The Quantum Time Modulator from our friends at Pigtronix is an extremely fun, fairly easy-to-use modulation pedal, with lots of possibilities and sonic exploration to be had. Not your typical chorus pedal, this guy doubles as a sort of Uni-Vibe as well, all with a simple, easily accessible toggle switch. The controls are pretty straightforward, but the ranges in both the Chorus and Vibrato modes are BIG, and will put a smile on your...
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Walrus Audio’s Voyager Overdrive has 3 control knobs, making it an easy pedal to maneuver and dial in. The tones that this high-quality piece of gear produce are outstanding as well, as we’ve come to expect from great companies like Walrus Audio. Sturdy enclosure, great switches and knobs and the guts are a thing of beauty as well. The real standout for this drive pedal to me is the amount of Tonal Range that you have to...
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When I went to Guitar Center and asked “What are some good delay pedals?” I was handed a few, and the one that stood out among the rest was the Flashback x4 from TC Electronic. This delay pedal has 12 different delay types, plus, TC Electronic TonePrint® slots. TonePrint® absolutely blew my mind, it is when you take your smart phone and you download a free app and you can find different artists and their custom settings...
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The Fuzz of Doom! The Sequel 6 from Midnight 30 Music is a faithful recreation of the Lovetone Big Cheese. Lovetone produced many great pedals over the years, and one of the most sought after was the Big Cheese fuzz. From the blistering riff from The Edge on U2’s Discotheque, to the alt. country guitarists looking for that spaghetti western type of tone, this circuit delivered. What M30 has been able to do with this version, is...
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The DE7 Delay pedal from Ibanez has two modes. Delay gives you a digital delay that is clear and full. The Echo mode is where this pedal shines. It gives analog-like repeats and warm echoes. These echoes are why this pedal has a cult-like following. The repeats sound best with tremolo picking and like to pile on top of each other, creating thick noise when you want it, or long echoes when you want space between the notes. While this...
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If you’re looking for a deep, lush chorus pedal to add a bit of depth and character to your playing, then look no further than the Analog Chorus from CMATMods. This box produces sounds reminiscent of vintage choruses from the past, and it does so because pedal maker Chad uses the discontinued BBD MN3007 and MN3101 analog chips, making your tone warm, smooth and buttery fluttery. The Blend knob is always a welcome knob, on any...
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What do you think of when you hear the words “Envelope” and “Filter” together? Inevitably, your brain tells you to hear the first chords (and subsequent wicked-rad riff) of “Shakedown Street” by the Grateful Dead. You being a fan or not of the band is beside the point: that is one of the most recognized uses of an envelope filter in music history (and I, for one, think it sounds incredible). The...
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Now here is a great looking and sounding echo/delay from J. Rockett Audio Designs: the Alien Echo. Designed to emulate vintage delays and tape echoes, the Alien Echo also adds in on-the-fly modulation to keep you on your toes and constantly guessing about what’s coming next. The narrow but surprisingly thick brushed chrome enclosure looks gorgeous, and features a number of knobs and switches allowing you to create some lush and...
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Loopers. I mean, they’re just so much fun to use, and can be extremely beneficial as a learning and practicing tool. The Phrase Sampler + is my favorite – I know, it’s old, and “outdated”, and doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that some of the newer loopers do, but it is just perfect for my setup. 5 easy-tap buttons that are labeled telling you exactly what each one does, so there’s no...
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It is one of the best delay pedals that I’ve used so far – it has many combinations for a great live sound along with true bypass that will give you the organic sound you’re looking for on stage. It comes with three knobs. Mix/Repeat/Time. They will give you the setting you like. The first knob (MIX) will give you the accentuation on the actual-delay-sound. The second knob (REPEAT) is the one responsible for how many...
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The Analogman Sun Face Fuzz is my first foray into a custom made to order effects pedal. I went for the kitchen sink on this one and got every extra I could (only partial regret was getting a power supply jack as this type of pedal does best with a cheap battery). Can come with a on/off pot switch so you don’t have to unplug the pedal to save battery life (awesome), optional L.E.D. (can drain battery faster). I did not get an...
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today, this time from Taco Guitars, and it’s their Deep Sea Delay. Make sure to check out Kyle’s other reviews using the links under the video. Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Go visit Taco Guitars on Facebook, too! Submitted by Kyle
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The Digitech XP 400 Reverberator pedal is one of the first reverb stompboxes with a expression pedal. It was a part of the “XP Series” along with the legendary XP 100 Whammy Wah and the extremely popular XP 300 Space Station. It’s extremely simple to use since you can’t change the actual programs. The only and main control you have, is over the wetness of the reverb and you can control it with the expression...
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The Seafoam Chorus from Keeley Electronics isn’t the average chorus pedal, IMHO. You notice right off, out of the box, it’s a great looking, solid, well built feeling pedal. The color and labeling are spot on and compliment each other. You just feel quality all over this guy. But it really hits you when you kick it in. With the knobs at around 12 o’clock, you get this sweet shimmering boost that just adds a...
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Based on the Jetlyzer JL-70 Phaser from the mid-70’s, the VJR9 Vintage Jet Riser flanger-ish pedal from Maxon faithfully re-creates the jet-like swooshes, swirls and classic tones from that extremely rare and sought-after piece of gear (if you can find one, they go for upwards of $700). Obviously, the cost here is much less, but the JL-70 is also a BIG machine, while the VJR9 is the size of a regular pedal, with all the bells...
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“There’s no way this $29.00 pedal is gonna sound like a Tube Screamer”, I said to myself while pressing the ‘Place Order’ button for the Joyo JF-01 Vintage Overdrive. I was expecting it to probably end up in a pile of not-oft-used pedals, collecting cobwebs and watching it’s sparkling green finish turn an off-pea as the years rolled by. That is NOT to be the case with this marvel. For starters, the...
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Putting a modern twist on the classic 2290 Delay, TC Electronic has produced the Flashback Delay, which offers many delay modes and options, plus a couple of cool added bonuses. The selection of delay modes on this compact pedal are really quite impressive, 11 all together, making your sonic spectrum broad and far-reaching. The 2290 setting is one of my favorites, and emulates the sounds (I would imagine, having never heard an...
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The Hi-Volt Custom 1 from Lovepedal is a mid-to-high gain overdrive pedal that features a great active 3-band EQ and enough gain to blow the house down. Tons of low-end for those extra heavy, chunky riffs, and the highs will have your axe singing and screeching like it was headlining Rocklahoma. I love drive pedals that boast 3 equalization knobs, as opposed to one tone knob that usually just does highs and lows. You can’t...
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Transparent Overdrive. Those words seem to be everywhere in the guitar effects community these days, and have for a little while now. But, there’s a good reason: they help to beef up the sound that already exists between your guitar and amp, but without coloring it in a way that changes the overall tone. They work as kind of an enhancer, as some say, to really get your amp to shine and pour out the awesome tones everyone is...
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EarthQuaker Devices really hit it on the head with this monophonic synth monster. The EQD Bit Commander commands all the bits of those old synth keyboards and smashes them into one tiny box for us guitar players to utilize. This is absolutely one of my favorite pedals of all time and has been on my board for probably the longest of all my pedals. Here is the run down 6 knobs: Top left: Sub Octave – this lets you get the synth...
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The Soda Meiser Fuzz from Devi Ever FX is an organic-sounding, smooth fuzz that can be amped up into dis-harmonic bliss with a turn of a knob. The Volume is a pretty easy knob to understand, but the range found in the Zazz (Gain) knob is extraordinary, going from light, Muff-ish tones to full-on out-of-this-world fuzzy bliss. With the Zazz knob turned all the way down, you get a really nice overdriven sound, with just a slight bit of...
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To really test this pedal, I wanted to run it through an solid state amp, to see how much “tube tone” it would actually add to a sound not produced by tubes in the first place. However, I only have 1 solid state amp, and it’s a little ZT Lunchbox. Maybe not the best demo amp, but I figured if I could coax a warm tube sound out of it, then this pedal was doing its job. Well, it did, and then some. For starters, it...
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The Z.Vex Effects Fuzzolo is a very tiny silicon fuzz with a big sound. It has distinctive midrange cut that will send your lead through the band mix really well. It responses well with the volume knob. You can adjust the amount of gain by rolling the volume off since it only has volume control. Control wise it has volume and Pulse width. The latter one is fairly unique. To me, it acted like a noise gate. When I stopped touching the...
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I have played a tremolo pedal or two in my days as a guitarist, and the optical Tremolo from Diamond Pedals is right up there at the top of the list. With so many variables, the sonic possibilities are vast, but getting to them is the real fun part with this pedal. The Speed knob controls the rate of the modulation, moving from a slow, pulsing wave to a extreme, almost whirly sound close to a ring modulator. There’s also a Tap...
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ARPANOID. Even the name sounds like something from outer space, and this pedal will create those types of sounds and more. Coming to us from the great folks at EarthQuaker Devices, the Arpanoid is “the first dedicated compact polyphonic pitch arpeggiator effect pedal for electric guitar.” Basically, it takes the signal from your guitar, tweaks it and spits it out in the form of ascending or descending notes, which you can...
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Wow. Where to begin with this guy? First off, Dwarfcraft Devices make pedals that make noise, and I mean that in the best possible way. Their little metal enclosures are no for the weak-hearted, or those who are looking to preserve their pristine hearing ability. They are good at what they do, and a shining example of that is the incredible Hax Ring Modulator. A true sonically experimental beast, the Hax conjures up a multitude of...
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Who here is a regular user of Granular Synthesis? Exactly. No one. Well, the Particle Granular Delay/Pitch Shifter pedal from Red Panda wants you to know all about it, and (try) to use it to your advantage in your guitar playing. This is one of those pedals that is a bit tricky to describe on paper, as the sounds that come out of it are very rarely repeated, leading to a vast amount of random sonic gooeyness. Let’s start at the...
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The Fuzz Elements Series of stompboxes from Maxon consist of seven different fuzz pedals, each with their own special characteristics and sounds. Based on the vintage Ampeg Scrambler, this pedal produces a unique octave and fuzz combo tone that provides for some spectacular sounds. The Level knob controls exactly what you think it controls, but the other knobs are where this pedal shines. The Overtone knob produces even-order...
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The Angry Charlie Channel Drive is a simple pedal from JHS Pedals, with a very classic and boutique performance. It has 4 knobs, volume, drive, tone, and presence. The tone and presence knobs work in reverse like filter on Proco Rat. Before i bought this one, I sold my Suhr Riot because I’m looking for more classic Marshally tones like EVH. By watching some review on Youtube and read some articles, I decided JHS Angry Charlie...
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We’ve got another VIDEO review for you today, this time from Center Street Electronics, and it’s their one-knob Druid Fuzz. Make sure to check out Kyle’s other reviews using the links under the video. Click ‘PLAY’ and enjoy the show! Go visit Center Street Electronics HERE! Submitted by Kyle
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The Red Eyes Overdrive from Heavy Electronics is a vey dirty, gritty medium gain overdrive. It has massive amounts of headroom and is very sensitive to pick attack and playing style. I always have the gain between twelve and three o’clock. I love how gritty this pedal is even at low gain. It is also a plus that the eyes flash as you play. Specs: Power Supply: 9 Volt DC 200 mA Center – 2.1mm Power Consumption: 7.60 mA I/O...
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Based on the legendary Orange Squeeze compressor from Dan Armstrong, the Hartman Compressor provides a nice, smooth squish to your tone, while also giving it just a smidgen of attitude. The Ratio knob adjusts the right amount of compression for your tone, while the Gain knob controls the level and growl of the pedal. Warm tones, pleasing to your ear, and very quiet as well, which is something a lot of compressors lack. 2 knobs, not...
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Versatility in an overdrive can be KEY to its performance, and the Jalapeño Overdrive from Pepper Pedals combines oft-present controls with a few extras to form a creative and outstanding overdrive. Your basic Level, Tone and Gain knobs make up the core of almost every overdrive pedal, and the Jalapeño is no different. However, two toggle switches allow you to truly customize your overdrive, and make it work for you and your guitar....
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The Aerolite Compressor from Dr. J Pedals in Scandinavia is a unique pedal in a sea of compressors, as it has a couple of variables that enable it to sing a different tune than most. The COMP knob obviously controls the amount of compression you are applying to your signal, and the OUTPUT controls the volume boost coming from the pedal itself. The ATTACK knob, another compressor staple, adjusts the dynamics and reacts to your playing,...
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Need a stompbox that can perform multiple functions and can be used in a slew of different scenarios? Then check out the Jerry Donahue JD10 from Morley. This pedal can do many things, including recording line driver, amp emulator, overdrive, preamp, and headphone amp. I use it mostly for boost and a bit of overdrive on the Classic setting. The speaker simulator sounds good even when playing through an amp. I have quite a few other...
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BOSS PS-3 Pitch Shifter / Delay Made from 1994-1999 Three Delay modes Seven Pitch modes One Expression mode There’s A LOT in this lil one-stomp pedal. Various options for pitch shifting – from slight chorus-y shifts to drastic intervals! And classic spot-on BOSS digital delay settings. My personal favorite is ‘Mode 7’, which is a pitch-shifting reversing delay. Depending on where you place the settings it will...
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This here is a Klone from Rawkworks. It features three knobs: Volume, Tone, Gain. The volume knob has the ability to push your amp to natural overdrive with its large amount of headroom. The gain knob is very usable and doesn’t get to fuzzy. Inside there are two internal dip switches that offers different clipping options. Graphics are killer. Enough said! Submitted by Alex, Instagram
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Today we’ve got a great, unique little fuzz box from Vaux Flores in Baltimore, Maryland: the Gold Standard Fuzz. Now, it should be noted that this is a thick, mean, buzz saw, in-your-face fuzz box. Not for the tame. Not for the meek. Get ready for a true adventure in fuzzdom. The Gold Standard is a 3-transistor fuzz adapted from VauxFlores’ Number 24, but with a different set of transistors and set bias controls for a...
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The Philosopher’s Rock is a pretty unique and useful pedal to add to any guitarists’ arsenal. Acting mainly as a great compressor, it gives you great control over the amount of squish you have in your signal, while adding miles and miles of beautiful sustain to every note on the fretboard. Basically, this pedal is a simpler version of another Pigtronix classic, the Philosopher’s Tone. The Treble and Blend functions...
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FoxPedals has done an amazing job with this beauty. Aesthetically, it is a masterpiece that stands out among anything else you would have on your board. But just wait until you actually hear it. Left side reverb, right side delay. The pedal is what you ambient players are looking for. The reverb is controlled by one knob; just adjust it to how much you want. It’s lightly modulated and provides a rich tone. Speaking of...
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The Signa Drive from CMATMods is a punchy medium gain overdrive with vast tonal possibilities. With three clipping options and tone, gain, and volume controls you can go from a bright, airy clean boost, a rich fat “in your face” tone great for rhythm, to thick creamy lead tones for those singing solos. An amazing stage two overdrive, great when stacked with other drives and a subtle delay or reverb. Specs: RC 4558p Chip...
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The VOX Ice 9 is a very warm OD with a wide range of capabilities that varies from light and clean to near distortion pedal sounds. It features Gain, Treble, Bass, and Volume control along with a Modern/Vintage switch to shape the sound even further. This pedal also has a “More” footswitch to bump the gain for heavier rhythm or to boost you for a solo. I’m not a VOX fan per say (I hate their amps), and I am not a fan...
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Yet another overdrive based on the famous Klon, the Soul Food from Electro-Harmonix was created to bring great-sounding tone to musicians everywhere…at an VERY affordable price. As with all great Klone-type pedals, the Soul Food provides sweet, creamy, transparent overdrive, but can also go pretty balls out if need be. Volume, Tone and Drive controls are also typical, but like so many other pedals have come to find out, one trip...
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The Formula No. 5 from Catalinbread is modeled after the famous Tweed amps used by some famous guitar pickers (Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Neil Young, etc), and gives off a powerful but somewhat soothing tone. The No. 5 can boost your amp’s natural sound a little or a lot, and with the Gain knob up to the max, can really make it sing. Although the tone is definitely in the ‘overdrive’ category, it emits an...
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Look what we’ve got for you today! It’s the Sick As Overdrive from our friends at Bondi Effects. The Sick As is a transparent overdrive (supposedly based around the famous Klon), and a really well made and great-sounding one at that. The Level knob does, well, you know what Level knob does, I hope. One feature I love about the Sick As is that it has Treble AND Bass EQ knobs, and on this pedal (as opposed to a number of...
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Today’s rad daily pedal comes to us from Throne Room Pedals in lovely Bellingham, WA. The Revelator is a monster of epic proportions, and is about as versatile as you can get with a boost-overdrive-distortion-fuzz pedal. The usual knobs are present here (Volume, Gain and Tone), but what makes the Revelator stand out is the addition of a 3-Way toggle switch. This allows you to go between Silicone, Germanium and IC-based...
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Eventide is great at putting stereo quality effects in (relatively) easy-to-use stompboxes, and this delay is no different. The TimeFactor is an all-in-one delay unit that more features than any one person could ask for. Fairly easy to use and has many controls to craft countless delay settings that work for you. It has 10 styles of delays and each style has many different effects to add to your delay. Has a bank mode and a play mode....
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The Coffee Grinder Fuzz from Blue Dinosaur Electronics is a distant relative of the ancient and mysterious Interfax Harmonic Percolator, especially when both the Gain and Hi-Fi knobs are pushed to the max (although this is in no way a clone of that pedal). This is a fuzz like no other. With the Gain knob up full blast, the Coffee Grinder emits a warm, smooth, bold fuzz that’s not tinny or harsh on your ear holes. Use the Hi-Fi...
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First off, the DelayLab is a BIG box, no bones about it. That said, it packs a heap of features and a million different settings to choose from, making it one of the funnest delays I’ve ever used. Simple digital readout in the top corner lets you know what bank you’re in, what the delay time is, amount of feedback being produced, etc., depending on how you turn the knobs. 3 footswitches allow for a multitude of banks (30,...
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The Flint Tremolo / Reverb is an incredible dual pedal from Strymon. Used separately or in conjunction, both the Tremolo side and the Reverb side have many different functions and tonal possibilities, all running through a supremely-built and gorgeous looking enclosure, which also happens to be true bypass. Along with the usual Speed and Intensity control knobs, the Tremolo side features a 3-way switch where the user can select from 3...
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