Morley Pedals

Morley Pedals is the name of a guitar effects pedal company, famous for manufacturing wah-wah pedals and other treadle type effects for guitar. Morley pedals use electro-optical circuitry rather than a potentiometer to control the effect. The foot treadle controls a shutter inside the pedal that in turn controls the amount of light reaching a Light Dependent Resistor (LDR). The advantage to this system is that there are no potentiometers in the signal path to wear out or become "scratchy sounding" over time. Electro-optical circuitry is used throughout the classic Morley pedal line, which includes or has included volume pedals, delay pedals, chorus and phaser pedals, and many others.

The Morley company was started by two brothers, Raymond († June 18, 2002 Los Angeles) and Marvin Lubow (* December 13, 1924; † June 2, 2010 Nine Mile Falls, Spokane County) in Los Angeles in the 1960s. Raymond designed an electro-mechanical echo unit that used a rotating disc inside a small metal drum filled with electrostatic fluid. This echo unit made it possible for musical performers to re-create echo effects in a live performance without using echo chambers or unreliable tape devices. The Lubow brothers went into business as Tel-Ray Electronics, manufacturing their new "Adineko" echo device for many companies including Fender. Raymond also designed another device that simulated the sound of a Leslie rotating speaker cabinet in use by organists and other musicians. This device also used the rotating-disc/oil-can method. The Lubow brothers jokingly referred to this new invention as a Morley (More-Lee as opposed to Less-Lee).

Shortly thereafter, Tel-Ray shifted their emphasis away from OEM manufacturing and began marketing their own line of pedals under the Morley name. A new treadle and case design consisting of a rather large and industrial-looking chrome-plated housing and rubber-covered treadle was used universally throughout the entire Morley line, which included volume pedals, wah pedals, a Rotating Sound pedal (the original "Morley"), and a pedal version of their echo device dubbed the Morley EVO-1.

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