Hartman Analog Flanger

When I first heard an original green script Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, I knew from that moment on I was going to have a slightly inappropriate relationship with a piece of vintage technology. I had no idea of the history or the importance of the pedal but after experiencing it I simply had to have it, so I coughed up the agreed price of 400 Australian dollars (a small fortune back in '96) and left that little guitar shop on Coogee beach the happiest guy on earth.
Others have had a similar experience, indeed sir David of Gilmour always has a couple in his rig, but probably more importantly, this is the pedal that gave Andy Summers THAT sound - the 'Walking on the Moon' tone. You could easily argue that nobody has ever said so much with a single chord, and the Mistress is at the heart of it.
So that original Mistress has been with me ever since, it was indeed my very first 'Pawn Star', and has had pride of place on my pedal board for all that time, that is, until now.

You see as wonderful, and I mean as truly glorious as the effect is, the pedal itself has some issues. Firstly, when you engage the effect you lose about 15-20% of your volume which is just enough to pull you out of the mix. The pedal takes 18V, it has no led, and is housed in the flimsiest enclosure the effect world has ever seen.
So in secret I've always had my eye open for something to take its place. Obviously it has to equal the sonic joy of the Mistress but I must have tried 30 other flangers, and time after time I kept coming back to the Mistress. I felt that surely, in the 35 years since this pedal has been made there must be something out there that could match it.

I had all but given hope when by chance I happened to be watching a pedal board demo online that included this, the Hartman Analog Flanger. He hit the switch, and my heart raced. Could it be? A week later, this arrives for me and my hope it seems had not been misplaced. The Hartman Analog Flanger is at its heart an Electric Mistress, but without the issues. It's an exact replica of the Mistress circuit with all the boutique goodies we've come to expect such as True Bypass switching with LED indicator, tough enclosure and all top components, plus it has a standard 9V input, and there's no volume drop when you kick the effect in.

How much should I pay?
You can buy these direct from Sounds Great Music in Cheshire for £199. The original 18V Electric Mistress has cemented its place in history as one of the most important modulation effects ever made, and as such will always be sought after, but for real world applications, let's just say that my original now has pride of place on my shelf in the office.