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Hamstead Signature Tremolo Pedal Review – Is it High Price for High Sound?
Introduction
Tremolo is, without a doubt, one of the most under appreciated effects in a guitarist’s arsenal. Many new and beginner players often shy away from it, thinking it’s either too difficult to use or simply not practical. Perhaps they just don’t know how to incorporate it into their playing! However, as you continue to grow and mature as a guitarist, you’ll eventually realize how incredible and versatile tremolo can be. That’s why today, we’re taking a closer look at the Hamstead Signature Tremolo—an all-analog tremolo pedal packed with fantastic features and delivering gorgeous tones!
As always, we’ll begin by exploring the basics of the pedal: its controls, build quality, and design. Then, we’ll dive into the sounds it can produce and wrap up with our final thoughts, including some of its drawbacks. So, let’s jump right in and answer the question: What is the Hamstead Signature Tremolo?
Hamstead Signature Tremolo Pedal
The Hamstead Signature Tremolo is Hamstead’s take on the “classic” tremolo circuit, delivered in a pedalboard-friendly format. By employing their refined engineering techniques, Hamstead has crafted a signature sine wave tremolo with enhanced features, such as expression control, adjustable speed, and wave shaping.
Controls and Features
The pedal features four knobs and a three-way switch, offering a range of options to tailor your sound:
- Depth Knob (Top Left): Controls the depth of the modulation, adjustable from 0% to 100%.
- Speed Knob: Adjusts the tremolo rate to suit your playing style and tempo.
- Gain Knob: A highly useful control that allows you to boost your signal by up to +10dB.
- Shape Knob (Bottom Row): Tilts the waveform left or right, letting you customize the feel of the modulation.
- Waveform Switch: Select between three waveforms: Classic, Sine Wave, and Triangle Wave for varied tonal textures.
- Internal Switch: Controls whether the pedal starts in an “On” or “Bypassed” state, particularly handy for those using loopers or switchers.
Rear Panel and Power Options
On the back of the pedal, you’ll find:
- Power Input: Compatible with 9V, 12V, or 18V power supplies, requiring 250mA, 180mA, or 120mA respectively.
- Guitar Input and Output: Standard connections for your rig.
- Expression Input: Connect an expression pedal to control the Speed knob dynamically with your foot.
Standout Features
The standout feature of the Hamstead Signature Tremolo is its Wave Shaping control. This allows you to offset the wave shape to the left or right, enabling even greater sonic flexibility. Pairing this with the Triangle Wave creates unique pulsing and thumping rhythms.
Additionally, the pedal includes a built-in gain boost, providing enough power to drive an amplifier when needed—a versatile touch that’s perfect for live performance.
Design and Price
The pedal arrives in premium packaging, housed in a sleek black cotton travel bag, showcasing Hamstead’s attention to detail. The Hamstead Signature Tremolo retails for £255 and is available at your local music or pedal shop.
The Sounds
The demo songs in this review are intentionally slower and feature minimal playing. This approach allows you to clearly hear the nuances and capabilities of the Hamstead Signature Tremolo. We’ve prepared two demo tracks in different styles, showcasing how the pedal can be used creatively in various contexts. Both demo songs feature the tremolo pedal placed in the FX loop of the Boss IR-2 (you can check out our full review of the Boss IR-2 here).
After the demo tracks, we dive deeper into the pedal’s functionality by exploring all the sounds it has to offer. We’ll tweak the controls and demonstrate the tremolo’s performance on both clean and crunch settings.
To ensure accurate sound representation, all audio samples were recorded using a Revv D20 amp (Review Here), with the Hamstead Signature Tremolo plugged directly into the front of the amp.
What are my thoughts?
Build Quality and Packaging
The build quality and packaging of the Hamstead Signature Tremolo are second to none—it’s top-notch! The moment you hold this pedal, you can tell it’s a premium, well-built product designed to last. You can feel confident knowing it won’t let you down, even with heavy use.
The packaging also deserves a mention: the pedal comes in a sturdy, well-designed box, accompanied by a sleek black cotton bag for storage. This thoughtful touch adds an extra layer of refinement, making the unboxing experience all the more satisfying.
Sound Quality
And how does it sound? In a word: smooth. While it’s unmistakably a tremolo effect, it offers a unique smoothness that sets it apart. Unless you crank the depth knob to its maximum, the effect sits subtly in the background, adding gentle movement and a touch of “wobble” to your sound without being overpowering.
Using the pedal for a while might make you feel like it’s almost imperceptible—until you turn it off. Suddenly, your tone feels lifeless and sterile. It’s a wonderful addition to chords or single-note lines. I particularly loved using it for slower-tempo solos. When holding a note for several beats, the Hamstead Tremolo fills the space beautifully, giving your sound a dynamic, moving quality.
Wave Shaping Control
The standout feature of the Hamstead Tremolo is its wave shaping control. Initially, I wasn’t sure how useful it would be or whether I’d even bother with it. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself using it quite often! By subtly shifting the wave, you can achieve a unique “off-wave” sound that sets your tremolo apart from the usual options.
"If you’ve never experimented with tremolo before, this pedal can completely change how you play and approach your music, introducing a new layer of expression."
FX Loop and Playing Styles
Running the Hamstead Tremolo through the FX loop of an amp, paired with some tasty overdrive, creates a stunning effect. I found two primary ways to use it:
- Slow and Deep Tremolo: Perfect for fast, heavily distorted solos, adding movement and depth to your sound.
- Fast but Shallow Tremolo: Ideal for slower, more emotional solos. Pairing this setting with a neck humbucker and some overdrive feels incredibly inspiring, breathing freshness into your playing.
If you’ve never experimented with tremolo before, this pedal can completely change how you play and approach your music, introducing a new layer of expression.
Thoughtful Extras
A small but thoughtful feature is the inclusion of example settings in the manual. These presets help you quickly dial in core sounds and get playing straight out of the box. I’ve seen companies like Brelliott include similar features with their TODP (review here), and I love it! It’s a great way to help users get started with confidence.
Another highlight is the soft-touch footswitch. Unlike traditional footswitches that have a noticeable click and resistance, this one feels smooth and effortless to use. I’m a big fan of these switches and wish more pedal manufacturers would adopt them. If a budget pedal like the Behringer Centaur Overdrive can include soft-touch switches, there’s no reason why other big names can’t!
The Price Debate
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: the price. At £255, this is not a cheap pedal. For many, tremolo might fall into the category of “extra” effects—those fun but non-essential tools that complement the core effects like overdrive, distortion, delay, and reverb.
For players who love and frequently use tremolo, the Hamstead Signature Tremolo is a premium choice. It offers analog quality, excellent build standards, and stunning sound, all crafted in the UK.
However, if you’re a casual tremolo user or someone looking for a simple, budget-friendly option, this might not be the right fit. Whether it’s worth the investment depends entirely on how integral tremolo is to your sound.
Conclusion
And that wraps up our review of the Hamstead Signature Tremolo! If you want to hear exactly how it sounds, be sure to check out the demo video above.
I’ve noticed that many players tend to shy away from tremolo because it can be a challenging effect to master. What I learned while using the Hamstead Signature Tremolo is that it’s all about depth—keep it subtle, and it becomes so much smoother and easier to integrate into your playing.
If you’re interested in picking one up for yourself, you can use the affiliate links below. I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time with this pedal. It’s changed the way I think about tremolo, even making me consider adding it to my board as a permanent effect. It’s also sparked my curiosity about harmonic tremolo—something I might explore further in future articles (hint, hint!).
Do you use tremolo in your setup, or do you avoid it altogether? Let us know over on our Instagram—we’re curious to hear about what “wobble” effects everyone is using! Tremolo seems to be one of those polarizing effects: players either love it and use it frequently or dismiss it entirely. What’s your take?
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Hamstead Signature Tremolo Pedal Links:
- Buy the Hamstead Signature Tremolo (Anderton’s Affiliate)
- Andertons Affiliate Link
- Thomann Affiliate Link
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