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Information
about the origin of the Locobox effects pedals is few and far
between. However, recently I received an email from Yozo Ishiura
from Japan with some interesting information. He found a posting
on a website in Japan from a man who claims to have designed
and worked at the small factory in Japan responsible for Locobox
and many other small brands of pedals. Other brands included
Aria and Volz (and it appears that Electra pedals from this
era are the same as well).
According to the post, 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."
Later on, they stopped using the metal cases, probably to save
costs, and moved on to ABS resin (the 80s pedals). In the process,
they changed/redesigned most of the circuits. They would just
put different brand name stickers on them and sell under various
brand names.
If you read Japanese, here is the link to the post: click
here
Other information from Tom Hughes of Analogman
Tom Hughes (aka Analog Tom) from Analogman.com has published
a new book called Analog Man's Guide to Vintage Effects.
Tom was kind enough to share this entry from his new book:
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Loco
Box
A
line of effects that were made in Japan, Loco Box arrived
on the scene in the mid- to late- seventies and continued
throughout the eighties. The earliest Loco Box effects
were kind of funky and had some cool names and graphics;
these included the Mysto-Dysto, Tubemaniax, Rotophase,
Cosmo Chorus, Spaceship Flanger, and The Choker (compressor).
These effects were also being sold by Guyatone with different
model names (the Guyatone
Box series). In the mid-eighties, the Loco Box name
was used on a series of black generic Japanese effects,
which were also being sold by Aria, Guyatone, and others. |
Tom also says: "I can tell you this - Japanese effects
manufacturing was (is) done by only a handful of companies who
make a variety of products sold under numerous brand names.
Maxon (the brand name of the Nisshin Onpa factory in Japan)
was one of the world's largest OEM effects makers of the seventies
and eighties, and were responsible for the entire Ibanez line
as well as many others. But whether by contractual agreement
or otherwise, these OEMs are not supposed to acknowledge that
they are the ones actually making these effects, so the whole
affair is somewhat secretive and people are reluctant to give
out any info. There is a connection (which you may have noticed)
between Loco Box and Guyatone
Box Series effects from the same era. There also seems to
be a link between them and Aria. A reliable source in Japan
informed me that Nisshin Onpa was in fact OEM for Aria, which
would lead me to believe they were also for Guyatone... and
LOCO BOX (not to mention the Coron/Memphis/Nashville
line). Of course, none of this has been strictly documented
as fact - the best we can say is this is what appears to be
true."
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2004 • locobox.com • contusion
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