What it is and what it was built for
The Electric Mistress is an analog flanger made by Electro-Harmonix, the New York company Mike Matthews founded in 1968 to make effects pedals for electric guitar and bass. It was first sold in 1976 and was the first flanger in pedal format, which is its claim on the history of guitar effects.
How it works, in terms a player would use
It is an analog flanger in pedal form. Except for the very first blue and red version, every Electric Mistress also has a Filter Matrix mode. That mode lets the player freeze the effect at any point in the flange, and the result is distinctive, chime-like tones.
What it does better than anything else
The Filter Matrix mode is its distinctive feature. Instead of a flange that keeps moving, the player can stop it at any point and leave it there for chime-like tones.
What it does badly
The one limit on record is that the first blue and red version lacks Filter Matrix mode, so the freeze is not there on the earliest pedals.
What people made with it
Named users include David Gilmour, Todd Rundgren, Alex Lifeson, Robin Trower, Andy Summers of The Police, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Billy Corgan, Jean-Michel Jarre and Robert Smith are also listed among Electro-Harmonix users who played an Electric Mistress.
Who should use it, and who should not
Guitarists who want an analog flanger with a name behind it, and who like the idea of freezing the sweep, should look at it. The Deluxe version has been reissued and is still in production, and a 2015 Deluxe came in the company’s smaller XO casing. NEO Mistress and Stereo Electric Mistress are two digital recreations, and on those the freeze comes from a certain setting of the rate knob. Electro-Harmonix also folds the Stereo Electric Mistress into the Epitome, alongside the Micro POG and Holy Grail Plus.
Is it worth your time
Yes, if a flanger is what your board lacks. It is the original pedal-format flanger, it still exists in reissue, and it has a freeze mode that most versions share. If you need a fuzz, a delay or an octave, it is the wrong pedal.
