stories will go to Backstage Pass holders first
Achievements
Unlock badges as you learn and explore
Join the Conversation
Connect with fellow GW fans across the globe
Tailored For You
Lessons, gear and stories picked for you
Sign up to Guitar World Backstage Pass
For the quickest way to join, enter your email below. We’ll send a confirmation email and sign you up to Guitar World newsletters with the latest news, gear reviews, lessons and exclusive offers.
Join The Club for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
A really musical effect, perfectly implemented in a convenient tiny footprint,
the Pico Swello is a joy to use and is capable of giving you an alternative voice
whenever needed.
Pros
+
Really compact size
+
Smooth operation
+
Variable attack for different applications
+
Optional filter
Cons
-
A momentary action footswitch would be a cool feature
You can trust Guitar World
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
First seen in the POG2, the Attack slider is a feature that has particularly hit the spot with players, adjusting the note envelope for swelled or bowed sounds whether or not you’re using the pitch aspects of the pedal.
Now, that specific effect has been made more accessible to all in a dedicated pedal in Electro-Harmonix’s diminutive Pico range.
The Swello is designed to slow the volume envelope of your playing to create swells, something it does polyphonically, so chords as well as single notes get the full treatment.
An Attack knob increases the attack time as you turn it clockwise, while a Volume knob sets the output volume – and those two are all you need for straight swell effects, which start from a subtle shaving off of the transient and run to a slow ramp up to full volume.
The pedal seems to be set up just right to react to dynamic nuances, no matter how hard or soft you play: no need to mess with any sensitivity knob!
(Image credit: Future/Matt Lincoln)
It applies a volume swell to each note played and does not retrigger existing sound when a new note is played, so playing is very smooth and natural, with the excellent tracking handling fast passages with ease.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Violin- or cello-like sounds are possible depending on where you play on the neck, and some doublestops and judicious bending can get you close to cool pedal-steel sounds.
(Image credit: Future/Matt Lincoln)
If you want extra colour, you can bring in the filter with a choice of a low- or high-resonance setting (either of which can be adjusted from the factory settings to your own preference if desired) and set a cut-off frequency with the Freq knob, effectively using it as an EQ control.
For movement in the sound, the Mod knob can dial in a degree of upward or downward filter sweep, allowing you to explore a whole range of altered sounds, including wahs, distinct filter sweeps and reverse effects via various juxtapositions of the Attack, Freq and Mod knobs.
Verdict
Verdict: ★★★★½
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Future/Matt Lincoln)
(Image credit: Future/Matt Lincoln)
Guitar World verdict: A really musical effect, perfectly implemented in a convenient tiny footprint, the Pico Swello is a joy to use and is capable of giving you an alternative voice whenever needed.
Hands-on videos
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix Pico Swello Attack Envelope Pedal (EHX Demo by Tom Burda) - YouTube
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
