Diamond Vibrato Review – A Rare Analog Masterpiece

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Features:
Performance:
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Stepping into the boutique segment of any effect pedal category is always exciting. After all, you are entering badlands territory where everything is possible and there are no norms to hold anyone down. Diamond Vibrato is one of those rare creatures you will find in the farthest corners of this environment. The pedal is just an amazing combination of components, ideas, and pure performance.

It's not cheap by any means, but this is the level of quality where you need to spend some serious money. With that said, you do get double the value for each dollar you put in. Let's check out what makes this mode one of the most capable vibratos at the moment.

Features

Once you unwrap the Diamond Vibrato from its packaging, you will see a rather plain looking double wide design that doesn't really look all that outstanding. With that said, they have invested all of their research and development potential into what goes inside the pedal, not outside. The enclosure is tough, that much is certain. It can take a beating and ask for more. In terms of special features, we got a fully analog pitch shifting that utilizes MN3007 bucket brigade design in order to achieve the clinical levels of pitch precision.

That alone results in one bad ass vibrato. True bypass comes as standard, along with several modes of operation. It's worth mentioning that this pedal doubles a chorus as well, thanks to its generous circuitry. On that note, it's among the rare multi functional designs that have a place on our list of most influential pedals of today.

Controls

Controls are plentiful, but they don't cross the threshold of functionality. You have your standard Speed and Depth knobs to set the frequency and pitch range of the effect, but there are also Volume and Chorus knobs to work with. The former is a boost of sorts that allows you to change the volume of an entire output, while Chorus controls the chorus effect. There are two switches next to these two buttons – one for engaging Jazz mode that darkens the vibrato effect a bit, and High switch that brightens it up. On top of all that, you can attach an expression pedal to control both the Speed and Depth levels.

Performance

When it comes to performance, we are looking at a tier 1 vibrato pedal that delivers the type of performance you would expect. Nothing can fully replace a good analog vibrato, especially when it's dead accurate. Aside from pushing out incredibly refined vibrato effect, Diamond Vibrato pedal also does a more than decent job as a chorus unit. There is enough range in this thing to dial in just about any type of vibrato you could think of, which makes it rather impressive.

Conclusion

While it won't be something every guitar player is going to be interested in, Diamond Vibrato is among those somewhat exclusive models that reward you for taking the plunge. Seriously, this pedal is a beast in its own right. If you are a performing musician who uses vibrato a lot, you should definitely check out the Diamond Vibrato. It might just be what you were looking for.

For more info about the Diamond Vibrato, click here.
For more Vibrato Pedal Currently On The Market, click here.