Labour Of Lovetone

25 years after Lovetone’s first pedals launched, designer Dan Coggins explains how this tiny British brand’s effects ended up on U2 and Radiohead hits and acquired legendary status among tone heads...

- Rod Brakes

In a classic ‘brain meets brawn’ story that began in 1994 in the small English town of Henley-on-Thames, Lovetone has gained near mythical status as a milestone on the road of effects pedal evolution. Merging art and technology to a degree of originality accomplished by few, Lovetone’s intrepid arrival during the ‘birth of boutique’ in the mid-90s was welcomed with open arms and nurtured by a music culture that was ripe for sonic experimentation.

Lovetone pedals are coveted now more than ever for their inimitable (and often unpredictable) sounds – their virtues being extolled by sincere word of mouth among a cult following of guitarists, producers and engineers. Similarly, in the late 90s as the Lovetone buzz steadily gathered momentum with each new unveiling, the company grew organically and injected life into a relatively staid marketplace dominated by cautious, utilitarian pedal designs.

Lovetone’s statement was both well timed and striking. Unique, independent and with boundless possibilities, it embodied the spirit of innovation and artistic freedom. Together, Dan Coggins and Vlad Naslas pushed their own creative boundaries with sparks of ingenuity that captured the imaginations of music makers worldwide. In turn, an inspired online community of pedal fanatics began to emerge, as people opened their eyes, ears, minds and wallets to a dazzling new era of effects.

“Looking back, we were just doing effects in a slightly different way,” reminisces Dan, with more than a hint of self-effacement. “I suppose that’s what Lovetone could be credited with retrospectively. We knew we were on to something, but I couldn’t foresee that [the pedals] would become what they are now, or that the pedal market has gone the way it has.