The JAM Pedals "Summer Afternoon" Chill is an analog sine-wave tremolo, a pedal that raises and lowers the volume of your signal in smooth, repeating waves. 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, alongside the Chill, the "Relic" Chill and the larger Big Chill, and it sits in the broader field of tremolo pedals.
What it does and how it is controlled
The Chill keeps its control layout to three knobs, which covers most of what a player asks of a tremolo1:
Speed sets how fast the volume swells and dips, Depth sets how far the volume travels between loud and soft, and Level sets the overall output so the pedal can be matched to your bypassed volume or pushed above it1.
JAM Pedals describes a second use for the pedal: "Set Depth to zero to remove modulation, then use Level as a harmonically rich clean boost." With Depth at zero the Chill stops modulating and the Level knob works as a boost into the rest of the chain1.
Power, size and the hand-painted edition
The pedal runs on a 9V battery or a 9V DC center-negative supply and draws 6 mA, a low draw that keeps it easy to power on a shared supply1. Its footprint is 11.1 x 7 x 4.8 cm (4.3 x 2.7 x 1.8 in) including jacks and controls, and it weighs 230 g (0.5 lb), so it fits a modest space on a board1.
The Summer Afternoon edition carries hand-painted artwork. JAM states that every limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and that the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown1. Other artwork versions of the same circuit are available, which JAM describes as "Same sound, different artwork": the "Achenbach", "Amethyst", "Bliss!", "Hand in Hand", "Relic", "Steampunk" and "Tetris" Chill editions1. JAM also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with a refund no questions asked1.
Questions
Is the JAM Pedals Chill true bypass?
Yes. JAM Pedals lists the Summer Afternoon Chill with true bypass, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through without the circuit loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where the tremolo sits between other effects, since the bypassed pedal stays out of the signal path until you step on it.
Can the Chill run on a 9V battery?
Yes. JAM Pedals specifies power as a 9V battery or 9V DC, centre-negative, with a current draw of 6 mA. That low draw means it can share a standard daisy-chain supply with other low-draw pedals, or run from a battery when you want to keep the board simple.
Can the Chill be used as a clean boost?
Yes. JAM Pedals describes a warm boost mode: set Depth to zero to remove the modulation, then use the Level control as a harmonically rich clean boost. That gives the pedal a second use on a board, as a volume push into an amp or overdrive when the tremolo effect is switched out of the sound.
Does the Summer Afternoon Chill sound different from other Chill artwork versions?
No. JAM Pedals says the custom artwork versions of the Chill, such as the "Achenbach", "Amethyst", "Bliss!", "Hand in Hand", "Relic", "Steampunk" and "Tetris" editions, share the same sound and differ only in artwork. Each limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, so the pedal received differs in detail from the photos shown.
Sources (1)
- “Summer Afternoon” Chill, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
