The Shin-ei Companion PM-14 Amplifier Psychedelic Machine is a Japanese effects unit from 1969 that puts two effects in one box: a modulation effect of the type that later became the Univibe, and a fuzz. TONEHOME describes it as "basically an (early) version of what eventually became the legendary Univibe teamed up with another legend: the Un[ivox Super Fuzz]"1. It belongs to the same family of Shin-ei designs as the Shin-ei Companion Super Fuzz and the Shin-Ei Companion WF-8 Fuzz Wah, and sits in the broader world of fuzz pedals.
What it does
The PM-14 combines two circuits that Shin-ei is known for:
- Modulation: an early take on what became the Univibe, the pulsing, phase-shifting effect associated with late-sixties psych guitar1
- Fuzz: a circuit sharing its lineage with the Univox Super Fuzz, the octave-heavy fuzz design Shin-ei developed1
In practice, that means a player could get swirling modulation and saturated fuzz from a single unit rather than chaining two separate pedals1.
The housing
The unit is deliberately large. TONEHOME notes that both effects "could be housed easily in a box of less than half the size," but that because the PM-14 was marketed as a "machine" rather than just a pedal, it was given an oversized housing, larger than a typical pedal box1. That bulk is part of its look, and it makes the unit stand out on a board or shelf in a way a standard stompbox does not.
| Aspect | PM-14 |
|---|---|
| Effects | Univibe-type modulation plus fuzz1 |
| Housing | Oversized, marketed as a "machine"1 |
| Year | 19691 |
| Origin | Japan1 |
Finding one today
The PM-14 is rare. TONEHOME's author, a collector, wrote:
"It took me more than ten years to track down a decent unit at an affordable price (i.e. less than $2,500)"
That figure, from 2026, gives a sense of the secondhand market: even a working, decent-condition example runs into four figures, and the hunt can take years.
The PM-14 is a 1969 unit, long out of production. Anyone chasing one is shopping the vintage and collector market, not a current retail channel, and prices vary with condition.
If the PM-14 itself is out of reach, Shin-ei's fuzz lineage lives on in current and recent products, including the Shin-ei Astron FY-6 Super Fuzz and the Shin-ei FY-6 Super Fuzz, and in boutique takes on the Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz.
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Questions
What is the Shin-ei Companion PM-14 Amplifier Psychedelic Machine?
It is a 1969 effects unit made in Japan by Shin-ei that combines two effects in one oversized housing: an early version of the modulation circuit that later became the Univibe, together with a fuzz based on the circuit of the Univox Super Fuzz. It is a rare collector's piece, and even a decent example has been described as costing less than $2,500.
How is the PM-14 related to the Univibe and the Super Fuzz?
TONEHOME describes the PM-14 as basically an early version of what eventually became the Univibe, teamed with the Univox Super Fuzz. The two effects could, in TONEHOME's words, have been housed in a box of less than half the size, but the PM-14 was marketed as a machine and given a larger housing.
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
