Jam Pedals Retrovibe MK.3

One of the best vibes out there! I've tried lots of different vibes, from the JHS Unicorn, Earthquaker Devices The Depths, EHX Good vibes, MXR Univibe, etc. But nothing compares to the Retro Vibe!

This vibe has everything you could want, from the authentic 'heartbeat' throbbing sound, the solid build quality, and the simple controls. No need for any additional tap tempo and EQ controls as it sounds amazing as it is!

I use the vibe with a fuzz face running into it and takes you straight back to the 60s. Very expressive when using with an expression pedal but there is absolutely no need, as sounds great without one too.

If you're looking for a better vibe, you'll be hard-pressed to find one better than the Retro Vibe!

After watching both the 'JHS Show' and 'That Pedal Show' episodes on Univibe, I couldn't help but do my own shootout between JHS Unicorn v2, Fulltone Déja Vibe mk2, and Jam Pedals RetroVibe mk2.
I only tested the 'chorus' setting, and I used a Tele with Noiseless pickups, an (old US-made) Hod Rod Deluxe and a G2 switcher.
Result: the tap tempo on the Unicorn is great! Sound was good, but as with most JHS pedals a little bit too bright / harsh for my ears. I'm sure, this vibe won't get lost in the mix, but on it's own for my personal taste it lacks some warm lo-mids/bass frequencies that I love. Dèja Vibe was almost perfect, not changing my original tone, but adding a great vibe.
RetroVibe was the opposite of the Unicorn: sound a bit dark, perhaps too dark in some setups, might get lost in the mix without an additional treble booster, no tap tempo, needs a special type of expression pedal to control speed by foot. It does change the original tone, adding warm warpy beautiful magic that hit me in the face.
I would love a combination of all three: tap tempo, no darkening of tone, and magic.
But I had to chose and went for MAGIC!

I was looking for a vibe style pedal and came to the conclusion that there is so much offer nowadays with ridiculous, over-the-top features, that I was instantly turned away from a purchase.

I am one of those guitarists who suffer from choice paralysis, so I tend to like simple pedals, the fewer the knobs, the better for me.

I weas eyeballing this one and the DryBell Vibe Machine. I am sure that DryBell made an excellent product, but to look at this pedal and instantly now what I want and how to get there is worth more to me that what extra features the Vibe Machine could give me. Add to that the visual style of the pedal, and I was convinced.

Soundwise, I have all I need: a depth and speed control, the choice between chorus and vibrato and the option to use an expression pedal. Wether you want a subtle chorusy sound to fatten your guitar playing or a full blown effect like Hendrix would use in something like machine gun, you have that and more.

The only caveat I would add is that even while meeting all my demands... it's a really simple pedal which costs way too much for what is must cost to make and market. Even taking into account that they're hand painted, vibe pedals are always so over-priced it's a wonder how some company hasn't just gone "hey, here's the same thing for half-price and we still make a profit while stealing all your clients".

With just two simple controls Level (pedal volume) and Gain (the amount of fuzz), you can concentrate on playing and simple tweaking, rather than trying to get your head around numerous knobs. Which is all well and good, but there's an internal trimmer (factory-set to max) to reduce the output. Another internal trim pot adjusts the maximum intensity. The quality of the sound is good, very like a Uni-Vibe, but I prefer this to the Uni-Vibe, which it replaced on my pedal board. Sounds very familiar like Hendrix or Trower, can also be used for some Queen type sounds also. A bit pricey but probably worth it (in my opinion).