The Valco Five-O is a multi 3-in-1 pedal, containing independent Drive, Tremolo, and Reverb sections, all housed in a bombproof enclosure. Conceived originally for giving “surf in a box” tones (Dick Dale/Ventures), it has become more than this through the development process…it’s a pedal that can easily give you a one-pedal setup at a gig or session (maybe add a tuner…), or it can add a whole host of extra sounds and versatility to your existing rig/pedalboard.
The three main sections of the Five-O consist of these wonderful effects:
DRIVE – ‘Brown Sound’ in it’s voicing/tonality, it’s a natural sounding/amp-like overdrive circuit. Based on the Drive section from the Valco BloodBuzz, but with increased gain. The tone control has an EQ roll-off- neutral at 12 o’clock, adding high end rolls off bass frequencies enabling ‘biting’ rhythm and lead sounds. Volume, Tone and Drive give you a wide range of tones to choose from.
TREMOLO – Analog 4-wave tremolo, based on the original Fulltone SupaTrem circuit. The ‘SHORT SQUARE’ wave allows for sharp/staccato sounds while the ‘SINE’ wave offers mellow/gentle sounds, with everything in between available. ‘TRIANGLE’ and ‘SQUARE’ round out the 4 available waveforms, with Rate and Depth controls present as well.
REVERB – ‘Spring’ voiced at its core but with added ‘Plate’ reverb; usable at all knob position extremes, its secret weapon is the ‘PRE’ function, which allows you to route the Reverb section to the front of the FX chain (REV-DRIVE-TREM), opening up another world of sonic capabilities: adding Tremolo to long Reverb tails, or feeding Reverb into Drive to bolster lead sounds, or just allowing you to get experimental and let the pedal make music! Size sets the decay time, Tone adjusts the reverb effect’s EQ and Blend allows you to perfectly meld your wet/dry signals in harmony.
Like the rest of the Valco FX lineup, the Five-O is BIG, but brings incredible looks and remarkable tones along with it. And as far as the build is concerned, all active components are surface mounted, PCBs and ribbon are cables used throughout, with no unreliable point‐to point wiring. Lead and cadmium free construction (RoHS), too. Surf-In-A-Box indeed – the Valco FX Five-O Drive Tremolo Reverb can easily give you a one-pedal setup at a gig or session, or add a whole host of extra sounds and versatility to your existing rig/pedalboard. Cheers once again to Valco FX and Eastwood Guitars on yet another exciting and innovative effect, keeping with the slick look and style we now know and love. Be sure to check out more Valco FX here, and to hear this beast in action, make sure to watch our demo video below!
GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
