When Latvian effects mavens Gamechanger Audio first announced the Bigsby Pedal earlier this month, the company promised that the innovative polyphonic pitch-shifter would be sonically indistinguishable from the none-more-iconic vibrato unit from which the pedal takes its name.
A steep claim, for sure, but the first demo video of the pedal – featuring five of Gamechanger's employees jamming on a sun-soaked instrumental with some unexpectedly modern, fleet-fingered twists in the second half – makes a pretty convincing case.
Yes, the pedal – designed with the assistance of Fender, which acquired Bigsby at the start of 2019 – delivers the greasy, attitude-filled rockabilly bends and twang so associated with the original Bigsby, but from the sounds of it, it's far more than a one-trick-pony.
Gamechanger CEO Ilja Krumins – with the Bigsby Pedal at his feet and a hot-rodded, T-style guitar in hand – uses the pedal as the perfect seasoning for some more 21st century, octave-hopping shred work that will (perhaps unsurprisingly, given the company's previous collaborations with him) definitely bring Jack White to mind.
The pedal features Rate, Bend and Depth controls, plus an Invert switch on the back panel to change the direction of the pitch shift.
Its proprietary pitch-shifting algorithm hones in on lower-interval pitch bends, while its spring-loaded foot controller – built with custom-molded metal parts – aims to capture the original Bigsby's feel and sound.
The Gamechanger Audio Bigsby Pedal can be preordered now for $379, with an expected delivery time of 5-8 weeks.
For more info on the pedal, stop by Gamechanger Audio.
