Ring modulators have been often intriguing, sometimes frustrating effects that, if nothing else, always take you on a musical journey of some kind, whether you want them to or not. When you start mixing in fuzz, tremolo, gates and synths with a ring mod, it all really hits the fan, and your brain must adjust accordingly. Today’s pedal is a true face melter, a device of such force and sheer power that it was, at times, difficult...
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It’s always an interesting scene when we open up a package sent from our pal Marc-Eric Gagnon at Stonefly Effects. Over the least few years, we’ve had the opportunity to peruse devices such as the Grizzly Fuzz, Two Headed Werewolf Fuzz and the Switchblade Fuzz (seeing a pattern yet?). The latest FUZZ creation from our friends to the North in Quebec is the Alien Sasquatch, another killer effect with a name to match. This...
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The clean look, perfectionist wiring and incredible noises that come out of anything that Spaceman Effects creates have always been most welcome here at Pedal of the Day. Beginning with our search for the Aphelion and continuing over the last 5 years to try and get our hands on as many of their limited release pedals as we can has been challenging, but in the very best of ways. We have another one of their lovely effects for you this...
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So, here’s the thing: we LOVE to review and demo pedals that step completely outside the box, that make their own rules, that completely annihilate everyone’s expectations and conceptions about what effects pedals are supposed to do. Now, the list we currently have is not as long as we’d like it to be, but today’s pedal gets us a start in the right direction. The Moomindrone T from ezhi&aka is a Drone...
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It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had anything in the shop from Joe and Lone Wolf Audio, but we’re pretty stoked about today’s pedal, for sure. The Outsider V2 is a bit of an oddity pedal, based on a super rare piece of gear that most of you have probably never heard of. Described as a Lead Boost Sub-Harmonic Energizer, this little black box has the ability to conjure up some fun sounds, bold tones and, if...
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We love a good, simple, one or two-knob fuzz pedal, for sure, but we also love a versatile effect with a ton of options. Today’s featured pedal definitely falls into the latter category, as it is a fuzz full of tones, differing sounds and unique features. The Stone Blender from Red Noise Pedals is an interesting and exciting Fuzz Engine, not just a pedal, that will make you question everything you thought you knew about this...
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Anyone who knows the band Fu Manchu knows they have a pretty signature sound, and the bass is a big part of it. What you might not know is that the bass player, Brad Davis, is also the mastermind behind Creepy Fingers Effects, and he was kind enough to send us a pedal to check out today. The Fuzz Nugget is just that: a tasty little morsel of fuzz wrapped in a big old gold box, Eatin’ Dust and just waiting to be unleashed on the...
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Last month, we were privileged to review and demo the B-312 Freakshow Fuzz, a Silicon-based fuzz effect from our friends at Big Joe Stomp Box Company. Today, we’re going to check out its counterpart, the B-313, which is a Germanium version of the pedal. With this one being a bit warmer, without quite as much gain and bite, both pedals offer distinctly fuzzy flavors and sounds for any fuzz enthusiast to enjoy. The B-313 Germanium...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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The Russian Big Muff from Electro-Harmonix is about as classic a distortion/fuzz sound as you’re going to find in the effects pedal world, but sometimes, you may find yourself wanting more options than its 3-knob configuration will allow. Enter D-Sound Effects and their Orion Distortion Fuzz. Utilizing a six-parameter control section, and using modern, sophisticated circuitry and build techniques, this pedal is a Russian Big...
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If you dig effects pedals, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard, seen and/or played something from Mantic Effects. If you have ears, there’s also a good chance you’ve come across an artist named Jack White….many, many times, some probably without you even knowing it. Jack’s record label Third Man Records and Mantic have teamed up for today’s featured pedal, the Flex TMR PLL Monophonic...
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A few years back, we reviewed and demoed a pedal called the DynaMorph™, a crazy fuzz-filter-synth thing that blew our minds, from the creators over at Totally Wycked Audio (TWA) and Godlyke Distributing Inc. Recently, they’ve released another effect along the same lines, a younger brother, per se, to the DynaMorph™ – today, we’d like to explore the MM-01 MiniMorph™ Dynamic Waveshaper with you. An envelope-dependent...
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Sometimes, pedals come through our office that are fairly loud. Sometimes, we get pedals that are REALLY loud. Today’s pedal might just be the loudest one we’ve ever encountered, and let us tell you, loud doesn’t even really begin to describe it. The Black Drone Wasp from Jext Telez is an absolute monster of a fuzz, and, while it can get extremely high in the volume department, it never gets shrill or too...
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We’ve always loved the simplicity of the majority of lineup from Henretta Engineering, but were pretty excited for today’s 2-in-1 pedal. In collaboration with Chicago Music Exchange, the Lake Effect combines Henretta’s Bluebird Fuzz and Crimson Tremolo into one enclosure, and adds a couple of options as well. Taking two great effects and smashing them into one box is usually a pretty great plan, and this one was...
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The first couple of pedals we had the chance to review from Haunted Labs (the Dark Aura Reverb and the Paranormal Fuzz) really knocked us out, combining stunning visuals with even better tones, both all-intriguing packages of sound and optical glory, in pedalboard-friendly sizes. This time around, they’ve teamed up with the spooky crew over at Coffin to bring us all the Frost Bite Fuzz, Coffin’s first new pedal in over 10...
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We love a good synthesizer pedal when they come through the shop, and we love the effects that Robert and the crew at Keeley Electronics put out, so the combination of both of these was a welcome announcement. The goal was to create a synth sound that took you from unnatural fuzz noises to pseudo-harmonic, random glitchy counterpoint, and boy, did they ever succeed. The Synth-1 Reverse Attack Fuzz Wave Generator lets you create...
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The wonderful world of multi-effects has had quite a resurgence in the last couple of years, with bigger, more powerful machines that actually sound incredible being put on the market. With all of these fantastic sounds and options available, there’s also been a considerable price hike in these effects units, too, making it hard for those on a lower budget to even be able to test them out, to see if it’s a good fit for...
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If you like fuzz and distortion, there’s a good chance you love the sound of a good Big Muff from Electro-Harmonix. With so many different iterations, it can be tricky to nail down the exact sound you may be looking for, and even more difficult if you’re trying to afford any kind of original Muff made before about 1999. Thankfully, there are companies who try and recreate these wonderful machines, and we’ve got a...
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There’s no shortage of incredible effects pouring out of the Keeley Electronics office, and with each one, we’re taken aback a bit by the sheer ingenuity and creativity they possess, especially the Workstation Series. Looking at another one of those today, we’re excited to bring you the Dark Side, a Fuzz Delay Phaser Vibe Flanger extravaganza, with tasty fuzz tones and all the modulation you can handle. Conjuring up...
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It’s been a minute since we had something from SviSound come through the shop, but their designs and enclosures are so unique, it’s always worth the wait. This go round they sent us the Germanium Fuzz Mini, a small, simple but boisterous effect that begs you not to judge by size, but by stature. Able to squeeze onto any pedalboard, as well as deliver blistering fuzz tones, this is a powerful little monster that is just...
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It’s honestly hard to believe there are still guitarists who don’t like fuzz effects – they’re loud, sometimes unpredictable, and add a certain pizazz to your tone that you just can’t get anywhere else. Who wouldn’t like that? To those folks, we say “More For Us!” and quickly find a fuzz to rock out with. Like today’s featured pedal, for example: the Fuzz-Arka from Veri-Tone is...
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Once again, Chris and the crew at JPTR FX have managed to outdo themselves with today’s featured pedal. The Silbermaschine Fuzz combines two gain stages in a parallel circuit, resulting in an unrefined and unbuffered vintage fuzz conquest. This LARGE pedal has the look and feel of a classic unit, but somehow brings a bit of modern touch along for the ride. Not for the weak or faint of heart, let’s check out this effect in...
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Innovation, inspiration and next-level thinking have become key aspects of the effects pedal industry. With a HUGE wave of companies popping up over the last number of years, you really need to have your gear stand out from the rest to avoid being sucked into the abyss of oversaturation that can present itself. Today’s pedal is not just three different effects in one, it is a complete work of art. The Black Hole Symmetry from...
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We’ve had the pleasure of checking out a couple of pedals from StoneFly Effects up in Canada, so we were pretty stoked when we heard that Marc-Eric was unleashing a new beast on the world. Even better, he was teaming up for this release with our friend Eric Calvert of Frost Giant Electronics and Switchblade Jesus fame, which peaked out interest that much more. The result is today’s complete monster of a fuzz, a RAT that...
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The Jupiter Fuzz has been a staple in the lineup of Walrus Audio’s effects lineup for years now, and today we’re going to take a look at the newest incarnation of this monster of a fuzz. This gritty, thick and loud beast comes roaring right out of the gates, with enough gruff and gusto to put fear into any amplifier, while also remaining adjustable and useable in many different musical scenarios. With new artwork and a...
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Today’s Guest reviewer is Brian Johnston – you can find him and more demo videos he’s done on his YouTube channel, CoolGuitarGear – click now! Thanks again, Brian, looking forward to more! SOUND: The 2 SA 202 model (named after the type of transistors used) of Vintage Fuzz II replicates the famous Fuzz Face sound of Jimi Hendrix. However, unlike older models of fuzz (and even some current ones), this fuzz is...
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With the weekend rapidly approaching, many of you will be exploring new gear and trying to figure out which new, tasty pedal to order while you relax on your off days. If you’re in the mood for something that will warp your mind, bend your soul and spark outrage in your neighbors, then you have definitely come to the right place. The Super Weirdo from our noise-happy German neighbors across the pond, JPTR FX, is the ultimate in...
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Chris and the crew at Haunted Labs are making some crazy pedals these days, if you haven’t had the chance to check them out. We were fortunate enough to get blistered with ambience by their Dark Aura Reverb a little while back, and thus were stoked for today’s featured gem. The Paranormal Fuzz V2 builds on the original version of this monster, with a cleaner, quieter circuit design, more gain and improved construction....
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Unleashing a fury of dirty fuzz tones that cover a large range, today’s featured pedal comes to us all the way from New Zealand. Apparently, they know how to make a pretty decent pedal down there, as the Caustic Fuzz from Pepers’ Pedals is a true powerhouse in the world of effects. While we’ve had a couple of guest reviews for Tony Pepers and his lineup, this is the first one we’ve gotten our hands on, and...
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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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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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The elusive Harmonic Percolator. Part distortion, part fuzz, all legend and pure myth, the original from Interfax has been a source of discussion to collectors and aficionados for years. We have had the opportunity to check out a few different copy versions here at Pedal of the Day, each is its own beast, with no two being alike, and none being a precise recreation of the original, either. Until, perhaps, today. The controls on the...
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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 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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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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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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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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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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