Some reviews are more complex than others, such as comparing a basic ‘dirt’ box with 1-2 knobs to that of a delay unit that has multiple settings. The latest Whammy by DigiTech (the Whammy DT) offers so much that it is no longer simply a Whammy! For those unfamiliar with a Whammy pedal, a true classic among pedal collectors and guitarists wanting to perform tricks in leaps and bounds, first introduced in the 1990s, it will be described in brief in this review, as well as all the wonderful features of the new DT model. As well, I will compare its build and sound to that of the Version 4 Whammy, which I purchased about two years ago (I do not have experience with earlier models, Versions 1 and 2 being very popular among guitarists and vintage collectors, and I will not and cannot comment as a result).

The most obvious and used function of a Whammy is exactly that... it emulates the ‘whammy bar’ on a guitar, although it does so to extremes – increasing pitch by upward of two octaves for those high squeals and two octaves (plus a three octave dive bomb) for those super low growls. Although this may sound like a heavy metalist’s tool, including that of Tom Morello, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, I encourage you to listen to David Gilmour’s Marooned and The Blue songs to really appreciate what a slower and more ‘tasteful’ guitarist can do with a Whammy.

Before delving into the sound quality, I will state that this pedal is built like a tank. That expression may be used too often, but it’s true of the Whammy DT. Most obvious is the quality of the foot pedal (treadle) as it feels far more solid than with the Version 4 unit.

On a related subject, I’ve read a few complaints on Internet forums that this pedal is too heavy (4.5 pounds) and too large... and this is what I have to say on those issues and to the ‘haters’ who like to make pointless negative comments when never having used or owned this pedal:

Just about any guitar is over 4.5 pounds and it’s strapped around your neck – why complain of a 4.5 pound workhorse of a pedal that sits on the floor? If it’s an issue of lugging it around with a pedal board, consider that a guitar in its case usually is over 10 pounds, and how heavy are those amp heads and speaker cabinets? If you’re still having difficulty, take up weight lifting and build some muscle.

In regard to its size, any person who wants a Whammy and uses one will find it indispensible, like a Wah pedal. Yes, this version is slightly larger, but for another 2.5 inches in width you have a drop-tune feature and a capo (tune-up) feature. A competitive manufacturer offers ‘drop-tune’ and a ‘capo’ pedals and when combined they take up a lot more than a few inches extra on your pedal board. This Whammy version is a bit larger, but offers a plethora of features and options that still would take multiple pedals to emulate.

OK, now back to the review. The basic Whammy features include Harmony, Detune and Whammy. The Harmony part allows you to add a full octave up or down from the note you are playing, and everything between – such as a 5th down or a 4th up. And in that instance, as an example, when the pedal is in the heel down position you get the 5th and when in the toe down position you get the fourth. Of course you get options of a 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and various combinations thereof. Having those harmonizing tones may not be useful for every guitarist, but the point I want to make is on the quality of those tones: it is superior to the Version 4 Whammy and not far off the mark from expensive harmonizers (which I own). What would make this feature even more compelling is if you could adjust the dry to wet mix. Steve Vai is known for his harmonizing work and the Whammy DT certainly is a great place to start for musicians wanting to travel down that road in song composition.

The Detune function on the Whammy side of the pedal (not to be confused with the latest drop-tune feature) offers both shallow and deep. Deep is very obvious and shimmers like a good vibrato or tremolo. I do like the shallow detune as it produces a nice chorus effect without being too blatant. The extent to which the detune mixes with the dry is affected by the pedal positioning (the more the treadle is pressed down, the more the mix), and it does give a very good ‘classic’ chorus from barely audible to quite obvious.

Next up, I was curious as to how well and clean the Whammy part shifts notes, particularly up two octaves, which gives some eerie whale-type sounds (which is why Gilmour chose video whale footage for his Marooned song when playing live). I am more impressed with the DT model than with Version 4 as the DT transitions very well, but more importantly... it hits those high notes without any shrill or break-up of the note – those high notes remain very clean and sustained without any digital fluttering.