The Uni-Vibe guitar effect pedal was used on some of the most classic guitar recordings of all time by guitar players. It was made by the “Univox” company (hence the name Uni-vibe). They created the Uni-vibe pedal to emulate the sound of rotating speaker Leslie effect, like on a Hammond B3 organ. Did you know that the Uni-vibe guitar pedal was used on the following classic guitar songs?
Jimi Hendrix – Machine Gun, Star Spangled Banner, Hear my Train A Comin’
Grand Funk – Locomotion
Robin Trower – Bridge of Sighs, Day of the Eagle, Too Rolling Stoned
Breathe – Pink Floyd
some say it’s on “Who’s That Lady” by the Isley Brothers
Stevie Ray Vaughan has used it on some recordings for Hendrixy tones
Some songs like the Locomotion used the Uni-vibe on only the solo, the Robin Trower used it on nearly his entire album! Univox no longer makes the Uni-Vibe pedal. But sometimes you can find an original one on eBay – they’re a pricey, because they’re vintage effects. If you want the original equipment that Hendrix and Trower used, this is the only way to go (find used Univox Univibes).
Here’s what’s on eBay right now for original Univox Uni-vibe pedals:
Having said that – there are may other reissue uni-vibe pedals, made by both mainstream and boutique guitar effects and pedal manufacturers. I’m going to show you some of the most popular ones.
The Dunlop Uni-vibe pedal gives you the classic chorus and tremelo sounds, the ones that will take you back decades. Here’s an image of the original Dunlop Uni-Vibe guitar pedal, the one that most people buy the controller foot pedal for (looks like a wah or volume pedal). Dunlop makes a stereo version that looks like this, model UV1SC.
This is what the non-stereo version of the Dunlop uni-vibe pedal (UV1) looks like. The chorus sound is a lot like the leslie rotating speaker effect. It’s more of a thick phased kind of sound. The tremelo (vibrator) moves the tone up and down in a cool combined way that is like no other effect.
Here are Dunlop uni-vibe pedals currently on eBay:
One of the highest rated uni-vibe pedals on the boutique guitar pedal market right now is the Voodoo Lab “Micro Vibe” pedal. I haven’t heard a bad review of it yet. It gives unbelievable Gilmour Pink Floyd sounds. Some people like the fact that (unlike other vibe pedals) there are just 2 controls to fool with, making it less complex to use.
You can find it at the following places:
Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe at Musicians Friend
Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe at Amazon
Here are some current Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe pedals on ebay right now:
BBE makes a vibe pedal called the “BBE Soul Vibe” pedal. The Voodoo Lab micro vibe pedal is awesome, and probably my favorite – but it runs $149 nearly everywhere. I understand sometimes people want something “as good”, if they can get it for a cheaper price. You can get it for about $80 bucks at Musicians Friend, and about the same on Amazon. It has an internal trim pot that you can use to tweak your sound, some reviews I’ve read say that you can get great sounds without needing to use it, and others say you have to use the trim pot to get the best sound. I guess results may vary.
Here are some BBE Soul Vibe pedals currently on eBay:
DLS Effects makes a pedal called the “Versa Vibe”. It’s the reverse of the BBE Soul Vibe, and if you’re looking for a vibe that has tons of customization controls, like the original Univox Uni-Vibe, this may be just what you’re looking for. Lots of people say this is a great one to get lots of analog sound, without clipping – like the vintage gear. It’s also got some new controls, like Wet-Dry, Bass Throb, etc. It even boasts the ability to get vintage Magnatone amp vibrato!
Here’s a link to the Versa Vibe on Amazon.
Here are Versa Vibe auctions currently live (if there are any):
The Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe unit’s are about as pro as it gets. The Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe is the choice of both Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. These units have a chorus, tremolo, AND vibrato! This is an incredible vibe effects unit, but keep in mind it’s pro grade – and be prepared to drop $400-500 for one.
Here are Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe’s currently on eBay (if there are any):
Fulltone is a BIG player in the boutique guitar market right now, and tons of guitarists revel in the dirt of their OCD distortion box. They make a pedal called the “Fulltone Mini Deja Vibe” that is purportedly a completely faithful reproduction of the Univox Univibe circuit! Another thing that unique is the fact that this is a 9 volt pedal, but the original univibe by Univox was an 18 volt circuit. Full tone uses a voltage doubling technique in it’s circuit so you can use a standard 9 volt adapter (or battery) – and it turns it into 18v!
I’ve seen 3 versions of the Fulltone Deja Vibe, one stereo, one not – in normal pedal fashion. But the MDV-2 version is different because it’s in the style of a volume/wah pedal – with the vibe controls on the side. Can you say awesome?!
Here are Fulltone Deja Vibe pedals currently on eBay now:
Posted February 1, 2011 
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