Electric Mistress flanger shootout

Electric Mistress shootout between an original Electro Harmonix 1977 Electric Mistress, Electro Harmonix 1999 Deluxe Electric Mistress and a Mooer ElecLady.
Signal chain:
Guitar - Fender CIJ Custom Telecaster '62 reissue
Pedals - Vick Audio '73 Ram's Head (Bjorn Mods)
Amp - H&K Tubemeister 18w (gain channel 5w)
Mic - Shure SM57
www.gilmourish.com
pages/Gilmourish-official-page/77295131092
www.bjornriis.com
The Electric Mistress
The first generation Electric Mistress pedals were produced between 1976-81. These were housed in Big Muff sized boxes powered by two 9V batteries (the 1981 version powered by a single 9V). Graphics and schematics changed over the years but the tone stayed more or less the same.
These early versions are known for their liquidy character and chorusy flanging. They were also known for being very noisy (even when they were switched off) and they had a nasty volume drop when engaged.
Like many of the older Electro Harmonics pedals, vintage Electric Mistress pedals are subject to inconsistent use of parts with varying quality. Two seemingly identical pedals can sound very different. Be aware of this when considering buying a vintage Mistress off EBay.
The Deluxe Electric Mistress
The Deluxe Electric Mistress was designed by Electro Harmonix engineer Howard Davis (who also designed the Deluxe Memory Man). It was offered along side the original Mistress between 1978-81 and later reissued in 1999 (to present) presented in a slightly larger box. Graphics and schematics changed over the years but the tone has stayed more or less the same.
The Deluxe is featured a noise filter, making it less noisy than the original Mistress. It has a slightly more jet-like tone, like the MXR, with a hint more mid range and low end.
The current large box Deluxe Electric Mistress has a considerably darker and less transparent tone compared to the original 70s models and the 1999 reissue.
Read the full feature on the Electric Mistress here
www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=80

[@fmacauliffe]

I bought the E-Lady flanger a few hours ago. Sounds incredible. I highly recommend this pedal..

[@harryemmott8597]

I think I need to get myself an E-Lady and a Green Russian... With no context that would sound funny.

[@thomaschn6887]

So ? Four month later, did you get these pedals ?

[@zhou_sei]

@@thomaschn6887 no, but he did get six likes for the joke

[@hunterthompson2206]

@@zhou_sei And a case of the clap.

[@dianathompson7597]

Went to my friends house after high school and he had the electronic mistress deluxe, after smoking we got lost in that pedals sounds for six hours!!! This vid makes me want Moore.

[@alanjamesh.zamorano1677]

The old Electric Mistress it even sounds like a vintage recording, very lush filters and not as nauseating as the deluxe with it's swirling sound upfront

[@jameskavanagh4300]

That mooer pedal holds its own with those ehx units, very impressive

[@mattgilbert7347]

"Dogs". You got to be crazy... I must be, because I think the ElecLady+Muff sounds RAD

[@brianpatrick6102]

Ive had the Mooer for about a year now, and I would still buy it over a vintage EHX anyday. Cheers, Bjorn.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Me too ( now that I own one )

[@gertjeeeh]

Definetly not! Tried the mooer, got rid of it the same day. Nothing beats the vintage ones with the SAD1024 BBD.

[@powdermnky007]

eleclady 0:35 - lower eq - more bass frequencies mistress 2:16 - higher eq - more treble frequencies

[@jt-cosmic-42]

Wow, I was not expecting the Mooer to sound so good.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

The Mooer Pedal is Great. I just purchased the E-Lady, and it Sounds Fantastic. It is Studio-Quiet, No Tone Suck ( True Bypass ), No Volume Drop or Bass Dropout ( like on original Mistress ). I am Super Happy with it and I would Highly Recommend it . . . ( and I am Difficult to please ).

[@paulpugh5315]

@@michael_caz_nyc hi Michael....would love to own an original mistress,but after Bjorn's demo & your vote for the mooer i will be on the lookout for that little bugger.....cheers.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@paulpugh5315 You are gonna love it. I'd be curious to hear your feedback, once you get one. Good luck.

[@jimthecraftyguitarist878]

The Electric Mistress, to my ear, had the best fidelity of the three (although that might just be a subtle drop in the bass frequencies). That said, I own the e-lady and think it sounds just fine.

[@johnetone]

The one in the middle sounds amazing! I get a similar vibe from my TZF2.

[@steamworksstudios4193]

Just got myself an 81-84 Mistress (not sure what year but the fact it’s 9v narrows it down a bit) and it sounds great! The switch on the back helps if I either want to get a strong stoned sound or just brighten up my drives a bit. No idea Gilmour used a Mistress too, I know it’s a different version but as a Floyd fan it’s great to replicate those sounds any way possible!

[@alexmurphy5289]

Elec lady for life, Mooer is a very underrated company

[@paulpugh5315]

So easy to stand on the shoulders of greats that have spent years in development and invention....!

[@CrazedFandango]

Good review. I agree with your conclusion. For the price and the size, I'd have the Mooer as I rarely use flanging..

[@zombiemosher1139]

I felt the Elec Lady & Delux were similar but the EL was slightly more compressed while the Mistress was brighter. I personally would buy the Mooer.

[@rareform6747]

Dogs ? Deluxe all the way ..I have owned (2) and some how go back . The Clone is so musical and easy . Thanks for your Video !

[@Fogeyspasm]

Got an ElecLady as I play a lot of Police stuff. Excellent pedal. No volume drop or noise. Only minus is it can sound a bit muddled if you feed a really overdrive signal through it.

[@warmer2]

Andrew Conner please make a video with the police stuff Andrew

[@franciscotarantino8542]

I think the Deluxe is the best. The Electric Mistress has a notably volume drop. The Moer is very good for its price.

[@ruudgilmour]

Hi Bjorn, interesting review as always! I've owned some Mistresses ;-) and also the Hartman. My best sounding is a Deluxe V1 from 78 surprisingly without volumedrop, maybe it's been modificated by a former owner. Unfortunately it is broke at the moment so I'd replaced it temporary with the Eleclady. Certainly a good clone and even better than the Hartman but I miss that warm organic swirl form the V1. I hope that they can fix him.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

+Ruud PP You like the Electric Lady Better than the Hartman huh? Can you explain Specifically . . . Why ? If it's that close, ( sound wise ) - I'll Save Space on my Pedalboard ( and some money too ). Thanks. - Michael Caz - NYC -

[@Briguygtr]

Of course Bjorn makes everything sound good! Always excellent quality demos! With my gear, I found the Hartman to be much more alive and musical than the Mooer, which is slightly more metallic, which Bjorn has said he prefers . I had a Hartman, sold it bought a Mooer, then had to have a Hartman back...much happier! Of course I'm playing mostly old Lifeson stuff, but it's spot on for Final Cut and such...of course the Mooer is wayyyyy cheaper and perhaps the only other good sounding clone out there....maybe Keeley will dial in his from the Dark Side a little closer to Bjorn suggestions? :)

[@TheGuitarFromOz]

I love my deluxe mistress, but she is soooo big!!!!

[@FreedomIsntFree-gd2hg]

That means there’s just more to love.

[@password_xy]

Vintage Green Mistress is by far the best

[@cobowe]

We know But some need something cheap and close enough in sounf

[@JFranP95]

i love this effect

[@thomaschn6887]

That's funny because I would use - and Im using - the Deluxe for everything. Exepte for the Mother's solo (live 80 version) I would use the Green EM. In this video it sounds better than the other ones for that specific Mother tone.

[@Sergo50011]

Electric Mistress gewinnt. Thank You Bjorn!

[@knightlove1000]

that EM 77, wou Born ,that's a collection piece.!

[@chillpanda27]

0:34 - E-Lady 1:25 - Deluxe Mistress 2:15 - Mistress

[@michaelmanginsay9855]

On my way for a more mooer on my pedalboard! The modulation stuff only.

[@arthurpiccio6598]

The ElecLady sounds like what the Deluxe Electric Mistress would if it were true bypass and had no bass cut.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Very True Arthur. The DEM has this Tremendous Bass shelving ( cut-off ). Trust me ( I am a Fanatic ) and The Mooer is " That Good " - I actually like it better. Smaller & more Quiet.

[@patricksommer3971]

@@michael_caz_nyc but the e lady still has the volume drop

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@patricksommer3971 Not mine? I don't know - maybe different with each rig? - Mine honestly performs at Unity Gain - using a Strymon Zuma for power.

[@jakedibiase7404]

The big box green Electric Mistress is the one that sounds most like Gilmour because that's the one he used. It was that transparent sound that the other two don't have.

[@thomaschn6887]

Sounds like Gilmour if you play with it on a huge stage, and 100W tubes head. But not in your bedroom, with the sound level that fits with your neighborhood . Think about it. I've seen many Gilmour's fan who spend thousand money in David's gear, but doesn"t sounds like him. Because they are in bedroom or little stage. (or don't have his fingers).

[@danpeabody5687]

Something about the old electric mistress... But I'm in my 50's what do I know?

[@danpeabody5687]

@@kociemleko1 I bought the E-lady. it's not bad honestly I've never owned a flanger before I've been phase shifters the choruses. And I the fulltone deja vibe the new custom shop version. And I think this flange is okay I think so electro-harmonix version the real version is way better largely because it's more analog and quirky it's kind of like trying to compare a wines it's all about the settle complexities. I have heard a lot of people and a lot of copies of the klon and the difference between that pedal and most of the imitators possibly there's one out there I haven't heard that sounds just like it but I haven't heard it they get real close I've owned a few of them but there's something about the Quan that is different and in my opinion better I wish I could afford one I wish I'd bought one when they came out I was playing guitar and clubs I just didn't buy one I have owned and sold or given away countless tube screamers and to be honest I've never liked them I hear other people using them and I like when it is for their sound but I don't for me I don't like it the difference between the modern little teeny e- lady the same kind of difference it's a very subtle difference hard to put your finger on what the differences but there certainly is a difference you can hear

[@patricksommer3971]

Got my ElecLady (now called E Lady) and a Laney Cub head yesterday. Works fine. But it also has a noticable volume drop!

[@gilmourishofficial]

Yes, that's the nature of the Electric Mistress.

[@franknguitars7671]

The Mooer is just fine. A little different but good sounding throughout ... cheap, small footprint, none of the headaches - what‘s not to like?

[@jagtone]

Not a popular view, but I think the DEM is the best.

[@gilmourishofficial]

Always been my favourite 👍

[@PMiller3425]

My favorite too and it’s not close. I want to buy a couple backups. Just in case.

[@Nightingale1887]

Getting a Elec Lady tomorrow, I'm gentle with my old Big box DEM. It's a proper substitute.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

New Mistress clones: new/improved Retro Sonic v2 (brighter) and Two-clones from PastFX: The Reticon and the Elastic Mattress. oNe LovE from NYC

[@jeremystarreveld3639]

just a heads up to my fellow electric mistress owners with the volume drop issue. do yourself a favor and get a BOSS LS-2 line selector. with it you can adjust the volume and the MIX! to tame this beast plus all sorts of cool stuff it can do :)

[@rogerl6220]

Yes this is a great solution I use with my EH vintage pedals. My Deluxe EM is very early has a volume drop but also has a terrible tone suck in bypass. Also use it for my Bad Stone and Echoflange that have the same issues.

[@gertjeeeh]

Get the lehle parallel mixer. It has a phase invert knob. Sound way better than the ls-2!!

[@serranodavid3247]

I purchased this pedal not long ago, but noticed that logo says E-Lady rather than elec-lady? I'm referring to the Mooer pedal....?

[@gilmourishofficial]

Yes, they changed the name.

[@hafstrat]

Have you tried the TC electronics vortex? I just got one. Exploring the tone prints. Searching for the clean sweet spots. Found a great chorus type flange. Loving it.

[@gilmourishofficial]

Howard Forton I've played one but doesn't own it. Got some nice tones :)

[@jakollee]

I have a vortex mini, and I find there's a huge (to me) volume drop when you engage the stock flanger sound (haven't tried any tone prints). With the Mooer e-lady, I haven't noticed any volume drop (though the on-off switch is kinda loud).

[@tymime]

I'm honestly not too picky about the tone, so the ElecLady it is for its size. I feel like whenever a pedal is described as "too bright" you could just turn down the treble on your amp.

[@RodrigoRamirez-eq6gj]

The Mooer actually is the best of all three.

[@MrRodrigoBSB]

Hello, Bjorn! What about a review of Stereo Eletric Mistress? Thanks!!

[@gilmourishofficial]

It's a very different pedal. Not like the vintage Mistress pedals or the clones.

[@MrRodrigoBSB]

@@gilmourishofficial Thanks again! I cancelled my eletric mistress stereo and order the eletric lady! Merry X-mas from Brazil!

[@DK-mc1yr]

Mooer for the win!

[@helisoma]

i love my mint deluxe rerelease ...the green one here sounds good but a bit less smooth, more over the top

[@aidancashman4795]

Solo at 7:58? Can't seem to think of the song!

[@aidancashman4795]

Never mind, it's Mother!

[@tunaXonXtoast]

I'm curious how the hartman compares to these

[@_ROBERT.]

@ gilmorish what pedal do you this is over all the best? Be honest. 🙂🎸 Thanks 👍

[@gilmourishofficial]

My favourite will always be my old 1999 Deluxe. It's so much a part of my tone and I think it's featured on every album I've recorded. The new Past FX Elastic Matress is a great clone of the mid 70s Mistress.

[@_ROBERT.]

@@gilmourishofficial I've just bought a deluxe I don't know what year it is but it's with the wood box.its got the adaptor with it.£120🤩 bargain 👍 they are lovely sounding pedals 🤘🎸

[@dflash88]

hey bjorn great job on the new video, just asking what is your njorn mod on the vick audio muff?

[@gilmourishofficial]

dflash88 Thanks! It's the stock '73 with a tad less gain and a bit more top end sparkle. Works better with boosters... at least for my taste and setup :)

[@dankov8566]

Is that a V4 or V5 DEM? To me, it looks like the V5, as I believe those versions had the detached 24V AC adapter; the V4 (or 1999 version as you're calling it) still had the attached cord. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@gilmourishofficial]

This is a 1999 but I bought it in Europe so I think those came with an adapter. Mine did anyway.

[@toddoliver168]

It's the high end. The original doesn't filter it out. It may be a bit noisier but its the sound!!! No comparison at all.

[@JayWater]

Hey Bjorn.. i see a Stereo Electric Mistress on the Facebook marketplace. Is there a difference between the stereo Electric Mistress and the electric mistress or is it the same? I see the stereo mistress is 9v power supply which is friendlier to my board but is there a difference in sound? Thank you for all the answers to my questions.

[@gilmourishofficial]

The Stereo Electric Mistress doesn't sound like the older ones. More like a chorus meets flanger. Get the Mooer E-Lady or the Retro Sonic Flanger. These are both dead on the Deluxe and original 70s models respectively.

[@JayWater]

@@gilmourishofficial thank you so much I'll go with the lady it sounds great and is much cheaper and easier to put in my signal chain

[@CamFilms1000]

sick ass chords in the beginning

[@xelaalvarez]

Hello! I have a question. Have you tried the XO deluxe electric mistress? (The black and green one) how does it compares to these? (Or to the e lady) I’m thinking on between those two but haven’t heard much about the deluxe xo. Thank you

[@gilmourishofficial]

It’s very dark and midrange oriented. I don’t recommend it for Gilmour’s tones.

[@xelaalvarez]

@@gilmourishofficial thanks! I’m buying the mooer then. :)

[@moustachio334]

I love what David does with the flanger but I just can’t like that swooshing top end sound :/. I still want one but I would need a wet/dry bi-amp just to make it listenable to me

[@gilmourishofficial]

The Elastic Mattress from Past FX has a level/mix control kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWKTgKefi5h2Y6s

[@dankov8566]

Have you played an earlier Deluxe, one with the SAD1024 chip? How do you think it compares to the V4?

[@gilmourishofficial]

The early Deluxe versions are very similar to the late 90s V4. The later reissue is considerably darker and the new XO doesn't really compare.

[@twingems5332]

Deluxe for sure.

[@brycewalker6110]

What do you think about using a Boss BF-2 for some gilmourish tones?

[@gilmourishofficial]

Not quite a Mistress but you can get close with some tweaking.

[@SoFloCichlids]

If I'm playing at home for fun would an MXR Flanger cut it? The big box version not the micro flanger

[@gilmourishofficial]

It doesn't quite sound the same. The MXR has more of that jet type of flanging, while the Mistress is much more like a chorus. Kind of like Eddie Van Halen meets Gilmour :)

[@frankbizzoco1954]

Hey Bjorn, quick question. Do you have any experience with the MXR M117, if so can it get anywhere near a Mistress, or electlady sound ? Basically is it good for Gilmour? lol

[@gilmourishofficial]

You can get somewhat close but the MXR has more of that metallic jet kind of flanging, while the Electric Mistress that David used is perhaps closer to a chorus, with a more liquidy and smoother tone... if that description makes sense :) The best alternative out there is the ElecLady or ELady by Mooer.

[@danpeabody5687]

I agree with the electric mistress with the moth sounds the most like Gilmore

[@mindcontrol67]

Those damn moths.

[@mazen2928]

I have the deluxe and it sounds amazing...the only thing there is no volume knob so it kind of unbalanced when you swich off a pedal while its on.....i dont know how to fix this issue.

[@gilmourishofficial]

Mazen Chabib That's the issue with the old Mistress pedals. They have a noticeable volume drop. There are modifications available or you can place a clean volume booster after the Mistress or in a loop.

[@mazen2928]

Thank you

[@huagrapo]

The Deluxe sounds a bit smoother than the E-Lady, but it's a close contest, well worth £40. The original Mistress sounds thin, hollow, and watery, an uninspiring pissy sound.

[@alguitarchristie]

Do you have the Muff after or before the flanger?

[@gilmourishofficial]

Before

[@Dreamman71]

I started out with the E-lady a couple of years ago which is a great little pedal, but a little to harsh for my taste to capture those sweet '70 tones. The E-lady does a good job in which it was designed for: Flange !! But we Gilmour enthusiasts are on the lookout for that special slightly subtile tone that make the sound of Floyd and Gilmour just sound so sweet. And Last week I found it ! A mistress Deluxe from 1980, not tampered with, all original without buzzez and no volume drop. When I play this beauty my heartrate just slows down because the door to the dreamy realm is opened up. Without the use of drugs or alcohol by the way. They are scarce, because many of them are in the hands of fans by now I presume, but if you can find a real Mistress Deluxe from the right era, just go for it !! Sell off your sister on the black market if you have to ;-) It is the topping on the cake for your overall sound which you worked so hard on to achieve. I got mine for €200,- which I think is a very good deal. Don't have a sister by the way.

[@jean-renepirlet]

Thx for the review, I owned both 3, e-lady is a good job, cheap, but it's far away from EHX, I know purists will go for EM, but it's so sucking your tone, I used my EM deluxe is the best compromise for me

[@AnodyneHipsterInfluencer]

You're right about the tone suck but it can easily be modded to true bypass or run in a loop switcher. There's also the Xotic Xblender. It's PERFECT for dealing with the issues of old EHX pedals.

[@cootie787]

Duluxe is Sir Gilmour

[@Teleman76]

Bjorn do you use your Flanger before distortion/fuzz?

[@gilmourishofficial]

Phaser and UniVibe in front. Flanger and chorus after.

[@ilredeldeserto]

what is bjorn mod on ram's head?

[@KYCDK]

can you compare these to the ehx electric mistress xo model

[@gilmourishofficial]

I don't think the XO comes close to these. It's much darker sounding and more like a chorus.

[@KYCDK]

@@gilmourishofficial i don't know, i saw a video the other day that compared it to the big deluxe electric mistress and it sounded pretty good, i just haven't seen many videos on it where the person knows how to dial in a good flanger setting, or one that compares it to the original

[@jamesprice455]

I have a Deluxe EM. That being said, I think the original sounds the best clean. The DEM sounds better with the Muff. All three are great though. Nobody in an audience will be able to tell (or care that) you're using one or the other.

[@mordokch]

The Mooer sounds good, but it's a more modern sound and more in your face - the electric mistress sounds ok but there's something weird in the sound that I just don't like - the deluxe electric mistress just sounds like heaven !!! It's the sound of all those beloved prog rock albums of yore - they all used it - floyd, genesis, rush - those sounds you love so much ... it's the deluxe mistress that's making 'em. Just wish the sucker was smaller and had a damn led - the new version is and does but it just doesn't sound the same, actually it sounds more like the non deluxe mistress and has that same weird thing in the audio that just isn't 'nice' to my ears.

[@gilmourishofficial]

EHX hasn't managed to replicate their old models. The new ones sound more like some generic flanger or chorus. I think the Mooer is excellent and very close to the old Deluxe that I have. Maybe it didn't quite get through in this comparison...

[@mordokch]

To be honest I thought your vid was pretty good - did what it was supposed to do ;) I was really disappointed with the new deluxe mistress - as you say it just sounds like any generic chinese flanger, but at 3 times the price - no thanks. What I will do I think is check out a few more vids on the mooer, though I will probably end up grabbing a vintage dem and forking out the price that goes with it. On the other hand the mooer would actually fit on my board lol.

[@Rogerwatersfan91]

Bjorn, do you think there will be much sound difference between a 1977 and 1980 Electric Mistress?

[@gilmourishofficial]

+William Fulks Check out the differences here www.metzgerralf.de/elekt/stomp/mistress/index.shtml

[@rrapeez]

+gilmourish riis website and clips really useful. thanks!

[@yungsavagesleeper3198]

during the fast rotary flanging, I noticed the eleclady modulated way more than the Deluxe, but also noticed their rate knobs were in different places... is that as far as the deluxe's rate knob goes or did you have to turn the eleclady's all the way up for comparison? I just can't help but feel the comparison wasn't fair.... but maybe I'm mistaken.

[@gilmourishofficial]

The controls on those pedals arent' identical so I had to adjust them differently to get the same effect. The difference in tone you hear, is the difference between each pedal.

[@yungsavagesleeper3198]

anyone know the chords to what seems to be Any Colour You Like? at 3:08?

[@jessemorgado1297]

yungsavagesleeper It's D minor to G major

[@Macconator2010]

Jesse Morgado always play that G as a dominant 7, you need the F in the chord to perfectly match the original.

[@josephturner9012]

It's not about the sound. Its about tone. I thought I wanted to get the sound of Gilmore.but than I searched for what I knew was out there.the great tube over dive.See it's not Gilmore's sound people like.its what he's playing.its the n Meledey.when I isolated he's tone on mother and all the that ,it's a sound, not tone you would get tired of.So when I had the cords in the backround,and got a gorgeous tone(not the sound of the mistress and fuzz ( that's sound) but the tone the natural tubes being breaking up, that was the ticket,than you add slight delay ( but not hardly noticable, just a slight vibe,I had the engineer enveas of my tone, and he never cares about other people's stuff. He stopped to make note of what one pedel I had.etc.than when we played Gilmore's guitar background cords, with the tone I was using,it was so much better than that artificial sound,( mistress and fuzz(.yes I have those as well but not for my lead.that is for backround.trust me it's not a sound your looking for it's tone. .See people confues sounds with tones.Sound is dead tone is alive.

[@evianx1]

Thorpx cameleon flanger is the best

[@Hilai619]

Dmm is the best for me

[@rareform6747]

Watch Brit Floyd Red Rocks ...

[@ripplebear]

Hi Bjorn, what are the mods on the Vick audio Ram's Head?

[@gilmourishofficial]

I really liked the stock model from Vick but asked if they could do a model that fit my set up better, with a bit more top end and a tad less gain. Easier to control and record.

[@ripplebear]

@@gilmourishofficial that's really cool that he did that for you! Thanks for the reply. Was always curious. It sounds wonderful!

[@boonexy]

yeah, it's pretty clear you need vintage for the muffs =/ ah well, elec lady tries, don't wanna risk ebaying an old one.

[@gilmourishofficial]

boonexy The ElecLady is an excellent clone :)

[@boonexy]

gilmourish riis Yep, I got one right after your first shootout with the deluxe. I'm really happy with it, opened up a world of mimicking the Final Cut. My Raise My Rent jam is the best sounding I think I've got it to sound though.

[@DiosDragon1111]

😱😎 mooer 7:19 7:58 😨 8:36🤬🤣