The Ibanez PQ 401 is a parametric equalizer pedal from the turn of the 1980s, made in Japan and sold between late 1980 and 1981 in the standard box of the period1. Where a graphic EQ gives you fixed bands on sliders, a parametric design lets a player pick the frequency being shaped as well as the amount of cut or boost, which is the whole appeal of the PQ 401 as an EQ tool1.
Production and availability
TONEHOME, the vintage effects reference site, dates the PQ 401's production to late 1980 through 1981 and lists its availability today as rare, with a collectibility rating of high1. The pedal has never been reissued, so every example in circulation is an original1. For a player, that means finding one usually means the used and vintage market rather than a current-production alternative, and Ibanez's later parametric designs such as the PQ9 Parametric EQ are a different, newer unit.
The PQ 401 sat in an Ibanez line of EQ pedals that ran from power and graphic designs into the parametric format:
The PQ 401 was made by Ibanez as a pedal-format parametric EQ1. It is a rare pedal today, and its collectibility is rated high1.
If you are browsing the wider field, the site's page on equalization pedals groups the parametric and graphic approaches side by side.
Original price
TONEHOME records a list price of 245 DM for 1981, quoted in the German mark, the currency of the market the figure comes from1. No US dollar list price is recorded for the pedal.
Manual and documentation
The original PQ 401 manual survives as a scanned PDF hosted on TONEHOME's product page, which is useful for a pedal this old since the manual documents the unit's controls and operation as Ibanez intended them1.
Videos
akallons
ANDREW EIFERT
Questions
Is the Ibanez PQ 401 a parametric or graphic EQ?
The PQ 401 is a parametric equalizer. Unlike a graphic EQ, which offers fixed frequency bands on sliders, a parametric EQ lets the player choose the center frequency being cut or boosted as well as the amount, giving finer control over problem frequencies or tonal shaping. Ibanez also sold graphic EQ pedals in the same era, but the PQ 401 sits on the parametric side of that split.
Where was the Ibanez PQ 401 made?
The PQ 401 was made in Japan. TONEHOME dates its production to late 1980 through 1981, sold in the standard box of the period, which places it among Ibanez's early 1980s pedal output.
Has the Ibanez PQ 401 been reissued?
No. TONEHOME lists the PQ 401 as never having been reissued, so any example on the market today is an original early 1980s unit. That scarcity is part of why the pedal carries a high collectibility rating.
Where can I find the Ibanez PQ 401 manual?
TONEHOME hosts a scanned copy of the PQ 401 manual as a PDF download on its product page for the pedal, so owners and buyers can consult the original documentation for the unit's controls and operating instructions.
What did the Ibanez PQ 401 cost when new?
The PQ 401 carried a list price of 245 DM in 1981, the German mark being the currency TONEHOME records for the pedal's original sale period.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME - the World of Vintage Guitar Effects Pedals, 1981
