The Lovell Shakey is a tremolo pedal from Lovell Musiclab, handmade in Medellín, Colombia, in a custom heavy-duty powder-coated steel enclosure1. It is a four-knob design: rate and depth dials, a knob that morphs between triangle- and square-wave modulation, and a mini pot that blends positive and negative sawtooth waves2. Premier Guitar's review highlights its unique waveform-manipulation controls and notes that it covers tortoise-slow rates that many tremolo pedals neglect2.
Constant RMS depth
The Shakey's headline feature is what Lovell Musiclab calls its "Constant RMS" depth control, which the maker says maintains 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) as the depth control is turned, so the signal never feels diminished or lost2.
"We wanted to build a tremolo that doesn't color the instrument's tone and has a constant perceived volume no matter how deep the tremolo is set."
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Speed | Sets the tremolo rate1 |
| Depth | Sets tremolo depth, with the Constant RMS circuit keeping perceived volume even1 |
| Wave morph | Morphs between triangle- and square-wave modulation2 |
| Mini pot | Blends between positive and negative sawtooth waves2 |
What it lacks
Premier Guitar's review notes two omissions worth knowing before you plan a board around it: no tap-tempo and no expression control2. If you want to sweep the rate by foot, that is not an option here.
The Shakey has no tap-tempo or expression control, according to Premier Guitar's review2.
Price and availability
Premier Guitar's 2026 review lists a street price of $1752. At its introduction, Premier Guitar reported the Shakey retailing at $1151. The pedal was described as available at www.lovellmusiclab.com and selected retailers1.
For how the Shakey sits among its peers, see Tremolo Pedals.
Videos
Lovell Musiclab
Lovell Musiclab
Henry Borrero Music
Questions
Does the Lovell Shakey have tap tempo?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes there is no tap-tempo or expression control on the Shakey. Speed is set with the Speed knob, and the wave shape is shaped with the wave-morph knob and the mini pot that blends positive and negative sawtooth waves.
Does the Lovell Shakey have an expression input?
No. Premier Guitar's review states the Shakey has no expression control, so rate and depth are set on the pedal itself rather than by an external pedal.
Where is the Lovell Shakey made?
The Shakey is handmade in Medellín, Colombia, in a custom heavy-duty powder-coated steel enclosure, according to Premier Guitar's press release and review.
Who designed the Lovell Shakey?
The Shakey was designed by Tim Lovell of Lovell Musiclab, who is quoted by Premier Guitar describing the goal of a tremolo that does not color the instrument's tone.
How much does the Lovell Shakey cost?
Premier Guitar's 2026 review lists a street price of $175. At its 2017 introduction, Premier Guitar reported the Shakey retailing at $115.
Sources (2)
- Lovell Musiclab Introduces the Shakey Tremolo, Premier Guitar, 2017-11-03
- Quick Hit: Lovell Shakey Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-05-11
