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Mr. Black Drunken Monkey
Photo: Mr Black
Mr Black

Mr. Black Drunken Monkey

Vibrato
List price
$179.95
Key facts
TypeEnvelope Vibrato pedal1
MakerMr. Black1
EffectPitch vibrato with envelope control1
StatusProduction discontinued, sold out as of 9 February 20181

The Mr. Black Drunken Monkey is an envelope vibrato pedal: a pitch vibrato effect whose depth responds to how hard you play, rather than running on a fixed LFO. Mr. Black called it "a master of the pitch vibrato," and the maker's description puts the character in the player's hands through a single Alc/Vol control1.

The Drunken Monkey is no longer in production. Mr. Black's page marks it "PRODUCTION DISCONTINUED. --SOLD OUT-- 02.09.2018 6:22PM PST."1

What it does

The Drunken Monkey's vibrato is driven by an envelope follower, meaning the strength of your picking shapes the pitch movement instead of a set speed-and-depth cycle. The Alc/Vol control is the heart of it, and Mr. Black's own description leaves the setting to taste1:

"Take what you want from the Alc/Vol and leave the rest. Like a salad bar."
Mr. Black, product page1

The Drunken Monkey is an envelope vibrato pedal: a pitch vibrato whose depth is governed by the player's picking, rather than running at a fixed rate. Mr. Black describes the approach in plain terms: "Take what you want from the Alc/Vol and leave the rest. Like a salad bar."1 For more on how the effect type works, see the Vibrato Pedals page.

Demo

Mr. Black published an audio demo of the Drunken Monkey, "Monkey Gun (Endagered Species)," played on bass guitar and running 0:41, hosted on the maker's site1.

Videos

Effects & Pedals Arena Corner: Drunken Monkey Envelope Vibrato (Review & Demo)
SHY BOYZ
Drunken Monkey Prototype
Jack Deville
Drunken Monkey Proto
Jack Deville

Questions

Is the Mr. Black Drunken Monkey still available?

No. Mr. Black discontinued production and the pedal sold out, with the maker noting the sell-out at 6:22PM PST on 9 February 2018. It is no longer in production, so players looking for it now would be searching the used market rather than a store shelf.

What does the Alc/Vol control do on the Drunken Monkey?

The Alc/Vol control governs how much of the envelope-controlled vibrato effect comes through. Mr. Black put it plainly on the product page: "Take what you want from the Alc/Vol and leave the rest. Like a salad bar." In practice it is the control the player uses to dial in the depth of the effect.

Sources (1)
  1. Drunken Monkey, Mr. Black, 2018-02-09