Bob Feldman Shin-ei Austin, TX USA www.shin-ei.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar since 1965. That’s fifty-three years! Damn!! I had friends from school and the neighborhood that played guitar and other instruments. They got me interested in playing. I tried trumpet for about a New York minute but fell right into the guitar and haven’t put it down since. Who have...
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The phaser is one of those effects that is excellent a being both subtle and super-nutso-crazy, so we’re always up for checking out any company’s take on one of our favorite effect genres. Today we’re going to look at the R-408 RAW Phaser from Big Joe Stomp Box Company, a vintage analog phase machine loaded with a ton of classic sounds, yet featuring an easy on-board control system. Parameter-wise, there’s...
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The folks over in Japan at Free The Tone don’t mess around with their effects, always taking things up a notch from where we all think they might level off, surprising and delighting us along the way. Their TA-1H Tri Avatar Multi-Dimensional Chorus pedal continues this tradition by unleashing an absolute mammoth of a chorus pedal, full of all the modern, vintage, classic and yet-undiscovered sounds you could imagine, and then a...
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When today’s pedal arrived on our doorstep all the way from Medor Amps in Australia, it was a beast to behold. Seriously, this thing is HUGE! We talk a lot about “Pedalboard friendly” here, and if there’s one thing the Hurt Circuit Fuzz is NOT, it’s that. However, once you plug it in and get to know how it works, you’ll throw that “size matters” theory right out the window. Wait…....
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Continuing our recent trend of some amazing tape delay echo machines, we’ve got another brilliant pedal for you today. The Deluxe Tape Machine Delay from LongAmp not only re-creates some fantastic sounds from the delay-filled 70’s, but does so while offering THREE distinct options, emulating the best tones from three of the most revered and classic delays ever made. Influenced by the Binson Echorec, Roland RE-201 Space...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Nikki King – you can find her and the band Spank on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and on their website as well. Thanks again, Nikki! I wanted something similar to the Marshall Shredmaster, but its not in production anymore and the vintage models go for lots of cash. I asked Pepers if they could make me something like that, and he totally obliged, I’d spent heaps trying to find...
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Pedal that are hard to describe, explain or wrap your head around are usually some of the best. The Ottobit Jr from Meris fits squarely into this set of rules, possibly breaking some along it’s sonic warpath as well. Part pitch manipulator, part sampler, part sequencer and all bitcrusher, this little black box will expand your mind and everything you thought you knew about how music is supposed to be created. Inspired by vintage...
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Nick Johns & J.B. Brisendine Atlanta, GA Brother Hawk brotherhawkatl.com facebook.com/BrotherHawkATL twitter.com/brotherhawkatl youtube.com/brotherhawkatl instagram.com/brotherhawkatl How long have you guys been musicians? How did you get into it in the first place? Nick: I had always been surrounded by a family of musicians my whole life and started picking songs out on the piano by ear when I was 4 years old. I started piano...
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There are pedals and amps that produce tones which just make you take a step back the first time you hear them. A good number of these have been produced by Marshall, and today’s pedal is a take on possubly their most famous pedal: the Blues Breaker. Taking that awesome piece of gear, tweaking it a bit and adding more options, the Mount Pleasant from Vick Audio aims to reproduce those vintage tones, but in a smaller footprint...
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We love a good mini, pedalboard-friendly pedal here at Pedal of the Day, and who doesn’t? The crew at CNZ Audio has devised an entire lineup of these little wonders, and we’ve got the first of many coming at you today. The Tape Echo is, well, a tape echo pedal, with a ton of features packed into a small enclosure, and offering a compact fit, but not sacrificing any tone… Designed to emulate vintage reel-to-reel...
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Ahhh, delay….our favorite effect. It comes in so many different shapes and colors and flavors and options, and we love ’em all – not equally, though. Once in a while, an effects pedal makes its way to our shop and we are absolutely blown away, and today’s pedal did exactly that as soon as we plugged it in. The Echoczar Analog Delay from Toneczar Effects is a BBD-infused, vintage-inspired, modulated black beauty...
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After being able to check out the revered White Pedal from Jext Telez, we were excited to see what dirty effect they had for us this go-round – color us impressed again. The Buzz Tone is a germanium fuzz that also has trace elements of overdrive packed right in, for an all-encompassing tonal spectrum of sounds. The easy controls hide a wide dimension of tones, and the secret weapon here really pushes the envelope on what a...
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We’ve all had a pedal, effects or vintage sound-making machine that has peaked our curiosity for years, but have never had the ways or means to acquire said piece of gear. One of the most famous of these is undoubtedly the Echoplex EP-3 from Maestro, a warm echo machine full of tasty modulated delays, and one responsible for many of the classic and iconic recorded tones ever put down on tape. These units, however, are...
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Johnny Balmer Location Chicago, IL Together, with my wife Victoria, we operate Alchemy Audio www.alchemy-audio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing electric guitar since I was 14. Victoria has played bass for a couple of years. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I was a metal kid in the 80’s. Therefore, when I started playing guitar, it...
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After checking out the new Getaway Driver from our friends at Orange Amps a couple months ago, we were excited to plug in the Fur Coat, another new effect in their lineup. This monster is a vintage fuzz loosely based on the Foxx Tone Machine, with an added octave option, for full tonal control and all the dirt you can handle. User-friendly controls and aesthetically intriguing artwork make this one fuzz that’s sure to...
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Michael Vickery Gilbert, Arizona Vick Audio VickAudio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I got a late start when it comes to guitar but I have been playing for almost 25 years. I started as a musician by taking piano lesson when I was a kid. I took lesson for about 4 years but it never really clicked with me. I think piano teacher have a tendency to try to make kids classic pianists...
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We love a good dual effect pedal around these parts, and the pedal we’re taking a gander at today features two beloved tones in spades. The FuzzBubble 45 from Analog Alien is an overdrive and fuzz in one, combining a couple of classic sounds into one pretty purple box, and giving you all the dirt you can handle. Giving you multiple tonal options ranging through a lot of years past, this beast is sure to have you sounding like...
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Woodroe “Woody” Weatherman Corrosion of Conformity COC How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? We started the band in 1982 while still kicking around in High School, we just wanted to make our own sounds. Had no intention of it lasting this long at the beginning. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I’m a huge Billy Gibbons fan, really dig the solos...
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Marco Benevento Upstate New York Homepage Follow the Arrow When longtime jazz/jam favorite of ours, Marco Benevento, brought his band through town last week for a show at the Asheville Music Hall, he was kind enough to sit down and talk with us about music, touring, gear and more…here’s our chat, enjoy! [Pedal of the Day] First of all, where did you grow up? Do you still live in the same place? [Marco Benevento] I grew up...
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Continuing their status as one of the top-of-the-heap companies in the effects pedal world, Keeley Electronics introduced some multi-effects boxes to the world last year, and we’re lucky enough to have one of them to check out today. The Super Mod Workstation covers more ground than it probably needs to, or should be able, which is definitely NOT a bad thing. With more effects and parameter settings than you’ll know what...
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A couple years back, we reviewed a pedal from a small company in Chicago (the Nothing Is Dead Fuzz), and it was one of the funnest pedals we saw all year. Happily, we have another offering from these guys to check out today, and while it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the last fuzz of theirs we saw, it brings the heat and the heavy with ease, and will surely rock your face. The FY-2 is a modded germanium fuzz, giving...
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Pedals that are based off of old, classic amplifiers tend to produce some really incredible overdrive tones, and today’s featured pedal emulates a couple of vintage amps and sounds to perfection. The Vox Supreme, Defiant, Conqueror and Virtuoso amplifiers had a fuzz/drive built right into them, and were used to record many, many songs you know and love by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The White Pedal Fuzz Overdrive from...
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Most of us absolutely adore the sound of a classic Fender Tweed amp, but struggle to find the right combination of amps and effects to get us into that sweet spot. Well, today’s pedal aims to change all that, boasting those vintage tones, complete with a tasty mid-range and lots of gain to work with as well. The Combo Drive from Garland FX gives you two effects in one, and delivers them in a package that is undeniably...
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Today’s pedal provides us with an excellent combination of effects: octave and fuzz. The f-Octave Fuzz Octave from Diamond Pedals is based off of the vintage and classic Foxx Tone Machine, and provides several tasty and dirty auditory options to choose from. This little blue beauty really brings it, and can easily drive your amp to breakup territory, do octave up and walls of fuzz sounds, and more. The Fuzz tones created here...
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It’s delay week in Pedal of the Day Land, folks! New delay pedal releases are always a good time, and many great ones we’ve tried have come from JHS Pedals. One of their creations that has baffled us (and most of you guys, too) is the elusive Pink Panther, which was released in 2007-2008 or so. Not many of these exist, and therefore they carry a hefty price tag, when you can actually find one for sale. JHS finally decided...
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After already getting our grubby mitts on the Tru-Tron 3X and Boostron 3 effects pedals from Mike Beigel and the newly revamped Mu-FX, we absolutely could not wait to see what today’s pedal had in store for us. Boy, did it deliver and then some! The Phasor 2X is the Modern Vintage Analog™ refinement of the original Musitronics® Phasor II pedal, but housed in Mu-FX’ signature “mini-mu” enclosure, and featuring...
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We have lots of fun with our delay pedals here at Pedal of the Day, and today’s classic piece of gear is a favorite on pedalboards throughout the world. Both groundbreaking and inspiring, the Superdelay from Empress Effects does everything from basic delay sounds to outer space-infused tape delays, reverse stuff and much, much more. If you don’t like manuals or experimentation with your delay pedals, you might want to look...
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Who wants to get FUNKY? Today’s pedal is just about all you’ll need to do so, and with mind-blowing results, too. The Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter Envelope Wah Super-Machine easily creates down and dirty grooves, popping chords and all the Parliament/Funkadelic sounds you can imagine. Let’s check it out… The AF-9 is an optical analog envelope filter, reminiscent of the classic Musitronics Mu-Tron III, made famous by...
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Kevin Wilson Guilford, Indiana Wilson Effects www.wilsoneffects.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar in the 4th grade and dropped it for a while. I picked it back up when I was around 17 and have been playing ever since. I was an 80’s metal thrash kid so Metallica, Slayer all contributed to my willingness to pick it back up. Ultimately Pearl Jam became one of my...
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What can we say about the pedals that Spaceman Effects puts out? They’re pricy, they’re hard to find and they all sound incredible. Well, that’s a start, anyway. Their latest masterpiece, the Sputnik II Deluxe Germanium Fuzz, takes the already brilliant circuit from the original Sputnik Fuzz, and beefs it up even more, if you can believe it. With a new second mode and a couple more tasty additions, this is a fuzz...
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There are a group of pedals from DOD, manufactured decades ago that have been making a resurgence as of late, and we’ve got one of ’em for you today. The 490 Phasor doesn’t have a ton of information on it, but we have narrowed the production date down to around 1978 (we think), making it a vintage classic that features some wild tones that ooze out of this effect. Can’t get much simpler than two knobs, but...
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Ben Bloom Seattle, WA Polyrhythmics www.polyrhythmics.com We had the honor of chatting with Ben in person when the Polyrythmics played here in Boise during Treefort Music Fest last month – here’s our conversation: [Pedal of the Day] Where are you guys from? [Ben Bloom] Seattle. I grew up in New York, but we all met and live in Seattle. I’ve been there since 2001. [POTD] What got you into music in the first place?...
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For a number of years now, the folks at Pigtronix have been pushing, pulling and re-working the Delay genre with their lineup of echo devices, and we’re going to take a gander at one of the newest ones today. The Echolution 2 Filter Pro is an extremely flexible, option-filled, preset-ridden, multi-tap stereo modulation delay, that’s capable of more than you could care to imagine. However, if you DO think big, and want your...
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Most of us have played some version of the famous Tube Screamer pedal before, no matter what model number or differing shade of green it might be, with varying levels of likability. Some players swear by them, others want to toss them in the trash, but one thing remains constant: they’re well-known and not going anywhere soon. Today’s pedal, the TS-777 Ultra from DC Pedals, focuses on the TS-808, possibly the most...
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We recently got our first taste of what the crew at Stomp Audio Labs are capable of putting out, at least pedal-wise, so we sure were stoked to give another one of their products a go. While different in genre and appearance, the AMP Treble Booster is a high-quality pedal through and through, and though it looks simple…well, it is, but in a good way. Let’s check out this one-dial wonder, shall we? The Treble Booster effect...
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DEVON ALLMAN The Devon Allman Band: ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA, EARTH THE SLAYS: MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, USA, EARTH devonallmanband.com theslays.com (coming soon) How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? At 5, the vinyl bug bit me and it was love at first spin. At 9, the live music bug bit me when Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick pulled out the 5-neck guitar at my first concert. But as for me playing…I...
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Johnny Hiland Nashville, TN http://www.johnnyhiland.net/ It is a sincere pleasure, and honor, to be doing this interview. I am a huge fan of Pedal of the Day, on Twitter, as I am truly a pedal nut. I just want everybody to know that you can find out anything you may want to know about me on my website, www.johnnyhiland.net. How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician now for...
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Mmmmmm…..Fuzzzzzzz….. We’re hooked here at POTD, which is why we were once again super-excited for today’s featured pedal to show up on our doorstep. The Primary Fuzz is Plasma Pedals’ take on the classic Fuzz Face circuit. With a broad range of sounds available, both vintage and modern, this thing slices and dices any mix that stands in its way, and makes your amp come alive as well. Let’s check...
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A lot of times, you can tell if you and a pedal are going to gel from the first minute or so of playing it. Today’s featured pedal took us about 8 seconds before we knew it was a keeper. The White Widow Silicon Fuzz comes to us all the way from Brazil, and it was well worth the wait. Based on a special version of the Big Muff Pi from the late ’70s, this one has a couple more options and tones than its classic predecessor....
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Those of us that love fuzz can’t help but dig those old, vintage effects pedals of said genre. Problem is, more often than not, they’re hard to maintain, and modern improvements on their original components and design are as tempting as ever. Which brings us to today’s featured pedal – the 1861 Fuzz. Modeled after the Civil War-era fuzzes of the early ’90s, the crew at Vick Audio has made a delicious nod...
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Rob McConnell Papadosio Badger ATF papadosio.com asianteacherfactory.bandcamp.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been singing since I can remember, but I’ve been playing bass for 15 years. My dad is a bassist but I wanted to be a guitar player initially. Some friends in high school needed a bass player so I took one of my Dad’s Fenders and here we are. Pretty generic story but...
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Mike Beigel Mu-FX Encinitas, CA www.mu-fx.com [Mu-FX by Beigel Sound Lab is a division of Beigel Technology Corp.] facebook.com/BeigelSoundLab How long have you been a musician? How did you get into musical effects in the first place? My main musical training was classical music on clarinet, but I also played Saxophone for a local high school dance band (“The Crescendos”), and for some local rock & roll bands and guitar just for...
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Old school, vintage, classic delays really just can’t be beat. Plain and simple. You plug it in, get that little background hum going, and then hit that first note, and the smile just washes over your face. Today’s pedal is one of the more rare and coveted analog delay from the ’70’s, from Ross, a company probably best known for creating the (in many opinions) greatest compressor of all time. We are, however,...
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Kyle Sipress Niles, Michigan The Devil Wears Prada God Alone tdwpband.com godaloneband.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I was in choir when I was super young, then played saxophone briefly in 5th grade band. I’ve been playing guitar since I was about 12 or 13, so for about 15 years or so. My dad got me a cheap Cort acoustic for Christmas one year and i’ve been playing ever since. When...
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At first glance, one could easily mistake today’s featured pedal for a run-of-the-mill pseudo-copy of one of the most famous (and now expensive) effects pedals ever created. However, once you plug the Pelitaur into your amp and crank up the volume knob on your guitar or bass, you quickly realize that you were sorely mistaken, and apologize to no one in particular almost immediately. This pedal is a fuzz, but not a normal one,...
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If you’ve ever had the opportunity to play one, you know that the Boss DM-2 is one of the finest analog delay pedals ever created. While there have been many attempts to recreate the vintage tones of this sought-after piece of equipment, most have fallen short in some way or another…until now. Not sure how they did it, but the folks at Retro-Sonic have managed to create a pedal that has everything we love about the DM-2,...
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Chris Michetti Raq www.facebook.com/raqmusic/ Conspirator www.conspiratorband.com/ Michetti michetti.bandcamp.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Around thirty years. Was obsessed with drums as a youngster, progressed from there. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? Anyone who plays the guitar incredibly… SRV, Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Chet...
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Brent Rademaker aka B_RAD GospelbeacH https://www.facebook.com/GospelbeacHband/ GospelbeacH The Tyde https://www.facebook.com/The-Tyde-119382698079518/?fref=ts Beachwood Sparks www.subpop.com/artists/beachwood_sparks How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing music since the 4th grade…My Dad is a musician (one of the best on the planet) There was always instruments and music in the...
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We reviewed a pretty cool pedal here at Pedal of the Day a while back, from a manufacturer in Germany, and while we couldn’t read the labels on the control knobs, we discovered that it was a great piece of gear nonetheless. Well, we’re back at it again, and today we’ve got another pedal from our German friends Orion Effekte. The De Luxe Motor Fuzz is a great little fuzz pedal with a bunch of options, tones and fuzzy...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Daniel N. – find him on Instagram (@danielguitarist) and say hi! The .45 Caliber by J.Rockett Audio Designs is one beast of an OD pedal. It is based on a 1962 plexus and strives to get that AC/DC sound (Malcom and Angus). It does that sound very well and also has many other tones that are extremely useful. It can be a great low gain pedal, perfect for neck pickups. It can just easily...
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