The Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 is a Bookworm Effects tremolo pedal. Close alternatives include the Universal Audio Flow Tremolo and the Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb. It pairs well with the Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier and the Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt.
Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Bookworm Effects · pedal
The Bookworm Effects Laughing Man is an optical tremolo pedal modeled on the tremolo and vibrato channels of vintage combo amplifiers. Version 3 delivers organic, lamp-and-LDR-driven tremolo modulation with Rate controlling speed and Depth controlling intensity of the effect. Capable of subtle slow warble through dramatic helicopter-chop pulsing. Handmade in Morgantown, West Virginia. Suited for vintage country, Americana, blues, surf rock, and clean-toned indie styles where organic amp-style tremolo character is preferred.
What stands out
“The Laughing Man delivers organic, musical tremolo character derived from the optical circuit topology of vintage amplifiers, where the lamp-and-LDR pairing gives it a naturally soft rise-and-fall modulation envelope”
— from the community notes
“Strengths: Optical LDR-and-lamp circuit produces the organic, breathing tremolo quality of vintage amplifier tremolo channels”
— from the reviews
“Use-case wise it is ideal for clean-toned players who want authentic vintage tremolo”
— from the community notes
“Wide Rate and Depth sweep covers both subtle shimmer and dramatic helicopter chop”
— from the reviews
“The Bookworm Effects Laughing Man is an optical tremolo pedal modeled on the tremolo and vibrato channels of vintage combo amplifiers”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“In the signal chain the Laughing Man sits naturally after drive pedals and before reverb and delay for the most vintage-correct placement”
— from the community notes
“lamp-and-ldr-driven tremolo modulation with rate controlling speed and depth controlling intensity of the effect”
— from the listing
- tremolo
- organic
- vintage
- subtle
- optical
- musical
- production
- shimmer
Genres the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 is commonly used in
Amps that pair well with the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier
Soldano
18% matchSoldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier's own high gain character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt goes after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H
Marshall
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H goes after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Synergy SL2 Module after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Friedman BE-Mini Head after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Egnater Tourmaster Combo 4212
Egnater
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Egnater Tourmaster Combo 4212 goes after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Hughes & Kettner Coreblade goes after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Pedals that stack with the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Fjord Fuzz Odin
Fjord Fuzz
22% matchFjord Fuzz Odin leans toward fuzzy, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Fjord Fuzz Berserk
Fjord Fuzz
21% matchFjord Fuzz Berserk's own aggressive character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Roland SDE-3000D
Roland
7% matchRun Roland SDE-3000D after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Caroline Guitar Company Meteore
Caroline Guitar Company
7% matchKeep Caroline Guitar Company Meteore after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the signal chain, where it won't crowd Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Death By Audio Destruction
Death By Audio
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Death By Audio Destruction goes in front of Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2
Dr Scientist
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Put Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2 in front of Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3
Subdecay F-Bomb
Subdecay
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Subdecay F-Bomb goes in front of Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 in the chain
Warm Audio Jet Phaser
Warm Audio
tonal matchWarm Audio Jet Phaser belongs after Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3, since modulation reads clearest once the core tone is set
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Universal Audio Flow Tremolo
Universal Audio
66% similarityShared character: tremolo, subtle, reverb
Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb
Strymon
64% similarityShared character: tremolo, reverb, vintage charm
Subdecay Vagabond Tremolo
Subdecay
63% similarityShared character: tremolo, vintage charm
Rainger FX Effects Binary Pulsar
Rainger Fx
63% similarityShared character: tremolo
MXR Tremolo M305
MXR
62% similarityShared character: tremolo, subtle, vintage charm
Boffin FX Vibratron
Boffin Fx
62% similarityShared character: vibrato, tremolo, subtle
Carl Martin Surf Trem V3
Carl Martin
62% similarityShared character: tremolo, reverb, vintage charm
Mad Professor Mellow Yellow Tremolo
Mad Professor
61% similarityShared character: vintage charm
JAM Pedals Harmonious Monk Tremolo
Jam Pedals
61% similarityShared character: tremolo, subtle
Cusack Music Tap-a-Whirl V4
Cusack Music
59% similarityShared character: tremolo, reverb
Dophix Galileo Optical Tremolo
Dophix
58% similarityShared character: reverb, vintage charm
Source Audio Vertigo
Source Audio
58% similarityShared character: vibrato, tremolo, vintage charm
See all alternatives to the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3?+
The closest matches in character are the Universal Audio Flow Tremolo, the Strymon Flint Tremolo & Reverb, the Subdecay Vagabond Tremolo.
What pairs well with the Bookworm Effects Laughing Man Optical Tremolo V3?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier, Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt, Marshall Studio JCM900 SN20H — Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier's own high gain character is the real reason this is worth trying.
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