We recently had the pleasure of building our very own Klon clone, courtesy of JHS Pedals and their NOTAKLÖN DIY Overdrive Boost. Today, we’re doing it again, this time via the Hagerman Amplification TUBEKLØN Mythical Beast Tube Overdrive Kit. Here, you can once again build your own pedal with pre-fabricated parts, but this one has a REAL tube inside, for some of the warmest Klon-type tones we’ve ever heard…
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There’s not a lot that’s better than plugging in your favorite Overdrive pedal, cranking up a good amplifier and hitting an E, G or D chord of your choice and letting it ring out, is there? Well, the short answer is YES, if you have a pedal like the AmpMojo Sol Drive Responsive Tube Overdrive. This one has an ACTUAL TUBE inside, bringing warm and inviting drive sounds anywhere and everywhere you need them to be… The...
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We all get excited when there’s a new release from Walrus Audio, as they’ve been at the forefront of effects pedal innovation for well over a decade now. Today, we’re stoked to bring you their latest creation, the Silt Harmonic Tube Fuzz, a powerful pedal that utilizes a real tube to create some unique and punchy fuzz tones. Let’s see what the Walrus crew has to say about their latest masterpiece… Grab a...
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A good tube amp is hard to beat, but what if you could harness that sound and put it right into an effect-sized enclosure, complete with actual tubes? That’s what happened with today’s pedal, the Electron Brothers Brass Knuckle High-Voltage All-Tube Overdrive. This big yellow beast uses an all-tube signal path to create the harmonically rich overdrive tones only tubes can…let’s dive right in! Although based on...
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The Dreivoost All-Tube High-Gain Boost was created when Will from EEIDI FX / Third Age Amplifiers saw Fluff (Ryan Bruce) and Ola Englund on YouTube using TS style pedals to boost their Dual Rectifiers, and realized the amplifier tone could be preserved 100% by using a tube boost. This provided the gain kick they wanted with the choice of full range or treble boost. 11 years later, this powerful pedal will do just that…and...
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Love it or hate it, the Ibanez Tube Screamer, in all its iterations, is a staple in the world of guitar overdrive effects. With its characteristic mid-range boost and bright green enclosure, it works with rock, blues, metal and more, becoming part of many famous guitarists’ signature sounds. Its stock version, however, can leave some wanting more, and that’s where today’s pedal comes in – the TS9 Tube Screamer...
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Effects pedals with one footswitch are great…but TWO footswitches? You know you’re in for a real treat. Such is the case with today’s mammoth beast, the Crossfire Overdrive Preamp from Crazy Tube Circuits. Inspired by one of the most iconic Pedal/Amp combinations in musical history, this two-sided gem shapes your tone, pushes your amp and much, much more… The left side is voiced after the blackface amps that...
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We can’t get enough of the effects coming out of the Mozztronics camp, and we’re so honored to bring another brilliant creation to you all today. Using a real 12AX7 tube internally, the TD-2 HV Tube Driver provides authentic, crunchy tube amp tone, with an easy control section for instant overdriven glory. Three knobs doesn’t give you the whole story, so let’s go for a ride and see what this orange beauty is...
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Love ’em or hate ’em, compressors have a place in the musical world – on vocal/instrument microphones, recording/studio gear, interface plugins and, of course, pedalboards. Today’s squishy treat comes to us by way of our friends at Crazy Tube Circuits, improving on one of their existing creations. The φ (Phi) Golden Ratio Compressor is an all-analog unit that’s been ungraded to include 3 separate...
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Let’s head back in TI:ME today, into the land of warm delays and vintage echoes. With a nod to classic echo units of the past, the Crazy Tube Circuits TI:ME Echo Delay is a retro-inspired machine, capable of instantly warming your tone. With separate analog and digital paths, tap tempo, modulation and more, this little pedal has a LOT going on. The all analog signal path in the TI:ME Echo Delay features a high-quality opamp,...
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We just fell in love with the wild modulation, wicked delay and gorgeous reverb found in the Crazy Tube Circuits Sidekick when we recently demoed it, and are excited to delve into one particular aspect of that pedal today. The Splash Mk4 Reverb takes elements from said Sidekick, as well as the last version, the Splash mk3, plus adds in a couple new ones for your ambient enjoyment. So much fun in such a small box, we’ll never...
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Combining multiple effects into one enclosure should be a no-brainer, right? Well, we love when boxes like this come through the office, and we’ve got another incredible piece of gear to show you today. The Crazy Tube Circuits Sidekick Reverb Delay Modulation brings together, well, FOUR of your favorite effects, placing them all in one pedal with multiple options for each sonic layer. You’re gonna like this one…...
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When a pedal utilizes an ACTUAL tube to produce an overdriven tone, we’re immediately on board. When a company uses a tube in the CORRECT way, to bring out all of the tonal beauty a tube-driven effect should have, we fall head over heels for it. The Mozztronics TD-1 Tube Driver Overdrive accomplishes this feat with just a couple of knobs, a 3-way toggle and some genius internal circuitry. Let’s give this gem a warm...
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The Micro Terror from Orange Amps has been a staple of our gear for years here around the shop, so we were super-stoked when we got word that Orange was sending us their latest small amp concoction. The Terror Stamp 20W Hybrid Tube Pedal Amp is a pedalboard-friendly piece of gear, for sure, measuring just 5.4″ x 2.4″ x 3.9″, but it still brings all the power and tone you’re used to from an Orange amplifier....
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Overdrive pedals that use actual tubes in them are not very common, but we checked on out a couple weeks ago (the Xtonebox Plexi Heritage), and are going to check out another one today! Yay Us! Today’s gem, the GlassJaw, comes to us from Vibrato, LLC, and is a high voltage vacuum tube overdrive pedal.With a dead simple control section and warm, sweet-sounding, amp-driving tones pouring from it, this is the kind of pedal...
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We’ve all been trying to find THAT amp-in-a-box sound forever, it seems, right? A lot of good pedals have come out that have achieved this goal pretty well, but to really make it convincing, you’ve got to have real tubes, and that just isn’t always possible. Fortunately, we have a unit today for you that utilizes TWO real preamp tubes to bring you a faithful recreation of the 1987 Marshall Plexi amp. Ladies and...
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While we mostly review and demo pedal around here, it’s always fun to have something a bit different come rolling through. Today, we’re switching gears and talking about another fantastic subject related to guitars and pedals: AMPS. Let’d face it – without these guys, music wouldn’t be what it is today, and with so many different varieties, variations and options to choose from today, we’re living...
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Sometimes, huge things arrive in extremely small packages. At just 3.5″ x 3.5″ x 3.5″, today’s featured pedal packs a big punch while taking up minimal real estate on your pedalboard. The Oscar from Night Owl Industries is an all-tube preamp, designed to boost your signal, overdrive a distortion pedal, bring out the best in your amplifier and more, fitting in to any rig around. The Oscar uses either an EF86...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Jerry Gentry, and uses a familiar effects pedal in a completely new and creative way. If you’re into the Vibraphone, or know anyone who might be as well, this review is for you! Check out Electric Vibes on Facebook and here on Write Off Records’ website – thanks again, Jerry! Tube amps produce a sound which is distinctive. In the reinforcement of the aural signal they can be...
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Effects pedals with actual tubes in them are just the best, right? They produce a comfortable, inviting sound and feeling when engaged, one that you don’t want to give up…ever. Today’s pedal does just that and more – the Tube Factor Overdrive from Hughes & Kettner promises to take your sound up a notch, maybe even to 11 if you’re lucky… As far as controls go, there are three knobs on the Tube...
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Look, effects pedals that have tube built in are just plain rad. There’s a warmth and energy that they bring forth that is hard to capture otherwise, and we always love getting these types of effects into the shop. Today, we’re going to look at the now-discontinued Tonebone Classic Tube Distortion from Radial Engineering, makers of fine tube-filled gear. Let’s see what’s under the hood with this beast, k? Level...
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We’ve had the pleasure of reviewing and testing out a couple of pedals from Crazy Tube Circuits here in the past, and since they were all in the dirt box category, we were pretty stoked when they sent us a reverb pedal, just to mix it up a little bit. Well, the Splash Mk3 Reverb did not disappoint in the least, further confirming that now is a true golden age of pedal production on Earth. Coming to you all the way from Greece,...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Max F. – find him on SoundCloud (@MaxFaith)! Darkglass Electronics’ products are quickly becoming the hottest way to sculpt tone in the bass world. The Finnish company makes some of the most musical bass preamps, distortions, and amps on the market right now. Today’s pedal is the Darkglass Microtubes B3K Bass Overdrive. The B3K Overdrive has simple and intuitive controls for sculpting a wide...
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Let’s face it: we all love delay. Sure, you can tell your friends or your buddies in the local death metal band that delay is weak and has no place in music, but as soon as you get home, you bust out your favorite delay and noodle for hours. You can admit it. Speaking of killer delays, today’s featured “pedal” just might top the list for modern analog echo recreations, and certainly holds a spot near the top of...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Christian E. – you can find him on Instagram (@chriespiritu) or on his band’s Facebook page (Story Of April). The Tube Screamer is probably the most famous pedal of all time and it has its spot on pedalboards of players from all over the world. The pedal itself is built like a tank. The all metal construction makes a very solid stompbox and you’ll feel like you could gig...
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One of my guitar heroes, Nels Cline, is a super effects junkie, like many of us, and I always liked how diverse and cool his rigs have been over the years. He’s also gotten me to try out numerous pedals, and today’s featured pedal is one that I wanted to get my hands on as soon I could after seeing his Rig Rundown. Having reviewed the Stardust from Crazy Tube Circuits, I wanted something a bit heavier and crunchier, and...
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I’d always heard good things about the TS10 Tube Screamer, and if Stevie Ray Vaughn and Mike McCready used it (and even John Mayer, too!), it had to be AOK in my book. Having reviewed and played many different iterations of the infamous Tube Screamer over the years, I had never had the opportunity to play one of these bad boys, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. TS9 and TS808 comparisons aside, the TS10 has an ongoing...
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The classic Tube Screamer, in its many early variations, is considered by many guitarists as the top dog in the overdrive department, and that can be evidenced by the numerous attempts to recreate that signature sound by pedal companies across the world. With a surge of pedals focusing on smaller footprints and less pedalboard space, Ibanez decided to follow suit and release the Tube Screamer Mini, a micro version of their overdrive...
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As much as I enjoy a nice, small delay pedal that fits beautifully onto my pedalboard, I love the big box delay pedals, the ones that take up too much real estate but sound so incredible that you don’t mind the size whatsoever. In an attempt to satisfy my delay obsession, I may or may not have purchased a number of these pedals over the years, and one that I really dig is the Plush REP-3 Tube-Voiced Delay from our friends at...
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Tube Screamers: you love ’em or you hate ’em, so far as I can tell. The stock ones that I’ve played have never really overly impressed me much (although I’ve never had the opportunity to play one of the old classics from the early 80s) – they’re nice overdrives, but nothing too spectacular, in my book. The 808 we’re reviewing today is one of the reissues, but it has been modded by Analog Man,...
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I first came across the Greece-based company Crazy Tube Circuits when I was listening to a Rig Rundown with Nels Cline, as he is a big fan of their pedals, so I thought I’d check ’em out. The first one I got my hands on was the Stardust Overdrive, which is a highly-responsive and amp-like pedal, perfect for almost any guitar situation, and a worthy comrade to take into the studio with you as well. This pedal, aside from...
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I’ve never been a huge fan of the classic Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. There, I said it. It might be because I’ve never had the opportunity to play one of the “great ones” from the early 80’s, or maybe it’s just how they’ve always reacted with the amps I’ve played, but it just never grabbed me like it has other folks. So, I was a little skeptical to try the TS9 Strong Mod from JHS Pedals,...
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Another overdrive? Well, it’s true, but this is a fun one…well, let’s face it, they’re all pretty fun! Today’s fun-time stompbox comes to you all the way from Finland via Darkglass Electronics, and they’re tasty pedal is the Microtubes Vintage Overdrive. Four knobs seems simple enough, and it basically is. Level adds or subtracts more or less overall volume output from the pedal, Drive controls the...
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Just take a look at this thing…recognize it? Then you’re probably not under 20 years old, as it seems these things have become somewhat of an underground legend. The Tube Driver, in this particular case from Chandler Industries in San Francisco, has been a staple on many famous and influential guitarists, even if you might not know where their killer overdrive tone was coming from. Granted, these all don’t sound the...
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Alchemy Audio is a small company based out of Chicago, and the majority of their work stems from performing great upgrades to some of the most famous guitar effects pedals ever created, such as the ProCo Rat, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, a slew of Boss pedals and, of course, the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. As most of you know, this pedal is a classic overdrive, used by countless artists since its release in 1982. A good pedal on...
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To really test this pedal, I wanted to run it through an solid state amp, to see how much “tube tone” it would actually add to a sound not produced by tubes in the first place. However, I only have 1 solid state amp, and it’s a little ZT Lunchbox. Maybe not the best demo amp, but I figured if I could coax a warm tube sound out of it, then this pedal was doing its job. Well, it did, and then some. For starters, it...
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For those searching for the modern metal djenty tone, the Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer is best used with the overdrive on 0 so all gain comes from the amp. The pedal is great and the reviews speak for themselves, but Keeley is a god – he can bring things out of pedals you didn’t know existed. So much middle and the bass is as tight as it gets, it’s a stand alone pedal and the most interesting things happen in the...
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Today, we have a fairly rare effects unit for you all to enjoy. Though mainly focused on digital music production and hardware, Akai Professional has dipped into the world of pedals here and again (we love their HeadRush Delay/Echo/Looper), and one of those is our pedal of the day. The Analog Custom Shop Phase Shifter conjures up shades of classic phasing and modulation, while giving you a unique approach to how the effect is...
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After checking out their Pet Yeti Distortion Fuzz pedal, I couldn’t wait to see what was next from the folks at Cosmodio Instruments. Well, the day has finally arrived – help us as we welcome into the world the Gravity Well Analog Wavefolder, Tremolo & Sonic Refractor!! Taking modulation and flipping it around, stretching its boundaries and destroying preconceived notions along the way, this options-laden machine will...
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We love a new release from the crew at Chase Bliss, and are excited as always to bring you their latest creation today. A unique and out-of-the-ordinary pedal (like most of theirs are), the Clean Creative Compressor takes everything you thought you knew about compression and completely flips it upside down. The basics are there, of course, and sound great, but once you start diving into this one, the sonic possibilities are, once...
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We love a good musician/pedal company collaboration, and today’s brings you three different effects in one very pedalboard-friendly package. Designed specifically to famed guitarist Jack White’s specs, the Triple Threat is a multi-effect collab between Donner and Third Man, bringing three of Jack’s favorite sounds together in a beautiful way. Combining distortion, phasing and echo into one pedal, we ask: what more...
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The pedal creations that come from Supercool Pedals are always great-looking, great-sounding and creative, all the things you want from an effects unit. Today, we’ve got their latest release, a take on a classic, but with their signature Supercool spin on it. The Barstow Bat Distortion is reminiscent of a certain small, black box from the 80’s, with a couple twists and turns to bring a vintage circuit into the modern...
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We’re back with another wild, amazing, unconventional effects machine from the crew at Old Blood Noise Endeavors today! Although it has been discontinued, the Mondegreen Modulated Delay is still readily available on the used market, and it is one of the crazier, more inspiring delays I’ve played in quite a while. Feeding delay into modulation, the crazy possibilities of a pedal like this are basically limitless…if...
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Although we don’t review bass pedals around here a lot, I always love when they come through, as it forces me to step out of my usual zone and work on something I should be putting more effort into on a regular basis. Today’s pedal, the Trondheim Audio Devices SkarBassOne Analog Bass Compressor EQ Overdrive, wraps three pedals into one, giving you a perfect tone shaper with a little bit of bite if you need it. You can tell...
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We’re back today with the latest incarnation of the amazing Ampero Series of multi-effects units from our friends at Hotone. This latest one, the Ampero II CDCM HD Gen 2 Amp Modeler / Effects Processor, brings familiar layouts, options and connectivity together with some new innovations, upgrades and sonic improvements. If you can’t already tell from the photos, this is a complex machine, with lots to discover…but...
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Loopers have got to be one of the funnest musical inventions ever made…for guitarists, at least. You can lose yourself for many hours crafting new sounds, writing licks, melodies and even full songs in one sitting. Today’s pedal, the TC Electronic Ditto X2 Stereo Looper, gives you up to FIVE MINUTES of record time, along with unlimited overdubs, new effects and functionality and more… Grab a Ditto X2 Looper from...
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Delay pedals are the greatest, and when there are basically three of the finest echo sounds ever created crammed into one single enclosure, you can’t help but get excited. That is exactly the case with today’s pedal, the newly released Flight Delay from our friends at JHS Pedals. Combining three wonderful delay circuit choices with a robust but uncomplicated control section, this is an easy effect to use, and to create...
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My buddy Anthony from Marla Amplification gave me a huge bag of pedals to check out, and one of the many gems I discovered inside was the Dunn Effects Deceiver Distortion. Now, I can’t hardly find out squat about this pedal on the interwebs, so it must be really rare, or a one-off, or discontinued or something…either way, it looks slick and sounds amazing. Let’s jump in and see what this familiar-ish layout has to...
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The good folks at StewMac carry just about every item you need to make your musical dreams come true, from luthier tools to parts & hardware to amps and yes, even Pedals. Today, we’re looking at their latest pedal kit, the International House of Overdrive. You’ll step right into the world of classic overdrive tones, and learn a thing or two about what goes into making effects pedals along the way…c’mon!!...
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Next to Delay, Phasers just might be my favorite effect genre. It can add a little sparkle, change your tone slightly or send your listeners and recordings right into outer space with ease. Today’s pedal builds on a classic, tried-and-true unit from loooooong ago, putting a spin on a vintage sound from one of the greatest guitarists to ever walk this planet. The MXR EVH Phase 90 Phaser brings together the wonderful worlds of MXR...
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