Shin-Ei Vibe-Bro

The Shin-Ei Vibe-Bro is a chorus/vibrato pedal that re-creates the circuit of the original Shin-ei/Univox Uni-Vibe, the phase-shifting effect Shin-Ei introduced in Japan in the 1960s. Announced on May 19, 2016, it was the company's first new product in forty years, hand-built in Austin, Texas from a mix of carefully selected new and old components, including NOS (new old stock) parts¹². Like the Uni-Vibe it is based on, it offers both chorus and vibrato modes, and it runs on mains power rather than a battery³⁴.

The maker describes the design goal as recreating the past as closely as possible while adding some modern design techniques, and the launch release promised "the deep, luscious warmth and trademark pulsating bottom end found only in our vintage Honey and Shin-ei Uni-Vibe units"³¹.

A recreated Uni-Vibe: chorus and vibrato

The Vibe-Bro is an updated version of the classic Uni-Vibe machine, the effect Shin-ei introduced in the 1960s as a Leslie speaker emulator⁴⁶. The original featured a chorus/vibrato switch on the front and produced its effect through four-stage phasing with photo resistors⁷. The Vibe-Bro keeps both of the selectable modes found on the original: chorus, the watery, rotating-speaker-like sweep the Uni-Vibe is known for, and vibrato, a pitch-wobbling version of the same modulation.

The two modes are selected via a rare and original NOS Red/White Miyama switch, one of the old-stock parts the builders sourced for the reissue⁴. Gearnews described the resulting sound as "instantly recognisable for its deep low and organic sounding modulation effect. It is very 'Hendrix'-sounding"².

The pedal is hand-built using a mix of carefully selected new and old components, and Delicious Audio's buying guide notes it was designed to recreate the vintage unit's exact sound and behavior, with a few modern improvements⁸. It is slightly smaller than the original version and solidly built, with what the launch release called pedalboard friendly and heavy-duty construction¹⁸. Finishes at launch were Vintage Black and Machine Gun Gray¹²; the maker's current page also lists a Stainless Steel 10th Anniversary Edition³.

The controls

Each mode is assisted by three controls, mirroring the layout of the original Uni-Vibe⁴:

For foot control of the speed, Shin-Ei reissued the optional vintage styled foot switch used to control the speed of the effect². It was available in two models, a Vibe-Bro version or a vintage Shin-Ei "Honey Series" version, priced from $199 at launch²⁴. The speed input uses a 6-pin DIN connector, so only the Shin-Ei expression pedal works with it, not a standard expression pedal⁸. This follows the original design: the Uni-Vibe originally came with an external expression pedal.

The Vibe-Bro also offers two ways to take the effect out of your signal: innovative true bypass, which removes it from the chain entirely, and vintage-style preamp signal-path switching, which leaves the preamp in line¹. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found that "both modes sound great here, and produce the unmistakeable deep, luscious warmth and pulsating bottom end that the Uni-Vibes have been known for"⁴.

Power: built for one mains voltage

Unlike most modern pedals, the Vibe-Bro runs on mains power rather than a battery. The U.S. version runs on 120 Volts, the standard current in North America, and a removable IEC wall cable is provided with each unit manufactured for use in North America⁴.

From the Uni-Vibe to the Vibe-Bro

The Uni-Vibe was introduced in the 1960s by Shin-ei, a Japanese effects maker, as a Leslie speaker emulator⁶. On That Pedal Show, the presenters noted that "it was originally introduced by Shin-ei in the 1960s"⁹. The original units were built in Japan; the Vibe-Bro reissues are made in Austin, Texas².

The Vibe-Bro was created by a team of respected "old school" industry professionals³, and Shin-Ei says everything about it is based on the original units from the 60s and 70s². Announced in Austin on May 19, 2016, it was Shin-ei's first offering in forty years, sold directly to consumers rather than through dealers¹². Gearnews noted at the time that "the new Vibe-Bros look very close to the original units from yesteryear, so hopefully they will sound as good too"², and reported that it was already being used by big names like Eric Johnson, who is from Austin himself².

A smaller version of the Vibe-Bro later launched, sharing most of the NOS components of its big brother, including true bypass, and described as a lot more affordable⁸.

In 2021, Shin-Ei announced it was shutting down pedal production, ceasing production of both the Uni-Vibe and Vibe-Bro⁵. One of the very last pedals the company produced was a special custom Vibe-Bro made for Joe Bonamassa, with a picture of him on the cover⁵¹⁰. The maker's current listing for the Vibe-Bro 120V U.S. Only Version is $1,295.00³.

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