TALKIN’ SYNCOPATOR

Video Showcase

Video 1

Assassin Series No. 004
Percussive Voice

percussive • vocal • syncopated • elastic • open • touch-sensitive • rhythmic

Talkin’ Syncopator is built around rhythmic wah articulation.

Its voice lives in the same expressive territory as the opening of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”: short, sharply timed treadle movements, punched chord fragments, muted scratches, and a wah that feels almost inseparable from the picking hand.

It is not intended to duplicate Hendrix’s exact wah or recorded tone. This circuit has its own voice, but the percussive language and hand-foot interaction are immediately familiar.

Sonic Character

• Fast, percussive response

• Strong vocal midrange

• Clear pick attack

• Elastic treadle movement

• Pronounced rhythmic articulation

• Open upper harmonics

• Dynamic response

• Strong intermediate treadle positions

• Smooth but projecting upper range

• Especially effective with short wah movements

Defining sweep:
Rounded heel → hollow vocal lower-mid → punchy “WAH” center → open upper-mid toe

Rhythmic Vocal Attack

This is the defining feature.

Talkin’ Syncopator does not require a full heel-to-toe sweep to produce dramatic movement.

Small treadle motions can turn individual notes and chord fragments into distinct vocal accents.

The heel asks.

The middle answers.

The toe cuts in.

That makes the pedal especially effective when the foot and picking hand work together. Muted attacks, scratches, syncopated riffs, and short chord punches develop an almost spoken quality.

Best For

• Rhythmic wah chopping

• Muted chord punches

• Scratch rhythms

• Syncopated riffs

• Short treadle accents

• Psychedelic rock

• Late-60s-style wah phrasing

• Blues-rock

• Classic rock

• Funk-influenced guitar

• Expressive lead work

• Fixed-wah tones

• Feedback manipulation

Guitar & Pickup Pairing

This voicing works particularly well with guitars that have clear attack, open harmonics, and good dynamic response.

Strong pairings include:

• Vintage-style single coils

• S-style guitars

• HSS configurations

• P-90s

• Lower-output humbuckers

• Vintage-style PAFs

• Other articulate low-to-medium-output pickups

The circuit responds especially well when the guitar retains enough attack and upper harmonic detail for the wah to shape each pick stroke.

Amplifiers & Gain

Strong pairings include:

• Clean tube amps

• Edge-of-breakup tones

• British-style crunch

• Vintage overdrive

• Medium-gain lead tones

• Fuzz-compatible setups

Cleaner settings expose the snap and rhythmic detail.

Adding gain brings out more bark, sustain, and vocal intensity without removing the pedal’s percussive character.

Its Personality

vocal without becoming nasal
percussive without becoming mechanical
open without becoming thin
bright without becoming harsh
fast without becoming clinical

Talkin’ Syncopator is primarily about the point where rhythm and wah movement become the same gesture.

A chord becomes a syllable.
A muted scratch becomes punctuation.
A simple riff starts talking.

Construction & Modification History
This pedal is individually built from a vintage Thomas Organ wah platform. The original enclosure has been stripped/refinished and repurposed as the foundation for this custom build. The original bottom plate has been retained where applicable.

The internal circuit has been extensively evaluated, modified, and revoiced using a combination of original and replacement components. Component values and circuit configurations have been deliberately altered to create the specific response described above.

This is not being represented as an original, unmodified Thomas Organ wah. It is a custom-modified and refinished pedal built around a vintage Thomas Organ platform.