We’ve been reviewing pedals from our friends at Stacks FX since 2015, and though it’s been a minute, we’re stoked to have some more of their gear in the shop. Today, we’re taking a look at the Ohms Series: Acid Cat Fuzz Distortion, a blistering dirt machine that’s primed to crush amps and eardrums alike. This original circuit takes your signal and sends it into brutally heavy territory with ease…...
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We LOVE a good reverb sound, whether subtle or pronounced, slight or bold, rockin’ or ambient. It’s not often, though, that a device comes through here that actually has SPRINGS in the reverb, and that’s one of the many reasons we’re stoked to bring you the Surfy Industries SurfyBear Compact Reverb Unit. This true spring reverb has a wonderful control section, authentic sound and a stylish, well-built...
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A few months back, we reviewed and demoed the NUX Tape Core Deluxe, an excellent vintage tape echo machine, with a ton of features packed into a small pedal. Well, NUX decided that they wanted to give us all more of that classic flavor, so we present to you the NDD-7 Tape Echo. A tribute to the Japanese-made Space Echo from 1974, offers all the essential components from the old machines, plus some modern features, for an incredible...
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A lot of overdrive pedals come through the office here. A LOT. As fun as they can be, and as good as they can sound, we like it when the circuits get crazy and offer some options we haven’t seen before. Such is the case with today’s Limited Edition pedal, the Spiral Electric FX Yellow Spiral LF351 Overdrive. With a rare opamp and 3 different texture settings, this one sounds different from any other drive we’ve come...
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Over the last 8 years, we’ve reviewed and demoed over 30 pedals from our friends at Walrus Audio, and they just keep getting better with each new release. There have already been two big ones in 2022 – the MAKO Series D1 High-Fidelity Stereo Delay V2, which we recently checked out, and today’s pedal, the MAKO Series M1 High-Fidelity Modulation Machine. This powerful blue beast tackles a wide spectrum of modulated...
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In continuing with our theme of unique and inspiring pedals this week, we’ve got another weird, wild effect for you today. From the amazing and disturbing mind of Lefa Pedals, the I DEEP THFUZZ combines elements of fuzz, distortion, octave and more into one HUG box. This one doesn’t f*ck around, folks, crushing and destroying everyone and everything in it’s musical path. Lots to explore, let’s jump right into...
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We live in an effects pedal world that can sometimes become saturated with run-of-the-mill 2- and 3-knob units that don’t necessarily stand out from the crowd. Today’s pedal, the VVco Pedals Sports Almanac Theremin, is the exact opposite of this, bringing new and exciting sonic ideas to the table. With just 2 knobs and 1 switch, it isn’t overly complex, but it will leave your head and ears spinning… The Sports...
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We love the pedals that our friend Mike Trombley over at NativeAudio has been putting out for years, having already checked out the Wilderness Delay, Kiaayo Overdrive and Rising Sun so far. We’re bringing another one to you this fine Saturday morning, the Pretty Woman Bird Chorus Vibrato, a modulation effect that’s perfect for all occasions. The Pretty Bird Woman is a preset-capable chorus and vibrato designed with an...
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We’ve got another Klon-inspired beauty to bring to you today, only this one takes everything up a couple notches. Recently, we had the pleasure of checking out the KCM-OD Silver V10 from Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals, and today we’re bringing you their next version, the KCM-OD Gold V9.0 Overdrive. Looking and sounding similar to a certain horsie-laden and ridiculously expensive pedal from the ’90s, this one has a...
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If you’re on the lookout for effects pedals with their own flavor, style and sound, make sure you stop and check out Googly Eyes Pedals. Making some wildly innovative and experimental gear, these guys top their previous pedals every time, and we’ve got another raucous gem for you today. The Fuzz Aldrin, besides having a great name, is a loud, unapologetic beast of a fuzz, with some fun parameters and a whole lot of...
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There aren’t a ton of effects pedals coming out of a city I lived in for 8 years, Boise, Idaho, so I’m proud to represent and bring a hand made gem to the masses today. The Red Velvet Overdrive Distortion from Vanilla Sundae Pedals looks deceivingly simple at first glance, but this crimson beauty is hiding some real power under the hood. Part overdrive, part distortion and all balls-out dirt, this bright beauty tears...
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Last month, we had our first taste of the power and presence of the pedals coming from Minotaur Sonic Terrors, in the form of the exquisite Saturnine Fuzz. We’re lucky enough to be able to check out a second effect from these guys today as well – the Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard. This fuzz/drive/distortion can easily cover all of your dirt needs, from ’70s-inspired overdrive to ultra-heavy, and everything in...
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With each new creation we see from Andrew and Mozztronics, we get a different lesson in circuitry, wiring, engineering and how to put squish amplifier tone into a pedal enclosure. Today is more of the same, as we’re investigating the MD-1 Mew Drive, which contains a circuit that uses cascaded JFET Mu amps to give a totally different sound to the screamer pedals, and all the variants (there are many). Lots of controls, lots of...
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The looks and sounds produced by vintage Maestro effects units have wowed musicians for decades – the Fuzz-Tone, Phase Shifter, Echoplex and more set the sonic bar high long ago. With those older effects being rare, expensive and full of maintenance, Gibson and Maestro have teamed up to release the ‘Original Collection’ of pedals, 5 different effects that lay the foundation for any rig or recording setup. Today,...
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Some pedals you just have to try to really see what they can do, most of the time due to a complex structure or a boatload of functions, options and parameters. The BigSky Multidimensional Reverberator from Strymon is most definitely one of these pedals. Boasting 12 different studio-class reverb machines, along with 8 separate parameter control knobs and 300 built-in presets, this is one machine that you MUST sit down with for many...
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Fuzz pedals come in many different shapes, sizes and configurations, each one producing its own brand of gnarly, amp-crushing distortion (to all of our delight). Today’s pedal, the Handy FX Whiteout Fuzz, is no different, utilizing a 4-knob control section to blast off through the fuzziest realms in all the land. And at an extremely affordable price point, there’s nothing not to love with this pristine-looking gem…...
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Delay…elay…lay…ay…y… We just can’t get enough of it, and today’s simple yet extremely impressive pedal shows just why that is. The Mythos Pedals Oracle Analog Echo pays homage to classic Japanese echo pedals, but is a unique circuit and not a direct clone of anything in particular. Don’t let the 3-knob layout fool you into thinking this is a regular old delay effect – ’cause...
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Delay and Reverb have got to be in the Top 3 effects of all time, and when you mix them together into one delicious sonic stew, the results can be downright unbelievable. Such is the case with today’s pedal, the majestic Prelude Delay Reverb from Quiet Theory. This 2-in-1 beauty brings ambience to the forefront instantly, transforming your tone and sound into a delightful array of washes, repeats and overall bliss. We’ve...
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What can you say about a good overdrive pedal? That feeling that sweeps over you when you plug it in, crank it up and hit your favorite chord is like nothing else. Today’s pedal, Poison Noises The Crook Overdrive V3, gives you all these feels and more, proving a wide sweep of sounds that will pummel and destroy your amp…but only if you want it to. The Crook isn’t your average three-knob overdrive pedal, no sir. The...
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We love wild, modulated, ambient machines, as do most of you out there, and we’ve got an amazing one for you today. The Vongon Ultrasheer Stereo Pitch Vibrato & Reverb not only looks incredible, but the sounds it produces are second-to-none. Weaving in and out of gorgeous, wide-spanning soundscapes, this powerful stereo effect combination is inspired by the early digital studio effects units of the late 1970’s. Capable of...
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When the first iteration of Walrus Audio’s MAKO Series: D1 High-Fidelity Stereo Delay was released, we couldn’t get our hands on one fast enough. A brilliant, feature-packed machine filled with everything you could want in a delay, we didn’t think they could improve upon it, or would need to. Well, we were wrong, and are excited to bring you the latest Version 2 of this powerhouse pedal today. The meat and potatoes...
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We love playing some FUNK, and what effects pedal is funkier then the classic Envelope Filter? None is the answer, none more funky. More importantly, more size doesn’t always mean MORE funk, as evidenced by today’s little yellow beauty. The Flamma Innovation FC11 Envelope Filter gives you all the ’70s disco guitar tone you could want, along with a slew of delicious auto-wah tones to keep everyone’s feet...
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We love a lot of knobs and switches on our pedals – who doesn’t?? The effects coming from Industrialectric, however, are in a musical category all their own, and today we’re looking at their System-46 Analog VCO. At first glance, this thing is extremely daunting, but after you plug it in and start playing around with it….well, it turns out your first instincts were correct. Let’s dive in and see if we can...
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Our friends at Googly Eyes Pedals create some weird and exciting effects units – so far, we’ve had the pleasure of checking out their Synthfuzzier and Delayviator pedals, and we’ve got another one today. A more straightforward, easy-to-control effect, the Gary Boosty is a booster that pays homage to one of the finest actors of our time. Both the effect and the actor get a little wild when cranked up, let’s dive...
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We’ve been reviewing effects and amp pedals from our friends at Orange Amps for a number of years now, and are always excited to see what they’ve got in store for their next release. We’ve got the latest from them for you today, in the form of the Guitar Butler Dual Channel Guitar Preamp. This monster has been tailored to provide comprehensive, exceptional service to your signal chain, as a standalone unit or as part...
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We love a good tremolo pedal, especially one that’s rooted in both musical history and cultural heritage. That’s why we’re excited today to bring you the NativeAudio Rising Sun V2 Optical Tremolo, a vintage-sounding modulation monster that expands on the technology found in vintage amplifiers. With an intuitive interface, incredible sounds and a great story to go with it, there’s a lot to get into here, so...
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The Mu-Tron Tremu-Tron is an optical tremolo effect which can be used as a “clean boost”, and features the famous Mu-Drive preamp from the original Mu-Tron III Envelope Filter. By utilizing an 18 volt dual-rail internal power supply, this effect provides a crisp, clean signal and high headroom. The Tremu-Tron utilizes Mu-Tron’s patented opto-mod technology to provide classic, hi-fidelity attenuation without extra noise...
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Last month, we checked out our first pedal from Sundance Electronics, the HI-1 Fuzz, and it was a complete ripper. Needless to say, we were excited for a second pedal from these guys, and we’ve got it for you today. The Clean Fuzz is anything but, as it is a super versatile distortion/fuzz aimed to work wonders on both guitar and bass. There are three simple control knobs present on the Clean Fuzz – Volume, Clean and Gain....
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We love a good multi-effect around here – who doesn’t? Today’s pedal is a bit different from the usual pedals of this type that we see. First, it’s super small. Second, it’s mainly modulation-focused. Third, it’s as experimental as they come. The 3Degrees Audio Bygones Stereo Nostalgia Effect combines elements of pitch shifting, delay and vintage noise to form a wonderfully unique and creative...
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If you are looking for out-of-the-ordinary, mind-blowing, noise-creating machines, you should look no further than ezhi&aka. Made in extremely small batches and pretty hard to obtain, we’ve only had our grubby mitts on one other pedal of theirs, the Moomindrone T Drone Delay, until today. Let’s take a look at the Polarized Flutter Lofi Tapestop, a hard-to-define machine that utilizes a pad you “play” with...
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As evidenced by the “Klone Wars” series on our YouTube channel, we love a good recreation of that famous mythical pedal that we (and most others) can no longer afford. Luckily, there are many companies building their incredible versions of this circuit, and we have another one for you today. The Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals KCM-OD Silver V10 has the look and feel of this type of pedal, and the sounds to match. The...
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Noisy pedals are fun, hands down. They can be inspiring and musical (if you can get them to behave slightly), and taming their wildness is one of our favorite things in the world. Therefore, we’re excited once again to be perusing a pedal from our friend Knut over at Pladask Elektrisk – the Romferd Ambience/Modulation Unit. This thing will do slow, mellow ambience or out-of-control, feedback-infused chaos –...
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As their name suggests, the makers of fine pedals at Fjord Fuzz are relatively obsessed with, well, FUZZ. Having had the privilege of reviewing their gear over the last 2 years, it’s safe to say we’re fairly obsessed with it as well. Today’s fuzzy gem comes to us as the EMBLA Overdrive Fuzz, a mix of circuits that present a wide range of dirt to experiment with, and we’ll probably be obsessed with this one,...
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The pedals we’ve had the pleasure of checking out from Mozztronics have all been incredible, especially their Amp-In-A-Box lineup. Today’s effect continues in that realm, bringing you classic and hard rock sounds, and THAT tone you’ve been chasing since you picked up a guitar. The MS-1 Mehrschall will push your amp, your imagination and the limits of all things sonic and beautiful… Mehrschall is german for...
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What’s better than an amazing, killer, amp-pushing overdrive pedal? Well, not much, unless you have TWO drive circuits in ONE enclosure! Such is the case for today’s unit, the Browne Amplification Protein Dual Overdrive. Taking inspiration from a couple of timeless (but not necessarily accessible) circuits and combining them into a single, glorious pedal makes this one a must-have for any overdrive fan. Each side sounds...
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Somewhat recently, we were able to check out the Valeton GP-100VT, a nice multi-effects pedal that squished a lot of tones into a fairly small enclosure. Well, Valeton has had a quick turnaround beefing up this concept, and we’re proud to help release the GP-200 Multi-Effects Processor today. This new-gen HD modeling multi-effects processor declares an unprecedented upgrade in order to bring you a better sonic experience –...
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Thick, heavy, doom-y fuzz is a blast to create with, and today’s pedal provides those qualities in spades. The Minotaur Sonic Terrors Saturnine Fuzz features three control knobs and one 3-way mode switch, providing a myriad of sonic flavors from which to explore and sculpt your sound. This one was an instant classic as soon as we plugged it in – let’s run through what it can do… Inspired by the classic Boss...
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We love a good mini pedal here at Pedal of the Day – sometimes, though, they’re not built as sturdy as their larger, more expensive counterparts. That’s not the case today, however – the Fuzz and Pure Delay pedals from Might Be Famous are tough, heavy and sound great. They’re also affordable to ANYONE who wants to explore these two genres of effects. Let’s see what these little fellas are all...
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THE RAT. Few distortion pedals have as much instant recognizability, despite (usually) just bearing the colors Black & White. There are many iterations of this classic effect, but how could you possibly collect them all without breaking the bank? Well, as usual, JHS Pedals comes to the rescue, in the form of the PackRat Distortion. Taking different RAT circuits from the last 4 decades, from different manufacturers, this pedal...
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Continuing the New Year’s rocking start, we’ve got an excellent, versatile and robust pedal for you all today. The Bennett Custom Audio Weather Man Overdrive + Boost boasts a wonderful control section, 3 different mid-range voicings and a wide range of boost-to-drive settings. Combining a versatile, dynamic, light-to-medium gain overdrive with a powerful, totally independent JFET-based clean boost, these 2 effects would...
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We love it when guitar players team up with a company to create a signature or special release pedal, and we’ve got another one for you today. Dowd Records and Rich Good of The Psychedelic Furs have partnered to create a limited edition guitar fuzz pedal aptly called the Furs Face. This pedal is an original, touch sensitive silicon fuzz with two footswitchable fuzz channels, plus an Octavia effect and a controllable circuit...
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One of the most talked about effects units from the last couple of years has been the Black Hole Symmetry Delay Reverb Fuzz from Collision Devices, and rightfully so. A massive multi-effect with a huge range of tones to explore, this one found its way onto pedalboards from all types of genres across the globe. In keeping with the 3-In-1 layout of that marvelous pedal, they’ve now released the Limited Edition Nocturnal Delay...
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We love working with new, up-and-coming pedal companies, and today’s effect comes from one that we’re stoked about. Coming out of Lake Forest, CA, the Sundance Electronics HI-1 Fuzz has just one knob, along with three toggle switches. This minimalist setup actually has a lot of range, and the circuit is a take on the infamous Interfax Harmonic Percolator. Loud, gritty and raucous, this pedal is a beast from the west…...
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The crew at Pigtronix sent over their Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser a couple months back, and we couldn’t wait to get our grubby mitts on another mini pedal from them ASAP. Thankfully, today’s little bundle of joy arrived safe and sound: the Constellator Modulated Analog Delay. The features packed into this one are quite astounding, and we can’t wait to dive in with you all right NOW… An all-analog delay pedal,...
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The Catalinbread catalog features effects pedals that include just about anything you could want, or need, or want to need. They’re got a new one out that we’re going to take a look at today, the Cloak Reverb & Shimmer, an ambient beauty that instantly sends your tone to the outer reaches of space. Perhaps invoking a bit of black magic to produce these sounds, this pedal can add a little flavor or overtake your tone...
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As we start to wind down the wild time that has been 2021, we find ourselves fave-to-face with one of the coolest, noisiest, experimental pedals of the year. Pine-Box Customs and Mask Audio Electronics have teamed up to present the Fever Dream, a large and in charge beast of an effect that ranges from gritty harmonic tremolo to brutal fuzz to desert rock cocked wah to self-oscillating filter and beyond. If you don’t like noise,...
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There are certain tones that are highly sought-after in the guitar player world, one of them belonging to a Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn. However, most of us cannot afford an original early ’80s Tube Screamer, much less a $50,000 Dumble Amp, so we rely on pedal companies to create those tones for us. Today’s effect, the Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive Boost, seeks to encapsulate SRV’s ‘Twang’ in a box,...
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The extremely affordable lineup of pedals from our friends at Flamma Innovation have impressed us since the get-go, and we’re excited to bring you guys another little mini gem today. The FC02 Reverb packs a wallop of reverberation into a small pedal enclosure, presenting us with 3 reverb modes and a couple of controls to dial in your perfect sound. Don’t let the size of these fool you, folks… There are three...
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One of the first pedals I ever bought was a Keeley Compressor, back in 2003 or so, and I’ve had some version of that pedal in the office since. It’s become the standard by which other compressors are measured, producing tens of thousands of units over the course of the last 20 years. Keeley’s latest version takes everything we love about this classic sound and smashes it into a small, super pedalboard-friendly...
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After diving into the immensely twisted VENA CAVA Filter last month, we were excited to see what the second pedal we received from Intensive Care Audio was going to bring to the table. Well, they did not disappoint, as the FIDELEATER v.1 Lo-Fi Chorus Vibrato Delay came charging out of the gates. This super-pedal not only mixes these effects genres together into a delicious auditory stew, but manages to create new effects as well,...
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