The Gamechanger Audio Bigsby Pedal is a polyphonic pitch shifter that reproduces the string-bending and vibrato effects of a Bigsby tremolo arm, using a spring-loaded rocking foot pedal that bends pitch both up and down1. It was created in cooperation with Fender Musical Instruments Co., which owns the Bigsby brand, and it runs a hybrid algorithm developed by Gamechanger Audio on a SHARC Audio Processor1. Where a conventional pitch shifter gives you knobs and switches, this one gives you a treadle: rock it with your foot and your whole chord shifts, the way a tremolo arm shifts it by hand.
The core idea is realism. Gamechanger Audio says the pedal's DETUNE parameter emulates the imperfections and dissonant properties of traditional mechanical string-bending hardware, so the vibrato it produces is "almost indistinguishable from those of a conventional" tremolo arm1. Pedal of the Day described the same algorithm as one "designed to emulate the imperfections and dissonant properties of traditional mech"anical vibrato hardware2. On MusicRadar's demo coverage, Rob found that "It not only looks like a Bigsby (albeit one on the floor) but it actually sounds like one"3.
A tremolo-arm bend and vibrato for the foot
The pedal's defining feature is its spring-loaded rocking foot pedal, built for upwards and downwards pitch-bending movements1. Instead of tapping a momentary switch and letting a preset ramp do the work, you ride the treadle the way a rockabilly or surf player rides a tremolo arm. Guitar World's Jackson Maxwell said it "delivers the greasy, attitude-filled rockabilly bends and twang so associated with the original Bigsby"9.
The bend is bidirectional. Gamechanger Audio describes a spring-loaded rocking foot-pedal for upwards and downwards pitch-bending movements2, and the pedal's DETUNE parameter is designed to emulate the imperfections and dissonant properties of traditional mechanical string-bending hardware, so the vibrato effects are almost indistinguishable from those of a conventional tremolo arm23. The same algorithm is what lets one foot produce the string-bending and vibrato effects of the Bigsby tremolo arm and other traditional tremolo systems2.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio saw a clear audience: surf rock guitarists who otherwise have to share their picking hand between the strings and the vibrato lever4. MusicRadar framed the pedal as "widening accessibility to Bigsby sounds for all guitars and players"3, since it puts those bends on any instrument without a Bigsby installed.
The controls: Blend, Detune, Auto mode and direction
The control set mixes treadle, knobs and switches. Gamechanger Audio's product page lists the main controls, and guitar.com's review adds the full panel layout16:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DETUNE | Emulates the tuning instability of hardware tremolo systems5 |
| BLEND | Mixes in the dry signal to achieve harmonizer or dynamic chorus sounds5 |
| Down/up shift depth | Sets how far the pitch bends in each direction6 |
| Modulation rate/detune | Sets the rate when the pedal modulates on its own6 |
| Alt functions switch | Accesses secondary control functions6 |
| Invert switch | Reverses the pedal's bend direction6 |
| Direction toggle | A single toggle switch next to the MIDI in changes the direction of the pedal7 |
AUTO mode changes how the pedal behaves: an LFO controls the pitch-bend rate while the foot pedal controls the pitch-bend depth1. That turns the pedal from a manual bender into a hands-free vibrato source, with the treadle still shaping how deep the effect sits. MusicRadar also liked the hardware itself, praising "the enhanced Rate, Blend and Depth wheel controls (with pulsating lights!)"3.
Power and connections: 9V, 500mA, MIDI and expression out
The pedal takes a standard 9V DC center-negative supply, and no power supply is included in the box1. On current, the maker's own pages disagree: the product page says at least 250 mA1, while the support article specifies a minimum input current of 500 mA7. Power consumption is listed as 4,5-9 W7.
There is no battery option7, and no supply ships with the pedal1. Given the 500 mA minimum in the maker's support specifications7, plan on a dedicated 9V outlet rather than a shared daisy chain.
Connections go well beyond audio in and out:
- Audio: 1/4" unbalanced TS input and output, mono in / mono out78
- MIDI in: 5-pin DIN, optically isolated and RF filtered; full MIDI CC and PC control over all parameters, preset recalling and clock syncing; a 3.5 mm TRS to 5-pin DIN adapter is included17
- USB-C: Data port for MIDI and firmware updates8
- EXP OUT: A TRS 1/4" jack that lets the pedal act as a spring-loaded expression controller for other gear, with adjustable DEPTH, RATE and OFFSET18
- FSW IN: Compatible with standard momentary or toggle footswitches via a TS 1/4" jack, normally open or normally closed8
The expression output is the sleeper feature: the spring-loaded foot pedal can drive other expression pedals and MIDI-capable gear, either alongside the pitch shifting or on its own1. There are 10 user preset slots accessible via MIDI PC1.
History: from Winter NAMM to a Fender collaboration
The pedal was first announced at Winter NAMM 202010, though an early prototype had already been shown at NAMM 20194. Gamechanger Audio says the idea came from admiration for the Bigsby system's feel, sound and design, and that the partnership with Fender and Bigsby was secured in 20194. After a two-year design and development period, a limited order round delivered personalized and signed special editions to early supporters in August before general release4, and the pedal reached the market in spring 20224. Guitar World later noted that Gamechanger Audio "teamed up with Fender for the Bigsby pedal" as part of its wider pedal lineup11.
The pedal carries a lifetime warranty1, and the B-stock version sold by the maker is fully refurbished, functions as new, may show small cosmetic marks, and includes the same lifetime warranty5. It is made in Latvia6.
What reviewers made of it
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio was sweeping in his verdict, writing that "That, in our book, qualifies as a game-changer"4. MusicRadar's reviewer noted the build: "a combination of what feels like a robust matt black resin chassis with aluminium bottom plate and part of an authentic-"looking aluminum Bigsby on the top12.
Videos
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Pete Thorn
News
Questions
Can the Gamechanger Bigsby pedal bend a full octave?
Yes. Gamechanger Audio says the bend and drop can be adjusted from a single semitone to a full octave in both directions, and Guitar World reported an interval range from a quarter-tone to a full octave upward and downward. One guitar.com review unit fell a semitone or two short of a full octave sweep, which the reviewer attributed to a glitch in the optical auto-calibration system.
Does the Bigsby pedal come with a power supply?
No. Gamechanger Audio states plainly that no free power supply is provided with the pedal and that the power supply is not included in the box. You need a standard 9V DC center-negative supply; the maker's support pages specify a minimum input current of 500 mA, so a small daisy-chain outlet may not be enough.
Is the Gamechanger Bigsby pedal true bypass?
No, it uses buffered bypass. Gamechanger Audio describes it as a high-quality buffered bypass with seamless transitions into and out of bypass. There is no battery option, so the pedal needs external power whenever it is in the chain.
Does the Bigsby pedal work on bass?
Yes. Gamechanger Audio says the pedal was designed with guitar, bass, keyboard, and synth players in mind and operates across the full EQ spectrum, so low instruments are supported. It is a mono in, mono out effect with a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
Where should the Bigsby pedal go in a signal chain?
Gamechanger Audio suggests placing it as close to the beginning of the signal chain as possible, in the classic position for pitch effects. The maker adds that placing it just after a compressor pedal may benefit the smoothness of the pitched sound.
Where is the Gamechanger Bigsby pedal made?
It is made in Latvia, according to guitar.com's review of the pedal. It was created in cooperation with Fender Musical Instruments Co., which acquired the Bigsby brand, and Gamechanger Audio secured the partnership deal with Fender and Bigsby in 2019.
Sources (12)
- BIGSBY PEDAL, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-09-23
- Gamechanger Audio BIGSBY Pedal Polyphonic Pitch Shifter, Pedal of the Day, 2023-07-15
- Do guitarists really need a Bigsby Pedal?, MusicRadar, 2023-03-13
- Gamechanger Audio Bigsby Pedal, Delicious Audio, 2024-06-17
- BIGSBY PEDAL (Limited B-STOCK), Gamechanger Audio, 2026-09-23
- Gamechanger Audio’s Bigsby Pedal is more than a vintage wobble machine, guitar.com, 2023-06-23
- BIGSBY PEDAL Support, Gamechanger Audio, 2025-11-12
- BIGSBY Pedal, Gamechanger Audio, 2026-08-28
- Hear Gamechanger Audio's one-of-a-kind Bigsby Pedal in action in this surf-tastic demo, Guitar World, 2021-06-29
- Gamechanger Audio Bigsby Pedal: The '50s guitar vibrato as a pedal?, gearnews.com, 2021-06-15
- NAMM 2024: “Become the architect of tones and textures that respond to your performance in real-time”: Gamechanger Audio's new player-responsive MOD Series pedals can literally be wired like a modular synth, Guitar World, 2024-01-25
- Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal review, MusicRadar, 2023-07-07
