The Lehle LITTLE LEHLE III is a true bypass switcher and looper in a compact pedal format, made by Lehle in Germany. It removes effects pedals from your signal path at the press of a button, switches between two instruments or two amplifiers, and mutes your signal for tuning. At its heart is the LEHLE-Switch: a microcontroller driving an intelligent true bypass relay circuit with active pop suppression, so the pedal drops in and out of your chain without clicks1.
What it does
The LITTLE LEHLE III is a true bypass looper with one FX loop: it routes the signal either directly from input to output, or out to the send and back through the return, putting an effects unit in and out of the path34. The stereo return socket also accepts a second instrument in place of an effects output4.
The uses Lehle lists for it go beyond simple looping1:
- Remove effects pedals from your signal path at the press of a button
- Switch between two instruments, or between two amplifiers
- Mute the signal for silent tuning, with the send socket feeding a tuner
- Convert a non-switchable amplifier FX loop into a switchable, remote-controlled one
Because the relay is true bypass, a pedal in the loop is fully out of the chain when the LITTLE LEHLE III is disengaged: no buffer, no loading, just a straight wire from input to output13.
Controls and connections
| Socket or control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Input (1) | Stereo input socket, accepting mono, stereo and balanced signals1 |
| Mono-to-stereo switch (2) | With the switch pressed, input (1) and send (3) take mono jacks (TS) while return (4) and output (5) transfer a stereo signal via TRS jacks14 |
| Send (3) | Stereo send socket, to an effects unit input, a second amplifier or a tuner4 |
| Return (4) | Stereo return socket, from an effects unit output or a second instrument4 |
| Output (5) | Stereo output socket, to your amplifier1 |
| LED (7) | Shows white when the input (1) is directly connected to the output (5), blue when signal and ground are routed to the send (3)1 |
| Footswitch (9) | Easy-action mushroom-shaped button, mounted in the cover so foot pressure is transmitted indirectly via a spring and the circuit board bears no mechanical load1 |
All the jack sockets are stereo type, so balanced signals can be re-routed, and mono and stereo signals can be combined1.
Operating modes
New for the LITTLE LEHLE III are three operating modes, making the switch work as either a latching or momentary switch1:
- Latching: a press toggles the state, like a conventional footswitch
- Momentary: the switch is active only while your foot holds it down
- Mixed: a short hit engages the latching function and a long hit is momentary2
Each mode can be used with or without pop suppression. Lehle points to momentary switching for short or rhythmic stutter effects as well as conventional use2.
Power
The pedal runs on an external power supply of 9 to 15 V DC, drawing 70 mA1. Polarity is of no importance: the supply voltage is internally rectified and stabilized1. Lehle recommends a single power supply, or a galvanically isolated output of a multi power supply, to avoid noise5.
Because polarity does not matter and the voltage is internally rectified, the LITTLE LEHLE III can share power arrangements that would trouble a polarity-sensitive pedal. Lehle still recommends a galvanically isolated output on a multi power supply to keep noise out of the signal path5.
Reviews
Published reviewers have been positive. In Bonedo, Thomas Dill found the LITTLE LEHLE III scores as a true-bypass looper and hum-free switcher with no noticeable change in sound2. In Gitarre & Bass, Dirk Groll called it exemplary and sophisticated2. Alexander Kern's review in Bass Quarterly praised Lehle's design, workmanship and components2.
Videos
Gadgets Lab
LehleSwitcher
Questions
Can the Little Lehle III switch between two guitars?
Yes. The return socket (4) accepts a second instrument, so you can connect two guitars and switch between them at the press of the footswitch. The send socket can also feed a tuner, giving you a silent tune-up path. All the jack sockets are stereo type, so balanced signals can be re-routed too.
Does the Little Lehle III work in stereo?
Yes. All the jack sockets are stereo, and a mono-to-stereo switch on the top of the pedal converts the routing. With the switch pressed, the input and send take mono jacks (TS) while the return and output transfer a stereo signal via TRS jacks, so a mono input can drive a stereo output.
Does the Little Lehle III have a momentary mode?
Yes. It has three operating modes: latching, momentary, and mixed, where a short press latches and a long press is momentary. Each mode can be used with or without pop suppression. Momentary switching allows short, rhythmic stutter effects as well as conventional switching.
Does power supply polarity matter on the Little Lehle III?
No. Lehle states that polarity is of no importance because the supply voltage is internally rectified and stabilized. It runs on 9 to 15 V DC. Lehle recommends a single power supply or a galvanically isolated output of a multi power supply to avoid noise.
Where is the Little Lehle III made?
Every assembly of the Little Lehle III is made and tested in Germany, at Lehle's facility. The pedal is currently in production. Lehle has been building units that switch, split and route signals since the company's founding.
Sources (5)
- LITTLE LEHLE III, Lehle (support.lehle.com)
- LITTLE LEHLE III: Universal mono/stereo FX looper & AB switch, Lehle GmbH
- Why EVERY Guitar Player Needs LEHLE On Their Pedalboard, vertexeffects.com, 2024-10-15
- LITTLE LEHLE III, Lehle (support.lehle.com)
- Little-Lehle-III_Manual_EN_v1.1.pdf, LEHLE GmbH, 2020-09-01
