Scandinavia may not be the first corner of the globe that comes to mind when one ponders classic funk tones. But with their DiscumBOBulator V.2 the tone-tweakers at Denmark’s Emma Electronic have improved the circuitry of their acclaimed envelope filter. The result is the perfect tool for adding a blast of funk to your guitar or bass tone. The V.2 offers a clean booster for solos and punchy parts, as well as more headroom for active pickups (such as those on many basses). And the DiscumBOBulator V.2’s tracking is more precise than ever.

The box has four controls and footswitches for on/off and boost: Boost (provides a 0-10dB level booster); Width (controls the bandwidth and strength of the wah effect); Attack (adjusts the effect’s reaction to picking from slow to fast); and Sense (the threshold and shape of the effect sound). There’s also an Up/Down button in the middle of the box to change the direction of the filter.

With the V.2’s interface, a player can easily zero in on tones they like just by twiddling the knobs. Set all the way left, the Sense knob delivers a muted-trumpet tone that could be cool and useful on guitar or bass. Bring it up to trigger powerful filter sweeps that you can then sweeten with the other controls. The Attack knob will help you balance the right amount of effect for your picking style, while the Width control can help shape the flavor of the effect. Guitarists, of course, will like the DiscumBOBulator for funk rhythm or perhaps a dash of classic Jerry Garcia quack. Bassists will not only dig the funk envelope tones, but also that bit of fat synth bass. Overall, this pedal comes highly recommended.

Also check out the Big Joe Stompbox PB-107 Powerbox Lithium. Charge it from your computer via USB (or a regular wall adapter) and plug it into up to eight 9-volt stompboxes with the daisy-chain cable. Suddenly, you have a portable power source and a useful digital readout displaying how much charge is left. With a battery life of 10 to 20 hours, the Powerbox Lithium is absurdly easy to use and incredibly handy.

This article originally appeared in VG April 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.