The Gamechanger Audio BIGSBY Pedal Polyphonic Pitch Shifter is a pitch-shifting pedal built around a spring-loaded foot-pedal instead of the usual row of knobs and switches. Created in cooperation with Fender Musical Instruments Co., it is designed to reproduce the string bending and vibrato of a BIGSBY tremolo arm and other traditional tremolo systems, letting a player bend the pitch of whole chords with a foot1. It sits among octave and pitch pedals rather than tremolo pedals: the effect is pitch movement, not volume swells.
What it does
Under the hood, the pedal runs on a SHARC Audio Processor and a hybrid algorithm developed by Gamechanger Audio specifically for smooth polyphonic real-time pitch-shifting at low intervals. That matters because low-interval shifts, the small pitch movements a tremolo arm produces, are where pitch shifters traditionally struggle1.
Gamechanger Audio describes the algorithm as designed to emulate the imperfections and dissonant properties of traditional mechanical string-bending hardware, with vibrato effects almost indistinguishable from a conventional tremolo arm. In other words, the pedal aims to sound like a mechanical Bigsby, slight tuning quirks and all, rather than a clean digital shift1.
The foot-pedal design
The defining feature is the spring-loaded foot-pedal itself. Because the pedal is always on, activation is simply a matter of stepping on it, and the spring gives the same resistance and return as a mechanical tremolo arm1. Gamechanger Audio says the design opens up new strumming patterns and bend combinations, since both hands stay free to play while the foot handles the pitch movement1.
Instruments and compatibility
The pedal is aimed at a wide range of stringed instruments. Pedal of the Day reports that it has been painstakingly tweaked to preserve the natural timbre and sound of electric and acoustic string instruments, with compatibility covering baritone and bass guitars, guitars, mandolins, banjos and more1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day, reviewing the pedal in July 2023, passed on the maker's own description of it:
"one of the most capable and inspiring pitch-shifting tools currently on the market"
That wording comes from the maker's announcement, so it is best read as Gamechanger Audio's claim for the pedal rather than an independent verdict. The same review confirms the practical details a player needs: the always-on foot-pedal operation, the polyphonic engine and the instrument list above1.
Videos
Andertons Music Co
Sweetwater
Pete Thorn
Questions
Does the Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal work with bass?
Yes. According to Pedal of the Day, the pedal has been tweaked to preserve the natural timbre of electric and acoustic string instruments, and the maker lists compatibility with baritone and bass guitars as well as guitars, mandolins and banjos. Bass players can therefore run it on their instrument, though how it behaves under low strings is best judged from the published reviews and demos.
Is the Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal polyphonic?
Yes. It is a polyphonic pitch shifter, meaning it can shift the pitch of all the strings at once rather than only single notes. Pedal of the Day describes it as running a hybrid algorithm developed by Gamechanger Audio specifically to achieve smooth polyphonic real-time pitch-shifting at low intervals, on a SHARC Audio Processor.
Is the Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal always on?
Yes. Pedal of the Day notes that the BIGSBY pedal is always on, and the only thing you need to do to activate it is step on the foot-pedal. There is no conventional on-off stompswitch in the usual sense; the spring-loaded foot-pedal itself is the control you play.
Who made the Gamechanger Audio Bigsby pedal with Gamechanger?
The pedal was created in cooperation with Fender Musical Instruments Co., the company that owns the Bigsby brand. Pedal of the Day describes it as a polyphonic pitch shifter pedal developed jointly with Fender after a two-year design and development period by Gamechanger Audio.
Sources (1)
- Gamechanger Audio BIGSBY Pedal Polyphonic Pitch Shifter, Pedal of the Day, 2023-07-15
