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...
Read MoreWe 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...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreLast 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....
Read MoreWe 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...
Read MoreIf 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...
Read MoreAs 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...
Read MoreNoisy 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 –...
Read MoreAs 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,...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreWhat’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...
Read MoreSomewhat 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 –...
Read MoreThick, 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...
Read MoreWe 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...
Read MoreTHE 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...
Read MoreContinuing 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...
Read MoreWe 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...
Read MoreOne 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...
Read MoreWe 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…...
Read MoreThe 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,...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreAs 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,...
Read MoreThere 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,...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreOne 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...
Read MoreAfter 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,...
Read MoreToday, we’re going to look at not only a classic effect in its own right, but a couple of modification to said pedal that make it even radder…the Boss PH-2 SUPER Phaser has been a staple in the phase shifting community since its release in 1984, bringing every phaser tone for mellow and light to deep and pulsing, as would be expected. This particular specimen, however, features some mods done by ShredShack Repair, which...
Read MoreThe award for “Pedal You Never Knew You Needed” over the last year has got to go to the Believable Audio / 29 Pedals EUNA, the Elite UNity Amplifier that took the pedal world by storm. Today’s pedal features the next creation from these guys, and simply amazes just like it’s older sibling did. The OAMP is an Output AMPlifier that replaces your conventional buffers, line drivers and preamps, and will change how...
Read MoreThe sound of a vintage tape delay is one that has been heard on countless recordings over the last 5+ decades, and is sought-after by musicians the world over. Today’s pedal, the NUX Tape Core Deluxe Tape Echo Delay, brings us this particular delay sound, in compact form, with a slew of sonic options to choose from. Boasting 7 repro tape head combinations, plus a Sound-on-Sound feature, there’s plenty to explore with this...
Read MoreFor many players, a simple setup with an Overdrive, a Delay and a Reverb pedal is all you need to rock and roll. But what if you could get all three of those in ONE miraculous effect? That’s what the crew at Southampton Pedals has done with today’s pedal, the Indie Dream Drive Delay Reverb. Combining three of our favorites into one easy to use but full-featured enclosure, this might be the only pedal you’ll ever need...
Read MoreWe’ve found that when companies who build amplifiers venture into the pedal world, it usually works out pretty well. Such is the case with today’s pedal, the Delay Hi-Fi Analog Echo from Supro, a small but powerful delay unit offering vintage echo sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. Small, bold, warm and inviting, this little red machine will transform your sound and blast you back to the past with a quickness…...
Read MoreA good boost pedal will bring your clean tone up in volume, a perhaps even add in a bit of grit when it’s really pushed, too. But what if there was a boost pedal that was specific to what one kind of TUBE sounded like? That’s today’s effect, the Rift Amplification EL34 EQ Boost, a powerful three-knob machine that aims to be the secret weapon in your rig… The EL34 EQ Boost helps emulate the tone and harmonics of...
Read MoreIf you’ve ever had the opportunity to utilize a Dispatch Master Delay/Reverb combo pedal from EarthQuaker Devices, then you know how powerful it is, and what a useful tool it can be in your sonic arsenal. Somehow managing to improve upon this rad design, the EarthQuaker Devices crew created the Avalanche Run, taking the original design to the next level, without making it too complicated or busy. With fantastic features and a...
Read MoreThe effects coming from our Norwegian friends at Fjord Fuzz focus on, well, FUZZ, of course, but each unit has its own unique set of skills. After the BJØRN, BIFROST and ODIN V2, we didn’t know what to expect from today’s fuzz-filled pedal. Well, the BERSERK Fuzz (unsurprisingly) delivers once again, combining two vintage fuzz circuits with some modern updates, for a powerful and wide-ranging wall of fuzz… Taking...
Read MoreLove ’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...
Read MoreThe crew at Discomfort Designs just keeps bringing the thunder with each new release, and while today’s pedal from them isn’t as loud and heavy as some of the others, it’s a force nonetheless. The Passage Through the Hollow Earth Reverb features a simple control section, but in these few knobs lies otherworldly ambient tone, spreading far and wide with each note you pluck. Get ready for a ride, ’cause...
Read MoreEver since we had the privilege to play the first DiscumBOBulator Envelope Filter, we’ve loved all things EMMA Electronic. Today, that tradition continues with the stellar Navigator Delay, a pinnacle of elegant simplicity, offering everything you need in a delay pedal, and nothing you don’t. With tap-tempo, modulation, beat-splits, trails, wet/dry outputs and more, this one is sure to get your creativity stirring… The...
Read MoreHow much fun are looper pedals, seriously? We’ve had many, many of them come through the shop over the years, but today’s might just be the hands-down, end-all, be-all Looper pedal in existence today. The Pigtronix Infinity 3 Deluxe Stereo Looper utilizes state-of-the-art technology to achieve previously unheard audio fidelity out of a foot pedal looper. Jam-packed with features, Infinity 3 allows for every looping...
Read MoreWe love it when a new pedal company comes our way, and we’re happy to introduce you all to yet another one today. The Dogman Devices Go Fly A Kite Delay seems simple at first, but as we dug in, we discovered there’s a lot more going on with this bright yellow beauty. Stunning in aesthetics and sonic prowess, this is a delay we can ALL have a great time experimenting with… Formed around a PT2399 chip, Go Fly A Kite...
Read MoreWe have had the pleasure of reviewing every iteration of the Ampero Series of effects units from Hotone Audio thus far, and we’re going to keep that streak alive today. Presenting the new Ampero II Stomp, and amp modeler and effects processor that takes everything from the previous versions and pushes them to their limits. Ampero II Stomp implements brand new tri-core digital platform and independent AD/DA from ESS® Sabre®...
Read MoreIt isn’t often that we review and demo 4 pedals all on the same day, but when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at it. The first 4 pedals in this particular series from Dreadbox each bring a different flavor to the mix, and you could argue that they’re all some players would need for an entire pedalboard. Full of modulated weirdness with a wild reverb at the end, the Kinematic, Lethargy, Komorebi and Darkness...
Read MoreIf there’s anything we love around here, it’s when a pedal goes beyond all the usually, normal boundaries. Today’s featured effect, the Intensive Care Audio VENA CAVA FILTER Distortion v.1 takes this concept to new heights, combining filter, distortion and ring modulation into one out-of-this-world machine. Lots of options and lots to discover – you all ready? Let’s Get Weird. The VENA CAVA FILTER is a...
Read MoreTurning the effects pedal world upside down, thinking outside the box and creating something brand new is harder and harder to do these days. Luckily, we’ve become pals with a company who is doing just that, with an effects unit that’s gonna be a game changer. The Modal Effects Disruption Modular Gain pedal utilizes individual effect modules, or “Mods”, that are easily swappable, to create an entire customized...
Read MoreThe first two pedals we saw from Radio Mule, the Red Petal Fuzz and the Electric Beard Fuzz were, well, awesome, to say the least. Eagerly anticipating their next release, we were recently rewarded with today’s pedal, the HIGH Overdrive Preamp. A low-to-mid gain dirt pedal, this one has some excellent add-ons for really digging in and sculpting your sound – let’s dig in, too! The HIGH Overdrive Preamp is inspired by...
Read MoreThe G-Series of pedals gets progressively heavier and dirtier as they evolve – starting with the G2 Overdrive, then the G3 Overdrive Distortion, we conclude today with the G4 High Gain Distortion. This red monster brings with it a new level of thick, sustained amplifier tone to compliment the other G-Series pedals, or any pedals you might have on your board. Let’s dig into this one and see what it’s all about…...
Read MoreOur Benson Amps Monarch has been a staple of our studio for years now, and one of our favorite amplifiers we’ve ever played. The Benson crew occasionally dives into the effects pedal pool as well, and we’ve got their latest for you today. The Germanium Fuzz is, well, a germanium fuzz, but one like no other you’ve seen. This pedal is set up in the ubiquitous 60’s circular fuzz topology, tuned for good sound, and...
Read MoreThe fabulous crew at Free The Tone have been supporting Pedal of the Day for years, and we’re always excited when they send us new gear to review and demo. Today is no exception, except that there are TWO new effects we’re bringing to you, instead of just one. The SG-1C Silky Groove Compressor + CC-1B Crunchy Chime Booster are both excellent additions to the beginning of any pedalboard, providing enhanced, equalization and...
Read MoreFlashy graphics and newly-shaped enclosures have their place in the effects pedal world, for sure, but sometimes, simplicity can be welcome. That seems to be the goal with the lineup from our pals at Kenny B Pedals, and we’re taking a look at our 4th effect from them today. The Double Double has an easy-to-figure-out control section, complete with multiple sonic options, housed in an unassuming, minimalistic case. That’s...
Read MoreThe Univibe has produced a unique and classic sound for 5 decades now, and while the original units are expensive and require a lot of maintenance, we’re lucky enough to know some folks who build killer modern versions. The one we’ve got for you today is the RFO Electronics Real Vibe Chorus Vibrato, a great-looking and gorgeous-sounding vibrato and chorus pedal that gives you all the goods from the vintage units, and more....
Read MoreThe final pedal in the Dept. 10 Series of valve pedals from Blackstar Amplification is the Dual Distortion, a bold, black beauty that takes high gain action up a notch. A formidable-sounding valve distortion and world-class recording preamp, this one features 3 Crunch/Overdrive voices alongside the clean channel, Blackstar’s patented ISF control, low latency USB, XLR out and Dept. 10’s proprietary Cab Rig simulator technology....
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