The Klon. It has achieved mystical, mythical and maniacal status since its release in the early-to-mid 1990’s. While there have been dozens of clones (or Klones, as it were) produced over the years, trying to capture that sound without the $1500+ price tag, few sound as good as the Centura from Ceriatone Amplification. Deciding to further expand on their killer replication, Ceriatone has released a new, dual overdrive pedal,...
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Phasers are one of our favorite effects here at Pedal of the Day, as they can enhance your tone and sound a little, a lot or anywhere in between. From smooth, almost background-like subtleties to pulsing, space-infused journeys through the cosmos, phase shifter pedals hold a special place in our (and many others) hearts. Therefore, it’s with great pleasure that we bring a kind of rare, vintage and killer-sounding phaser to your...
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We love a good, solid, inexpensive pedal around here, and we’ve been fortunate enough to have more than a couple of effects from our friends at Caline come through our shop. About six months ago, a Reverb/Delay combo showed up on our door, sporting the moniker Ghost Rain. While this pedal was a nice dive into both of those worlds, today’s pedal takes it up a couple notches further. The CP-80 Ragnarok is an updated version...
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The world of Strymon is a fascinating, intriguing and exciting place to be – anyone who’s ever used one of their pedals can certainly attest to that. For their latest release, they’ve gone in a bit of a different direction, but one that is most welcome, and will flip the way pedalboards are arranged and used from this point forward. Iridium is an amplifier and Impulse Response cabinet simulator, one that connects...
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About a year ago, we reviewed and demoed a new and exciting pedal from our friends at Walrus Audio, the DEFCON4 Preamp/EQ/Boost. Vintage-looking and killer-sounding, this pedal was an excellent tone-shaper, one that we thought would surely be around for many years. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the DEFCON4 had to be abruptly discontinued, but it’s come roaring back as the EB-10 Preamp/EQ/Boost, complete...
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There are certain pedals that carry with them an elusive aura, a majestic, impossible-to-achieve-anywhere-else type of hype and fuss. The Big Cheese from Lovetone, produced for a short period in the mid-to-late 1990’s, is one of these pedals: hard to find, crazy expensive when you do and is used by some of the most recognizable names in the biz, thus enshrining it in the Effects Pedal Hall of Fame. But wait! If you’ve been...
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It’s Bass Time Again! Today, we’ve got a killer bass pedal from an extremely bass-influenced company from Preveza, Greece: dpFX Pedals. The pedal in question is the oddly-named FuzZ-2, which is an explosive fuzz with a bit of octave madness throw in for good measure. Your bass will never sound the same after you play it through this pedal, let’s dig in and see what it’s all about. The FuzZ-2 Bass is a massive...
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Who doesn’t love some AC/DC? Really? Well, you’re wrong, and you need to go download their whole catalog immediately. Speaking of folks who really dig that band, our featured pedal today is basically the accumulation of facts, tones and info regarding Mr. Angus Young (of said band) and his instantly-recognizable tone, compiled over a lifetime and finally brought to life in the form of the TSR Schaffer Replica Compander...
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We always love it when new gear arrives from our friends at Big Joe Stomp Box Company, and they have provided a killer pedal for you today. One of two different models, the Freakshow Fuzz (Silicon) puts a totally whacked-out, freaky fuzz right at your fingertips, offering up ample fuzz sounds with that signature bite only silicon transistors can provide. We’re excited about this one, let’s check it out… The B-312...
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Sometimes, we stumble across a company that doesn’t have a lot of information pertaining to them on the old interwebs, making it a tricky puzzle as to if they’re still in business or not. Today’s pedal comes to us from AboveGroundFX, whose pedals are available at Vintage King, but who don’t appear to have a social media presence or an updated website to their name. Regardless, the Tone Control Booster is a nice...
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The craftsmanship and unique effects pedals that have been coming out of the Beetronics camp the last couple of years have been pretty exciting, and we are lucky enough to get to check one of them out today. The WhoctaHell is a crazy, wild effect, combining octave, fuzz and synth tones into one glorious machine, perfect for anyone who likes to make noise and draw attention to themselves at a gig. This one is from Beetronics’...
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We all know Boss has been one of the pioneers, innovators and leaders in the world of effects pedals for decades now, and their lineup of delay effects are second to none. Constantly seeking to improve, however, they have now bestowed upon us their newest echo iteration, one that aims to give you a complete delay package in one simple enclosure, once and for all. The DD-200 is a compact machine that absolutely oozes delay, with...
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If you use pedals, chances are you have a boost, overdrive, distortion or fuzz on your board….or maybe all of them, or many multiples of all of them. But what if you had a pedal that could do ALL of those things, that was built for classic and contemporary tones and was as versatile as can be? Then you’d probably want to check out today’s featured effect, the Odyssey Intergalactic Driver from Hamstead Soundworks. Not...
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You know that feeling you get when you plug in a new pedal, click it on a hit a big, fat chord that sustains for days and makes your amp just up and come alive? Well, it’s a pretty great feeling, and we’re fortunate enough to experience it all the time here at Pedal of the Day. Today’s featured piece of gear gives you that exact feeling, and with a simple but bold control section, the Skinner Box Distortion from...
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“Eh, it’s just a Boost pedal, right?” Wrong. Boost pedals can absolutely be the key ingredient to any rig, and we’ve got one today that will prove just that. The new BEQ-2 from Diamond Pedals is a Boost-EQ that’s simple yet versatile. Boasting just a couple of controls, this seemingly basic effect will transform your sound, and alter the way you see and use your overall setup as well. Let’s give it...
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Today’s pedal is an awesomely odd one to approach, as it is really 10 pedals in one. The Console from ELTA Music uses a series of interchangeable sound cartridges, each with its own set of three modes, to produce a wide array of tones and auditory revelations that will alter your approach to creating music. We are going to review and demo all 10 of these cartridges eventually, and the next one is our series is the Vibe Rotary...
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We had heard about the Align Series of pedals from L.R. Baggs, so we were more than excited to do some more acoustic pedal demos, starting with the Delay that we checked out a couple weeks back. Next up is today’s featured effect, the Align Chorus, which seeks to enhance the overall sound of your acoustic instrument, without drowning it in a sea of chorus. Easy to use and a true tone booster, let’s see what this guy is...
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Sometimes during live gigs, especially for all the solo performers out there, you need to make a switch from electric to acoustic at some point, depending on what tunes you’re playing. Now, as cool as it looks to switch out guitars and impress the crowd, wouldn’t it just be easier to step on a pedal and be done with it? The Omni AC Acoustic Simulator from Hotone Audio does just that, taking a step out of your performance...
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Coming from such a compression-based pedal lineup for so many years, we were excited when the folks at Origin Effects announced they were releasing an overdrive pedal. After all, their studio-quality gear is second to none, and we knew they would put that expertise and high-quality craftsmanship into their new effect as well. With a $650 price tag, however, the first RevivalDRIVE was just a bit out of our range, so we were once again...
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We’re not exactly sure why is happens or what the circumstances have to do with the outcome, but every time an amplifier company gets into the pedal game, chances are it’s going to be something pretty rad. Taking all of that electrical prowess and harnessing it into a smaller form is a tricky thing to pull off, or so one would think. Milkman Sound becomes the latest to attempt such a feat, and their solo flagship pedal is...
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Since its inception in 2001, the Keeley Compressor has become an absolute staple pedal on pedalboards all over the world, with more than 52,000 having been sold (so far). Beginning with the classic 2-knob version, the compression effects coming out of the Keeley camp have taken on several different forms, some combination effects and today’s pedal, the Compressor Plus. Building on the original with a couple more options and that...
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A couple years back, a pedal came onto the market that was unlike any we had all seen before, the Dream Sequence Filter/Tremolo/Sampler/etc. from Hologram Electronics. After the success of that beauty, the Hologram crew came up with another astonishing effect, which we’re going to check out today. The Infinite Jets is a wildly ambient machine, with a ton of sustain and exquisite sampling abound, making for a creative and...
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We have always had a bit of an affinity for the exquisite pedals produced by our friends at Spaceman Effects, and are always excited to check out their creations. One of our favorites was the Saturn V Harmonic Boost, a pedal that just adds that extra little bit of POW! and WOW! that your tone sometimes is lacking. Today’s pedal, the Mercury IV, is also rooted firmly in the Boost department, but with a couple more options and a...
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We’ve long been fans of the gear that Diamond Pedals has been putting out for years, and they’ve been big supporters of Pedal of the Day since our inception. We recently got the chance to check out their Vibrato, which is hands-down one of the best we’ve come across – today, we’re going to switch it up and go into a bit of dirt territory. The DRV-1 Drive is is based on the J-Drive Mk3 from Diamond, but...
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Loopers, in our opinion, are a key piece of any musical puzzle. They can initially help with timing, practicing and general tempo issues you might have as a beginner, then move on to become part of your rig and, to some, an absolutely essential part of their signature sound. While there are many looper pedals to choose from out there, today’s is a bit different, but only in the greatest of ways. The Dapper Looper Mini Effects...
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Weird, exciting delay and reverb pedals are always at the forefront of our minds, and we’re always wishing that more would come through the studio. Our wish came tru in a powerful way via today’s featured pedal, the Rêver Reverse Delay and Reverb from Old Blood Noise Endeavors. A collaboration between OBNE and the band Datachoir from Brooklyn, this monster of an effect will take you on a wild sonic ride, sure to open up...
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Who says a great pedal has to be wicked expensive? Well, as evidenced by some of their newer pedals, TC Electronic says you can have a good balance of affordable and pricy intertwined in one company. After the exciting success of the JUNE-60 Chorus, we wanted to check out some more pedals on TC’s budget-friendly line, and came across The Prophet. A digital delay with studio quality sound, this gem produces some outstanding...
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Happy Saturday, everyone! Today, we’re looking at the newest offering from our pals at Walrus Audio, which just happens to be a collaboration with one of our former interviewees as well. The Kangra is a filter fuzz pedal, giving you two independent effects side-by-side, with sonic options and combos that will last forever. You might even get to hear this one in action tonight, if you happen to watch a certain late-night comedy...
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We are always honored when pedal companies keep coming back to us for more reviews and demos, and that is certainly the case with our friends at Night Owl Industries. Having already checked out their Oscar and Edison Preamps, we were stoked to see what they could come up with next. A true original in a familiar enclosure, Q the EQ is an awesome tone-shaper laid right at your feet. Featuring three controls and a massive internal...
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Sometimes, the best things come in the smallest packages, and we’re definitely NOT kidding about that with today’s piece of gear. Heading outside our usual pedal zone, we’re taking a look at an amplifier today, though not one that you may expect. The FatAmp MkII from Mouse Electronics in Belarus is a small pocket amplifier, one that goes with you anywhere and everywhere, fitting into a jacket pocket, backpack, purse...
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The Mu-Tron / Musitronics Phasor was one of our favorite phasers (and favorite pedals, really) to ever come through the shop here at Pedal of the Day. Big, bulky and badass, it helped define the phaser effect in the 70s and beyond, creating giant soundscapes of whooshing pulses and out-of-this-world types of sonic embellishments for all to enjoy. Fast forward to the present day, and we’re lucky enough to have the Mu-Tron company...
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We haven’t had an acoustic effect come through the office in a little while, so we were more than excited to get to check out today’s pedal. The Align Series Acoustic Delay from L.R. Baggs brings a classic effect to acoustic musicians by optimizing the signal for high-fidelity instruments, and giving you a decent amount of options in a small package. Combing analog and digital circuitry qualities together for a powerful...
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About a month ago, we were privileged to have a wild, intriguing and sometimes uncontrollable effects pedal come through the office, the Schumann PLL Analog Harmonizer from FTelettronica Pedals. That pedal was so fun and so innovative, that we decided we’d better take a look at some more of their gear, so for today’s featured pedal, we have the Zero-Sum Game. A 2-in-1 Fuzz and Filter effect, this 2-footswitch pedal allows...
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The Big Muff. You’ve heard it, you know it, you love it….but, can you afford an original, 1970’s-era model? Probably not, plus there’s the maintenance, reliability, etc. that goes along with owning any piece of vintage gear. Thankfully, we’re super-spoiled in the effects pedal community, and have companies like D-Sound Effects, all the way from Russia, to help us with these bumps in the road. Today...
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Reverb pedals come in many shapes and sizes, from a simple one or two-knob configuration to the most outlandish, extravagant effects machines on the planet. Today, we’re going to look at one that harkens towards the simpler side, but that by no means means isn’t absolutely powerful as can be. The Moby Depth Reverb from Jonny Rock Gear utilizes Accutronics™ (Belton) digital reverb technology, resulting in a lush,...
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From BB King to SRV to Hendrix to the Smashing Pumpkins to Paul Kossoff and more, the Vibrato effect has been employed throughout the decades, through both effects and playing technique. The results have been a mixed bag of emotional, soaring leads, unforgettable licks and drawn-out chordal arrangements for some of the most memorable music around. We’re going to explore this genre a bit more today, with the VIB1 Vibrato pedal...
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Effects pedals that house more than one effect are always good for an experimental day, week or year. The mix of Overdrive and Fuzz in one pedal, however, doesn’t seem to appear all that much, so we couldn’t wait to check out the Royal Jelly from Beetronics. Running two circuits in parallel and giving you the ability to blend them together as you see fit, this powerhouse of a pedal brings the best of two worlds together,...
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Another delay is upon us, friends, and this one has got some crazy features, interesting textures and gorgeous sounds throughout. The Oblivion Vintage Delay comes to us from Alexander Pedals, and is an “exploration of what exists in the darkest corners of the sonic universe.” Able to span decades in a single pedal, this glorious echo brings vintage sounds, warm delays and even a tasty bit of modulation along on its...
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One of our favorite pedals ever here at Pedal of the Day has got to be the Goatkeeper Analog Tap Tremolo/Sequencer from Lightfoot Labs. An intriguing blend of trem pulses and sequencing, this no-longer manufactured effect has become highly sought-after, and if you can find one, they have the price tag to prove it. Although we are fortunate enough to own an original, we were stoked to hear the news that the creative minds at Malekko...
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A couple of months ago, we were honored and privileged to review and demo a pedal that was very near and dear to our hearts: the DeLorean Analog Delay from VVco Pedals. Not only was it a nice-sounding delay, it brought back memories from 30+ years ago via one of our favorite movies, Back to the Future. Today, the VVco folks are at it again, this time taking on the superhero genre with their latest, the Dark Knight Distortion. Housed...
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Let’s face it: we all know about Chase Bliss Audio and their contribution to the effects pedal world by now, right? From their classic Warped Vinyl and Wombtone flagship effects to the uber-popular Tonal Recall and Thermae delays, as well as the most recent M O O D Granular Looper and a bunch of others in their lineup, the innovation and advancement they’ve brought to the table is quite stellar. In keeping with this slew...
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Sometimes, you find a pedal treasure out of the blue, one you’ve never heard of before and have absolutely ZERO idea about what it is or sounds like. Today’s pedal is one of these. From a perhaps-defunct company, the aptly-named Overdrive comes to us from Richtone Amplification, with very little info to go on, or any internet chatter at all, really. However, once we plugged it in, we couldn’t believe that more people...
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Another 2-in-1 pedal is upon us! This time, it’s a bit of an unusual pairing: Overdrive and Fuzz. Now, you may say to yourself, “That’s not weird,” but surprisingly, that combo isn’t seen all that often. Fuzz/Octave, sure; Overdrive/Boost, absolutely. Overdrive/Fuzz? Not so much, so we were super excited to check out the Pink Hellephant from Stomp Under Foot. The Overdrive side of the Pink Hellephant...
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Well, our old pals at Walrus Audio are at it again. As if the Fathom Multi Function Reverb wasn’t enough, now they’ve dropped another ambient bomb on us all, one that’s sure to entice and excite. The Slö is a Multi Texture Reverb, a pedal that creates lush, ambient and even modulated soundscapes, bringing dreams from your subconscious to reality. Sound fun? You bet it is…. Starting things off, Decay sets your...
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If we had to pick a desert island effect genre, there would be only one answer: DELAY. Spanning back decades and inspiring and enticing players throughout the years, delay and echo pedals are some of the funnest, creativity-building effects out there. Today’s pedal, however, takes everything you thought you knew about delay and tosses it inside-out, upside-down and round and round we go. The Polymoon from Meris is a modulated...
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We decided we’d shake things up a bit here at Pedal of the Day today, and bring you a piece of gear that isn’t a pedal at all. The Asphalt TAR-20G is a miniature guitar amplifier from our friends at Valeton, and we’re going to take you through how it works, and can enhance your tone. Small and light but mighty and boasting some nice options, let’s check out this nifty little amp, shall we? Compact and not heavy...
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We love a good overdrive pedal here at Pedal of the Day – who doesn’t, really? We recently began showcasing two different Klone pedals a week in a series we dubbed The Klone Wars, and today’s featured pedal here has been one of our favorites in that lineup so far. The Pelion from Kasleder FX is a simple, three-knob overdrive that also works wonders as a clean boost, and will drive any tube amp right into the sweet...
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There’s something about a good octave pedal that beefs up your tone and adds a special flavor to any rig. Whether it’s a lower or upper octave, adding another layer of sound to enhance your original signal has always been a tasty option for us, and today we get to check out a truly killer, one-knob octave effect. The Queequeg (what a great name, right?) from KMA Audio Machines is a sub octave generator, a simple, analog,...
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The T-Rex Effects Replicator Junior Tape Echo was one of our favorite delays that has ever come through the office, and we were excited to see if there were any more delays made by this fantastic company from Denmark. As luck would have it, we stumbled across today’s pedal, the Replay Box Stereo Delay, an extremely small but wicked powerful straightforward delay, with stereo options and 3, count them THREE, seconds of delay...
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AC/DC. Even if you’re not a fan (not sure why that would be, but whatever), there’s still a good chance you know the words to at least 10 of their songs, if not more. Part of the appeal they’ve had since their inception in 1973 is, hands down, the guitar sound that seemingly has stayed exactly the same over the last 4+ decades. Angus Young’s signature schoolboy uniforms, love of SGs and the tone he produces are...
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