Danelectro Psycho Flange

andvari7 · #1 04-06-2008, 03:38 PM

I just got one of these elusive pedals on the 'Bay, and I've come to the conclusion that it sounds absolutely crazy. It's feedbacky, if such a word exists (if not, it is now), and it's a completely unorthodox flanger. If you're looking for that Forty-Six and 2 flanger sound, this ain't it. If you want that Axis: Bold As Love sound, this ain't it. If you want a flanger that can do things the biggies can't, this is so it.

Happynoj · #2 04-06-2008, 04:34 PM

Yeah, I have had that experience with Danelectro pedals. They are cheap and cheerful, but often do strange and wonderful things that are just unlike any other pedals out there. They are most certainly unique!

andvari7 · #3 04-06-2008, 04:38 PM

This wasn't one of the cheap mini effects - this is a full-sized, steel brick. Normally, they go for $80, but I was able to get off light with $20. Had the seller agreed to local pickup (they were 10 minutes away from my house), I could have knocked $5 off the price.

Happynoj · #4 04-06-2008, 04:40 PM

Cool. I've never tried any of the larger effects. I almost bought one of the Wasabi overdrive pedals based purely on looks though...

bassbrad · #5 04-06-2008, 05:12 PM

I got one way back and it is a pedal I have loaned out several times, some folks loved it and others totally hated it. I keep it for those times I want a whacky PsychoFlange sound for rhythm guitar, synth or as an insert effect for bass.

Geist · #6 04-06-2008, 08:08 PM

my only experience with danelectro was their 'Black Coffee' metal distortion, I got it soon after getting a guitar for christmas. It died on me after a couple months and didn't have a very good distorted sound imho.

andvari7 · #7 07-13-2008, 07:57 PM

Three months ago, I procured a Danelectro Psycho Flange, and I've had quite a bit of experience with it.

The problem I've had with it came in the form of being really glassy-sounding, and feedbacky to no end. I wasn't getting a flange sound I liked out of it. No amount of fiddling with the knobs would generate any goodness. And, I was all set to toss it back out on the eBay, but two moments changed my mind.

First, I was demonstrating it for my brother a month and a half ago. He had previously seen it, but had yet to hear it in action. I'm loathe to the idea of showing off my effects to my brother or my parents, because invariably, the conversation will gravitate towards my spending habits - not a conversation I enjoy having with anyone. I had told him about my issues with the sound, and when I started playing through it, it sounded so...bubbly...like whale songs, except much quieter (remember, whale songs have to be extremely loud, both in order to cut through the dampening - no pun intended - effects of the water, and to cover the extreme distances of the oceans - the beluga whale's clicks are almost twice the volume of an Acoustic 360/361 stack).

The second, and most recent example, actually came this morning. I was ready to get rid of the Psycho Flange, as I had previously procured a pristine Deluxe Electric Mistress, which has what I would call a more traditional flange sound, which was what I wanted the whole time. But, because I try to be practical with every purchase I make, and because I wanted to try something else, I plugged my bass into my DEM, then into the Psycho Flange, and then into my amp. At first, it took some tweaking, but I got a nice sound from the Psycho Flange. And then I ran the DEM - my goodness, this is six levels of gorgeous that I never knew could exist.

The problem I was having was not that I had a flanger I didn't like, but that I didn't have a flanger at all. It's like when Aston-Martin released the DBS last year - they were marketing it as a thoroughbred, and it isn't. Note that I am paraphrasing Jeremy Clarkson's review on "Top Gear" right now. But the analogy works all the same. Danelectro was marketing this as a flanger, when it's a bit different. I'd classify it as a combination phase shifter, flanger, filter matrix, and slooow chorus, all in one word. I like to think of it as a REAL Underwater Love pedal. But, since Danelectro is more about the '50s and '60s vibe with their products, I highly doubt the use of a title from a Faith No More song, written in 1989 (it happens to be my favorite song off of "The Real Thing," which just happens to be my favorite album of all time), would be of any practicality to them. So, we'll call it the Psycho Swirl. Yeah, that's a better name anyway.

I no longer plan to rid myself of this pedal, and it will rejoin the pedal chain, just as soon as my Q-Tron and Bassballs come back from Bellvue, and the shock therapy contained within (read my press release from two weeks ago, "My Q-Tron Scorched!" for the full story). I predict it will immediately follow the chorus, and immediately precede the wah.