What is it?

What's a "Patch of Shades" and why should I care? Indeed! In the early 1980's, Emmett Chapman wanted a wah style effect to use with the instrument he invented in the 1970s, the Chapman Stick. He got together with a pedal designer (whose name I do not yet know - there's a story there, too), and came up with a very unique controller for this effect. It consisted of two pieces of magnetic tape, similar to the tape used to record records at the time, in close proximity to each other that the performer pressed on with a foot or shoe or toe. This varied the resistance of the circuit and altered the sound. The effect had three functions - wah, double wah, and envelope wah. Also designed into the unit were various inputs and outputs for effects loops, dry outs, aux inputs, etc. All in all, a cool-bomb of a stomp box. I believe I read somewhere that it was introduced at the 1982 NAMM show with much fanfare and excitement (but I can't find the original web page I found that on). As I retrieve stuff from my lost archives, I will post it here to try to be a repository for all Patch of Shades information. If you are one of those rare people who actually know about who designed and manufactured the pedal, and any other details about it, please email me or comment here. My next few posts will be about my adventures taking apart, repairing and successfully putting my own Patch of Shades back together.