Seymour Duncan ShapeShifter Review – A Rare Beast

Controls:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

• Check Price on Amazon
• Check Price on Guitar Center
• Check Price on Musician's Friend

Seymour Duncan and effects pedals is definitely not a combination you will hear about every day. Even though this brand is most commonly associated with awesome pickups, they also have a very respectable line of stompboxes to offer.

The one we are looking at today is a very versatile tremolo effect that has found its place among the  the most recommended tremolo pedals. What makes it so good is Seymour Duncan's build quality combined with a rather wide range of tone shaping options, which is not something you will find every day. Because of that, we wanted to introduce you to this awesome model.

Features

You can trust Seymour Duncan to deliver quality made designs, even in a field where they don't have a significant presence. The overall build quality of the ShapeShifter is on par with just about any top tier boutique pedal.

The circuitry is rock solid, and even the graphics on the cover reflect just how carefully this pedal was designed. This is a true stereo tremolo, which lends itself great to use with two amps or other similar setups. Whether you are looking for a quality trem stompbox to include on your pedalboard or a true workhorse for your gigs, Seymour Duncan ShapeShifter is definitely a model you should check out.

Controls

The number of controls this pedal offers reflects just how versatile it is. Aside from the standard Speed and Depth knobs that you can find on just about any tremolo effect pedal, there are some additional features that you won't find that often. First and foremost, the Speed knob actually has two functions.

On one side it acts as a regular Speed control, but once you flip a switch located next to it, it becomes a mode select knob that allows you to choose between various speeds which are relative to the tap tempo. Moving on we see a Wave select knob, with several waveforms to choose from.

Up next is the Shape knob that offers three attack modes. This option alone provides for some pretty interesting results. Finally, there's the Phase knob in the middle that controls the phase of the effect in stereo mode.

Performance

When it comes to performance, Seymour Duncan ShapeShifter offers what feels like an endless spectrum of tremolo options. Whether you are looking for that standard vintage trem or a more modern choppy one, this pedal will deliver.

On top of that, once you dwell into its many modes, the responsibilities are endless. This is truly one of the most capable tremolo pedals on the market.

Conclusion

In all honesty, Seymour Duncan surprised a lot of people when they released the ShapeShifter. Even then, no one really expected it to be this versatile or this good in general.

Fortunately for us, the critics were mostly wrong and we got one of the best tremolo stompboxes you can find today. It's not cheap, that is for sure, but the type of performance it brings to the table is well worth the investment.

For more info about the Seymour Duncan ShapeShifter, click here.
For more tremolo effects, click here.