A Legend Is Born - The DigiTech® Whammy®

In late 1990 guitar effects as they were known changed with the onset of the DigiTech Whammy®. Originally designed to replace the guitar's whammy bar, the little red pedal added new dimensions of pitch shifting to the guitarist's palette. For the first time, guitarist could bend notes up and down with the Whammy's expression pedal. The Whammy also added pristine detune and harmony functions that would change guitar solos as we would know it.

It quickly became clear that the Whammy wasn't a replacement for a whammy bar, but was a new effect, destined for greatness. Guitar greats like The Edge, Dimebag Darrell, Steve Vai, and Tom Morello started using the Whammy to its fullest potential and adding new tones to their songs. In particular, Tom Morello's solo in Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name Of" was paramount in the Whammy's success with its unique tone and action-packed bends. The solo was written for and because of the DigiTech Whammy.

Today the original Whammy 1 is one of the most sought after pedals. The Whammy 1 is still used by guitarists such as Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine & Audioslave, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, The Edge of U2, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White of The White Stripes and The Raconteurs, and finally James Iha and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins.

The Whammy 4 is currently used by notable artists such as Jack White of The White Stripes, Matthew Bellamy of Muse, John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead, Matthew Followill of Kings Of Leon, Dean Fertita of The Dead Weather and Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Baksh of Sum 41, Troy van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age, Brendon Small of Dethklok, Aaron Fink of Breaking Benjamin, and Buckethead. Switching system designer and pedalboard extraordinaire, Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Designs says that "the Whammy is the first pedal that he places on any pedalboard" when asked about the Whammy.

2010, the Whammy Turns 20

After appearing on multiple award winning albums and an endless stream of chart-topping hits, the Whammy is 20 years old. To celebrate, DigiTech has released a limited edition, chrome plated, 20th Anniversary Whammy 4 that is hand-numbered, and hand-signed. With only 2,000 pieces in existence, the 20th Anniversary Whammy is an instant collector's item and will add prestige to any pedalboard. Join the celebration with a Whammy today.