Guyatone Ultrem

The Guyatone Ultrem is a tremolo pedal built around optical circuitry that the maker describes as based on the classic amp tremolo circuits of yesteryear. It is part of Guyatone's Hybrid Optical line, alongside the Ultron, and it offers six effects modes and six selectable wave shapes, with tap tempo and expression pedal control over the rate. Premier Guitar listed it at $375 USD in its March 2021 review.¹

What the Ultrem does

At the heart of the pedal is what Guyatone calls a proprietary CPU controller, which allows quick selection of the Ultrem's primary effect function. The optical circuitry itself is based on classic amp tremolo circuits, so the character of the effect follows the approach older tube amps took to tremolo, with modern control layered on top.²

The six effects modes are selected with a soft knob, and Premier Guitar's reviewer found that the pedal could "intuitively dial in any type of trem known to the free world." Beyond the standard wave shapes, the last two modes also feature Bonus Modes that allow manual selection of the oscillator waveform via an external expression pedal, which opens up shapes beyond the fixed settings.¹

The wave shapes number six: triangle, sawtooth and various square waves. The reviewer's take was that the pedal "can do odd, but never leaves musical," meaning the more unusual shapes stay usable in a mix.¹

The controls

The Ultrem's control layout mixes knobs, toggles and footswitches:

• Speed: a front-mounted control that sets the rate of the tremolo. The rate can also be set by tap tempo or an optional expression pedal.²
• Depth and Saturation: these allow precise control of the degree and tonality of the effect.²
• Effect Mode and Wave Form: push-push soft-knobs handle both Effect Mode and Wave Form selection.¹
• Tap Tempo: a footswitch handles tempo duties, and the reviewer used the tap tempo to adjust rate.¹
• Control footswitch: a quick press when in Effects Mode accesses Sub-Modes.¹
• Mini-toggles: solid feeling mini-toggles reside up top on the enclosure.¹

Expression pedal and stereo use

The Ultrem shares with the Ultron an input for an optional expression pedal. Guyatone's product page notes that the rate of the tremolo can be controlled via tap tempo, the front-mounted Speed control, or an optional expression pedal. In the last two modes, that same expression pedal input takes over waveform selection through the Bonus Modes feature.²¹

Run in stereo with the Pan switch engaged, the reviewer found the pedal rewarding, calling it the thickest, most musical result of the review. In mono the results were described as phenomenal as well, with the reviewer unable to find any sounds that weren't useful.¹

Build, bypass and value

True bypass switching is featured on both the Ultrem and the Ultron, so the pedal stays out of the signal path when off. What the two pedals share, in the reviewer's words, is "phenomenal build quality." The only criticism raised was cost, which the reviewer judged "all things considered isn't bad" given what the pedal delivers.¹

Ultrem and Ultron

The Ultrem and Ultron are a matched pair of hybrid optical pedals. They share the same platform: push-push soft-knobs for Effect Mode and Wave Form selection, inputs for an optional expression pedal, true bypass switching, a footswitch handling tempo duties, and Sub-Modes accessed by a quick press of the Control footswitch. The Ultrem covers tremolo, while the Ultron covers a different effect in the same housing.¹

If you are comparing tremolos, Guyatone's smaller VTm5 Veri Trem and VT-X Flip Tremolo sit in the same brand's lineup, and the Tremolo Pedals page gathers the wider field.

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