When the crew at Lerxst Amps sent us the two pedals they designed with Alex Lifeson of Rush, we were, needless to say, stoked. The By-Tor Overdrive Boost was the first one, and it turned out to be an incredible amp-driving powerhouse. Today’s effect is the complimentary (if you know your Rush songs) Snow Dog Octave Fuzz. A completely different pedal and sound from the first one, the Snow Dog gets really dirty, adding elements to...
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The entire lineup of UAFX pedals from Universal Audio is amazing, let’s just be honest. With each new release, there’s another options-filled gem that gets our creativity flowing and takes our musical thinking and approach up a notch. Today’s pedal, the Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp, shifts things from a modulation/delay/reverb vibe to some classic amp-pushing, overdriven sounds from decades past… Grab a Lion...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Guitar Tricks presents A Look at the Vintage Pedal Market By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Vintage pedals are so popular that many modern manufacturers attempt to replicate them so there are more to go around! Not only do some pedals...
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We’re sooooooo excited to be a part of today’s pedal release, the latest and greatest from our friends at Eventide! This aqua blue beauty, the RipTide Uni-Vibe Overdrive, combines 2 classic effects into one very easy to use and incredible-sounding pedal. With no hidden features or a huge manual to decipher, this one lets you jump right into creating beautiful sounds…let’s see what it’s all about! RipTide...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Top Ten Iconic Guitar Pedal Effects Moments By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. There are so many guitar pedal moments to choose in songs, especially in hits starting in the 1980’s. Once pedals increased in popularity they became mixed...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) The Buzz on Distortion Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Ever since the electric guitar was invented guitarists and sound engineers have attempted to manipulate its signal. When you pluck the strings, the pickup changes sound waves into electrical energy, which can then be...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) What Are Modulating Guitar Pedals? By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer What is Modulation Modulation is simply changing or moving the original guitar signal. Most electric guitars have control built into them. The cheaper guitars mostly just allow tone and volume control, while...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) A Practical Look at Guitar Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Guitar pedals are an incredible way to sculpt the final sound from your guitar, they provide amazing effects at just the push of a button. In some cases they are even necessary to get the right sound for a particular...
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Richard Fortus St. Louis Guns N’ Roses https://www.4tus.com/ https://www.gunsnroses.com/ Past bands – Pale Divine, Psychedelic Furs, Love Spit Love, Thin Lizzy, Honky Toast, Rihanna How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Started on violin when I was 5 and studied the Suzuki method. Also started playing drums around the same time. Started on guitar around 12. My father was an accountant,...
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Greg Loiacono & Tim Bluhm Marin County, CA / Fairfax, CA The Mother Hips motherhips.com Greg Loiacono Band gregloiacono.com Green Leaf Rustlers Tim Bluhm w/ The Coffis Brothers timbluhm.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Greg Loiacono: I started playing guitar at age 11. I wanted to learn as soon as I heard “Purple Haze” for the first time. I stopped for a bit and got back...
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It seems like there’ve been a bunch of chorus and vibrato sounds coming through the office as of late, and more are actually on the way. Smack dab in the middle, we’ve got today’s gorgeous Univibe-esque piece of gear, the R WEAVER FX Violet Vibe Chorus Vibrato. Harkening instantly back to the late 60’s/early 70’s, this purple beauty oozes classic and vintage tones, with specs that honor the original...
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In keeping with their unique brand of effects pedals that we’ve loved here for years, KMA Machines has come out with another innovative, intriguing gem of a pedal. The Moai Maea Analog Subsonic Octaver is an octave pedal, to be sure, but one like no other we’ve encountered. Spewing forth a plethora of both low and high-octave choices, you’re able to mix and match tones to produce some special sounds with the greatest...
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The Fuzz Face is one of the most iconic fuzz, if not all-time, pedals in existence. Utilized smartly by the likes of Hendrix, Gilmour, SRV, Duane Allman and many more, it has a defining quality that has been heard on countless recordings. While the originals are not the easiest to find, or keep in perfect working order, we have pedals like today’s that allow us peasant-folk to experience the sonic sounds of the masters. The...
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Hey everyone! I’m Evan Miller, the guitar player from the band Funk You. www.funkyoumusic.com www.facebook.com/funkyoumusic www.youtube.com/funkyouaugusta Instagram – @funkyoumusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Ive been playing in bands for the past 15 years but I started on the piano around the age of 10 years old. My grandma played the piano for our church, so I was drawn...
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The Legends of Fuzz series from JHS Pedals is a tribute to the world’s most historic, rare, and sought after fuzz circuits. Since the originals are extremely hard-to-find, extremely expensive when you do and prone to the problems electronics might have after 50 years, this series brings these sounds and tones to the masses, for all to enjoy. There are four pedals in all, and we’re going to run through each one, what they...
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The sound of the Uni-Vibe® effect is really specific, and completely unmistakable. Made famous by Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, David Gilmour and many more, this swirling, pulsing phaser-infused vibrato chorus effect has been heard on countless classic recording over the decades, and adds a bit of depth and dimension to any music it happens to come into contact with. Today, we’re going to look at one of the now-most-famous...
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Ori Naftaly Southern Avenue www.southernavenuemusic.com https://facebook.com/SouthernAvenueMusic/ https://www.instagram.com/southernavenuemusic/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 5 years old. I remember listening to my dads record collection that was full of Jazz, Blues, Funk and British rock from the 60s and 70s. I had an amazing mentor called Tony...
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From BB King to SRV to Hendrix to the Smashing Pumpkins to Paul Kossoff and more, the Vibrato effect has been employed throughout the decades, through both effects and playing technique. The results have been a mixed bag of emotional, soaring leads, unforgettable licks and drawn-out chordal arrangements for some of the most memorable music around. We’re going to explore this genre a bit more today, with the VIB1 Vibrato pedal...
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There’s no shortage of incredible effects pouring out of the Keeley Electronics office, and with each one, we’re taken aback a bit by the sheer ingenuity and creativity they possess, especially the Workstation Series. Looking at another one of those today, we’re excited to bring you the Dark Side, a Fuzz Delay Phaser Vibe Flanger extravaganza, with tasty fuzz tones and all the modulation you can handle. Conjuring up...
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Brandon “Taz” Niederauer tazguitar.com @brandonniederauer @NiederauerMusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been playing guitar since I was eight years old. I became fascinated with my father’s album and video collection and was listening to The Allman Brothers and other guitar and jazz music. When I went to my first concert at eight, I knew I wanted to play. Who...
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Anthony Thogmartin Papadosio EarthCry www.papadosio.com earthcry.net How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Music has always been a huge part of my life. My father apparently sung to me while I was still in the womb. My mother used to play me to sleep with her violin. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? In my early days I discovered Hendrix, Jethro Tull,...
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Today’s Guest reviewer is Brian Johnston – you can find him and more demo videos he’s done on his YouTube channel, CoolGuitarGear – click now! Thanks again, Brian, looking forward to more! SOUND: The 2 SA 202 model (named after the type of transistors used) of Vintage Fuzz II replicates the famous Fuzz Face sound of Jimi Hendrix. However, unlike older models of fuzz (and even some current ones), this fuzz is...
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Patrick Garland Houston, Texas GARLAND FX garlandfx.bigcartel.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’m 33 years old, and started playing guitar at age 10 – so about 23 years. 20 on electric guitar. The first guitar I ever played was my mom’s Guild Madiera from 1970. My mom uses it for playing music to pre-schoolers – she’s quite talented and can play and sing. I also still...
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We recently had the opportunity to check out the Distortion 1 from LunaStone Pedals, and were more than impressed with its build, layout and incredible sound quality. Following in those exact footsteps, today’s pedal from LunaStone is a different animal overall, but retains the quality that these guys are putting out in their effects. The Red Fuzz 1 gives you the feel and power of a true Marshall stack in a small box that will...
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Kyle Ciarrocchi Guam Brand New Crescent Moon facebook.com/theguamband facebook.com/brandnewcrescentmoon How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started seriously playing guitar when I was 11 years old, then joined School of Rock when I was 14, and have been performing since. I always was exposed to great music that my dad showed me, his favorites (which I grew up on) like The Grateful Dead and...
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The Uni-Vibe is an iconic effect, whether coming from Hendrix and Band of Gypsy’s “Machine Gun,” Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” or multiple tracks from “Dark Side of the Moon” from Pink Floyd, you’ve heard it before many times, and chances are you dig it. Today’s pedal seeks to re-create those iconic effects units of the past, with a couple new enhancements as well. The...
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Bob Feldman Shin-ei Austin, TX USA www.shin-ei.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar since 1965. That’s fifty-three years! Damn!! I had friends from school and the neighborhood that played guitar and other instruments. They got me interested in playing. I tried trumpet for about a New York minute but fell right into the guitar and haven’t put it down since. Who have...
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Matt Olson Onalaska, WI Mattoverse Electronics mattoverse.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician for about 22 years now. I started playing guitar when I was 14, after a close friend and future bandmate suggested we pick up guitars and put down the Nintendo Game Boy. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I was born in 1981 and grew up in...
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John Mark McMillan Nashville, TN www.johnmarkmcmillan.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been trying to play music since I was in my late teens. One afternoon a good buddy of mine brought his guitar over to the house and could play all these REM, Weezer, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana songs form the radio. I wasn’t good at sports so I figured guitar would be a better way to impress girls....
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Michael Parker Seattle, WA – The People’s Republic of the USA I play guitar & keys in the band Pickwick www.pickwickmusic.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was in the 8th grade on a whim. I had a friend who was a drummer and needed some people to jam with. He recruited me basically because I was in the room and had nothing better to do. He...
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Efren Castro Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Paradox Effects www.paradoxeffects.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Since I was 11, I’m currently 30. I started playing bass on my own and then got together with a few friends to play some Misfits covers. I think one of the reasons I got through most of the days playing instruments was to keep myself away from the streets of my hood,...
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After we brought you our review of the first pedal in the Animals Pedal lineup, the Rust Rod Fuzz, we now bring you the second out of five total pedals. The Car Crush is a Chorus and Vibrato pedal, an excellent modulation device that gives you the ability to span different musical eras and decades with ease. Tap into your inner Jimi with the click of a button, create sounds from the Summer of Love and even morph your sound to fit...
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Chris Benson Portland, OR Benson Amps www.bensonamps.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician since I first started banging on a piano and found a simple melody to pick out. I think it was at a Christmas party when I was 5 at a neighbors house. Music has been a huge part of my life, and has been huge part of my identity for as long as I can remember. Building amplifiers...
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DEVON ALLMAN The Devon Allman Band: ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA, EARTH THE SLAYS: MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, USA, EARTH devonallmanband.com theslays.com (coming soon) How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? At 5, the vinyl bug bit me and it was love at first spin. At 9, the live music bug bit me when Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick pulled out the 5-neck guitar at my first concert. But as for me playing…I...
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Matt Jalbert New York TAUK http://taukband.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician pretty much all of my life. My mom had me and my brothers learning how to read music and play from a young age. I started out on the violin and it lasted maybe a couple of weeks before I decided it wasn’t for me and asked if I could try guitar. Right away there was a connection...
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Chris Houser Dayton, Ohio The Werks thewerksmusic.com We’re trying something new today – our first face-to-face Interview! We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Chris when he was in Boise for Treefort a couple weeks ago, here’s what we talked about: [Pedal of the Day] Where are you guys from? [Chris Houser] I’m from Dayton, Ohio. Overall, we’re just from Ohio – half the band lives in Columbus,...
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Sean Wright Traverse City, Michigan Co-owner of Lollygagger FX www.lollygaggerfx.com info@lollygaggerfx.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I first started out as a frustrated drummer who would keep time like a broken clock….at least twice during the song I’d be in time. I think I was 16 when I started playing an instrument. A year later we moved into an apartment and that was...
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Matt Johnson Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Tortuga Effects www.tortugaeffects.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar and bass for 26 years, but started as a musician on cello, three years before that. I remember wanting to play cello because being in the school band meant you had to blow into things. I didn’t want to do that. I also didn’t want to sit in my classroom during...
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Chris Vos The Record Company Los Angeles, CA www.therecordcompany.net facebook.com/therecordcompany How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been obsessed with music since before I can remember and I’ve playing it since about 8th grade. I was a dairy farm kid so I didn’t really have access to electric guitars until I reached a certain age and knew I wanted one. By the end of...
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Chuck Garvey Cincinnati, OH moe. www.moe.org Ha Ha The Moose @chukg on Twitter moechukg on Instagram How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing instruments when I was young, just hammering stuff out by ear on acoustic guitar and piano, but started lessons for Tenor saxophone when i was in 5th grade. Played sax for 8-9 years and also started to play more acoustic and electric guitar...
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Scott Hachey Denver, CO I play guitar and make faces with The Magic Beans: magicbeansmusic.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a gigging musician for almost 6 years now. Been playing music for over a decade now. Probably 15 years. Started on trumpet and moved on to guitar soon thereafter. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? Growing up in...
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Andy Fuchs Fuchs Audio Technology/Plush FX Pedals Div. 407 Getty Ave Second Floor West Clifton NJ 07011 973-772- 4420 www.fuchsaudiotechnology.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started messing with a broken old Eminee plastic guitar I found in the basement of my families music store when I was about ten. I guess around 14 or 15 years old I’d been playing flute in the school band...
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James Granuzzo Main.Ace.FX Colonia, NJ, not far from NYC www.mainacefx.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve played the guitar for almost as long as I can remember. When I first started discovering new music on my own as a kid it was the days of late 80s / early 90s alternative and grunge. I saw the people in these bands a normal accessible people, and not the rock-gods of the 70s and...
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We’ve got another classic pedal reproduction for you all today, and one that unequivocally and faithfully reproduces the sound, feel and vibe (pun intended) of the original units, with all the modern amenities we’re all always seeking out. The Vibe-Bro from Shin-Ei is an updated version of the classic Uni-Vibe machine, made famous for forty years by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Robin Trower and countless...
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Sean Williamson Milwaukee, WI, USA seanwilliamson.net twitter.com/thesituation Sam Llanas – samllanas.com Velocihamster – velocihamster.net Shonn Hinton & Shotgun – shonnsshotgun.com Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? David Gilmour has been a hero of mine since as long as I can remember, and was my inspiration to begin playing lap steel guitar, but like so many others my age, my playing was...
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Jared Scharff SNL Band guitarist Pearl Lion instrumental project Creator of “Unnecessary Shredding” YouTube series www.soundcloud.com/IamPearlLion www.youtube.com/JaredScharff Instagram: @ScharffIsHere Twitter: @ScharffIsHere SnapChat: JaredScharff Facebook: JaredScharffOfficial Facebook: Pearl Lion How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been in love with music since I was a kid and...
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Ryan McCaffrey McCaffrey Audio Stevens Point, WI www.mccaffreyaudio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been playing guitar since I was 6, so over 29 years ago. My dad, and a lot of his friends played guitar, which enticed me to observe and try to keep up with their playing. I began playing in a band when I was 12, and my buddy’s dad would let me play his 1966 Fender Jaguar in a...
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Mike Gantzer Guitarist for Aqueous Buffalo, NY https://aqueousband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/aqueousband/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Incidentally, when I first started playing music was in the 3rd grade with the standard issue recorder they give out to everyone, and i HATED it. haha I picked up trumpet for awhile, but I recall being sort of turned off with the rigidity of the...
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Celestial Effects 22 Kane Industrial Drive Hudson, MA 01749 800-343-4492 sales@celestialeffects.com www.celestialeffects.com How long have you guys been musicians? How did you each get into it in the first place? Dom: Thanks to my dad, who loved music but never played an instrument, my formal musical education came from playing trumpet and coronet from 3rd grade through high school. In high school I played in the concert band, wind...
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Let’s face it – the classic Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe sound works really, really well in some music…and not so much in others. Being that it might not be the friendliest effect on your board, it’s hard for a lot of folks to shell out a couple hundred dollars for a well-made recreation, or even harder to find (and afford) and original, much less one in good working condition. While these sought-after analog machines are...
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