The Lovell Shakey is a tremolo pedal from Lovell Musiclab, the company of designer Tim Lovell. It is handmade in Medellín, Colombia, and built around a custom MOSFET VCA, the voltage-controlled amplifier that does the volume modulation. Lovell's stated goal was a tremolo that "doesn't color the instrument's tone and has a constant perceived volume no matter how deep the tremolo is set"1. Premier Guitar reviewed it at a street price of $1752.
What the Shakey does and how it is controlled
The Shakey's controls go beyond the usual rate and depth pair. Premier Guitar's review describes "rate and depth dials, a knob to morph between triangle- or square-wave modulation, and a mini pot that blends" positive and negative sawtooth waves2. The press release calls the wave control a triangle-to-square wave blend knob1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Sets the speed of the volume modulation2 |
| Depth | Sets how deep the volume modulation goes, with Constant RMS compensation1 |
| Wave knob | Morphs between triangle- and square-wave modulation2 |
| Mini pot | Blends positive and negative sawtooth waves2 |
In practice, that gives you a range of LFO shapes, from the smooth swell of a triangle wave to the sharper chop of a square wave, plus a sawtooth blend for asymmetric tremolo movement21.
The headline feature is the "Constant RMS" depth control. Lovell says it "maintains the perceived volume no matter how deep or fast the volume modulation" is set1. Premier Guitar's review explains the mechanism: the circuit "progressively DC offsets the LFO [low-frequency oscillation] when manipulating the depth control," so the signal never feels diminished or lost as you turn the depth up2. On most tremolos, deeper settings make the quiet end of the cycle feel like a drop in overall level; the Shakey is designed to counter that.
What it does not have, per Premier Guitar's review:
If you sync tremolo to a tempo or ride the speed with a foot pedal, this is not that kind of tremolo2.
Design, build and maker
The Shakey lives in what the press release calls a "custom heavy-duty powder-coated steel enclosure"1. True-bypass switching keeps it out of the chain when off1. Power is a standard 9V DC jack plus an internal battery connector1.
The published material lists the 9V DC jack and battery connector but no current draw figure, so budget your supply accordingly.
At its November 2017 introduction, Premier Guitar reported the pedal available at www.lovellmusiclab.com and selected retailers1.
Videos
Lovell Musiclab
Lovell Musiclab
Henry Borrero Music
Questions
Is the Lovell Shakey true bypass?
Yes. Lovell Musiclab's press material for the Shakey specifies true-bypass switching, so the pedal is out of the signal path entirely when switched off. That matters on a pedalboard where you want the tremolo to leave your core tone untouched when it is not engaged.
Can the Lovell Shakey run on a battery?
Yes. The Shakey has a standard 9V DC power jack plus an internal battery connector, so it can be powered either way. Note that the published material lists the connector but not a current draw figure, so check your supply budget against the maker's specifications if you are planning a daisy chain.
How much does the Lovell Shakey cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $175. When the pedal was introduced in November 2017, Premier Guitar reported it retailing at $115, so the price has risen since launch.
Where is the Lovell Shakey made?
The Shakey is handmade in Medellín, Colombia, by Lovell Musiclab, the company of designer Tim Lovell. It was sold through the maker's website and selected retailers.
Sources (2)
- Lovell Musiclab Introduces the Shakey Tremolo, Premier Guitar, 2017-11-03
- Quick Hit: Lovell Shakey Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-05-11
