Cheap Tricks

The UK-based Vintage brand enters the pedal market with a baker's dozen of budget-friendly models

- Words Trevor Curwen Photography Matt Lincoln

What You Need To Know

Vintage? I thought they just made guitars...

Well, yes, that's what the company is known for - but it also has a range of amps and accessories and has now entered the pedal market with a batch of 13 stompboxes.

So, why 13?

Good question... It could have been a 15-strong collection if Vintage had added a compressor and phaser, but as it stands there's a full complement of other pedalboard staples, plus three amp-in-a-box pedals.

Will these run off batteries?

No, they all run from a standard nine-volt adaptor, which is not included. However, you can pick up the nicely compact VPS09 power supply (£39), which offers four nine-volt 500mA outputs, plus a USB-C output.

Leeds-based musical instrument distributor John Hornby Skewes & Company created the Vintage brand back in 1993 as a source of decent-quality but affordable guitars. Now we have the brand’s first foray into effects pedals with the “13 voices of Vintage”, which also has a power supply available to buy separately.

There’s a broad selection on offer here. Three of the pedals are in the amp-in-a-box genre - the Commander offering Marshall flavour, the American Pie doing the Fender thing, and the Maytone channelling Vox AC-30 tones. These three are six-knob pedals with three-band EQ and control over voicing as well as Level and Drive.