The Guyatone SV2 Slow Volume is a voltage-controlled volume pedal that automatically swells each note from silence up to full volume, rather than leaving the swell to your foot or your guitar's volume knob. Guyatone's distributor describes it as based on the vintage Boss Slow Gear, the circuit that gave players automatic violin-style and tape-reverse style attacks from a small box1.
What it does
Because the SV2 is envelope-controlled, it listens to your picking and fades each note in on its own. Two controls shape the effect1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Threshold | Determines how hard a note's attack must be to trigger the effect1 |
| Speed | Determines how fast the note will swell to full volume1 |
The distributor describes a wide range of sounds from these two knobs: "Many effects can be achieved just by manipulating these simple controls, from straight volume swells to bowing effects to tape-reverse simulation"1.
Placement matters. Since the pedal is triggered by the envelope of your playing, the distributor notes that "the Slow Volume works best when placed at the front of a signal chain," where it sees the raw attack of your guitar before anything else shapes it1.
The modified B-stock unit
The listing covered here is a modified B-stock version of the SV2, sold in the UK. It was listed at £58.00 GBP and marked sold out1. B-stock means the pedal may show signs of use and very minor cosmetic damages, with the box included1. This unit was modified to have an even longer swell time than the standard SV21.
This particular unit was modified to have an even longer swell time than the stock SV2, and it was listed as sold out1.
Videos
Space Junk
fool4music
laurathemidget
Sources (1)
- GUYATONE SV2 Slow Volume modified (B-STOCK), Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
