LocoBox
LocoBox
Also known as: Loco Box
UnclaimedLocoBox was a Japanese manufacturer of guitar effects pedals, amplifiers, and rack gear that emerged in the late 1970s. The company's pedals were handmade in a small factory in Urawa, Saitama, Japan, reportedly by a very small team — three men handling company operations and design alongside a handful of part-time workers who managed assembly, testing, and silkscreening. LocoBox initially sold ...
LocoBox was a Japanese manufacturer of guitar effects pedals, amplifiers, and rack gear that emerged in the late 1970s. The company's pedals were handmade in a small factory in Urawa, Saitama, Japan, reportedly by a very small team — three men handling company operations and design alongside a handful of part-time workers who managed assembly, testing, and silkscreening. LocoBox initially sold its pedals through Arai Boueki (Aria), and the company was later absorbed into Aria, producing gear under both the LocoBox and Aria names.
The brand's catalog covered a broad range of analog effects, including the OD-01 Tubemaniax overdrive, the CH-01 Stereo Chorus and Cosmochorus, the AD-01 Analog Delay, the Rotophase phase shifter, the Choker compressor, and the Eequu6 6-band graphic equalizer. LocoBox also built solid-state amplifiers and speaker cabinets. A quirk of the company's business model was that identical pedals were rebranded and sold under names such as Cutec, Pearl, Gig, Powervoice, Studio Series, and even some Yamaha-branded units — often with nothing more than a swapped logo sticker.
In the early 1980s, the line transitioned from its earlier metal-chassis designs to a lighter ABS resin casing, a cost-cutting move that coincided with revisions to the internal circuitry. LocoBox pedals have since developed a following among collectors of vintage Japanese effects, prized for the handmade early units and their overlap with the broader MIJ effects scene of the era.
LocoBox has 9 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Phaser Effects Pedals, Compressor Effects Pedals, and Overdrive Effects Pedals. Their gear is featured by 6 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Folk, World, & Country. Notable users include Ricardo Mollo, Tom Morello, and Trey Azagthoth.
Artists Who Use LocoBox
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