Pedal Pawn Gypsy Vibe

The Pedal Pawn Gypsy Vibe is a compact clone of the vintage Univox Uni-Vibe, the photocell-based modulation pedal of the late 1960s. It offers the two modes of the original, chorus and vibrato, selected with a vintage-style hand-painted switch, and Pedal Pawn says it captures the "THROB" that turns your amp's speaker into a pulsing heartbeat¹². The current version is the Gypsy Vibe V2, handwired in the UK, and as of late October 2026 both the pedal and its foot controller are listed as sold out on Pedal Pawn's site¹³.

Delicious Audio described the original Gypsy Vibe as "a very compact clone of the vintage Univox Uni-Vibe" from "UK's Pedal Pawn, makers of high-end hand-built pedals"², and in its 2024 Uni-Vibe buying guide called it "the thickest THROB we've ever heard," noting it runs at 18v and is "almost as large as the original"⁴².

What it does: chorus and vibrato

The Gypsy Vibe follows the Uni-Vibe's two-mode design. As MusicRadar explains in its history of the Uni-Vibe, the two modes sound quite different²¹⁵:

• Chorus mode blends the dry signal from the preamp with the wet signal to create the pedal's distinctive phased sound⁵.
• Vibrato mode outputs only the wet signal, which is thinner and quieter, with a more pronounced pitch warble⁵.

Pedal Pawn lets you switch between the two with a vintage-style hand-painted switch, the same arrangement as the original Uni-Vibe¹². The pedal also carries the same controls as the original, plus a bigger speed knob you can adjust with your foot for easy acceleration while playing²⁴.

The heart of the circuit is the photocell assembly: the V2 uses handpicked hermetically sealed photocells, which Pedal Pawn credits for its performance and tone¹. The original Gypsy Vibe was likewise described as using hand-selected hermetically sealed photocells².

Power and bypass

The pedal uses true bypass switching, which Pedal Pawn says preserves your original tone when the effect is off¹². Delicious Audio's buying guide confirms the 18v operating requirement⁴.

The GV2FC Foot Controller

The Gypsy Vibe V2 has an expression jack input for the GV2FC Foot Controller, sold separately¹. The controller is designed exclusively for the Gypsy Vibe V2 and needs no power of its own: no batteries or external supplies, it simply operates passively³.

Setup is plug-and-play: connect the GV2FC to the remote jack on the Gypsy Vibe V2 with a stereo TRS cable³. Its main control is the cancel function:

1. Rock the controller to the heel-down position to activate the cancel function micro switch³.
2. This deactivates the "throb" effect on the Gypsy Vibe V2 while preserving the preamp circuit, unlocking the vintage preamp tone¹³.
3. Press the toe downward to bring the "throb" back³.

The GV2FC is also compatible with original Shin-ei and Univox Uni-Vibe units when used with a suitable 5-pin DIN to 1/4" instrument cable³. Like the pedal itself, it is handcrafted, and minor blemishes or markings may be present on the enclosure exterior³. It is listed as sold out alongside the pedal³.

Versions: V1 to V2

The Gypsy Vibe V2 follows the original Gypsy Vibe V1. A customer quote on Pedal Pawn's page sums up the difference in sound: "I'd gone through a few descent vibes in my search including the Gypsy Vibe V1 but this V2 is the BOG sound to my ears!"¹. The V2 keeps the core recipe, chorus and vibrato modes, the large foot-friendly speed knob and the handwired UK build, in a compact box that fits on a pedalboard¹. Delicious Audio's 2024 guide still describes the pedal with the same controls as the original Uni-Vibe plus the bigger foot-controllable speed knob⁴.

Build and where it is made

The Gypsy Vibe is handwired in the UK¹. Earlier coverage of the V1 describes each pedal as completely built by hand from scratch: hand drilled, powder coated and screen printed in the UK, with minor powder coating and screen printing blemishes possible on each unit². Delicious Audio's buying guide likewise calls it fully hand soldered and hand-drilled⁴.

For UK customers, VAT is included in the listed price; orders outside the UK may incur local import duties or taxes¹³.

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