The Frantone Vibutron is an analog tremolo pedal, which Frantone describes as "The Best Analog Trem On The Market." The maker calls it "this original analog variable amplitude modulator": in plain terms, a circuit that raises and lowers the volume of your guitar signal at a speed and depth you set, the classic pulsing tremolo effect. Each unit is hand-made with love in the USA by Frantone1.
The controls: Speed, Depth and waveform
The Vibutron keeps its control layout to the essentials of a tremolo, with the waveform selection adding its character1:
- Depth: Frantone says "The Depth control allows you to dial in as much effect as you like, from the slightest hint of mellow sine wave smoothness to fully gated square wave effects." In practice, that runs from a barely-there swell to a hard, rhythmic chop1.
- Speed: The maker describes "the added benefit of a wide Speed range," calling the pedal "a very powerful tool for the serious player"1.
- Waveform: Three selectable waveforms add versatility, covering the span from sine to square1.
Build and bypass
The pedal sits in a tough cast aluminum case with a lemon-yellow baked enamel finish. Switching is true bypass, and Frantone notes that "new Frantone effects come with full signal bypass and status light!"1
The Vibutron is an analog circuit, and its specifications come from Frantone's own product page. Details such as power requirements and current draw are not listed there.
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Questions
Is the Frantone Vibutron true bypass?
Yes. Frantone specifies true bypass switching on the Vibutron, and the maker notes that new Frantone effects come with full signal bypass and a status light. With true bypass, the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path when it is off, so your guitar's signal passes through untouched until you switch the tremolo on.
What waveforms does the Vibutron have?
The Vibutron offers three selectable waveforms. Frantone describes the range as running from the slightest hint of mellow sine wave smoothness to fully gated square wave effects, selected with the Depth control, and the pedal's Speed control covers a wide range across those shapes.
Where is the Frantone Vibutron made?
Frantone builds the Vibutron in the USA. According to the maker, each unit is hand-made with love in the USA by Frantone, and the pedal carries a lemon-yellow baked enamel finish on a tough cast aluminum case.
Can the Vibutron do a choppy square wave tremolo?
Yes. Frantone describes the Vibutron's Depth control as reaching fully gated square wave effects at its extreme, alongside the mellow sine wave smoothness at the gentle end. With three selectable waveforms and a wide Speed range, the pedal covers hard-chopping rhythmic tremolo as well as slow, subtle swells.
Sources (1)
- Vibutron, Frantone Electronics, 2026