LOCOBOX EFFECTS PEDALS
THIS IS ALL INFORMATION FROM THE OLD ORIGINAL WEBSITE I CREATED. I WILL TRY TO ORGANIZE IT BETTER WHEN I HAVE TIME.
PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT HAVE ANY SCHEMATICS OR OTHER TECHNICAL INFO. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY. I WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND IT ANYWAY…I’M NOT VERY TECHNICAL MYSELF. SO…I REALLY CAN’T BE ANY HELP TO YOU ON ANY SCHEMATICS OR CHARTS OR TECHNICAL SPECS OR ORIGINAL PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS OR ANYTHING. I PROMISE, IF I HAD IT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT, ALTHOUGH I NO LONGER COLLECT LOCO BOX PEDALS MYSELF, I LOOK AT REVERB EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE AND THE PRICES PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR THE ORIGINAL LOCO BOX PEDALS ARE RIDICULOUS. THEY ARE NOT WORTH THE MANY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS PEOPLE ARE PRICING THESE PEDALS AT. I HAVE SEEN THEM FOR WELL OVER $400-600. THE ONLY ONE OF THESE PEDALS THAT IS TRULY SOUGHT AFTER IS THE CHOKER PEDAL AND EVEN THOSE SHOULD NOT BE PRICED AS HIGH AS THEY ARE…THERE ARE BETTER COMPRESSION PEDALS. ONE THING YOU CAN DO IS BUY THE EXACT SAME ELECTRA 500 SERIES PEDAL AND GET THE SAME EXACT THING FOR MUCH LESS. OKAY, RANT OVER.
The History of Locobox
Information about the origin of the Locobox effects pedals is few and far between. In the beginning in the late '70s, all the pedals were handmade in a small factory in the city of Urawa, in Saitama, Japan. There were virtually only three men (the president, the designer and his boss) as well as six or seven women part-time jobbers. They did all the R&D, construction, testing, and even the silkscreening themselves. They started out selling their pedals to Arai Boueki (Aria), and these had the brand name "Locobox." The main brand name was Locobox, but they did make a few small runs of other brands that are exactly the same pedal. These included the Electra pedals of that era (the 500 series), and a few very small runs that were branded with other names like Volz and Nadines. So, if you are looking for a coveted Choker pedal, you can also keep an eye out for an Electra 502C Compressor and you'll have the same thing for less.
When the pedals switched to a more generic ABS resin casing in the early '80s to save money, they also changed the circuitry. So, the '80s compressors are not the same as the original Chokers...for instance. They made the same exact pedals with the Locobox brand and other brands such as Cutec, Pearl, Gig, Powervoice, Studio Series and even some Yamaha pedals. They simply changed out the brand name sticker on the pedal. Later on they were acquired by Aria (from what I can tell) and made pedals, rack gear and guitar and bass amps with both the Locobox and Aria brand names.
EVENTUALLY I WILL REBUILD SOME OF THE ORIGINAL LOCOBOX.COM SECTIONS. FOR NOW I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THESE PHOTO GALLERIES OF SOME OF THE PEDAL PHOTOS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IN SOME WAY.
LOCOBOX '70S (MAYBE EVEN EARLY ‘80S) PEDALS (THE ORIGINALS)
LOCOBOX LATER '80S PEDALS
OTHER ELECTRA 500 SERIES AND RARE BRANDS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE EARLY LOCOBOX PEALS
LOCOBOX RACK GEAR, MIXER AND PEDAL BOARD AND ELECTRA BOX EFFECTS
LOCOBOX GUITAR AND BASS AMPS
