15 Best Tremolo Pedals: The Ultimate List

If you want to capture the true magic of an amp-style tremolo, you’ll need to get a tube involved. If your amp doesn’t have at tremolo circuit, this very new offering from Origin will solve this for you.

Based in part on the company’s outrageously-good RevivalDrive, this is an all-analogue, tube-based bias tremolo modeled after the circuit in the 1962 Fender Deluxe Brownface. Bias tremolo is different than the other types on this list because it works by varying the voltage running through the tube. As gain increases, so does saturation, and as headroom runs out, digging in causes the tremolo to fade behind your playing.

In a lot of ways, this is strictly opposite from other designs, as most tremolo pedals can be driven harder to increase the effect of the trem. If you play with a lot of dynamics and rely heavily on touch, this is probably a better choice than a lot of the other options on the market.

Thanks to the on-board tube, you can also use this as a tube preamp, capable of slight boosts or quite heavy drive. The trem circuit has a separate footswitch so the boost section can be on separately, if you so desire. Additionally, the Post-Drive EQ section is meant to allow you to adjust the output so you can use it into an amp, FRFR speakers, or directly into an interface for use with impulse response profiles.

Controls on this unit include Drive, Tone, Output, Speed, and Intensity. The range of the Speed knob is controlled with a three-way Multi switch for setting the precise range you prefer. Tap tempo is also accessible by adding an external footswitch, wherein the Multi switch functions more like a note subdivision setting. The Shape allows you to choose between traditional sine wave or “full wave”, which is an asymmetrical setting that isn’t as smooth.

The Post-Drive EQ consists of two controls. The Mode switch selects between P/AMP for use with FRFR monitors, EQ1 modeled after Fender Blackface amps, and EQ2 modeled after Marshall-style amps. These are meant to be used to dial in the right EQ shape for the amp you’re using, which is further modified and fine tuned with the ADJ knob, which attenuates bass and shapes the high end.

If you’ve tried everything else and found them lacking and otherwise like your amp that is missing only a top-shelf tremolo, this is the pedal for you. Having what amounts to most of the RevivalDrive Compact pedal on board certainly goes a long way to justifying the price, too.

Watch JLeonardJ’s demo to get a sense of this top-shelf offering.

This is so new that used versions are going to be hard to come by for awhile, but you can sell some gear on Reverb to help finance this mighty device.