BLOW-OUT SALES (regular log pot version - sold 'as-is' - see notice below)

Reuss Silver Balloon

A wah like no other, based on the vintage 1970s DeArmond Thunderbolt

The Reuss Silver Balloon offers a completely different flavour of wah, using a unique type of circuit - which is not really a wah at all!

The original DeArmond Thunderbolt is a rare and expensive collector's item. The schematic is nowhere to be found, and back in 2014, to create the Reuss Silver Balloon, I teamed up with a Danish electronics engineer to make a complete tracing and reverse engineering of a vintage original pedal from 1979.

Electronically, it's an accurate clone of the original circuit. My goal was recreating it. Not improving or 'updating' this legendary piece of gear - except, I must admit, I wired it for true bypass switching and gave it a pair of indicator LEDs. The only real difference between the Silver Balloon and the Thunderbolt is the shape and size of the enclosure. The old DeArmond Thunderbolt was a huge monster of a pedal, and I put the circuit in a standard 'Cry Baby'-type wah enclosure. It gives a bit of a different feel from the original, but most importantly, the sound is there. And it really is something else. A synthy, sweet and juicy sounding wah tone with a smooth high-end and a wonderful low-end growl, which is nothing like a normal wah sound.

Like the Thunderbolt, the Silver Balloon features a switchable 'distortion mode', which adds a subtle distortion to the sound. The trade-off is a slightly reduced output level in 'distortion mode'.

The pedals features a high quality, custom made 'Reuss' labeled wah potentiometer, supplied by wah pedal guru Joe Gagan. Unfortunately, the electronics engineer who traced the vintage Thunderbolt wrote "Logarithmic taper" at the schematic, but in fact, it used a linear taper potentiometer. We found out too late, but the issue was compensated by a parallel resistor to the wah pot, making it approximate the correct taper. However, I do offer a custom modified version with a true linear pot, if you want it (choose it from the drop-down menu at the top of the page). Please note, I take 3-4 weeks to complete a 'linear pot mod' pedal and get it transferred to my warehouse partner for shipping. It is relatively easy to replace the pot, if you want to do it yourself (get a 500K linear Dunlop HotPotz). 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The 'stock' version is currently at blow-out sale at only 129.95 EUR, which is a 120,- EUR reduction. Almost half price! I never sold a lot of Silver Balloons, and the pedals for sale are still of the original batch of 100 pedals made in 2016. The blow-out pedals will not be quality inspected by myself, and they ship off-the-shelf like they left my assembly partner back in the day. They might require some adjustments to the switch height or 'rocker pedal' tightness for optimal mechanical function, and as such they should be regarded as 'B-stock' pedals, and are sold as-is. Hence the low price. The Custom order 'linear pot mod' pedals are inspected and fine-tuned and signed by myself personally.

Most notably, the original DeArmond Thunderbolt have been used by The Flaming Lips and Mogwai. Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai is currently using the Reuss Silver Balloon in his live-rig (a 'stock' version with the pot replacement).

The Silver Balloon is packaged in the generic white cardboard box that came with the blank enclosures, and they are all a bit scruffy looking. So, no fancy packaging for this model, sorry.

Silver Balloon vs. Thunderbolt shoot-out

Demo by Pedals Fusion

Reuss Silver Balloon features and specifications

• Vintage identical circuit made from a complete tracing and reverse engineering of a 1979 DeArmond 1850 Thunderbolt wah pedal
• The only Thunderbolt clone available anywhere
• Inductorless wah technology. Fundamentally different from CryBabies and Vox wahs etc. Closer related to a phaser, but a completely unique effect.
• Custom 'Reuss' labeled compensated logarithmic taper potentiometer in regular version. Linear taper Dunlop Hot Potz (R) potentiometer in custom modified version.
  
• Uncompromising 'boutique' construction and build quality. Full 'plated thru hole' construction. Wired by hand.
• True bypass switching
• Blue LED indicators for 'bypass' and 'distortion mode'
• Black standard wah enclosure
• Made in the European Union
• High quality Neutrik jacks
• Mammoth Electronics 'pro' upgrade footswitch (good for at least 15000 stomps)
• Runs on a standard ’Boss-style’ 9V DC 'negative centre' guitar pedal power supply or a 9V battery. Please note that due to the pedal's true-to-vintage circuit, modern 'switch mode' power supplies (SMPS) can induce a high pitched noise to the sound. I recommend using an old fashioned 'linear' power supply or a battery
• 24 months warranty against manufacturing faults
• RoHS compliant
• Worldwide shipping from Denmark. Orders posted before 2:00 PM Central European Time on weekdays ships same day

"The Silver Balloon is a very well constructed, accurate tonal reproduction of a DeArmond Thunderbolt. The inductor-less circuit opens itself to a wider sweep and a unique tone that cannot be matched. An external power jack, LED indicators and a true bypass switch add layers of convenience, style and function for modern players. Harry DeArmond is smiling upon you Anders Marcuslund-Reuss, so am I. Thank you !!!". Greg DeArmond (family relative to Harry DeArmond, inventor of the Thunderbolt pedal - and much more)

 You can download the Silver Balloon manual here

PLEASE NOTE: Prices at the webshop are listed without VAT. For customers in the European Union VAT is added at check-out