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{{short description|Guitar pedals company}}
[[Image:EHramhead.gif|right|frame|The Electro-Harmonix logo]]<!-- FAIR USE of IMAGENAME.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EHramhead.gif for rationale -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Electro-Harmonix
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1968}}
| founder = Mike Matthews
| location = New York City, US
| industry = [[Consumer electronics]]
| parent = New Sensor Corporation
| products = [[effects unit|Effects pedals]], [[amplifiers]], [[acoustic guitars]]
| homepage = http://www.ehx.com
}}


<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:EHramhead.gif|right|frame|The Electro-Harmonix logo]] --><!-- FAIR USE of IMAGENAME.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EHramhead.gif for rationale -->
'''Electro-Harmonix''' is a company that makes electronic sound processors based in [[New York]]. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar [[effects pedal]]s in [[1970s]] and [[1990s]]. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in [[1968]].
[[Image:Pedalboard (995939579).jpg|thumb|right|400px|A guitar pedal board, comprising several EHX pedals, including a Big Muff, POG (polyphonic octave generator), a Stereo Pulsar tremolo and a Tube EQ.]]

'''Electro-Harmonix''' (also commonly referred to as EHX<ref>{{Cite web|title=Electro-Harmonix|url=https://www.ehx.com/|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=www.ehx.com/|language=en-US}}</ref>) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells [[rebranding|rebranded]] [[vacuum tube]]s. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of guitar [[effects pedal]]s introduced in the 1970s and 1990s. EHX also made a line of guitars in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The EH Man's Electro-Harmonix Extravaganza!! |url=https://electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com/ |website=electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com |access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>

During the mid-1970s, Electro-Harmonix established itself as a manufacturer of guitar effects pedals. It was the first company to manufacture, and market affordable state-of-the art "stomp-boxes" for guitarists and bassists, such as the first stomp-box [[Flanging|flanger]] (Electric Mistress), the first analog [[Delay (audio effect)|echo/delay unit]] with no moving parts (Memory Man), the first guitar synthesizer in pedal form (Micro Synthesizer), and the first [[valve amplifier|tube-amp]] [[distortion (music)|distortion]] simulator (Hot Tubes). In 1980, Electro-Harmonix also designed and marketed one of the first digital delay/looper pedals (16-Second Digital Delay) and a line of guitars in the 1970s.


== Company history ==
== Company history ==


=== First products ===
=== Founding years (1967–1968) ===
Electro-Harmonix was founded by [[rhythm and blues]] keyboard player Mike Matthews in October 1968 in [[New York City]] with $1,000.<ref name="Youtube.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGWbjDCrwJM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/WGWbjDCrwJM |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Mike Matthews Reveals Business Secrets |publisher=Craom's New York Business |date=May 17, 2017 |access-date=May 18, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He took a job as a salesman for [[IBM]] in 1967, but shortly afterwards, in partnership with Bill Berko, an audio repairman who claimed to have his own custom circuit for a fuzz pedal, he jobbed construction of the new pedal to a contracting house and began distributing the pedals under a deal with the [[Guild Guitar Company]]. Fuzzboxes were in demand following a trail of hits involving their sound, including "[[(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction]]" by [[The Rolling Stones]] two years before (the pedal's stomp switch can be clearly heard at 0:35 before Richards plays the song's trademark riff), and recent popularization of [[Jimi Hendrix]]. The latter connection resulted in the pedals being branded the 'Foxey Lady'. In addition several low priced models of acoustic guitars were sold.


Following the departure of his partner, Matthews was introduced to inventor and electric engineer Robert Myer through IBM colleagues. Together they designed a circuit to create a distortion-free sustain. A simple line booster used by Myers in testing to preamplify the guitar's signal was also manufactured from 1969 as the Linear Power Booster ('''LPB-1'''), and has continued production in present day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Electro-Harmonix Products |url=http://www.ehx.com/products |publisher=www.ehx.com |access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>
The first Electro-Harmonix product was the Axis fuzz pedal, which was also sold under the name "Foxey Lady" for the Guild guitar company. While working with Bill Berko on the early Big Muff design, Mike Matthews used a booster circuit Bill had incorporated into the design and marketed it as the LPB-1 or Linear Power Booster in [[1969]]. This massively boosted a guitar signal to provide gain by clipping the signal, dramatically changing the sound. The new device provided a raw distorted sound, full of sustain and harmonics. Several similar devices followed such as the Treble Booster and Bass Booster. The new devices were extremely popular with guitarists.

===First products===
The Axis fuzz pedal, also sold under the name 'Foxey Lady' for the Guild guitar company, and LPB-1 Linear Power Booster were the first products in 1969. The LPB-1 massively boosted a guitar signal & could be used to overdrive an amplifier, resulting in a raw distorted sound, full of sustain and harmonics. Several similar devices, which sold well, followed, such as the Treble Booster and Bass Booster.
The Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, a portable guitar amp powered by 40 "D" batteries, was popular in many venues that lacked an A/C power source.
In 1982, the company also spun up an offshoot called The Alien Group, which produced the Voice Box and its successor Voice Box II. These were external speech synthesizer boxes built around the Votrax SC-01A speech synthesizer chip. Available for the Atari 400/800, Commodore 64, and Apple II computers and advertised in computer magazines of the time, they added speech and singing capability.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike Matthews, Alien Group Voice Box — interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS-9zYEg7VM |publisher=www.youtube.com |access-date=December 21, 2023}}</ref>

=== Change of direction ===
[[Image:Kt88 power tubes in traynor yba200 amplifier.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Electro-Harmonix Tubes (KT88)]]

Electro-Harmonix stopped making pedals in the mid-1980s, and in the early 1990s started selling [[vacuum tube]]s re-branded with its name for guitar amplifiers, which it had also been making since the 1970s. During the same period Matthews bought ExpoPul, a vacuum-tube factory, located in a former military industrial complex in Saratov in Russia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Electro-Harmonix CEO Mike Matthews refuses to close Russia tube factory {{!}} Fortune Europe |url=https://fortune.com/europe/2022/04/30/electro-harmonix-ehx-mike-matthews-russia-ukraine-tubes/ |access-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206231649/https://fortune.com/europe/2022/04/30/electro-harmonix-ehx-mike-matthews-russia-ukraine-tubes/ |archive-date=February 6, 2024 }}</ref> Due to demand and the high prices guitarists were paying for old 1970s pedals on the [[Vintage musical equipment|vintage market]], Electro-Harmonix reissued the more popular old pedals in the mid-1990s, including the Big Muff Pi and Small Stone. In 2002 it started designing new pedals to add to its range. Company policy was that all reissued effects remained as close as possible to the original, vintage designs; however, casings, knobs and especially the old-fashioned mini-jack power plug were not up to later standards. In 2006 the smaller and more standardized "micro" and "nano" effect lines using [[surface-mount]] circuit components were introduced. [[Printed circuit|Circuit board]] manufacture was [[Outsourcing|outsourced]], and the pedals assembled in New York.

== Effects pedals ==

[[File:Electro-harmonix 12AX7EH.JPG|thumb|Electro-Harmonix 12AX7EH vacuum tube used in a [[Preamplifier|preamp]].]] Electro-Harmonix produces pedals with many different types of sound manipulation suitable for guitar, bass, vocal, keyboard, and other instruments.

It also sells rebranded vacuum tubes carrying the Electro-Harmonix brand name. As of 2022, ExpoPul factory in Saratov, southwestern Russia, continued to produce vacuum tubes for Electro-Harmonix, with Mike Matthews reportedly showing no intention of divesting from the business. The operation in Russia employs more than 300 individuals, in contrast to the 125 employees in New York.<ref name=":0" /> As of 2024, vacuum tubes produced by ExpoPul in Russia are still available for purchase on the official Electro-Harmonix website. <ref>{{Cite web |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Amplifier Tubes & Valves {{!}} Electro-Harmonix, EH Gold, Tung-Sol, Mullard, Genelex, Svetlana, Sovtek, JJ Electronic {{!}} Electro-Harmonix |url=https://shop.ehx.com/category/tubes-vacuum/tubes/ |access-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206232413/https://shop.ehx.com/category/tubes-vacuum/tubes/ |archive-date=February 6, 2024 }}</ref>


=== Big Muff ===
=== Big Muff ===
[[Image:TwoBigMuffsoriginal.jpg|thumb|right|200px|NYC & a Russian Sovtek re-issued versions]]
{{Main article|Big Muff}}


In [[1971]] Matthews designed the pedal that would make the company famous - The [[Big Muff|Big Muff Pi]]. This was a [[fuzzbox]] that added a rich, creamy, bass heavy sustain to any guitar sound. It is referred to (by the company) as "the finest harmonic distortion - sustain device developed to date". Legend has it that Matthews was trying to design a distortion free sustainer but thought that his mistake would be popular. It also made small amps sound much better and allowed distortion at any volume, even at home. The pedal was extremely popular and was used most notably by [[Carlos Santana]], [[Pink Floyd]]'s [[David Gilmour]], and [[Metallica]]'s [[Cliff Burton]]. Although it was officially released the year after his death, [[Jimi Hendrix]] did try out prototypes of the Big Muff and the pedal was supposedly modeled after his tone. Various variations of the Big Muff Pi followed throughout the 70s. Today Electro-Harmonix produces a reissue made in [[New York City]] and a version made by Sovtek in [[Russia]] which provides a slightly different tone.
In 1969 Bob Myer and Mike Matthews designed the [[Big Muff|Big Muff Pi]], a [[Distortion (music)|fuzzbox]] that added a bass-heavy sustain to any guitar sound. It is described by the company as "the finest harmonic distortion-sustain device developed to date". Originally this was intended to be a pedal that would mimic the fuzz tones of Jimi Hendrix and other guitarists at the time, but the result was a mix of a fuzz and distortion pedal with a very heavy sound. It also made small amps sound much better and allowed distortion at any volume.


The pedal sold well and was used by [[Carlos Santana]], [[Pink Floyd]]'s [[David Gilmour]], [[Alex Lifeson]] of [[Rush (band)|Rush]] and, later, [[Metallica]]'s bassist [[Cliff Burton]], [[The Jesus and Mary Chain]], and in the 1990s [[KoRn]]'s rhythm guitarist [[Munky]], Vicente Freitas, [[Jack White (musician)|Jack White]] of [[The White Stripes]], [[J Mascis]] of [[Dinosaur Jr.]], [[The Edge]] of [[U2]], and [[Billy Corgan]] (on [[The Smashing Pumpkins]] landmark album, ''[[Siamese Dream]]''). The band [[Mudhoney]] titled their debut EP ''[[Superfuzz Bigmuff]]''.
=== Phasers ===
Other products followed, notably the hugely popular Small Stone [[Phaser (effect)|phase shifter]] which fit well with the [[Progressive Rock]] and [[Reggae]] bands who were popular in the 1970s. Phasing was one of the musical sounds of the 1970s and there were stories that the company could not make enough Small Stones to meet demand.{{Citation needed}}


Although the first Big Muff production date was for many years cited as 1971, the first version of the Big Muff was actually sold in 1969 as a hand-made "perf board" version. A production version with an etched PCB board was made in early 1970. Mike Matthews was friends with Jimi Hendrix and claims Jimi bought one from Manny's Music in New York, shortly after they were released and had one in the Electric Lady Studios shortly before Jimi's death in 1970. Several variations of the Big Muff Pi followed throughout the 1970s. {{As of|2012}} Electro-Harmonix produced a reissue assembled in [[New York City]]; until 2009 it produced a version made by Sovtek in [[Russia]] which provided a slightly different tone. The Bass Big Muff replaced the Russian version.
=== Q-Tron ===


Several other variations (some of which are not actually Big Muffs) of the pedal were in production {{As of|2012|lc=on}}, including the Metal Muff (intended to achieve the higher gain Metal guitar sound), the Double Muff, which incorporates the original Muff Fuzz circuit, twice in series with a single overdrive control for each circuit, providing the user either with a cascaded 'Double Muff' sound or the original Muff Fuzz circuit, the Little Big Muff, a smaller version, and a variation in circuit, of the NYC Big Muff, which produces yet another variation in sound, and the Big Muff with Tone Wicker, which is similar to the 2008 revision NYC Big Muff, with two added features: a tone bypass switch allowing you to bypass the tone control and a switch that adjusts the frequency of three high frequency filters in the circuit. The Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi is a dual unit, housing an overdrive and a distortion circuit featuring 2 Germanium transistors each, and simulating a dying battery with a Volt control, which characteristically affects the sound of the distortion.
In 1995, Electro-Harmonix owner Mike Matthews commissioned Mike Beigel, former owner of Musitronics Corp. and inventor of the [[Mutron]] III envelope filter, to design a new envelope filter using the same analog circuitry as the original Mutron III thus keeping the sound as close to the original as possible yet still add new features to bring the effect into the new millennium. The pedal featured the same controls as the Mutron III and incorporated a "Boost" feature which when engaged activates and internal pre-amp and changes the function of the gain knob giving the Q-tron a sound almost identical to the Mutron III. Another feature added to Q-tron was an effects loop switch and attack response switch. Units with these features are called the Q-tron Plus. A smaller more-compact version, the Mini Q-Tron is also available, as well as an even smaller version the Micro Q-Tron.

In 2018, Electro-Harmonix released three vintage Big Muff re-issues the '''Green Russian Big Muff''', the '''Op-Amp Big Muff''', and the '''Triangle Big Muff''', and in early 2020 the '''Ram's Head Big Muff '''was reissued.

=== Phasers, chorus and flanger ===
[[Image:Small Clone Chorus.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Small Clone chorus pedal]]

Electro-Harmonix often produces a range of pedals based on a single effect, and then combines two or more into higher end units. For instance, the Epitome combines the Micro POG, Stereo Electric Mistress, and Holy Grail Plus into one effect unit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ehx.com/products/epitome|title=EHX.com {{!}} Epitome - Multi Effect {{!}} Electro-Harmonix|website=www.ehx.com|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>

The widely used '''Small Stone''' [[Phaser (effect)|phase shifter]] is a 4-stage phaser designed by David Cockerell, whom Electro-Harmonix hired from his former employer [[Electronic Music Studios (London) Ltd|EMS]]. The phased sounds of French composer [[Jean-Michel Jarre]] depended heavily on the Small Stone unit. It was reissued years later by EHX and a smaller version of the pedal was eventually introduced in a 'Nano' casing (officially called the "Small Stone (Nano Chassis)").

The '''Small Clone''' [[Chorus effect|chorus]] is a very popular chorus pedal, used by [[Kurt Cobain]], both live and in studio.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gill |first=Chris |date=February 17, 2021 |title=The definitive Kurt Cobain gear guide: a deep dive into the Nirvana frontman's pawn shop prizes, turbo-charged stompboxes and blown woofers |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-definitive-kurt-cobain-gear-guide |access-date=February 12, 2024}}</ref> Like the Small Stone, it is issued in both the standard size and two different smaller versions (the Nano Clone is based on the Clone Theory circuit, while the neo clone is the standard).

The '''Electric Mistress''' is an analog [[flanger]]. It had first been sold in 1976 and was by that the first flanger in pedal format.<ref>[http://www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/electric-mistress-history.shtml History of the Electric Mistress]</ref> The Deluxe version has been reissued and is still in production, although in 2015, a new '''Deluxe Electric Mistress''' was introduced in the company's smaller "XO" casing. As well, there are two digital recreations called '''NEO Mistress''' and '''Stereo Electric Mistress'''. Except for the very first blue/red version the Electric Mistress featured a "Filter Matrix mode" which allowed the user to freeze it at any point in the flange, offering distinctive chime-like tones. On the Neo and Stereo Mistress, this is achieved at a certain setting on the "rate" knob. Notable users include [[David Gilmour]], [[Todd Rundgren]], [[Alex Lifeson]], [[Robin Trower]], [[Andy Summers]] of [[The Police]], [[J Mascis]] of [[Dinosaur Jr.]] and [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] guitarist [[John Frusciante]].

The '''Flanger Hoax''' pedal is a more advanced unit, allowing further control of the various parameters of phaser, flanger and chorusing effects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ehx.com/products/flanger-hoax|title=EHX.com {{!}} Flanger Hoax - Phaser/Flanger Modulator {{!}} Electro-Harmonix|website=www.ehx.com|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>

The '''Polychorus''' allows highly adjustable chorus, flanger, filter matrix, and slapback echo effects. Notable users include Cobain (i.e. "[[Radio Friendly Unit Shifter]]"), [[Adrian Belew]], and more recently [[Ryan Jarman]] of [[The Cribs]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ehx.com/products/stereo-polychorus|title=EHX.com {{!}} Stereo Polychorus - Analog Chorus/Flanger/Slapback Echo {{!}} Electro-Harmonix|website=www.ehx.com|access-date=July 18, 2016}}</ref>

Electro-Harmonix's 'XO' line added the '''Stereo Polyphase''', an analog optical envelope- and [[low frequency oscillator|LFO]]-controlled [[Phaser (effect)|phase shifter]].

=== Delays and loopers ===
Electro-Harmonix also manufactures delay pedals, including the '''Deluxe Memory Man''', '''Stereo Memory Man''' with Hazarai, and '''#1 Echo'''. They also produce the '2880' pedal, which allows complex looping and multi-track overdubbing. The #1 Echo provides basic digital echo capability, while the Deluxe Memory Man provides more control over length, repeats, etc. The Deluxe Memory Man also includes built-in chorusing and vibrato effects. The digital Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai (distinct from the Analog Deluxe Memory Man) also includes reverse echo effect and looping/overdubbing. The '''Memory Toy''' and '''Memory Boy''' delay pedals are essentially smaller budget versions of the Deluxe Memory Man. The Memory Man effects pedal was used by Edge from the band U2 to record the songs "I Will Follow" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday". One of the singles from the band [[Deerhunter (band)|Deerhunter]]'s 2010 album ''[[Halcyon Digest]]'' was named "[[Memory Boy]]".

=== Reverb ===
The '''Holy Grail''', '''Holy Grail Plus''', '''Holier Grail''' (discontinued), '''Holiest Grail''' (discontinued), '''Oceans 11''', and '''Cathedral''' pedals produce reverberation. These cover a range of capability, including reverb length, room simulation, etc. The company's '''Holy Stain''' multi-effects pedal also includes two different types of reverb.

=== Tremolo and vibrato ===
Tremolo and vibrato are included as well, in both [[Solid state (electronics)|solid-state]] and [[vacuum tube]] options. These are available in the '''Stereo Pulsar''' (solid-state) and '''Wiggler''' (tube) pedals.

=== Octave, pitch and synthesizer ===
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:222614jpg.jpg|thumb|right|180px]|The Micro Synthesizer Pedal|{{deletable image-caption|1=Friday, March 20, 2009}}]] -->
Also available are a series of pitch modulation pedals. These include the '''Micro Synthesizer''' (for bass or guitar), '''HOG''' (Harmonic Octave Generator), '''POG''' (Polyphonic Octave Generator, released in 2005), '''POG 2''' (2009), '''Micro POG''' (in an XO casing), '''Nano POG''', '''Octave Multiplexer''', '''Pitch Fork''', and '''Pitch Fork+'''.

The POG line of pedals has been used extensively by several prominent 2000s-era rock guitarists, including [[Jack White]] (of [[The White Stripes]], [[The Raconteurs]], et al.),<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/jack-white-mega-sonic-on-the-sounds-that-drive-the-white-stripes-raconteurs-and-dead-weather/12785 |title= Jack White Mega Sonic On The Sounds That Drive The White Stripes Raconteurs and Dead Weather |last1= Leslie |first1= Jimmy |date= September 9, 2010 |website= Guitar Player |publisher= New Bay Media, LLC |access-date= September 26, 2015}}</ref> and [[Josh Homme]] (of [[Queens of the Stone Age]], [[Them Crooked Vultures]], et al.).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://tonereport.com/blogs/tone-tips/tones-for-the-deaf-nailing-josh-hommes-sound |title= Tones for the Deaf: Nailing Josh Homme's Sound |last1= Wolfert |first1= Jamie |date= June 11, 2015 |website= Tone Report |publisher= Stompbox Music, LLC |access-date= September 26, 2015}}</ref>

=== Envelope, EQ and compression ===
Electro-Harmonix offers several pedals for envelope/equalization modulation. Amongst them are the '''Bassballs''' (appropriately named for its intended use with bass guitars), '''Doctor Q''' and the '''Q-Tron'''. Another pedal of note was the [[vacuum tube]]-powered '''Black Finger''' Compressor which adds distortion-free sustain to the sound and which appeared in the mid-1970s. The [[solid state (electronics)|solid-state]] '''White Finger''' followed. In 2016, the '''Tone Corset''' was released as the latest analog compressor.

In 1995, Electro-Harmonix owner Mike Matthews commissioned Mike Beigel, former owner of Musitronics Corp. and inventor of the [[Mu-tron]] III envelope filter, to design a new envelope filter using the same analog circuitry as the original Mu-tron III, thus keeping the sound as close to the original as possible while adding new features to bring the effect into the new millennium. The pedal featured the same controls as the Mu-tron III and incorporated a "Boost" feature, which activates an internal pre-amp and changes the function of the gain knob giving the '''Q-Tron''' a sound almost identical to the Mu-tron III. Another feature added to Q-Tron was an effects loop switch and attack response switch. Units with these features are called the '''Q-Tron+'''. A smaller more compact version, the '''Mini Q-Tron''', is also available, as well as an even smaller version, the Micro Q-Tron. Electro-Harmonix also currently produces the '''C0ck Fight''' a talking wah filter with fuzz and a modulated low-pass filter, the '''Blurst'''


=== Other pedals ===
=== Other pedals ===
Electro-Harmonix currently manufactures over one hundred other pedals.
Other notable pedals were the Electric Mistress [[Flanger]] in [[1975]], Memory Man [[Delay]] in [[1976]], a two-second analog delay in [[1979]]; a 16-second digital
delay [[1982]], and the Instant Replay sampler [[1980]]. Another pedal of note was the Black Finger Compressor which added distortion free sustain to the sound and which appeared in the mid 1970s.


These include the '''Graphic Fuzz''' (a fuzzbox which includes an EQ section), the '''Octavix''' (octave fuzz), the '''Frequency Analyzer''' (which creates [[ring modulation]]) and the '''Voice Box''', a [[vocoder]]. The Voice Box has been included in a series of demonstration videos produced by [[Jack Conte]].<ref name="ehx">
== Technology ==
{{cite web
| title = Voice Box Demo by Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn
| publisher = Electro-Harmonix
| date = January 6, 2009
| url = http://www.ehx.com/blog/voice-box-demo-by-jack-conte-and-nataly-dawn
| access-date = July 25, 2009}}
</ref>


Electro-Harmonix has also made a few small power amp pedals for use as a simple [[guitar amplifier]]. The '''EHX 22 Caliber''' was a 22 watt solid state pedal capable of driving either an 8 ohm or 16 ohm speaker cabinet. It has been discontinued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehx.com/products/22-caliber |title=22 Caliber - Power Amp - DISCONTINUED &#124; Electro-Harmonix |publisher=EHX.com |access-date=August 21, 2014}}</ref> The 22 Caliber was replaced in the lineup by the '''EHX 44 Magnum''', a similar pedal capable of driving the same speaker load, but at a 44 watt output.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehx.com/products/44-magnum |title=44 Magnum - Power Amp &#124; Electro-Harmonix |publisher=EHX.com |access-date=August 21, 2014}}</ref> The 5MM power amplifier, introduced in 2019, is a similar pedal, with a reduced output of 2.5 watts, but with the ability to run on a common 9-volt power supply, as opposed to the 24-volt supply needed to power the 44 Magnum.
Nearly all the pedals were [[analog circuit|analog]] rather than [[digital]]. In the case of the early pedals, this was not a matter of choice, as the [[integrated circuit]]s that made digital audio possible were simply not yet available. Later, this meant that they added some noise to the signal, but also that they were cheaper. Many analog pedals were changed to digital in the mid 1980s but by the 1990s many guitarists started going back to analog. Many guitarists have come to prefer the warmer analog sound to the often cold and precise digital equivalent and this made old 70s pedals extremely sought after.


2016, Electro-Harmonix reissued the '''MIG-50''' a 50 watt tube amplifier head and later the '''2x12 speaker cabinet'''.
== Change of direction ==


Several pedals produced in the decades prior have also been discontinued, many of which are still in high demand for their unique sound.
Electro-Harmonix stopped making pedals in the mid-[[1980]]s, and in the early [[1990]]s started selling [[vacuum tube]]s re-branded with their name for guitar amplifiers, which they had also been making since the [[1970]]s. However due to demand, and the high prices guitarists were paying for old [[1970s]] pedals on the vintage market they reissued the more popular old pedals in the mid-[[1990]]s, the Big Muff Pi and Small Clone included. In [[2002]] they started designing new pedals to add to their range. Company policy is that all reissued effects remain as close as possible to the original, vintage designs. This means however that casings, knobs and especially the old-fashioned mini-jack power plug are not up to modern day standards. This all changed in [[2006]] with their smaller and more standardized "micro" and "nano" effect lines.


=== Acoustic guitars ===
Electro-Harmonix remains a popular guitar effect and tube company. They have also produced a [[synthesizer]] in the 1980s but they remain better known for their effect pedals.


These guitars were only available from EH for a very short time in 1974.<ref>{{cite news |title=The EH Acoustic Guitars Pt 1: The E-H Guitar |url=https://electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23:the-eh-acoustic-guitars-pt-1-the-e-h-guitar&catid=13:electro-harmonix-articles&Itemid=45 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |work=electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com}}</ref> They were available through a special offer for $87.50 with the purchase of $50 or more in certain scratch-n-dent EH products. The list price was $187.50. These are the model names and descriptions: EH-7010 EH acoustic guitar (mahogany back and sides), EH-7020 EH acoustic guitar (D-28 copy, rosewood back and sides), and EH-7030 EH acoustic guitar (D-41 copy, rosewood back and sides, pearloid binding and inlay, 3 piece back).
==External links==
They bought them from Moridaira/ Morris Guitar who at the time were the best guitar maker in Japan, making guitars for Fender and many big companies.
*[http://www.ehx.com Electro-Harmonix] [[home page]].
They put the EH on the guitars. The guitar, marked with the brand "Brody" is another Japanese-made acoustic that EH had made for them in the 70s.<ref>{{cite news |title=The EH Acoustic Guitars Pt 2: The Brody Guitar |url=https://electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47:the-eh-acoustic-guitars-pt-2-the-brody-guitar&catid=13:electro-harmonix-articles&Itemid=45 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |work=electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com}}</ref> Mike Matthews has stated that Brody was his mother's maiden name. Unlike the other EH guitar, this one is of a lesser quality.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}
*[http://www.electroharmonix.ronsound.com The EH Man's Electro-Harmonix Extravaganza!].
*[http://www.rocknrollvintage.com/vintage-pedal-and-effect-photos.htm Photos of vintage effects including Electro-Harmonix Bad Finder and Small Stone Effects].


==Notable users==
[[Category:Effects units]]
*[[Kurt Cobain]]: [[Big Muff]], Echo Flanger, Small Clone, Stereo Polychorus<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/kurt-cobain/#effects-pedals |title=Kurt Cobain Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
[[Category:Music equipment manufacturers]]
*[[Jamie Cook]]: Big Muff, Little Big Muff, Pulsar, HOG Foot Controller, Deluxe Memory Man, Holiest Grail<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/jamie-cook/#effects-pedals |title=Jamie Cook Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Billy Corgan]]: Op-Amp Big Muff, Polyphase, Electric Mistress, Small Stone<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/billy-corgan/#effects-pedals |title=Billy Corgan Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Chris Cornell]]: Deluxe Memory Man, Hog Guitar Synthesizer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/chris-cornell/#effects-pedals |title=Chris Cornell Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Brad Delson]] & [[Mike Shinoda]]: Polyphase, HOG, Holy Sustain, Memory Man, Cathedral <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ehx.com/blog/linkin-parks-mike-shinoda-demos-ehx-gear/ | title=Linkin Park's, Mike Shinoda, demos EHX gear - Electro-Harmonix }}</ref>
*[[The Edge]]: Deluxe Memory Man, Big Muff<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/the-edge/#effects-pedals |title=The Edge Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Flea (musician)|Flea]]: Big Muff, Q-Tron
*[[Nils Frahm]]: #1 Echo
*[[John Frusciante]]: Big Muff, Holy Grail Reverb, English Muff'n, Electric Mistress Flanger, POG
*[[Noel Gallagher]]: Micro POG<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/noel-gallagher/#effects-pedals |title=Noel Gallagher Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[David Gilmour]]: Big Muff, Electric Mistress<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/david-gilmour/#effects-pedals |title=David Gilmour Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Goodiepal]]:POG 2 Polyphonic Octave Generator
*[[Jonny Greenwood]]: Freeze, Polychorus, Small Stone<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/jonny-greenwood/#effects-pedals |title=Jonny Greenwood Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Peter Hook]]: Clone Theory
*[[Jean-Michel Jarre]]: Small Stone, Electric Mistress<ref>''Oxygène'' (booklet). Disques Dreyfus/Sony Music. April 25, 2014. 88843024682.</ref>
*[[Daniel Kessler (guitarist)|Daniel Kessler]]: Holy Grail Reverb<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/daniel-alexander-kessler/#effects-pedals |title=David Kessler Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Andreas Kisser]]: Big Muff<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/andreas-kisser/#effects-pedals |title=Andreas Kisser Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Alex Lifeson]]: Big Muff Pi, Electric Mistress, Memory Man<ref>{{cite web |url=https://equipboard.com/pros/alex-lifeson?gear=effects-pedals |title=Alex Lifeson Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>
*[[Editors (band)|Justin Lockey]]: Holy Grail Plus, Micro POG, Nano Double Muff<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/justin-lockey/#effects-pedals |title=Editors Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Doug Martsch]]: Memory Boy, 16 Second Digital Delay<ref name="reverb.com">{{cite web |title=The Gear of Indie Rock Gods J Mascis, Kevin Shields and Doug Martsch |url=https://reverb.com/news/the-gear-of-indie-rock-gods-j-mascis-kevin-shields-and-doug-martsch |website=reverb.com |date=February 15, 2016 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[J. Mascis]]: Ram's Head Big Muff, Deluxe Electric Mistress, POG 2 Polyphonic Octave Generator<ref name="reverb.com"/>
*[[Mike McCready]]: Micro POG, POG 2 Polyphonic Octave<ref>{{cite web |title=Mike McCready's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps {{!}} Equipboard® |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/mike-mccready/#effects-pedals |website=equipboard.com |access-date=October 6, 2020}}</ref>
*[[Brian Molko]]: #1 Echo<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/brian-molko/#effects-pedals |title=Brian Molko Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Mark Mothersbaugh]]: Frequency Analyzer<ref>{{cite web |title=Electro-Harmonix |url=https://www.ehx.com/products/frequency-analyzer |website=www.ehx.com |access-date=October 6, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Lockett Pundt]]: Big Muff, Little Big Muff, Classic Holy Grail Reverb<ref>{{cite news |title=Deer Hunter - Lockett Pundt Guitar Rig Gear and Equipment |url=http://www.uberproaudio.com/who-plays-what/757-deer-hunter-lockett-pundt-guitar-rig-gear-and-equipment |access-date=October 6, 2020 |work=www.uberproaudio.com}}</ref>
*[[Omar Rodríguez-López]]: Small Stone Phase Shifter, Deluxe Memory Man, Memory Boy, Poly Chorus, Holy Grail, Big Muff
*[[Kurt Rosenwinkel]]: HOG<ref>{{cite web |title=Kurt Rosenwinkel on 'Star of Jupiter' and Beyond |url=http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/kurt-rosenwinkel-on-star-of-jupiter-and-beyond/23204 |publisher=www.guitarplayer.com |access-date=October 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617090605/http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/kurt-rosenwinkel-on-star-of-jupiter-and-beyond/23204 |archive-date=June 17, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Kevin Shields]]: Big Muff Pi<ref name="reverb.com"/>
*[[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]]: Electric Mistress, Deluxe Memory Man<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/robert-smith/#effects-pedals |title=Robert Smith Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Mark Speer]]: Holy Grail<ref name="Speer">{{Cite web |url=https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27040-khruangbins-mark-speer-addicted-to-reverb |title=Khruangbin's Mark Speer: Addicted to Reverb |last=Kobylensky |first=Paul |date=March 8, 2018 |website=[[Premier Guitar]] |access-date=March 22, 2020}}</ref>
*[[Andy Summers]]: Electric Mistress, Muff Fuzz<ref>{{cite web |url=https://equipboard.com/pros/andy-summers?gear=effects-pedals |title=Andy Summers Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=June 9, 2023}}</ref>
*[[Kim Thayil]]: Micro POG<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/kim-thayil/#effects-pedals |title=Kim Thayil Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Alex Turner (musician)|Alex Turner]]: Deluxe Memory Man<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/alex-turner-arctic-monkeys/#effects-pedals |title=Alex Turner Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Jeff Tuttle]]: Small Stone, Holy Grail, Small Clone, POG, Big Muff<ref>{{cite web|access-date=May 11, 2018|url=https://www.ehx.com/blog/Dillinger-Escape-Plan/|title=Electro-Harmonix Interview with Jeff Tuttle from Dillinger Escape Plan|publication-date=December 14, 2009 |first=Marc |last=Lesser|website=EHX.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015054435/https://www.ehx.com/blog/Dillinger-Escape-Plan/|archive-date=October 15, 2016}}</ref>
*[[Jack White]]: Big Muff, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, POG, Bassballs, Holy Grail Nano Reverb<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/jack-white/#effects-pedals |title=Jack White Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>
*[[Thom Yorke]]: Holy Grail, Iron Lung Vocoder, 45000 Multi-Track Looping Recorder<ref>{{cite web |url=http://equipboard.com/pros/thom-yorke/#effects-pedals |title=Thom Yorke Equipboard |website=Equipboard|access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ehx.com Electro-Harmonix]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeBsTHxzlAA An Interview with Mike Matthews]
*[http://electroharmonix.ronsound.com The EH Man's Electro-Harmonix Extravaganza] (vintage EH information)
*[http://www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/index.shtml The Mistress Mystery Page] (vintage Electric Mistress information)


[[Category:Guitar effects manufacturing companies]]
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[[Category:Guitar amplification tubes]]
[[ja:Electro-Harmonix]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in New York City]]
[[uk:Electro-Harmonix]]
[[Category:Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 14:00, 15 June 2024

Electro-Harmonix
Company typePrivate
IndustryConsumer electronics
Founded1968; 56 years ago (1968)
FounderMike Matthews
HeadquartersNew York City, US
ProductsEffects pedals, amplifiers, acoustic guitars
ParentNew Sensor Corporation
Websitehttp://www.ehx.com
A guitar pedal board, comprising several EHX pedals, including a Big Muff, POG (polyphonic octave generator), a Stereo Pulsar tremolo and a Tube EQ.

Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX[1]) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s. EHX also made a line of guitars in the 1970s.[2]

During the mid-1970s, Electro-Harmonix established itself as a manufacturer of guitar effects pedals. It was the first company to manufacture, and market affordable state-of-the art "stomp-boxes" for guitarists and bassists, such as the first stomp-box flanger (Electric Mistress), the first analog echo/delay unit with no moving parts (Memory Man), the first guitar synthesizer in pedal form (Micro Synthesizer), and the first tube-amp distortion simulator (Hot Tubes). In 1980, Electro-Harmonix also designed and marketed one of the first digital delay/looper pedals (16-Second Digital Delay) and a line of guitars in the 1970s.

Company history

[edit]

Founding years (1967–1968)

[edit]

Electro-Harmonix was founded by rhythm and blues keyboard player Mike Matthews in October 1968 in New York City with $1,000.[3] He took a job as a salesman for IBM in 1967, but shortly afterwards, in partnership with Bill Berko, an audio repairman who claimed to have his own custom circuit for a fuzz pedal, he jobbed construction of the new pedal to a contracting house and began distributing the pedals under a deal with the Guild Guitar Company. Fuzzboxes were in demand following a trail of hits involving their sound, including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones two years before (the pedal's stomp switch can be clearly heard at 0:35 before Richards plays the song's trademark riff), and recent popularization of Jimi Hendrix. The latter connection resulted in the pedals being branded the 'Foxey Lady'. In addition several low priced models of acoustic guitars were sold.

Following the departure of his partner, Matthews was introduced to inventor and electric engineer Robert Myer through IBM colleagues. Together they designed a circuit to create a distortion-free sustain. A simple line booster used by Myers in testing to preamplify the guitar's signal was also manufactured from 1969 as the Linear Power Booster (LPB-1), and has continued production in present day.[4]

First products

[edit]

The Axis fuzz pedal, also sold under the name 'Foxey Lady' for the Guild guitar company, and LPB-1 Linear Power Booster were the first products in 1969. The LPB-1 massively boosted a guitar signal & could be used to overdrive an amplifier, resulting in a raw distorted sound, full of sustain and harmonics. Several similar devices, which sold well, followed, such as the Treble Booster and Bass Booster. The Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, a portable guitar amp powered by 40 "D" batteries, was popular in many venues that lacked an A/C power source. In 1982, the company also spun up an offshoot called The Alien Group, which produced the Voice Box and its successor Voice Box II. These were external speech synthesizer boxes built around the Votrax SC-01A speech synthesizer chip. Available for the Atari 400/800, Commodore 64, and Apple II computers and advertised in computer magazines of the time, they added speech and singing capability.[5]

Change of direction

[edit]
Electro-Harmonix Tubes (KT88)

Electro-Harmonix stopped making pedals in the mid-1980s, and in the early 1990s started selling vacuum tubes re-branded with its name for guitar amplifiers, which it had also been making since the 1970s. During the same period Matthews bought ExpoPul, a vacuum-tube factory, located in a former military industrial complex in Saratov in Russia.[6] Due to demand and the high prices guitarists were paying for old 1970s pedals on the vintage market, Electro-Harmonix reissued the more popular old pedals in the mid-1990s, including the Big Muff Pi and Small Stone. In 2002 it started designing new pedals to add to its range. Company policy was that all reissued effects remained as close as possible to the original, vintage designs; however, casings, knobs and especially the old-fashioned mini-jack power plug were not up to later standards. In 2006 the smaller and more standardized "micro" and "nano" effect lines using surface-mount circuit components were introduced. Circuit board manufacture was outsourced, and the pedals assembled in New York.

Effects pedals

[edit]
Electro-Harmonix 12AX7EH vacuum tube used in a preamp.

Electro-Harmonix produces pedals with many different types of sound manipulation suitable for guitar, bass, vocal, keyboard, and other instruments.

It also sells rebranded vacuum tubes carrying the Electro-Harmonix brand name. As of 2022, ExpoPul factory in Saratov, southwestern Russia, continued to produce vacuum tubes for Electro-Harmonix, with Mike Matthews reportedly showing no intention of divesting from the business. The operation in Russia employs more than 300 individuals, in contrast to the 125 employees in New York.[6] As of 2024, vacuum tubes produced by ExpoPul in Russia are still available for purchase on the official Electro-Harmonix website. [7]

Big Muff

[edit]
NYC & a Russian Sovtek re-issued versions

In 1969 Bob Myer and Mike Matthews designed the Big Muff Pi, a fuzzbox that added a bass-heavy sustain to any guitar sound. It is described by the company as "the finest harmonic distortion-sustain device developed to date". Originally this was intended to be a pedal that would mimic the fuzz tones of Jimi Hendrix and other guitarists at the time, but the result was a mix of a fuzz and distortion pedal with a very heavy sound. It also made small amps sound much better and allowed distortion at any volume.

The pedal sold well and was used by Carlos Santana, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson of Rush and, later, Metallica's bassist Cliff Burton, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and in the 1990s KoRn's rhythm guitarist Munky, Vicente Freitas, Jack White of The White Stripes, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., The Edge of U2, and Billy Corgan (on The Smashing Pumpkins landmark album, Siamese Dream). The band Mudhoney titled their debut EP Superfuzz Bigmuff.

Although the first Big Muff production date was for many years cited as 1971, the first version of the Big Muff was actually sold in 1969 as a hand-made "perf board" version. A production version with an etched PCB board was made in early 1970. Mike Matthews was friends with Jimi Hendrix and claims Jimi bought one from Manny's Music in New York, shortly after they were released and had one in the Electric Lady Studios shortly before Jimi's death in 1970. Several variations of the Big Muff Pi followed throughout the 1970s. As of 2012 Electro-Harmonix produced a reissue assembled in New York City; until 2009 it produced a version made by Sovtek in Russia which provided a slightly different tone. The Bass Big Muff replaced the Russian version.

Several other variations (some of which are not actually Big Muffs) of the pedal were in production as of 2012, including the Metal Muff (intended to achieve the higher gain Metal guitar sound), the Double Muff, which incorporates the original Muff Fuzz circuit, twice in series with a single overdrive control for each circuit, providing the user either with a cascaded 'Double Muff' sound or the original Muff Fuzz circuit, the Little Big Muff, a smaller version, and a variation in circuit, of the NYC Big Muff, which produces yet another variation in sound, and the Big Muff with Tone Wicker, which is similar to the 2008 revision NYC Big Muff, with two added features: a tone bypass switch allowing you to bypass the tone control and a switch that adjusts the frequency of three high frequency filters in the circuit. The Germanium 4 Big Muff Pi is a dual unit, housing an overdrive and a distortion circuit featuring 2 Germanium transistors each, and simulating a dying battery with a Volt control, which characteristically affects the sound of the distortion.

In 2018, Electro-Harmonix released three vintage Big Muff re-issues the Green Russian Big Muff, the Op-Amp Big Muff, and the Triangle Big Muff, and in early 2020 the Ram's Head Big Muff was reissued.

Phasers, chorus and flanger

[edit]
Small Clone chorus pedal

Electro-Harmonix often produces a range of pedals based on a single effect, and then combines two or more into higher end units. For instance, the Epitome combines the Micro POG, Stereo Electric Mistress, and Holy Grail Plus into one effect unit.[8]

The widely used Small Stone phase shifter is a 4-stage phaser designed by David Cockerell, whom Electro-Harmonix hired from his former employer EMS. The phased sounds of French composer Jean-Michel Jarre depended heavily on the Small Stone unit. It was reissued years later by EHX and a smaller version of the pedal was eventually introduced in a 'Nano' casing (officially called the "Small Stone (Nano Chassis)").

The Small Clone chorus is a very popular chorus pedal, used by Kurt Cobain, both live and in studio.[9] Like the Small Stone, it is issued in both the standard size and two different smaller versions (the Nano Clone is based on the Clone Theory circuit, while the neo clone is the standard).

The Electric Mistress is an analog flanger. It had first been sold in 1976 and was by that the first flanger in pedal format.[10] The Deluxe version has been reissued and is still in production, although in 2015, a new Deluxe Electric Mistress was introduced in the company's smaller "XO" casing. As well, there are two digital recreations called NEO Mistress and Stereo Electric Mistress. Except for the very first blue/red version the Electric Mistress featured a "Filter Matrix mode" which allowed the user to freeze it at any point in the flange, offering distinctive chime-like tones. On the Neo and Stereo Mistress, this is achieved at a certain setting on the "rate" knob. Notable users include David Gilmour, Todd Rundgren, Alex Lifeson, Robin Trower, Andy Summers of The Police, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante.

The Flanger Hoax pedal is a more advanced unit, allowing further control of the various parameters of phaser, flanger and chorusing effects.[11]

The Polychorus allows highly adjustable chorus, flanger, filter matrix, and slapback echo effects. Notable users include Cobain (i.e. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"), Adrian Belew, and more recently Ryan Jarman of The Cribs.[12]

Electro-Harmonix's 'XO' line added the Stereo Polyphase, an analog optical envelope- and LFO-controlled phase shifter.

Delays and loopers

[edit]

Electro-Harmonix also manufactures delay pedals, including the Deluxe Memory Man, Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai, and #1 Echo. They also produce the '2880' pedal, which allows complex looping and multi-track overdubbing. The #1 Echo provides basic digital echo capability, while the Deluxe Memory Man provides more control over length, repeats, etc. The Deluxe Memory Man also includes built-in chorusing and vibrato effects. The digital Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai (distinct from the Analog Deluxe Memory Man) also includes reverse echo effect and looping/overdubbing. The Memory Toy and Memory Boy delay pedals are essentially smaller budget versions of the Deluxe Memory Man. The Memory Man effects pedal was used by Edge from the band U2 to record the songs "I Will Follow" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday". One of the singles from the band Deerhunter's 2010 album Halcyon Digest was named "Memory Boy".

Reverb

[edit]

The Holy Grail, Holy Grail Plus, Holier Grail (discontinued), Holiest Grail (discontinued), Oceans 11, and Cathedral pedals produce reverberation. These cover a range of capability, including reverb length, room simulation, etc. The company's Holy Stain multi-effects pedal also includes two different types of reverb.

Tremolo and vibrato

[edit]

Tremolo and vibrato are included as well, in both solid-state and vacuum tube options. These are available in the Stereo Pulsar (solid-state) and Wiggler (tube) pedals.

Octave, pitch and synthesizer

[edit]

Also available are a series of pitch modulation pedals. These include the Micro Synthesizer (for bass or guitar), HOG (Harmonic Octave Generator), POG (Polyphonic Octave Generator, released in 2005), POG 2 (2009), Micro POG (in an XO casing), Nano POG, Octave Multiplexer, Pitch Fork, and Pitch Fork+.

The POG line of pedals has been used extensively by several prominent 2000s-era rock guitarists, including Jack White (of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, et al.),[13] and Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, et al.).[14]

Envelope, EQ and compression

[edit]

Electro-Harmonix offers several pedals for envelope/equalization modulation. Amongst them are the Bassballs (appropriately named for its intended use with bass guitars), Doctor Q and the Q-Tron. Another pedal of note was the vacuum tube-powered Black Finger Compressor which adds distortion-free sustain to the sound and which appeared in the mid-1970s. The solid-state White Finger followed. In 2016, the Tone Corset was released as the latest analog compressor.

In 1995, Electro-Harmonix owner Mike Matthews commissioned Mike Beigel, former owner of Musitronics Corp. and inventor of the Mu-tron III envelope filter, to design a new envelope filter using the same analog circuitry as the original Mu-tron III, thus keeping the sound as close to the original as possible while adding new features to bring the effect into the new millennium. The pedal featured the same controls as the Mu-tron III and incorporated a "Boost" feature, which activates an internal pre-amp and changes the function of the gain knob giving the Q-Tron a sound almost identical to the Mu-tron III. Another feature added to Q-Tron was an effects loop switch and attack response switch. Units with these features are called the Q-Tron+. A smaller more compact version, the Mini Q-Tron, is also available, as well as an even smaller version, the Micro Q-Tron. Electro-Harmonix also currently produces the C0ck Fight a talking wah filter with fuzz and a modulated low-pass filter, the Blurst

Other pedals

[edit]

Electro-Harmonix currently manufactures over one hundred other pedals.

These include the Graphic Fuzz (a fuzzbox which includes an EQ section), the Octavix (octave fuzz), the Frequency Analyzer (which creates ring modulation) and the Voice Box, a vocoder. The Voice Box has been included in a series of demonstration videos produced by Jack Conte.[15]

Electro-Harmonix has also made a few small power amp pedals for use as a simple guitar amplifier. The EHX 22 Caliber was a 22 watt solid state pedal capable of driving either an 8 ohm or 16 ohm speaker cabinet. It has been discontinued.[16] The 22 Caliber was replaced in the lineup by the EHX 44 Magnum, a similar pedal capable of driving the same speaker load, but at a 44 watt output.[17] The 5MM power amplifier, introduced in 2019, is a similar pedal, with a reduced output of 2.5 watts, but with the ability to run on a common 9-volt power supply, as opposed to the 24-volt supply needed to power the 44 Magnum.

2016, Electro-Harmonix reissued the MIG-50 a 50 watt tube amplifier head and later the 2x12 speaker cabinet.

Several pedals produced in the decades prior have also been discontinued, many of which are still in high demand for their unique sound.

Acoustic guitars

[edit]

These guitars were only available from EH for a very short time in 1974.[18] They were available through a special offer for $87.50 with the purchase of $50 or more in certain scratch-n-dent EH products. The list price was $187.50. These are the model names and descriptions: EH-7010 EH acoustic guitar (mahogany back and sides), EH-7020 EH acoustic guitar (D-28 copy, rosewood back and sides), and EH-7030 EH acoustic guitar (D-41 copy, rosewood back and sides, pearloid binding and inlay, 3 piece back). They bought them from Moridaira/ Morris Guitar who at the time were the best guitar maker in Japan, making guitars for Fender and many big companies. They put the EH on the guitars. The guitar, marked with the brand "Brody" is another Japanese-made acoustic that EH had made for them in the 70s.[19] Mike Matthews has stated that Brody was his mother's maiden name. Unlike the other EH guitar, this one is of a lesser quality.[citation needed]

Notable users

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Electro-Harmonix". www.ehx.com/. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "The EH Man's Electro-Harmonix Extravaganza!!". electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  3. ^ "Mike Matthews Reveals Business Secrets". Craom's New York Business. May 17, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  4. ^ "Electro-Harmonix Products". www.ehx.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "Mike Matthews, Alien Group Voice Box — interview". www.youtube.com. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Electro-Harmonix CEO Mike Matthews refuses to close Russia tube factory | Fortune Europe". February 6, 2024. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  7. ^ "Amplifier Tubes & Valves | Electro-Harmonix, EH Gold, Tung-Sol, Mullard, Genelex, Svetlana, Sovtek, JJ Electronic | Electro-Harmonix". February 6, 2024. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "EHX.com | Epitome - Multi Effect | Electro-Harmonix". www.ehx.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Gill, Chris (February 17, 2021). "The definitive Kurt Cobain gear guide: a deep dive into the Nirvana frontman's pawn shop prizes, turbo-charged stompboxes and blown woofers". Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  10. ^ History of the Electric Mistress
  11. ^ "EHX.com | Flanger Hoax - Phaser/Flanger Modulator | Electro-Harmonix". www.ehx.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  12. ^ "EHX.com | Stereo Polychorus - Analog Chorus/Flanger/Slapback Echo | Electro-Harmonix". www.ehx.com. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Leslie, Jimmy (September 9, 2010). "Jack White Mega Sonic On The Sounds That Drive The White Stripes Raconteurs and Dead Weather". Guitar Player. New Bay Media, LLC. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  14. ^ Wolfert, Jamie (June 11, 2015). "Tones for the Deaf: Nailing Josh Homme's Sound". Tone Report. Stompbox Music, LLC. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  15. ^ "Voice Box Demo by Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn". Electro-Harmonix. January 6, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
  16. ^ "22 Caliber - Power Amp - DISCONTINUED | Electro-Harmonix". EHX.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  17. ^ "44 Magnum - Power Amp | Electro-Harmonix". EHX.com. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  18. ^ "The EH Acoustic Guitars Pt 1: The E-H Guitar". electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  19. ^ "The EH Acoustic Guitars Pt 2: The Brody Guitar". electroharmonix.vintageusaguitars.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  20. ^ "Kurt Cobain Equipboard". Equipboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  21. ^ "Jamie Cook Equipboard". Equipboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  22. ^ "Billy Corgan Equipboard". Equipboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  23. ^ "Chris Cornell Equipboard". Equipboard. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  24. ^ "Linkin Park's, Mike Shinoda, demos EHX gear - Electro-Harmonix".
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