You’ve heard of Jimmy Page, right? Be you a fan of Led Zeppelin or not, it’s hard to ignore the culture impact he’s had on music, and rock n’ roll especially. That first Zepp album opened the floodgates for a new generation of guitar players who wanted to emulate Mr. Page, and basically altered music forever. The Danelectro The Breakdown™ Boost Overdrive seeks to emulate those classic, unforgettable tones from...
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Ah, Strymon. Musical effects pioneers and makers of some of the most well-known and used pedals around the world. Today, we’re going to take a look at their latest creation, the Strymon Compadre Dual Voice Compressor & Boost. A wonderful dual pedal that will fit perfectly at the front of your signal chain, you’ve got access to 2 excellent tone-shaping effects in one beautiful box. Used independently or together, the...
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We love us some Anasounds pedals here at Pedal of the Day, and are always excited when new stuff arrives at the office. The wood-topped, carved enclosures really stand out, making a unique and instantly recognizable brand in a sea of thousands of pedals. We were particularly looking forward to today’s bundle of gear, however, as we’ve never come across anything quite like it. The Anasounds Element Analog Spring Reverb...
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Some of you may know Area 51 from their impressive line of wah pedals, but they also do buffers, fuzz, mod kits and more. Today we’re going to look at The Alienist Voicing Boost, another impressive creation of theirs which gives you a ton of tonal options in a wicked rad enclosure. Hand-wired and designed to specifically drive your favorite tube amp, this futuristic-looking machine is the ultimate in treble-boosting, giving you...
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We’ve always had our eye on the creations coming out of the KMA Machines camp, and have been lucky enough to demo several, including the Horizont, Queequeg, Wurm, Dead Stag and more. We were, of course, excited when we found out they were doing a Delay/Reverb pedal, but we had no idea it was going to be what today’s featured pedal turned out to be. The KMA Machines Cirrus Spatial-Temporal Modifier features blendable Delay...
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As most of you know, it takes innovation and a recognizable brand to really make waves in the effects pedal community. So far, the crew from Night Owl Industries has done just that, via their Oscar and Edison Tube Preamps, and the Q The EQ wah-style pedal. Today, we’ve got their latest creation for you, something a bit off the wall and not your ordinary pedal – in fact, it’s not even a pedal at all….here we go,...
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Here at Pedal of the Day, we’ve had the pleasure to be able to review and demo numerous pedals from Fulltone over the years. Ranging from the classic OCD Drive to the incredible Tube Tape Echo, Choralflange a couple of Deja Vibes and more, the sound quality and craftsmanship have always been right up their at the top. That said, today’s pedal of theirs might be our favorite one yet. The Fulltone Supa-Trem2 Stereo Tremolo /...
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Over the last couple of years, some of the most innovative, instantly-recognizable effects have come from the Hologram Electronics camp. In keeping with the success and sonic prowess of the Dream Sequence and the Infinite Jets, we’re proud to present their latest creation, the Hologram Electronics Microcosm Granular Delay Looper. This wild machine creates cascading microloops that get locked into tight tap-tempo synched rhythms,...
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We’ve been checking out effects pedals from our friend Pat Garland down in Houston, Texas since 2014 (HTX Active Drive, Pink Drive, Dos Armas Combo, etc), and we’re excited to bring you another one of his concoctions today. The Garland FX Zero Distortion combines all your favorite dirt sounds in one aesthetically-pleasing, bright enclosure. With hints of Tone Bender, Big Muff and wild, fuzzy abandon, there’s a lot to...
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The original DC-2 Dimension C from Boss has always been a kind of hard-to-obtain mystery pedal. Extremely sought-after in the gear community, high prices and relative rareness made it a pedal that we have never been able to check out….until now. Presenting the Boss DC-2W Dimension C Waza Craft! This is one cool effect, giving you a chorus-like attitude, but acting as more of an overall tonal enhancer, it is definitely in a...
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When it comes to the world of fuzz, few have carved out a niche like Spaceman Effects. From their beginnings with the Rumblefuzz, Spacerocket, Mercury III and Gemini III to the more current Titan II, Nebula and Gemini IV, they’re no strangers to absolutely incredible fuzz effects. So today, we’re going to take a look at their newest unveiling in the fuzz realm, one that keeps tradition with, but also builds upon, their...
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We’ve have a couple of really nice pedals here at Pedal of the Day from both Pine-Box Customs and Farm Pedals, so we were pretty stoked to hear they had collaborated on today’s monster effect. The Bloodline is a Dual Dirt pedal, with independent circuits housed in one enclosure and offering a wide array of down-n-dirty tones. Ranging from crunchy drive to balls-to-the-wall fuzz, this black beauty has got something for...
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There have been a slew of incredible delay pedals coming through the shop recently. From the Bondi Art Van Delay and Keeley ECCOS to the Demedash T-120, RedShift Mirage, Walrus D1 and more, this has been a pretty delay-filled last couple of months, so we thought we’d keep it going with another tasty echo pedal for you today. The NativeAudio Wilderness Delay V1.5 expands slightly on what the original was capable of, without...
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We love delays, as you all should know by now. Today we have one of the funnest, intuitive and complexly awesome delays we’ve seen in a while to show you: the RedShift Effects Mirage Delay. Now, you’ve probably heard about this one, as it has been floating around the scene for a number of years, but if you don’t know much about it, now’s your chance. Exciting, powerful, creative and vintage are just a couple of...
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FFFUUUZZZZZZ….we love it, you love, what’s not to love about it? Today’s pedal, the Danelectro Eisenhower Fuzz, re-invigorates the sounds of a vintage, early-70’s blue label fuzz box (guess which one – we have an idea, but still aren’t 100%), with modern updates and options. Also, it’s not JUST a basic fuzz: it also harnesses the power of the Octave, adding to its intrigue, usefulness and...
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Once again, we’ve got another fantastic Delay/Echo pedal for you today. The Demedash Effects T-120 Videotape Echo is a delay, yes, but one that emulates a sound not super-standard in the world of pedals. Seeking to re-create the sound of a worn out VHS videotape, this little aluminum (Limited Edition) box sounds worn-out, wobbly, garbled, faded and beat-down, and that’s just what we like from a delay like this. When you...
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Not to brag, but we knew about Beetronics FX before most of the rest world did. Back in 2015, we reviewed their first pedal, the Boos-tah Preamp, and have been fortunate to have more of their pedals come through the shop in the time since. After the success of the Overhive, Whoctahell, Royal Jelly and more, today we’ve got a small, simple and powerful little pedal, the first in their Babee Series. The Fatbee is hiding a lot of...
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As impressive as their amps have always been, the crew at Orange have, especially in recent years, had a knack for conjuring up some fantastic effects pedals. The Orange Amps Bax Bangeetar Guitar Pre-EQ is a pedal, but is more of a machine masquerading as a pedal (and it has the girth to prove it). Not shy about its size or power, this mammoth boasts a unique and hugely versatile gain structure with extensive EQ controls. You can dial...
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We were recently fortunate to acquire a tasty little morsel of a guitar from our new friends at Eastwood Guitars, the Classic AC, and knew immediately that it should be paired up with today’s pedal. The Eastwood VALCO BloodBuzz Fuzz Overdrive takes two of our (and probably your) favorite effects, houses them into a monster enclosure, gives you a bunch of bells and whistles and lets the games begin. A tribute to the now legendary...
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Unity throughout an effects pedal brand is a key component to its success. Today’s pedal is the second one we’ve encountered from our Italian friends at Dophix, and the theme between them is a resounding MICHELANGELO. The first, the Michelangelo Overdrive Plus, boasted the famous artists’ namesake, and today’s pedal bears a sliver of a piece of his actual artwork. The Dophix David Over Distortion is (you...
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Let’s face it: there are a LOT of overdrive pedals to choose from out there. We should know, we’ve had more than 200 come through our shop over the years. It’s also a genre that never seems to let up, with older and newer companies alike pumping out great drive after great drive. So, what makes the Shnobel Tone Daily Driver™ stand out from all of these choices? THE SOUND. The simple control section and lone toggle...
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During these pandemic-laden times, when we’re hunkered down at home and hopefully working on some music, it’s nice to have the right tools for the job. Like today’s pedal, for example: the Keeley Electronics DCR Drive Rotary Chorus. Overdrive and modulation have always lived together in wonderful harmony, and the sounds escaping from this 3-in-1 effect will get all your creative juices a-flowin’. The DCR...
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Crazy pedals are the best, aren’t they? The wackier, the better, when you looking for something based purely in experimentation and noise enhancement. Synth pedals are usually excellent for this task, and when you pair it with a fuzz, it sounds even better. Today’s pedal, the Googly Eyes Pedals Synthfuzzizer, brings us the best of both of these worlds, combining both effects into one nice-sized enclosure and letting you...
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Looking back, it seems we should have featured today’s pedal yesterday, as you can clearly see from the artwork (Happy Belated 4/20, all!). No matter, we’re still gonna crush some faces with the Blazed Fuzz, another killer effects from our friends Kink Guitar Pedals down in Cranbourne, Australia. The clearly Jamaican-influenced graphics are a stark contrast to the down-and-dirty sounds this pedal creates, but in absolutely...
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While we haven’t ever ventured TOO far into the world of multi-effects processors, we did get a chance to check out the Ampero from Hotone Audio almost exactly a year ago today, and were extremely impressed by how well it performed. Cramming a ton of amps, cabinet and effects into one unit has got to be tricky for any company, and to do it as well and for such an affordable price point was a stroke of genius. Today, we’re...
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For whatever reason, we’ve had a plethora of distortion pedals to review and demo lately, which suits us just fine. They’re loud, in your face and full of rock and roll, and we can’t get enough of ’em. Today’s bodacious, bombastic beauty comes to us from Teisco, and is simply called Distortion, although there’s nothing simple about it. Loaded with options and full of rage, it’ll get your day...
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Ever since the ‘Sick As’ Overdrive pedal was released from Bondi Effects and took the world by storm, they’ve continued to create and release excellent pedal after pedal. One that we were certainly interested in is the subject of today’s review and demo, and has to have the greatest name of any pedal ever – the Art Van Delay. Not only does it specifically reference the best comedy series of all time, but...
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Ever hear an effect on a recording and not be able to place exactly what it is? Especially with songs from the 70’s, when funk and soul ruled the world? Well, there’s a good chance that what you heard was the classic Seamoon Funk Machine, a highly sought-after piece of gear that fetches crazy high prices on the used market. But have no fear! The Funk Machine has been resurrected by Seamoon FX and Neil Jason, session bass...
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Over the last couple of years, we’ve had a blast testing out and investigating the affordable lineup of effects coming from CNZ Audio. Delving into delays and echoes, overdrives, octaves and even a phaser, there was always one pedal that we had out eyes on specifically, and we’re bringing it to you today. The SMD-10 Mod Station traps a ton of different effects into one tiny enclosure, then unleashes them unto the world one...
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TUBE. SCREAMER. These words are loved (and sometimes hated) by guitar players the world over. So many classic sounds from some of the best players ever have come via the Tube Screamer, including Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Mayer, Trey Anastasio, Eric Johnson, The Edge and many, many more. With so many variations and models, not to mention the price tags for some of the more sought-after pedals, its hard to know where to start with these...
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The pulsing, audio ebb-and-flowing, peaks and valleys sounds of Vibrato are some of our favorites in the world. Whether it’s coming from a modern day effects pedal or from the circuit of a vintage amplifier, it’s hard to beat adding that type of effect into any signal chain and being the least bit disappointed. Today’s pedal, the SurfyVibe from Surfy Industries, brings a vintage sound into our modern world, keeping...
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When you think of fun, exciting, life-changing effects pedals, noise gates are not usually the first things that pop into your brain. Mainly geared towards players with louder, high-octane rigs, they are actually quite essential in many scenarios to keep feedback and overall volume at acceptable levels. Not having a ton of experience with these things, we were interested and excited to check out today’s pedal, the DECI-MATE G...
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Recently, we had the privilege and honor reviewing and demoing another pedal from our friends at KMA Machines, the Wurm, a killer distortion pedal full of great tones and offering loads of options. We get to look at another KMA machine today, one along the same lines as the Wurm, but with a couple differing twists and turns. The Dead Stag is a Distortion, yes, but it’s also a Fuzz, so you get the best of those two worlds in one...
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Mmmmmm…..Ducking. That’s the subject of today’s lesson, kids! This is a first for us, too, so we’re going tackle this thing together. Today’s pedal, The Pill, is an Analog Stereo Ducking Effect, brought to us all the way from Switzerland (might be our first Swiss pedal, too). This simple but crazy machine uses a trigger input and either Mono or Stereo Input and Outputs to produce a sound that not quite...
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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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HOT DAMN! It’s our second tap tempo tremolo pedal in one week, and boy, are we stoked! Nothing beats the pulsing, racing, ebbing and flowing of a good tremolo, pedal OR amp, and today’s featured effect covers just about every base you will ever need. EVER. The Semaphore from Catalinbread features the coveted Tap Tempo functionality, as well as a slew of other options that make it a well-rounded, amazing and essential piece...
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When you think of the main innovators in effects pedal history, there’s one name that’s near, if not at, the top of just about everyone’s list: Boss. Crushing the game since before most of you were probably born, these guys just keep churning out hit after hit, and have for decades. Once in a while, however, they release a pedal that folks, for whatever reason, just don’t dig. Those pedals’ production...
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One of the things that really makes a good Tremolo effect pedal is the Rate at which the LFO (low frequency oscillator) moves and shimmies, right? Now, bending down on a poorly-lit stage to try and set the speed of these pulses can be challenging, which is why we love a good tremolo pedal that incorporates Tap Tempo functionality. Today’s pedal does that and much, much more – the Tacana Tap Tremolo comes to us all the way...
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You gotta make your mark in this industry, right? With so many companies and so many pedals on the market, if you don’t stand out, you’re not gonna last. Well, today’s pedal is the first in a lineup of not only aesthetically-pleasing effects, but ones that have the power, grit and usability to make them contenders for years to come. We always love to discover new(er) companies, or ones that might not have a...
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Here at Pedal of the Day, we love a good Big Muff. Especially the Russian ones. The really, dirty, nasty Russian ones. Get your head out of the gutter, people, we’re talking about FUZZ. Since their inception in late 60’s, Big Muffs have been heard on countless recordings, and are key ingredients to some of the favorite guitar players and bands around: David Gilmour, Thin Lizzy, Kiss, Santana, Smashing Pumpkins, Frank Zappa...
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Hey kids! If you’re tired of your news feeds filled with politics and coronavirus posts, why not kick back and relax with a fun review and in-depth demo video for one of the hottest new pedals around? It’ll be a great way to start your weekend….promise. (and please don’t forget to wash your hands!) It’s no secret that Robert Keeley and the crew at Keeley Electronics put out some incredible...
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In today’s world that has become just fantastically filled with the most options-laden, powerful, hip, trendy and mind-blowing effects pedals on the planet, sometimes it’s hard to remember a day when everything moved a little slower, things were a bit easier and every pedal didn’t cost a ton of money or have a manual the size of a phone book…..for those of us who remember phone books. A prime example of these...
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Recently, we had a chance to check out on of the latest creations from one of the most famous pedal companies in the world. The Flashback 2 x4 from TC Electronic improved on one of the best delay families to come out in the last decade or so, to everyone’s delight. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Flashback’s sibling of sorts, the Hall of Fame 2 x4 Reverb. Also making a couple of significant upgrades to its...
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Big Muff. You know the name, you know the pedals, you know (some of) the records that they have appeared on. Thankfully, since the originals are fairly rare and expensive when you can find them, there are many companies who produce their individual takes on these excellent fuzz/distortions, and we’ve got a new member of the group to tell you about today. Siren Pedals, out of Nashville, TN, brings another take on the Muff, in the...
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While a good compressor pedal might not be everyone’s cup o’ tea, we here at Pedal of the Day LOVE ’em, and are always excited when a new one comes through the shop. We dig it even more if it’s from our friends at Orange Amps, who are always redefining the way we all should look at and approach music, through effects, amps and more. Their newest compressor offering is the Kongpressor, a Class A effect that...
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Octave pedals seem to be fairly hit or miss, as far as tight low end, good tracking and non-muddiness in your tone are concerned. There are inexpensive octave pedals and there are super expensive ones, and each one seems to be a personal preference to everyone who plays them. Well, we’re gonna lay another one on you today, and let you decide if it’s worthy or not. The SOC-10 Octopus Octave from CNZ Audio doesn’t cost...
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Well, it’s 2-in-1 pedal time again, kids, this time in a collaborative format between two killer companies. Brought to you in tandem by Henretta Engineering and The Guitar Trader (in our very own Asheville, NC), The Valley is a sweet-sounding, experimental Reverb and Delay pedal, combining our two favorite effects into one glorious box. It looks great, it sounds great, it IS great, so let’s delve in and see what wonders...
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Like ’em or not, Tube Screamers and their clones are a HUGE part of the effects pedal world. They’re found on pedalboards, in studios and adjacent to practice spaces the globe over, and can be heard on countless classic and modern recordings alike. For those of us that DO enjoy a good TS, wouldn’t it be nice if you could find one that had a built-in Boost section as well, to give you that over-the-top punch if you...
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Clean tones are great, sure. Even Overdrives have their place in the world, and we love ’em. But there is something special about engaging a really good Distortion pedal, strumming your chord of choice and having the sound rip through your speakers and come blazing out with fury and vengeance…right? Today’s pedal gave us all the feels when we cranked it up, and will continue to do so for years to come. The Wurm...
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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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