Diamond Tremolo

From 1960s Tremolo to a "Modern Pedalboard" Version

Tremolo is one of the foundational effects in electric guitar history: it appeared in many amps in the 1960s, with amplitude modulation that immediately adds depth to a clean tone, bounce to a crunch, and a "living" feel to a rhythm part. With the Diamond Pedals Tremolo, the idea is not to copy a single historic circuit but to capture the spirit of amp-style optical tremolo and enhance it with a 21st-century approach: advanced rhythmic control, tap tempo, subdivisions, and a second more aggressive circuit.

This pedal also fits into Diamond's history: founded in Canada in 2003, the brand became known for iconic references (compressor, Memory Lane). After closing in 2020, the brand was relaunched following acquisition by SolidGoldFX in 2021, with a new range that respects Diamond's fundamentals while adding features designed for today's musicians.

For Whom, Which Styles, and In What Contexts?

The Diamond Tremolo targets guitarists (and bassists) seeking a musical tremolo to enrich their sound, but also a rhythmic tool that can become a real "engine" for their playing. In blues and rock, the "brownface"/vintage amp sway in sine waveform is easily found, ideal on a slightly compressed clean tone. In indie, pop, or surf, rhythmic patterns and accents help build hypnotic grooves. And if you play ambient or post-rock atmospheres, the tremolo becomes a very expressive volume modulation, superb before a wide reverb or delay.

On stage, the tap tempo and Doubler function facilitate instant changes without bending down to the pedal. In the studio, the Rhythm selector and waveforms provide access to textures ranging from subtle movement to perfectly locked "machine" effects. It's also an excellent pedal for compact pedalboards thanks to its size and top-mounted jacks.

Controls, Modes, and Advanced Features: A Pedal Simple to Use, Rich to Explore

The Diamond Tremolo remains very intuitive thanks to its main controls: Vol (output level), Spd (speed), Dpt (depth), and Rhy (11 rhythmic position selection). The Tap / Mode switch navigates between tempo-related settings (tap and subdivisions) and Rhythm operating modes (accents, patterns, and Dicer), following the pedal's logic.

The "amp" core offers 3 waveforms: sine (smooth and steady), shark fin (more asymmetrical, with a pushing feel), and square (chopped and punchy). Additionally, Diamond adds a second FET Chopper circuit for sharp, modern cuts, with a very "kill" approach to the signal. Among the player-oriented features are a tap tempo footswitch, subdivisions, an Insta-Chop mode (to instantly trigger chopping), and the Doubler function that allows doubling the tempo on the fly (momentary or on/off depending on the chosen advanced mode).

Finally, the pedal includes advanced modes such as Geezer (for a more classic usage approach) and a momentary/latching setting to adapt secondary function behavior to your playing style. All this is managed with modern control while maintaining a carefully crafted analog audio path.

Sound

Its playground is primarily a natural-character optical tremolo: a round, "organic" modulation that respects attack and retains an amp-like feel, particularly convincing in sine waveform. The shark fin wave adds more rhythmic relief, like a wave that "pushes" the groove, while the square wave delivers immediate chopping, very effective for staccato parts, tense intros, or choruses that need to snap.

When switching to the FET Chopper, the pedal changes character: you get a more incisive tremolo with harder cuts, ideal for modern textures, "gating" effects, and rhythmic breaks. The Dicer mode further reinforces this logic by enabling momentary kill switch-style use, perfect for punctuating a measure, creating call/response, or imitating tape cuts.

In terms of musicality, the Diamond Tremolo is especially pleasant for its play responsiveness: by adjusting Depth and Volume, you can keep your dynamics intact or, conversely, transform your part into a strongly pulsed pattern. Artist-wise, the Diamond Tremolo has notably been spotted on Angel Parra's (Los Tres) pedalboard, illustrating its "expressive tremolo" as much as its rhythmic side.

Technical specifications

Effects	Tremolo	Type	sector
Technology	Analog & Digital	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Green

3 waveforms	sine, shark fin, square	Output	6.35mm Jack
11 "Rhythm" positions	accents, patterns, Dicer mode	Input impedance	greater than 1 megaohm
Potentiometers	Volume (Vol), Speed (Spd), Rhythm (Rhy), Depth (Dpt)	Output impedance	less than 10 kiloohms
Switch	Tap / Mode	Dimensions	122 x 66.98 x 39.64 mm
Footswitches	bypass / Chop, tap / Doubler	Weight	305 g
Switching	relay true bypass	Required power supply	9 V DC, center negative, 2.1 mm connector
Input	6.35mm Jack	Consumption	21 mA