TWA
TRISKELION® 3.0 - harmonic energizer®
TRISKELION® 3.0 - harmonic energizer®
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CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK. Please Email us to get on the wait list for the next production run, scheduled for late 2026.
TK-03 Triskelion® Mk. III Harmonic Energizer®
The Triskelion® saga continues! (Or, third time’s the charm…)
To our knowledge, we were the first company to offer a production re-production of the marvelous & mysterious Systech Harmonic Energizer® used by the likes of Frank Zappa, Greg Lake, Joe Walsh and other 70’s icons.
Debuted at Winter NAMM in 2010, the Triskelion® elicited hushed whispers, envious glances, and more than a little head-scratching. It was also greeted by an e-mail from Dweezil Zappa, who ordered three of them for his touring rig.
Essentially a parametric midrange filter with adjustable peak and an obscene amount of gain, the Triskelion® reproduced all the searing, scorching, squawking sounds of the original Systech with pinpoint accuracy. It also has the added benefit of an extended high-frequency range & expression control over the filter sweep.
Never satisfied with – well, anything, really – we decided to shrink the “TRISK” down to a more pedalboard-friendly package while also adding some new features based on user suggestions.
During this overhaul, our engineer also took it upon himself to re-design the filter section of the circuit, reducing the noise level and allowing it to play much better with other dirt devices.
We released the Triskelion® Mk. II in 2015, and it’s developed a bit of a cult following with pedal peeps thanks to the hi-fi nature of its gnarly noise and a highly functional feature set.
However, admittedly there were some things that were lost in the transition between the Mk. I & Mk. II versions. So, after obsessing about these minor issues over the past five years, we finally threw down the glove and challenged our engineer to take the best aspects of both iterations and shrink the whole thing down into an even smaller footprint.
Challenge accepted & surmounted – Introducing Triskelion® Harmonic Energizer® Mk. III.
Now housed in a Hammond 1590B chassis, the Trisk-3 takes up even less real estate than its predecessors, yet it still packs all the processing power that those two crimson critters were famous for.
Back is the Variant Mass Boost switch of the original Triskelion®, which adds an ear-shattering upper range to its already peaky filter. Also back are the 30-odd Hertz of low frequencies that had mysteriously and inexplicably vanished during the creation of the Mk. II.
What’s not back is the higher noise level of the Mk. I – instead, the pro-audio quality noise floor of the Mk. II is in full effect, allowing the new version to function with surgical precision in a variety of high-gain settings without sounding like the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Speaking of Gain, the Triskelion’s can now be switched on/off via either a top-mounted mini-switch, or via an external footswitch connected to the side-mounted mini-phone jack.
A second mini-phone jack allows for connection of an Expression pedal to control the frequency sweep of the filter for wah-wah wiggles, dialing in feedback, etc. You can also connect the TWA Side Step® to this jack to turn the Triskelion into a tap-tempo LFO modulator of doom.
When is smaller better? When it’s the latest version of the Triskelion® Harmonic Energizer®
"In all, a great pedal to add to your board for some very specific purposes"
"This pedal is a booster like no other and well worth the investment..."
-Vintage Guitar Magazine
-Guitar Player Magazine
"Amazing pedal! Never experienced anything like it before now. Thank you!"
-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5-Star Reverb Review from Henry G.
"Three words: Oh My Goodness! The videos online do not do this pedal justice. It is the secret sauce for so many tones I have been searching for. It inspires and motivates."
-User Review from Dave D.
*Please note, like all TWA Pedals, the Triskelion® is manufactured in a limited batches of 50-100. Unfortunately we are unable to predict exactly when/if a next batch will be manufactured. The best way to stay up to date is email us directly (we will email you back when there is news) and make sure you're signed up for our email list.
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A decade-old YouTube video showcasing the "2.0" iteration of this very pedal features a brief but succinct summation of this pedal via a user comment: "it's like running your guitar through an active volcano." Indeed, the Triskelion offers molten midrange, seismic lows, and searing highs that slam the front end of your amplifier with surprising authority. This is an effect that can be subtle or downright destructive, depending on how you choose to dial it in, and is definitely a unique option in an ever-growing sea of stompboxes that can be hard to navigate at times.
Insofar as I can tell, the circuit here is a sort of variable filter (read: cocked wah, or a regular one, should you choose to connect an expression pedal) chained to a boost/distortion circuit of some type. The combination of the two is incredible: the lows sound warm and full without being boomy, and the highs and upper mids scream with piercing power that is not shrill or thin. There does not seem to be an unusable sound within the entire sweep of the filter knob, and the optional gain staging ups the ante with a shocking amount of sustain and thrust. I am typically not a fan of notched wah filter pedals, but this one is an exception; it is inspiring as a both a filter and a boost, and it can transform a modestly crunchy amp into an arcane weapon of electric power in moments. The thrill of the wah sound and the fuzzlike distortion working in concert is not only fun, but inspiring. I challenge any player not to tap into their inner lead guitarist when this pedal is engaged.
As with everything TWA puts out, this piece is worth the price of admission. It's small, durable, cool looking, and offers a limitless range of harmonically rich tones that will excite any rig. You owe it to yourself to play the volcano - life's too short to skip out on the thrills. Wield the power of the Triskelion, and peel the paint off of the studio walls!
Love this pedal! It manages to cut through any band mix and does the somewhat raspy parked wah thing…but remains musical and not ice-picky throughout the range of the filter sweep!
Godlyke’s customer service is fantastic and response time is great too!
As soon as I dropped the Triskelion Mk.III in my pedal chain and activated it; the deal was sealed.
This is now THE sole pedal and I've teamed it with an expression pedal so it has also become my only Wah. With an EQ pedal and before my overdrives (that's right, before) the Triskelion has the dual clout to provide enough gain to shift the earth off rotation, and provide really useful mid-focussed tweakability via the expression input.
Like Mick Ronson crawled into the ears of Eddie Hazel, this thing is legit!
As soon as I dropped the Triskelion Mk.III in my pedal chain and activated it; the deal was sealed.
This is now THE sole pedal and I've teamed it with an expression pedal so it has also become my only Wah. With an EQ pedal and before my overdrives (that's right, before) the Triskelion has the dual clout to provide enough gain to shift the earth off rotation, and provide really useful mid-focussed tweakability via the expression input.
Like Mick Ronson crawled into the ears of Eddie Hazel, this thing is legit!
I have had this pedal for a few months. I tried everything i could to get my expression pedal to work with it, after seeing all the cool YouTube vids of players using it. I emailed TWA and thanks to Kevin B it works. The customer service i received was unrivaled and the fact that that i received a reply not long after my inquiry; shows that these people care. This will definitely not be my last TWA piece, especially after all the great help and tips i received from Kevin. My tone is killer and the Triskelion has taken it to a different level of killer now. I can’t say enough good things about the pedal, or the company or the customer service. I’m beyond elated and satisfied. Five stars for Kevin and TWA and Godlyke. Y’all rule.