Many a guitar has been modified with a Bigsby tremolo, screw holes and finish wear be damned. Because when it comes to a classic tremolo feel and performance, there's still nothing better. But what if there was another way?
Gamechanger Audio—the pedal company that has brought the piano-style Plus Sustain, the Light Pedal Optical Spring Reverb, and other inventive effects to the world—has partnered with Fender to put a Bigsby on a pedal. And they're promising that it will sound just like the real thing, and more.
"The idea to create a Bigsby-style pitch shifting pedal was born out of a long-standing admiration for the Bigsby system’s unique feel, sound, and design," Gamechanger writes in an announcement post. "Now, after a two year-long design and development period we are proud to announce the final product, which in our personal opinion is one of the most capable and inspiring pitch-shifting tools currently on the market."
The spring-loaded, pedal-mounted Bigsby arm (or is it now a leg?) travels both up and down, allowing you to raise or lower the pitch of the incoming signal. Because the spring is controlling a digital chip inside the pedal, you can set the interval to quarter-notes for standard Bigsby performance or change it to a full octave for dive bombs and other intensive pitch-shifting not possible with a physical unit.
The Bigsby Pedal will be available for a limited time direct from Gamechanger, starting June 21. A wider release will follow this fall.