The electric guitar was still in its infancy when guitarists and electrical engineers sought new ways to make the instrument sound different than an acoustic guitar ever could.
Only a few years after the first guitar amps emerged, foot pedals appeared that allowed players to manually adjust volume and tone settings while performing.
However, the very first outboard device that provided a truly new sound effect was the DeArmond Model 60 Tremolo Control unit and its big brother, the Model 800 Trem-Trol volume/tremolo pedal, which DeArmond introduced during the late ’40s.
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DeArmond actually planned on introducing the Tremolo Control as far back as 1941 as an effect device for electric organs and early electric pianos, but parts and materials shortages during World War II delayed its debut.
Even though tremolo became a built-in feature of many combo amps (usually on models designed for accordion players) shortly after these DeArmond effects came out, the Model 60 and Model 800 both enjoyed a pretty long and successful lifespan until the late ’50s, mainly thanks to guitarists who were more enthusiastic about the device than keyboard or accordion players.
During the early ’60s, DeArmond replaced the Model 60 with the 60B, which was enclosed in a less-costly plastic housing and featured push-button on/off switches for selecting the straight instrument signal or the tremolo effect.
The most fascinating element of the DeArmond unit’s design is that the tremolo effect (volume/amplitude modulation) is created purely by electro-mechanical means instead of an electrical circuit.
The interior components are a steampunk wonderland of spindles, rubber flywheels, a motor, pendulum arm and a small canister filled with conductive electrolytic liquid (Windex is an ideal substitute for replacing the original fluid that has evaporated).
The motor shakes the canister back and forth causing the amount of signal reaching the output to fluctuate, creating a very organic-sounding tremolo effect. The flywheel and gears allow users to adjust the effect’s speed via the Rate/Speed control, and a separate control potentiometer adjusts the effect’s depth/intensity.
The shark-shaped Model 800, which is longer and bulkier than an average wah pedal, is probably the most “pedalboard friendly” model of the three variations, although the only way to bypass the tremolo effect is via a slider switch on the side. Modern players who want a stompbox-style means of experiencing the vintage mojo of the Model 60 or 60B can incorporate these units in their rigs via a loop switcher.
Only a handful of classic recordings featuring the DeArmond Tremolo can be verified, but they are quite influential. The first known instance is Muddy Waters 1953 Chess recording of Flood.
Later, during the mid-to-late-’50s, Bo Diddley and Duane Eddy used their DeArmond Tremolo effects frequently, including on the hit singles Bo Diddley and Rebel Rouser, respectively. A gray 60B unit made a notable appearance during the late ’60s on stage with Canned Heat at the Woodstock Festival (Rollin’ Blues and On the Road Again).
Although the DeArmond Tremolo became forgotten by the ’70s after it was discontinued, players like Ry Cooder and Billy Gibbons revived its cult status during the ’80s and ’90s, respectively.
Gibbons has used his DeArmond Tremolo effects frequently on ZZ Top albums starting with Rhythmeen in 1996, and he often plays through two at once for a psychedelic, unsynchronized stereo tremolo effect on stage.
