Whammy 5 : Updated Classic

Having been a Digitech Whammy IV user for years, I wasn't sure whether I could justify replacing that with the five, but I'm very glad I did. The upgrades on this latest version are subtle, but definite improvements.

The first thing to note is that the footprint is considerably smaller than that of the four, and more of a nod to the first generation, which was satisfyingly compact. The aesthetic in general is far closer, with th return of the rubber surround and large logo on the expression pedal.

There is also the addition of a new switching mode that effects the tracking of the whammy, especially on chords. Traditionally, the whammy would break up and distort on chords, but when set to the new "chord mode", the tracking is immaculate. Pleasingly, you can still elect to keep the 8-bit craziness of previous Whammys with the "classic mode".

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for me, the Whammy 5 is the first in the series that is easy to power on pedal boards / with daisy chains. Whilst it still has a relatively high ma draw, you no longer NEED a designated individual PSU for it (though one is included). This version is now compatible with GigRig and other popular industry standard means of power. Previous incarnations were noisy affairs, this is also a thing of the past.

In short, a worthwhile upgrade to one of the most iconic and creative pedals of all time.