Behringer is officially in the zone. Last month alone it unveiled a Tone Bender clone and an audacious replica of the legendary Klon Centaur overdrive pedal, both offering change out of 70 bucks. And now this, the ’69 Vibe, Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe clone that offers those Jimi Hendrix-approved psychedelic tones for just $69.
In sum, for under $200, you could stock your pedalboard with the sounds of three classic stompboxes – and Behringer says it isn’t done yet.
Responding to online critics who have accused the brand of being a “vaporware company” – unveiling products before they are available to buy, ultimately not releasing them at all – Behringer struck a bullish note, arguing that it is “one of the most prolific manufacturers in the industry,” promising more before the year’s out.
“No other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do,” it continued.
Those critics might be responding to its Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble clone. The chorus pedal was teased but has yet to make it to market.
But then there could be a very good reason for that, especially when you consider the case of Behringer's Dual-Phase, its clone of the ‘70s analogue dual phaser from Mu-Tron Bi-Phase that Frank Zappa used to great effect. It was originally introduced as the Bi-Phaser, the name change might have been a way to tip-toe round any IP copyright issues.
The ’69 Vibe certainly delivers on affordability. As for the sound, they're timeless, and date back to when Hendrix was in his pomp and looking for a guitar effects pedal that could emulate the woozy swirl of a rotating speaker.
The Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe did just that, and gave tracks such as Machine Gun the three-dimensional movement he wanted.
It wasn’t just Hendrix who fell under the Uni-Vibe’s spell. Robin Trower created another candidate for the definitive Uni-Vibe track with Bridge Of Sighs. David Gilmour used one, notably on Time and Breathe.
The ’69 Vibe has a familiar look, black enclosure, white text, controls for Volume, Intensity and Speed, one footswitch for engaging the effect and another to toggle between its chorus and vibrato modes. The latter might come in handy for nailing Chris Cornell’s electric guitar tone on Black Hole Sun. And there is an input for attaching an expression pedal so you can control it on the fly.
You will find all the connections on the top of the unit. A pair of 1/4” input/outputs, the input for the pedalboard power supply, and the aforementioned input for the expression pedal.
Behringer suggest placing the '69 Vibe in front of your fuzz pedal, behind it, either side of your drive pedals or straight into a dimed amp a la Jimi. We’d endorse that message.
So there you have it, a £59/$69 Uni-Vibe clone, and once again we have a metal enclosure form Behringer. For more details, head over to Behringer.
