Today’s featured pedal brings to the table a slew of delay modes to choose from, as well as a built-in looper function, external switching capabilities and more. The Canyon Delay Looper from Electro-Harmonix packs a TON of features into a less-than-normal sized enclosure, giving you a lot without sacrificing any space on your board. The Canyon gives you pretty much all the delay options you could ever want, via the 11 different...
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Altough we don’t do it as often as we should, a good bass demo is always a fun way to end a long week. And speaking of bass pedals, the crew at Mantic Effects have been building some low end-inspired pieces of gear for years now, several of which we’ve been fortunate enough to tackle here at Pedal of the Day. Today’s effect might not be as flashy as some of those others, but it’s an important piece to any bass...
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In addition to having a very 1980’s-like look to it, today’s featured pedal brings you the sounds and odd tones of that decade as well. Coming at’cha with a slew of pitch shifting, digital delays and arcade-inspired effects, the Radical Delay II Plus from Alexander Pedals takes you on a trip back to your childhood (depending when you were born, of course) in one of the crazier 10-year stretches we’ve ever seen....
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We want the funk. Give up the funk. We need the funk. We gotta have that funk. Truer words have never been spoken, both in general and especially when in relation to today’s magnificently funky featured pedal. The Analogue Filter 442 from Mojo Hand FX brings SOOOO much funk to the table, yet utilizes only two control knobs, making it easy to dial in, yet complex in the amount of range you have for such a simple configuration....
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When the crew at Pelican NoiseWorks released the Pelitaur Fuzz a couple years ago, it took the effects community by storm, and we were lucky enough to get our hands on one to check out (review and demo here). Since then, they’ve decided that one of the sides of that crazy creature needed to branch out on its own, in the form of the Half Horse Fuzz, which we’re going to take a look at today. A dynamic JFET fuzz circuit that...
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Newer effects pedals that are based on older effects, or electronic unit, or tape machines, or screen projectors, or whatever, always put a smile on our face. Taking something that might not have been geared towards our current effects world and utilizing the sounds it makes to enhance our musical world is a fascinating concept, so we’re stoked about today’s featured pedal. The Jive from our pals in Germany, JPTR FX, is a...
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HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY! We’re going to start off 2019 the same way we ended 2018: with POWER. While the Camper Fuzz from CroyTone Audio focused on the fuzzy side of things, today’s pedal takes a crack at the distortion market, and does so with blistering abandon. The Metal Shock’s name alone should give you a clue as to what it can do – this is a modern, high-gain distortion pedal that is just quivering with...
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Since this will be our last review and demo of the year, we wanted to go out with a BANG!, and boy, does today’s pedal deliver on all fronts. The Camper Fuzz is a creation developed by CroyTone Audio, based in St. Louis, Missouri, and produces gain, volume and tone that will shake your walls and mystify your very soul. With enough settings and options to make it almost four different fuzzes in one, this seemingly simple beauty...
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There are certain series of pedals that seem to really stand the test of time, and stand out themselves, as individuals and as a collective group. The 9 Series and Tone-Lok pedals from Ibanez. Mid-80’s Boss pedals. The late 70’s DOD bigboxes. And, the group we’re going to venture into today: the Hardwire Series from DigiTech. This 10 pedal series featured a wide range of genres to choose from, and today we want to...
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The Tremolo Effect. It’s been heard, loved and loathed by many on countless records throughout the decades, and, regardless of if you’re a fan of it or not, you can’t deny it’s place in musical history. Starting with circuits in amplifiers and moving gradually to our beloved effects pedalboards, it comes in many shapes, iterations and styles. Sometimes, though, simple is the best solution, and we’re going...
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Merry Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanzaa-Boxing Day-Omisoka-Yule to you all, hope your celebrations were safe, festive and full of love and friendship! Now, back to business: today’s pedal is an absolute CRUSHER. Taking the world of distortion and completely throwing it for a loop, the PLASMA High Voltage Distortion Unit from Gamechanger Audio reinvents the way a high gain pedal should look, feel, sound and perform. Using updated and...
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Sometimes, in certain pedalboard real estate situations, the smaller the pedal the better. Today’s featured piece of gear will have no problem fitting into any musical tetris-type situation, as it is so small it can be placed virtually anywhere with a perfect fit. The Bluesy Overdrive is another gem from our friends at CNZ Audio, and, while tiny, packs a huge sound and excellent amp-enhancing tone. Let’s take a look at...
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We dig a good hard rocking, amp crushing, super clipping distortion pedal around here (who doesn’t?), and today’s featured piece of monster machinery scratches all of our high gain itches. A simple pedal built around a simple need, the Thallium 81 Hard Clipping Distortion pedal from Fat Foot Effects brings the thunder, but not in an overpowering kind of way. With a plug and play mentality, easy-to-use parameters and some...
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The Tube Screamer. Iconic. Classic. Overdrive. Green. All of these things it may be, and there have been many copies/recreations that have tried to capture that special tone as well. Today’s pedal uses the famous green monster as a base, then builds on it, adding switches and options to produce a more complete overall unit of sound. The Hangover Overdrive comes to us from Rocket Scientists Electronics, and, as you can clearly...
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There’s no mistaking the bright red glory that comes with every single effects pedal we see from Sioux Guitars, which should make it no surprise that the bright red beauty we’re checking out today comes straight from Sioux City, Iowa, as well. The Flood of ’53 is aptly named after a huge rainfall that hit and flooded the town those many decades ago, and just like the big waves and ripples through the city, this...
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We love a gritty, dirty preamp boost overdrive pedal, because who doesn’t? The Dirty Boy from Massive Unity Ltd. is just that, a powerful, clean-looking but dirty-sounding effect that is powered by T.A.E. (proprietary tube amp emulation) technology. Based on the amp used by legendary guitarist Blues Saraceno, which was built by his dad, this pedal features two different modes, a bunch of options and a whole slew of sounds that...
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We recently had the opportunity to check out the Distortion 1 from LunaStone Pedals, and were more than impressed with its build, layout and incredible sound quality. Following in those exact footsteps, today’s pedal from LunaStone is a different animal overall, but retains the quality that these guys are putting out in their effects. The Red Fuzz 1 gives you the feel and power of a true Marshall stack in a small box that will...
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There is nothing like the sound of a Marshall stack, particularly a vintage one, perhaps of the Plexi variety, with the classic 4 input configuration. Those in the know have discovered a special secret about these amps: using a patch cable to connect two of the inputs together. This results in the Volume controls from both channels becoming active, and able to be blended at will to produce gorgeous, soaring crunch tones. If...
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There are a lot of speculative stories surrounding the Umibōzu, a mythical sea creature hailing from lore in the Far East. Today’s pedal takes not only that beast’s name, but the mystery, terror and power that engulf it, and force it outwards, via your amplifier. The Umibōzu Fuzz from Rougarou Pedals has a simple setup, but the tones this monster puts out are far from easy, ordinary or even sometimes logical. BEWARE! The...
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After the powerhouse of a pedal we witnessed last month in the American Geek from Zander Circuitry, we couldn’t wait to delve into their next offering, a rare THREE-IN-ONE pedal that has more options than you’ll know what to do with. The Avalanche is described as a “Harmonic Clipping Trifecta,” and it certainly gives you three completely different sounds to concoct your next sonic meal with. Fuzz, Boost,...
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Whenever a crazy, noise-laden, free form piece of musical equipment comes into the office, we tend to get fairly excited. When the Erratic Clutch Deluxe arrived, we had no idea what we were in for, as it doesn’t really tell you what it is on the outside. However, once we plugged it in, we were treated to a sonic explosion, the likes of which we don’t witness very often around here. You’re all in for a treat today,...
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The Phaser Effect. It’s been heard on famous recordings and utilized in live settings by all of our favorite guitarists for decades, and continues to be one of the more interesting effects genres out there. Now, as much as we love a good, simple, one-knob phase shifting unit, the ones that are REALLY fun are the multiple-switch, more-than-you-need knob configuration, too-many-options-to-handle types of phasers, and that is...
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Let’s face it: Ring Modulators are not for everyone. They’re quirky, weird, loud, uncontrollable and will sometimes do damage to your other gear. Which are all reasons why we love ’em here at Pedal of the Day, and why we were wicked excited about today’s featured pedal arriving in the mail. The Optical Ring V2 is a complete ring modulation and fuzz system, wrapped in a giant enclosure to let everyone know you...
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Hope everyone here in the States had a safe and delicious Thanksgiving yesterday, but we’re back with a vengeance following our brief holiday! Today, we are checking out the final pedal in a run of enclosures sent to us by the fine folks at RPS Effects, and these four pedals come to a close with an absolute monstrous bang. The Red Sun is an analog distortion pedal, one built to crush your eardrums while delivering a scorching...
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After the wallop our ears got with the last effort from Mistweaver Effects, the Serpent Fuzz, we were excited and slightly terrified to see what lay in store for their next offering. Fortunately for the decibels, but not the tone quality, the Forestry Overdrive dials it down just a tick, with plenty of gorgeous dirt on tap to bring any amp to its full potential. With a fairly extensive control section and sounds that work in any...
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As our “Deadbeat Week” draws to a close here at Pedal of the Day, we’re excited to bring one final effect to you from the “Station” line of pedals from Deadbeat Sound. The Echolation Station is full of gooey delay goodness, boasting a ton of different modes and echoed tones up and down the line. The delay-filled gem gives you a multitude of echo effects, from modern to classic to vintage and everywhere...
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“Deadbeat Week” rolls on here at Pedal of the Day, and Day Three brings us a multi-dimensional effect unit that utters one simple but powerful word: REVERB. Whether it’s Plate, Mod, Church, Hall, Room, Spring, Lo-Fi, Gate, or Reverse reverb that you’re looking for, the Reverberation Station from Deadbeat Sound has you covered. Boasting a simple but effective control section for each of these 9 modes, this...
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It’s Day Two of our “Deadbeat Week” here at Pedal of the Day, and brings with it the first of three “Station” effects pedals we’re going to check out. Modulation is always a good time, no matter what type of rig you have or what music you play, so cramming 11 unique modulating effects into one pedal sounds like a pretty rad idea to us. The Modulation Station combines Tremolo, Vibrato, Chorus,...
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This week has been dubbed “Deadbeat Week” here at Pedal of the Day, having been taken over by the folks at Deadbeat Sound. Starting off our run of their pedals is The Visible Overdrive, a clear, see-through dirt pedal designed to emulate the tones of certain 1980’s, green, mid-focused overdrives, all at a ridiculously affordable price range. Working not only with guitars, but bass, keys, drum machines and more, this...
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We are just loving the effects pedals coming out of the FEA Labs camp right now, and we are once again fortunate enough to be able to bring another review and demo of one of them to you today. The DE-CL is a Dual Engine Compressor Limiter, with a lot of control knobs and tones abound, perfect for guitar, bass and more. Utilizing advanced, adaptive release circuitry, clean, boosted power and two sidechain control engines, this is one...
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Today’s featured piece of gear is NOT an effects pedal, but something that is just as important to electrifying your guitar’s signal. Without an amplifier, your pickups would have nothing to send sound to, and your speaker cabinet would not be able to receive sound and project it to the world. That’s where something like the Cobblestone Micro Amp Head from Kartakou Amplification comes in, only this one happens to be...
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We’ve checked out a couple of pedals by Garland FX out of Houston, Texas, before, so we were excited that they wanted us to take a gander at one of their newer effects pedal creations, and put it through the ringer. The Pink Drive brings you the classic rock and roll sounds of the 1960’s and 70’s, complete with a couple of add-on control choices for you to seriously dial in whatever tones you’re after. With a...
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Pink Floyd. I mean, c’mon, what else do you have to say? David Gilmour is well-known for one of the greatest all-around tones on the planet, especially in the fuzz/soloing department, and we’re going to take a look at a pedal that aims to recreate that today. The aptly-named Floyd Fuzz graces us with its presence, coming from Tru-Fi Pedals in Falmouth, Maine (the next fuzz capital of the world, apparently). With FIVE...
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The DE7 Delay Echo from the Ibanez Tone-Lok series has an interesting sort of lore to it. Not very expensive or super-popular when first released, it has become a true go-to delay for many players around the world, and absolutely debunks the myth that pedals have to be expensive to sound incredible. We have already taken a look at this classic echo pedal, and all it’s functionality, so today we’re focusing on another...
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Everyone ready? HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! And what better way to celebrate than with a hauntingly excellent boost preamp pedal from our friends over at JHS Pedals, right? The Haunting Mids, in addition to featuring some ghoulish graphics, adjusts the Midrange of your sound to your specs, providing a perfect opportunity to tame or heighten anything you’re not 100% happy with about your tone. With a simple control section and a wide range...
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Delay is one of our favorite effects – analog, digital, echo, modulated….it doesn’t matter. It always adds some mystique and mystery to any tone or setup, usually getting out into the sonic stratosphere to produce wild, unruly and unexpected tones, something we are huge fans of. Today’s delay pedal has a smooth balance of subtle and extreme, giving you a nice range of options and sounds to play with. The Dakota...
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Ah, the Klon….such a mysterious, magical and ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE piece of gear. Now, we love a delicious overdrive, and have even grown to love boost pedals over the last few years, but really, enough is enough. Since we have no money (or desire) to spend over $1500 on one singular item, especially when it’s an EFFECTS PEDAL, we’re glad there are companies like Rock Your Repaired Amp, or RYRA, as...
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Mixing it up in the effects pedal department has become almost the standard these days – adding clever options, combining effects and trying to change the overall soundscape of what we all use on our pedalboards. Today’s pedal addresses this in dramatic fashion, producing elements of fuzz, distortion, oscillation and overall weirdness with ease. The Guardian Fuzz from Hologram FX seeks to destroy everything you thought you...
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If you’re a fuzz lover, when you hear the words “Tone Bender,” an instant smile creeps over your face. Used on countless classic rock recordings and live shows by everyone from Pete Townshend to Jeff Beck to Paul McCartney and more, these gray boxes from Sola Sound defined the latter half of the 1960’s. The MkII Professional version of the Tone Bender was made popular by Jimmy Page, having used it on the first...
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Today’s pedal, an overdrive with a three-knob setup, seeks to to fulfill a need to have an overdrive that was not so thin and lacking like so many others on the market. The Seawolf Overdrive from ToneApparatus FX isn’t trying to create a new effect or genre, just making a damn good overdrive that can be useful to any rig or player in any musical style. It’s also fully customizable, features an additional tonal option...
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Modulation can add an entirely new dimension to any musical endeavor, whether it be a subtle, layered effect or a noise-laden, pulsating fury of sound screaming through your amplifier. The Tremulus Maximus from RPS Effects is an exciting, fully analog optical tremolo and amplitude modulator that will change your approach to writing and recording your tunes. While it features a pretty straightforward control section, the ranges...
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Reverb. Oscillation. Bit Crushing. These three effects aren’t usually found on the same pedalboard, much less crammed into ONE PEDAL. The folks at AC Noises decided that the marriage of these three needed to happen, and the AMA was born. Meaning “love” in second person imperative (tu, ama! = you, love!), this deceptive gray pedal is one of the funnest noise creators we’ve come across recently, producing...
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Continuing our week of powerful distortion effects, we’ve got another monster fuzz pedal for you to check out today. The American Geek is a high-gain fuzz machine from Zander Circuitry, one with a spread out tone section, a ton of drive and a super-charged footswitchable option to send your sound into the metal stratosphere. Level and Gain set the output volume and amount of crunch the American Geek produces, as they should, but...
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Now fully established as a fuzz and distortion-producing powerhouse of a company, we are always happy to get new effects in the office from our friends at Wren & Cuff, and we’ve got another mammoth for you today. The Super Russian is a potent fuzz pedal, plus a buffer/boost as well, a well-rounded machine that works wonderfully with bass and guitar alike. Featuring loud, boisterous, Muff-y tones and distortion, plus a...
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Sometimes, a small adjustment to an effects pedal layout can make all the difference. Today’s pedal is a distortion, yes, with the usual trio of controls, but their positioning is instantly a head turner, and as you delve in, you’ll find them to be additional functional, too. The Distortion 1 from LunaStone Pedals also sounds fantastic, everything you want in a high gain rocker, so let’s check it out, shall we? The...
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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 Infinity Big...
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Reverb pedals are fun, we can all agree there’s little doubt about that. But what truly sets one reverb above another? Innovation and uniqueness are key factors for us here at Pedal of the Day, and today’s pedal if nothing if not both innovative and unique. The Arquitecto Fictional Space Reverberator features two cascading modulated reverbs, with different time, voicing and 2 depth modulation settings for each reverb....
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A couple times a year, the entire pedal community gets in an uproar about the latest and greatest effect that’s just been or is about to be released. Admit it, you’ve probably gotten caught up in the hype at least once or twice, no? One of the big fellas this year comes from 1981 Inventions, and is the focus of our review today. The DRV is an overdrive and distortion pedal, one with a look inspired by a certain...
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We have been really lucky as of late to have some incredible fuzz pedals coming through the shop, from all different sizes of effects-building companies, each one with a distinct flavor and sound. The Serpent Fuzz from Mistweaver Effects is no different, featuring a simple control section and a toggle to spice things up ever so slightly. Inspired by a classic, sought-after green fuzz pedal, this thing brings your tone to life, rocking...
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