J. Rockett Audio Designs Josh Smith Dual Tremolo

Dual Channel Tremolo with individual rate and depth controls
Rate: Controls speed of tremolo
Depth: Controls level of tremolo effect
Volume/Boost: Controls signal output
9vdc, battery or adapter powered
1/4" in and out

I rate it a 9 as it would be nice to have a stereo option, which it does not have.

UTILIZATION

This pedal is extremely easy to use. There are two channels, and each can be set up for different settings. I love this, as I like a slower, throbbier tremolo on clean passages, and a quicker, yet narrower trem on lead work.

The volume feature is genius, as this pedal can boost the output of the guitar signal. Typically tremolos suffer from a perceivable volume loss when engaged, but this pedal does not have that problem.

SOUND QUALITY

The sounds are extremely rich and luscious, like an old 50 or 60s Fender tube amp optical tremolo. Not too choppy - this is a vintage-sounding unit. The trem will get very deep, and very fast or slow - there is a lot of room to find just the right settings here.

The pedal is pretty transparent - your guitar will still sound like itself. One neat trick to try is to run this before a distorted amp, and have the tremolo engaged to have a medium-fast speed but shallow depth - the solos tend to jump out, and the tremolo sound gets very subtle at that point. Joe Bonamassa does something similar with his rig, to great effect.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great pedal all the way around! Josh Smith is a fantastically tasty guitarist, and to have his name on this pedal is a testament to how lush the tones are. Having two settings in one pedal is a boon, and the volume boost is fantastic. I'd absolutely buy another one of these pedals. This is the best tremolo I've ever used.