Common Questions, Fundamentals

Whammy Pedal vs Whammy Bar – What’s the Difference? [EASY]

Written By :Andrew Siemon

DigiTech’s Whammy Pedal is a really cool effects unit that can imitate features of a classic vibrato and tremolo system like the Floyd Rose and Bigsby. For instance, the Whammy Pedal can imitate dive bombs fairly well, but still, the pedal and the bar are not the same.

For one, the Whammy pedal is entirely digital and controlled by foot, unlike the whammy bar which is hand-controlled and analog. It’s a harmonizing pitch-shifter whereas a tremolo system is a tool for vibrato, dive bombs, and tricks like flutters, a few of which can’t be done with the pedal.

As a matter of fact, there are a few things a tremolo/vibrato system can do that a Whammy pedal can’t. The same argument can be made vice-versa, however, where the two are similar, they’re still fundamentally different because of how they’re made. For the same reason, a tremolo system also sounds way different than a Whammy pedal.

The Differences Between A Whammy Pedal and Whammy Bar

Whammy Pedal Tremolo/Vibrato (Whammy) System
Digital (works like a computer)Analog (uses kinetic energy)
Requires external powerDoesn’t require external power
It’s a guitar effects pedal It’s a part of the guitar and is hand-controlled
Acts as a pitch-shifter, harmonizer, and also has the ability to drop tune (imitates bass and synths)Only a pitch-shifter and a vibrato tool
Usually doesn’t require set-up and maintenance It needs proper setup and maintenance because it uses actual mechanics and moving parts.
Sounds more digital The vibrato and pitch-shifting sounds are very organic and authentic
Less precise over pitch-shifting features
(Can’t perform vibrato, fast bar dips, or create slack string noises)
You can be very surgical with a tremolo/vibrato system (can do all of the whammy tricks)
Can pitch-shift by octave 1 and 2 octaves without using harmonics A whammy bar can’t pitch-shift as drastically

1) The Whammy Pedal Is A Digital Effects Pedal and the Whammy Bar Is Not

How to Use the DigiTech Whammy Pedal

As I was saying earlier, the fundamental difference between a Whammy pedal and a whammy bar is that one is a digitally-based effects pedal, whereas the vibrato/tremolo system is not. The same thing goes for wah-wah vs whammy which I’ve also discussed.

The tremolo system is an analog system that bends vibrating and sound-producing strings. It’s not a computer program nor is it computer software inside of an effects pedal. One way of putting it is that it’s real.

Because the Whammy Pedal is essentially a computer program, it produces sounds via computers and electricity. Unlike a vibrato/tremolo system which creates sounds through actual kinetic energy, ie, objects in motion. As a result, pedals require power.

Whammy Pedals Require External Power

9V-AC-Power-Adapter-Line-6-How-to-Use-A-Guitar-Tuner-Pedal-
This is a Line 6 AC adapter but it works just fine for the Whammy Pedal which also requires AC power instead of DC power.

I won’t say much about this because it’s common sense, but ultimately, guitar pedals like the DigiTech Whammy – or any guitar pedal for that matter – need external power to operate. Because it’s digital, it needs a certain amount of power, all of the time to work.

While there are other guitar pedals that also need power, they use analog, traditional, circuitry, which means they can also use different kinds of batteries with different results (my article on that).

Obviously, there are other differences as a consequence of how they produce sound. For instance, whammy bars need proper set-up, components, and other work done to them to ensure they function properly whereas Whammy Pedals do not.

What Can The Tremolo/Vibrato Bar Do That The Whammy Cannot?

1) Flutters

Emil Werstler is a motherfucker.

If you check out the video right at 00:15, you can hear a style of vibrato that can only be done with a vibrato/tremolo system like a Floyd Rose or something similar. This effect can’t be done on a Whammy Pedal. It’s just not set up for that.

2) Ultra Fast Dips

Pantera - Rise (Live In Italy 1992)

Another thing that can’t be done on the Whammy Pedal that can be done on a vibrato/tremolo system are ultra-fast dips, to put it one way. You can hear this kind of thing in Pantera’s song, “Rise,” from Vulgar Display of Power, in the video shown above.

You can see Dimebag play it live like that video, or you can also check out the album version which sounds a lot better. Eddie Van Halen – who we’ll talk about in a minute – was the progenitor of the same tricks, although, Dimebag definitely had his own style.

3) Surgical Vibrato

Tremolo System - Whammy Pedal versus Whammy Bar - What's the Difference
Even basic vibrato systems like what’s seen on my PRS SE Custom 24 from zZounds offer more control over vibrato compared to a Whammy pedal (this is a great guitar by the way, although, I would like to put new pickups in it).

Due to the nature of how a tremolo/vibrato system works, you have a lot more control over how much you’re depressing or pulling on the bar. As a result, you also have more control over how you shift the pitch of the note.

The Whammy Pedal doesn’t give you that kind of control because it’s done with your foot, and truthfully, I feel like the pedal doesn’t move as fluidly as it could. Although, it’s not really meant for this style of vibrato, so it’s not like it’s a flaw.

4) The Vibrato, Dips, and String Slack Noise Sounds Better

Van Halen Eruption Guitar Solo

I don’t think there is anybody better at showing what a tremolo system can do than Eddie Van Halen. While he may have never invented any of the things that he did, a lot of the techniques and sounds he created in the way that he did were completely unique.

For instance, the video for “Eruption” which is shown above features many of the techniques that Van Halen used regularly that you can’t really do on a DigiTech Whammy pedal.

Dips, vibrato, slack string noise, and a few of the other things he does in the video are just not possible (in the same way) with the Whammy Pedal. The part at 04:06 is a good example of what I’m talking about. This guy does many solid demonstrations as well.

What Can The Whammy Pedal Do That The Bar Cannot?

1) Pitch Shifting By 1 and 2 Octaves

Whammy on Whammy Pedal - How To Use A Digitech Whammy Pedal [The Ultimate Guide]
This is my personal favourite side of the pedal to work with.

A standard tremolo/vibrato system can pitch-shift by 1 or 2 octaves, it can also drop by octaves, and do dive-bombs as well. However, the whammy pedal does it in a way that the bar can’t replicate and the same goes for vice versa.

For example, you can’t get the “Killing In the Name”-solo sound from Rage Against the Machine with a standard vibrato/tremolo bar. It just doesn’t work that way. However, you can’t manipulate or pitch-shift your guitar in an organic way like you can with the bar.

2) Instant Harmonies (3rds, 4ths, 5ths, Octaves, and More)

Harmony on Whammy Pedal - How To Use A Digitech Whammy Pedal [The Ultimate Guide]
On this side of the pedal, you can create all kinds of harmonies.

One of the cooler aspects of using the DigiTech Whammy Pedal is to instantly create octave harmonies. I find this is the best way to use the harmonic side of the pedal which is shown in the image above.

While a lot can be done with the other harmonization settings, they tend to sound more dissonant. As I said in my comprehensive guide on it, If you’re expecting to create Iron Maiden-style harmonies with the Whammy Pedal, you have to go elsewhere.

3) Detuning

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (Official Music Video)

Probably one of the most iconic uses of the DigiTech Whammy Pedal detuning effect was in the song shown above, “Seven Nation Army,” from The White Stripes. According to NME, Jack White uses a semi-acoustic guitar detuned by one octave with the pedal.

This produces the primary riff of the song which most people initially believed was just a bass guitar, despite the fact that part of what made the band special at the time was their omission of a bass player.

It’s important to note that you can go far beyond de-tuning by an octave if you’re using the Whammy Pedal Droptune.

The Whammy Pedal IV - With Me Holding It
Unlike my Whammy Pedal which I’m holding here (you can still find these on Amazon), the Droptune version can transpose your guitar signal by semitones – from 1 to 7 semitones.

The Droptune version of the pedal offers a lot more control over transposition features. This is incredibly useful if you’re the kind of player who regularly needs to switch between tunings.

The-Digitech-Whammy-Pedal-DT-How-To-Use-A-Digitech-Whammy-Pedal-The-Ultimate-Guide
You can see the drop-tune side of the DigiTech Whammy DT on the right side.

Important Things to Note About Whammy Pedals and Bars

1) It’s Best To View The Pedal And Tremolo System As Separate Devices

Ultimately, it’s best to view the Whammy Pedal and standard tremolo/vibrato system as completely separate devices. While they can replicate or imitate each other in similar ways, they sound entirely different from each other.

The only similar effect the two share are dive bombs, but even in that case, the standard tremolo system is better at creating the sound in a way that’s organic and authentic.

The way I look at it, it’s best to have both. Why not use a guitar with a standard tremolo system and a Whammy pedal if you want it? People like Steve Vai have done that with great effect.

Andrew Siemon is the principal creator for TravelingGuitarist.com, a website entirely devoted to all things guitar. From repairs, music theory, chords, and improvisation, to recording at home. I've been doing this for 20 years and I've got another 50 in me.

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