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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The folks at MXR have a rich, storied tradition of making wonderful effects pedals, some straightforward and some really wild and out there. Today’s unit, the Joshua Ambient Echo, mixes those two together, creating an inviting and exploratory sonic stew that you’ll want to consume over and over. And over again. Partnering up with our friends at Sweetwater, we’re gonna deep dive into this amazing machine and see just...
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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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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) Favorite Pedal Brands for Specific Pedal Types By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Of course many guitar effects unit builders create pedals that provide a variety of methods to change the signal. If you like sticking to one brand, that...
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Flanging. Players love it and players hate it, but it has had an effect (pun intended) on music since its inception decades ago, and we think it’s a great tool to use for musical experimentation. Sometimes, however, flange units can get too crazy, almost to the point of unusability for some genres – that’s why we really dig today’s pedal, the M152 Micro Flanger from MXR and Dunlop Manufacturing. With two simple...
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There’s something about a really good phaser that makes your entire rig seem to just com alive. Alright, phaser-haters, just move right along to the next review. For the rest of us sane-folk, we’re here today to discuss the classic Phase 45 Vintage Script Phaser – the one from the 1970’s, mind you, not the Dunlop reissue, in case you were wondering. This true piece of phaser history only features one knob,...
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If you haven’t heard, played or owned the Carbon Copy Analog Delay from Jim Dunlop and MXR, you’re one of few. This thing burst onto the effects pedal scene almost a decade ago, and has continued to top the lists of modern analog delays around the world. Simple to use, with great tones and warm modulation, it embodies everything we love about old echo units. But, as perfect as this delay is, there’s always room for...
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A good looper pedal can be the missing piece to a musical puzzle you’ve been building for years, but just didn’t know how to complete. There are a lot of choices out there, some of which can be extremely daunting, especially if you’re new to the looper scene. Thankfully, we’ve got the MXR Clone Looper Pedal to check out today, and folks, this one is easy to use, has some cool features and, most of all, sounds...
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The Carbon Copy from MXR and Jim Dunlop has become a real leader in the way of modern analog delay pedals over the last decade, so it was a welcome sight to see that they decided to release another version of this gem. The Carbon Copy Bright gives you everything that you’ve come to know and love about the original, with a bit of a twist. Let’s see what this lime green gem has in store for us today…. As with the...
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We dig a good reverb pedal, and we figured this new line of MXR pedals would have a pretty good one when they finally released it. In short, we were right. The M300 Reverb features SIX selectable reverb types, along with 3 basic control knobs, to give you more reverberated sounds than you’ll know how to use, but will have a blast figuring out just how to do so. For the control section, Decay, Tone and Mix are all you need to...
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Analog Delay. You love it, we love, almost anyone who listens to any music made in the last 3+ decades loves it (or they damn well should). Today’s featured pedal is one of the most recognizable and oft-used of these warm and modulated gems, due in part to its pronounced bright green solid enclosure. The M-118 Analog Delay from MXR is steeped in delay history, and with all the sounds you could want oozing out of every crack and...
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I have found that a lot of old pedals, like from the ’70s old, like ME old, really rock. Hard. Today’s pedal is absolutely no exception, and has been used by some of rock and roll’s most famous guitarists as well. The Distortion + from MXR has a bit of a misleading name, as it is definitely more of an overdrive, but can get into relatively chunky territory with ease. A pretty easy to use pedal, there’s really...
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I knew not what I was getting myself into. I think, at some point, most of us buy some piece of gear because someone we admire uses it. For me, that was the MXR Blue Box. True Page uses it on “Fool In The Rain” but I became interested because Jesse Lacey of Brand New uses it. And on top of that, new it’s fairly cheap, as far as pedals go. The Blue Box also introduced me to some terrific noises. A fuzzy, synthy, sub-octavey box is how...
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If you dig Van Halen (not Van Hagar), and you play guitar, you’ve probably always wanted to be able to rock out the beginnings of both “Unchained” and “And The Cradle Will Rock…”, haven’t you? Well, there are some imitators out there, that will try to dazzle you with a bunch of nonsense and Tom Foolery, but the only way to TRULY get those jet engine sounds is by using the original: the MXR...
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Let’s face it: a true 60’s Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe is NOT a very viable monetary option for most of us guitarists, as they sell regularly for over $1200. Now, those who can afford them apparently love ’em, and we’ve all heard their sound on numerous classic recordings through the years. Names like Hendrix, Gilmour, Trower and Anastasio immediately spring to mind when mentioning this brilliant effect, and for many of...
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I bought this used at very low price… I didn’t expect much on the pedal. I just wanted a decent backup either for my CM plexitone or my amp dirty channel. This provides bluesy 70’s rock tone more than just “ok.” Considering its price, there is some great tones for players to get out of this box. Nice vintage style hard clipping. One thing I don’t like about the box is how the tone stack is shaped....
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In a world filled with boutique builders and Klon copies and Deluxe Memory Man wannabes, MXR has been churning out quality analog greatness for decades and are still sort of flying under the radar. The MXR M78 Custom Badass ’78 Distortion is another example of MXR greatness. While not completely original, the custom badass series wasn’t intended to be. While drawing from a “classic circuits”, the series offers...
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Look on any pro player’s pedalboard and you will find a little orange one-knob wonder. The Phase 90 is a timeless pedal. The swirly goodness has reached to every genre and to probably every electric instrument ever played (not to mention to studio use on drums and vocals!). Now, in researching this pedal you will find there are two versions: the older “script” model, which offers warmer phase shifting, and the...
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The MC404 Custom Audio Electronics Wah was developed by Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Electronics and the Cry Baby design team with the goal of creating a highly versatile wah-wah of top-grade components. It features dual Fasel inductors with two distinct voices (high-end emphasis or low to mid resonance), and a built-in MXR MC401 Boost/LineDriver adds even more flexibility. Choose between inductors and turn the boost on or off with...
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As far as modern (affordable) analog delays are concerned, you’re be hard pressed to find a better pedal than the Carbon Copy Analog Delay from MXR. The 600ms of delay time is ample for most applications, almost twice what a lot of older delays offer, and you can dial in that classic slap back sound with ease. Plus, the optional Modulation button adds more tones and possibilities to your arsenal, and you can even trim the...
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