TL; DRTremolo is a guitar effect that cuts volume in and out. A tremolo effect pedal offers players control over their guitar signal rhythmically, allowing for fast or slow volume cuts with heavy or soft dips in volume. Tremolo effects originate from vintage tube guitar amplifiers.
Long Answer:
Tremolo is a classic guitar effect. Throwing it back to some of the earliest electric guitar amplifiers, tremolo was commonly found on tube amplifiers like the Fender Deluxe Reverb and Fender Princeton Reverb. A tremolo effect was usually kept on a separate input, normally labeled as "Vibrato" (which is a completely different effect!). Speed and Intensity dials would control the tremolo effect's rate and depth.
Tremolo effects center around shaping a guitar signal's volume. The most common type of tremolo effects are based on rhythmic volume cuts with control over volume cut depth and volume cut speed. Things have gotten more adventurous for tremolo since its days on vintage tube amps with more modern tremolo guitar pedals introducing controls over the shape of its volume cuts, its input sensitivity for more on-the-fly interaction, and even more for things like speed, depth, and shape randomization.
You can find tremolo all over rock guitar history. For one, the iconic guitar sound from The Smiths' "How Soon is Now" is tremolo. For another, "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones? Tremolo. For one more, the opening guitar sound on Green Day's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is tremolo! These kind of sounds are actually really easy to replicate with a tremolo pedal like the Boss TR-2, Ibanez Mini Tremolo, or Surfy Industries SurfyTrem!
For a few tremolo pedals to try for yourself, check out these trusted names and brands:
