The JAM Pedals "Steampunk" Chill is an analog sine-wave amplitude tremolo, meaning it shapes your sound by varying the signal's volume in a smooth, repeating wave. JAM describes the circuit as producing smooth, vintage-style amplitude modulation suited to surf, western and slow pulsing textures1. It is part of the Chill family of tremolos, which also includes the Big Chill and the Custom Chill.
What it does
The Chill is an amplitude tremolo: the classic effect where the volume of the note rises and falls at a set rate, the sound associated with surf and western guitar. JAM describes the Chill's modulation as smooth and vintage-style, aimed at surf, western playing and slow pulsing textures1. If you want a tremolo with more waveform options and switching, the Harmonious Monk is JAM's harmonic tremolo, a different approach to the effect.
Controls
The Steampunk Chill keeps things simple with three knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the tremolo rate |
| Depth | Controls modulation intensity |
| Level | Sets output |
The Level control also gives the pedal a second use. JAM says: "Set Depth to zero to remove modulation, then use Level as a harmonically rich clean boost."1 With Depth at zero, the Steampunk Chill works as a boost pedal, which can be handy for pushing an amp or lifting a solo.
Power and bypass
The pedal runs on a 9V battery or 9V DC, center-negative, and draws 6 mA1. That low draw means it sits comfortably on a daisy-chained supply alongside other pedals, and a battery is a realistic option. Bypass is true bypass, so the circuit is out of the signal path entirely when the pedal is off1.
A one-of-a-kind hand-painted pedal
The Steampunk Chill is a custom artwork version of the Chill circuit. JAM states: "Every custom artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece."1 Because each enclosure is painted by hand, the pedal a buyer receives will differ in detail from the photos shown on the product page1.
Other custom artwork versions of the Chill include the "Relic" Chill, "Hand in Hand" Chill and "Summer Afternoon" Chill, along with "Achenbach", "Amethyst", "Bliss!" and "Tetris" versions. JAM describes them all as the same sound with different artwork1. For more on the effect itself, see the site's page on tremolo pedals.
Sources (1)
- “Steampunk” Chill, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
