Hammond USA’s Leslie G is a pedal that digitally emulates the rotary Leslie Speaker sound in a guitar friendly package.
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This is a follow up to the bigger Leslie pedal, carrying over many of its features and packing them all into a smaller footprint pedal that better fits into pedalboards.
First built in 1941, Leslie Speakers are actually mechanically rotating loud speakers that would allow amplified organs to emulate the sound of pipe/theater organs.
Although it was not successful in taking the place of traditional organs, but it resulted in a distinct and smooth sound that went on to become an essential tool for organists. Obviously, it didn’t take long for guitarists to find the effect to be equally useful for their instrument.
The Leslie G pedal continues the success story of the Leslie Speaker, albeit in digital format. It is based on the same circuitry used on Hammon’s “Sk” Stage Keyboards, only miniaturized to become more accessible and to better fit into existing guitar pedalboards.
There are three types of rotary speaker voicings available within the pedal, you can choose between classic hot-rodded cabinet styles that include Models 122, 147 and the 18v. These models are based on the original Leslie vibratone single rotary speaker, and allows for sonic variety, essentially giving players three virtual Leslie Speakers to choose from.
As expected, the pedal has a rotary pot that will allow for real-time adjustments of the ramp or “rise and fall” of the virtual upper and lower rotors. The company says that the pedal also digitally emulates the distance from the virtually mic for each cabinet model along with the mix of the upper and lower levels. Organic overdrive is also emulated to better replicate the sound of actual Leslie Speakers.
To make the Leslie “G” Pedal more guitar friendly, the company equipped the pedal with “Dry” and “Wet” controls. The Wet knob lets you adjust the volume of the effected sound while the Dry knob adjusts the volume of the bypassed unaffected signal. The two knobs will let you blend and mix the two to your taste, letting you create a wide variety of rotary style effects from subtle to moderate, and even if you want to go all out tremolo.
There is also a Red Line knob that lets you make precise adjustments to the overall “fast” speed if the virtual rotation of the speakers. Finally, Hammond gave the pedal the ability to store a preset, so you can easily recall settings that you’ve liked via the cabinet selector.
Finally, there are two stomp switches provided, one for toggling the effect on/off, and another for quickly switching between slow and fast rotary speed. The company utilized modern True Bypass switching so that the pedal will have minimal effect to your tone when not engaged. The Leslie G pedal comes in a rigid housing that also includes a ¼” TRS jack that accepts mono or stereo signal with left and right stereo output jacks.
The Hammond Leslie G pedal is currently retailing online for $329, and it was among the more notable pedals that were on display at the 2015 NAMM Show. You can head over to Hammond Organ Co. for further details.
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