The Schaller Universal-Fußpedal is a vintage German effects pedal that packs four functions into one enclosure: fuzz, treble boost, tremolo and swell. It was made by Schaller in Germany from 1968 to 1970, and it is controlled not by stomp switches but by a pair of treadles, the rocking pedals familiar from wah and volume pedals. Today it is mostly referred to as the "Double Pedal", a name TONEHOME suggests arose simply because a merely descriptive name would have been too long1.
How the two treadles work
The pedal's defining feature is its dual treadle control. The right treadle is named "Schweller", German for sweller, and it functions as a global volume control. TONEHOME describes it as working whether the effect is engaged or bypassed, so the player can use it as a master volume and swell pedal independent of the fuzz and boost circuits1.
The fuzz section carries the same circuit as the stand-alone Schaller fuzz boxes of the period, so players familiar with those units will recognize what it does. It is built around a pair of ATES AC192 germanium transistors, the transistor type typical of late-1960s fuzz designs1.
What it sounds like
As with any vintage pedal, the sound is best described in the words of those who have played one. TONEHOME's account of running the fuzz together with the treble boost1:
"Engaged along with the Treble Boost you receive a pretty brutal wall of sound with quite some hiss and white noise."
The hiss and noise are worth knowing about going in: germanium fuzz circuits of this era are characteristically raw, and combining the fuzz with a treble boost pushes that character further.
Rarity and collectability
The Universal-Fußpedal had a short production life, from 1968 to 1970, and surviving examples do not come up often. TONEHOME's bottom line on the pedal: "rare, cool, collectible and a wee bit versatile"1. For players interested in the related stand-alone unit, see the Schaller Fuzz (-Sustain) Pedal, and for the wider family of circuits it belongs to, see Fuzz Pedals, Tremolo Pedals, Boost Pedals and Volume Pedals.
This pedal is long out of production and examples are rare.
Videos
Soulman Vintage
Questions
What does Universal-Fußpedal mean?
Universal-Fußpedal is German for universal foot pedal. The name describes a single unit meant to cover several jobs at once: it houses a fuzz, a treble boost, a tremolo and a swell function in one enclosure, controlled by two treadles. Today the pedal is mostly referred to by players and collectors as the Double Pedal, a shorter name that stuck because the original descriptive name was so long.
What transistors does the Schaller Universal-Fußpedal use?
The fuzz circuit is built around ATES AC192 germanium transistors. Germanium was the standard transistor type for fuzz designs of the late 1960s, the period when Schaller produced this pedal in Germany, and it is the same fuzz circuit the company used in its stand-alone fuzz boxes of the era.
Is the Schaller Universal-Fußpedal the same fuzz as the Schaller fuzz boxes?
Yes. According to TONEHOME, the fuzz section does what players may know from the stand-alone Schaller fuzz boxes, meaning the circuit lineage is shared. Engaged together with the treble boost, the pedal is described as producing a pretty brutal wall of sound with quite some hiss and white noise.
How long was the Schaller Universal-Fußpedal made?
The pedal was made in Germany from 1968 to 1970, a short production run of roughly three years, which is one reason surviving examples are considered rare and collectible today.
Is the Schaller Double Pedal rare?
Yes. TONEHOME's summary of the pedal reads: rare, cool, collectible and a wee bit versatile. Its short production period from 1968 to 1970 and its unusual dual treadle format make it an uncommon find on the used market.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
