The TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger is a compact flanger pedal from TC Electronic, built around an all-analog Bucket-Brigade Device (BBD) circuit. TC Electronic says it was "designed by guitarists around an all-analog, Bucket-Brigade Device (BBD)" and that its classic all-analog design provides warm, three-dimensional tones1. It is part of TC Electronic's affordable pedal family, released after the Danish company was acquired by Behringer2.
A bucket-brigade device is the analog chip at the heart of vintage flangers and choruses: it passes your signal along a chain of capacitors a step at a time, creating the short modulated delay that produces the flanging sweep. TC Electronic says the Thunderstorm "perfectly captures the classic analog flanger tones of yesteryear from subtle, tape-like sweeps and lush chorusing, to a no-holds barred flanger frenzy"1.
The controls
The Thunderstorm keeps it simple with four knobs, one per core flanger parameter. Gearnews describes the set as "controls for rate, depth, feedback, and mix (manual) to dial in the flanger sound you're after"3.
| Knob | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rate | Controls the modulation speed1 |
| Depth | Controls the effect intensity1 |
| Feedback | Sets the type and amount of resonance1 |
| Manual | Controls the effect center delay time1 |
Rate sets how fast the sweep moves, Depth how deep it cuts, Feedback how much the effect regenerates on itself for that jet-like resonance, and Manual where the sweep is centered. A single footswitch handles on/off, and the pedal uses true bypass so your dry signal passes through untouched when it is disengaged4.
Power and bypass
The Thunderstorm runs on a 9V battery or TC Electronic's POWERPLUG 9V adapter1. Bass Musician Magazine's review likewise notes it "can be powered by a 9-volt battery or adapter"4. The pedal sits in a sturdy metal chassis with dedicated Input and Output jacks and True Bypass switching1.
TC Electronic names its own POWERPLUG 9V adapter as the power supply. Any standard 9V DC center-negative supply meeting the pedal's requirements will work; the maker's page does not list a current draw figure.
What reviewers said
Reviews were positive. In June 2017, Ty Campbell of Bass Musician Magazine wrote24:
"The Thunderstorm Flanger is well suited for both bass and guitar, especially while producing some classic Hendrix tones."4
That makes it a candidate for bass players too, not just guitarists, though it is a standard guitar-format pedal rather than a bass-specific design4.
Delicious Audio's writeup collected outside verdicts, reporting that Best Guitar Effects gave it 5 stars out of 5, and that the YouTube channel EytschPi42 was "favorably impressed"2. Gearnews included it in its 2025 roundup of flanger pedals at its $36.00 price point3.
Where it sits among other flangers
The Thunderstorm's place in the wider flanger field comes down to its circuit: it is built around an all-analog Bucket-Brigade Device (BBD) design, which TC Electronic describes as capturing "the classic analog flanger tones of yesteryear from subtle, tape-like sweeps and lush chorusing, to a no-holds barred flanger frenzy!"1. That analog BBD approach is the main thing separating it from digital flangers with presets and stereo outputs, and from other compact analog options like the Mooer E-Lady, the Joyo Raptor Flanger and the Behringer PEDAL FLANGER. Within TC Electronic's own line, the company's bigger flanger offering is the TC Electronic Vortex, with a Vortex Mini in the same compact family.
Videos
TC Electronic
EytschPi42
60 Cycle Hum
Questions
Is the TC Electronic Thunderstorm true bypass?
Yes. TC Electronic lists the Thunderstorm Flanger with a sturdy metal chassis and True Bypass, so the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off. Bass Musician Magazine's review also notes the true bypass alongside a single footswitch for on/off.
Does the Thunderstorm Flanger take a battery?
Yes. TC Electronic says you can power it with a 9V battery or with the company's POWERPLUG 9V adapter, so it works on a pedalboard or standalone. Bass Musician Magazine likewise describes it as powered by a 9-volt battery or adapter.
Does the Thunderstorm Flanger work on bass?
Yes. In a 2017 Bass Musician Magazine review, Ty Campbell found the Thunderstorm Flanger well suited for both bass and guitar, especially for producing classic Hendrix-style tones. It is a standard guitar-format pedal rather than a bass-specific design.
How much does the Thunderstorm Flanger cost?
Gearnews listed the Thunderstorm Flanger at $36.00 USD in October 2025, with prices of £33.00 and 38.00€ elsewhere. It belongs to TC Electronic's affordable pedal family, which launched after the company was acquired by Behringer.
Sources (4)
- THUNDERSTORM FLANGER, TC Electronic
- TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger (Reviews), Delicious Audio, 2017-05-22
- The 7 Best Flanger Pedals: From Gilmour to Van Halen, gearnews.com, 2025-10-06
- Review - TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger - Bass Musician Magazine, The Face of Bass, Bass Musician Magazine, 2017-06-19
