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Gibson expands its Maestro pedal range to double digits with five new analogue offerings

- Trevor Curwen

MAESTRO PEDALS FROM £155
CONTACT Gibson WEB www.maestroelectronics.com

We were happy to see Gibson revive its Maestro brand last year and now that initial release has been expanded upon with another five all-analogue pedals. With the same practical pedalboard-friendly chassis and control layout as the previous five, we now get the Agena Envelope Filter, Arcas Compressor Sustainer, Mariner Tremolo, Orbit Phaser, and Titan Boost.

Agena Envelope Filter 

It may not be the most common of effect types, but we’re sure there are still plenty of players who want to make use of an envelope filter and its tightly regimented automatic wah capabilities and quacky vocalisation. The Agena delivers its effect in direct response to your playing dynamics, reacting to your softest touches at the maximum clockwise position of the Sense knob. As you roll it back you’ll have to pick or strum the strings increasingly harder to trigger the envelope. Between the extremes there’s plenty of scope to find a position that offers the best feel for the way you want to play. Two distinct filter frequency options, Hi and Lo, offer basically the same effect, but the filter’s frequency range is different for each. Hi mode is brighter and cutting, while Lo has a deeper bark – and it’s all set up by Attack and Decay knobs, which determine the shape of the envelope, the vocal character and the duration of the effect that you’re going to get. Funky fun.