The Vongon Ultrasheer is a stereo reverb and vibrato combination in one pedal, inspired by the early digital studio effects units of the late 1970s1. Vongon describes it as "capable of moving you from a lush warbled space to a shallow room through an intuitive and satisfyingly tactile interface"1. The reverb side is a plate algorithm based on the classic Lexicon 224 from 1978, and the vibrato side is a digital pitch shifter that preserves the full bandwidth of the input signal2.
The pedal is currently listed as sold out, with Vongon stating that it ships in November 2026 and that all orders ship from the USA1. It is available in limited quantities directly from Vongon and through select dealers3.
What it does to your sound
The Ultrasheer runs two effects in one box: a plate-style reverb and a pitch vibrato, both in stereo. The reverb algorithm is based on the plate reverb sounds of the classic Lexicon 224 from 1978, a rack unit that defined the studio plate sound of its era5. Delicious Audio notes that the digital processing for the reverb is downsampled to 16 bits and follows the topology described in the Dattorro paper, a widely referenced design for digital plate reverb5. The rest of the pedal's DSP runs at 32 bit floating point, with 24 bit / 48 kHz converters4.
The vibrato is a smooth and transparent digital pitch shifter that preserves the full bandwidth of the input signal5. Vongon describes it as ranging "from Leslie-style movement to the pitch warble of a sun-baked cassette"2. Two modulation waveforms are available5:
| Vibrato mode | Waveform | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle | Sine wave | Classic Leslie-speaker-style vibrato2 |
| Random | Smoothed random | Warped vinyl and tape-style pitch warbles2 |
The vibrato is edited through two knobs, Rate and Depth5.
Controls and features
On the reverb side, the decay control ranges from 0.25 to 30 seconds, covering everything from a shallow room to long ambient tails2. A brightness control sits in the reverb feedback path for dark-to-bright tonal shaping2. A reverb trails mode lets the reverb decay naturally after bypass rather than cutting off2.
The pedal also offers a selectable effect order: vibrato into reverb, or reverb into vibrato2. This is the kind of routing choice that normally requires two separate pedals and a way to reorder them, and here it is a switch. Vibrato into reverb puts the pitch movement inside the reverb tail; reverb into vibrato modulates the whole reverberated signal.
Other details from the maker and press:
- Soft-touch foot switches1
- Buffered bypass1
- Input impedance: 50kΩ1
- Output impedance: <1kΩ1
- 32 bit floating point DSP, except for the 16 bit vintage reverb algorithm4
Build and where it is made
The Ultrasheer is designed and built in Oakland, California, USA5. It is housed in a single block of walnut that is CNC routed, hand sanded and polished2, with a matte black aluminum faceplate with gold traces4. Delicious Audio characterizes Vongon as a maker that "hand-builds elegant-looking guitar pedals with a creative angle"5.
Power and connections
The Ultrasheer runs on a standard 9-volt, center-negative power supply2 with a 2.1mm connector5. Vongon lists the current draw as 200mA1; Delicious Audio lists 180mA5, so the two sources disagree slightly. Either figure is well beyond what a typical battery or a low-current daisy chain output supplies, so plan on a dedicated 9V output from a pedalboard power supply.
At 200mA (Vongon's figure) or 180mA (Delicious Audio's), the Ultrasheer draws more current than many analog pedals. Check that your power supply can deliver it on a single output before building it into a board.
Connections are ¼" mono jacks1, and the pedal runs its reverb and vibrato in stereo1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar reported the Ultrasheer's availability in limited quantities and a street price of $449 at the time3. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in February 2022, detailing its Lexicon 224-inspired reverb, digital vibrato, specifications and walnut enclosure4. Delicious Audio added it to its lists of Best Stereo Reverb Pedals and Best Reverb Pedals with Modulation5.
Videos
Demos In The Dark
Mark Johnston
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Can you change the effect order on the Ultrasheer?
Yes. The Ultrasheer has a selectable effect order: vibrato into reverb, or reverb into vibrato. Running vibrato first puts the warble inside the reverb tail, while reverb first keeps the tail steady and modulates the whole wet signal after it.
Does the Vongon Ultrasheer have reverb trails?
Yes. It has a reverb trails mode that lets the reverb decay naturally after you bypass the pedal, instead of cutting the tail off abruptly. The decay control ranges from 0.25 to 30 seconds, so trails can be short or extremely long.
Is the Vongon Ultrasheer true bypass?
No. The Ultrasheer uses buffered bypass, not true bypass. A buffer keeps the signal at a consistent level through long cable runs, though players who prefer a fully passive signal path when the pedal is off may want to account for it.
Where is the Vongon Ultrasheer made?
It is designed and built in Oakland, California, USA. The enclosure is a single block of walnut that is CNC routed, then hand sanded and polished, with a matte black aluminum faceplate carrying gold traces.
How long can the Ultrasheer's reverb decay?
The reverb decay control runs from 0.25 seconds at the shortest setting to 30 seconds at the longest. That range covers everything from a shallow room feel to long, ambient tails that keep ringing after you stop playing.
Sources (5)
- VONGON ULTRASHEER, VONGON
- VONGON ULTRASHEER, VONGON
- Vongon Introduces the Ultrasheer, Premier Guitar, 2021-10-29
- Vongon Ultrasheer Stereo Pitch Vibrato & Reverb, Pedal of the Day, 2022-02-07
- Vongon Ultrasheer Stereo Reverb + Vibrato, Delicious Audio, 2025-01-01