Based in the Polish city of Zielona Góra, Shotmaker Instruments is a small workshop dedicated to the art of vintage-toned gear. They channel a passion for music into handcrafted tube amplifiers, speakers, and effects, all built with an old-school ethos and a focus on custom, personalized equipment.
Their latest release, The Heartbeat + VCA Tremolo, embodies this philosophy perfectly. The pedal transplants the prized preamp section and tube-derived tremolo circuit from their debut “The Songstress” amplifier into a compact, pedalboard-friendly format. Housed in a distinctive, hand-finished oak enclosure, it offers far more than classic throb.
A key feature is its tap tempo functionality and a selection of six waveforms, including a random setting for organic, unpredictable movement. This allows players to move seamlessly from smooth, amp-like pulsation to stuttering, irregular textures. By pairing a rich, characterful preamp with a highly versatile tremolo, The Heartbeat is designed to make modulation feel like a dynamic, essential part of the tone, rather than a sterile add-on. It’s a boutique tremolo that provides both a classic voice and modern flexibility.
