Every once in a while, I come across a rare piece of effects history, a pedal that has long since been out of production, or very few were made in the first place. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Roland AF-100 BeeBaa Fuzz and Treble Booster, a huge silver beast that houses 2 effects and a lot of vintage attitude. Let us travel back about 5 decades and see what kind of gear they were creating then, shall we? Built...
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(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!) The Buzz on Distortion Pedals By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer Ever since the electric guitar was invented guitarists and sound engineers have attempted to manipulate its signal. When you pluck the strings, the pickup changes sound waves into electrical energy, which can then be...
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The RAT. In all its forms and iterations, it has remained one of the most popular distortion circuits in the world for more than 40 years, with many companies tweaking and trying their hand at improving it. We’ve got one of the best throwing their hat in the ring today, as we bring you the Wampler Pedals Ratsbane Distortion. Small in size but big in stature, this mini effect brings all the thunder of the original Rat sound, with...
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The Klon. There might not be a more easily-recognizable, more debated-about effect on the planet. And since they are rare and pricy, there are a LOT of copycats out there, but how to choose the right one? Well, the quest for the perfect clone may have just ended – welcome in the Centura Professional Overdrive from Ceriatone Amplification. Aesthetics aside, this beast sounds spot on to its original counterpart, made with...
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It’s no big secret that delay is far and away our favorite effect around here, especially pedals that have lots of knobs and switches and experimental tendencies. So, of course, we were wicked excited when J. Rockett Audio Designs sent over their incredible Clockwork Echo for us to take for a spin. This analog circuit with digital control brings vintage and modern aspects together, to create one powerful and authentic old school...
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We’ve been in the Kink Guitar Pedals camp since we first took their Femtaur Boost Overdrive for a spin back in 2019, and we haven’t looked back. Today’s pedal from Melbourne, Australia, the Dozer Fuzz, uses a deceivingly simple set of controls to create a HUGE wave of fuzzy tone, working with multiple instruments and crushing everything in its path. It’s about to get doomy in here, prepare yourself… The...
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There aren’t a ton of effects pedals coming out of a city I lived in for 8 years, Boise, Idaho, so I’m proud to represent and bring a hand made gem to the masses today. The Red Velvet Overdrive Distortion from Vanilla Sundae Pedals looks deceivingly simple at first glance, but this crimson beauty is hiding some real power under the hood. Part overdrive, part distortion and all balls-out dirt, this bright beauty tears...
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Last month, we had our first taste of the power and presence of the pedals coming from Minotaur Sonic Terrors, in the form of the exquisite Saturnine Fuzz. We’re lucky enough to be able to check out a second effect from these guys today as well – the Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard. This fuzz/drive/distortion can easily cover all of your dirt needs, from ’70s-inspired overdrive to ultra-heavy, and everything in...
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Our friends at Googly Eyes Pedals create some weird and exciting effects units – so far, we’ve had the pleasure of checking out their Synthfuzzier and Delayviator pedals, and we’ve got another one today. A more straightforward, easy-to-control effect, the Gary Boosty is a booster that pays homage to one of the finest actors of our time. Both the effect and the actor get a little wild when cranked up, let’s dive...
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As their name suggests, the makers of fine pedals at Fjord Fuzz are relatively obsessed with, well, FUZZ. Having had the privilege of reviewing their gear over the last 2 years, it’s safe to say we’re fairly obsessed with it as well. Today’s fuzzy gem comes to us as the EMBLA Overdrive Fuzz, a mix of circuits that present a wide range of dirt to experiment with, and we’ll probably be obsessed with this one,...
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What’s better than an amazing, killer, amp-pushing overdrive pedal? Well, not much, unless you have TWO drive circuits in ONE enclosure! Such is the case for today’s unit, the Browne Amplification Protein Dual Overdrive. Taking inspiration from a couple of timeless (but not necessarily accessible) circuits and combining them into a single, glorious pedal makes this one a must-have for any overdrive fan. Each side sounds...
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Richard Fortus St. Louis Guns N’ Roses https://www.4tus.com/ https://www.gunsnroses.com/ Past bands – Pale Divine, Psychedelic Furs, Love Spit Love, Thin Lizzy, Honky Toast, Rihanna How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Started on violin when I was 5 and studied the Suzuki method. Also started playing drums around the same time. Started on guitar around 12. My father was an accountant,...
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One of the most talked about effects units from the last couple of years has been the Black Hole Symmetry Delay Reverb Fuzz from Collision Devices, and rightfully so. A massive multi-effect with a huge range of tones to explore, this one found its way onto pedalboards from all types of genres across the globe. In keeping with the 3-In-1 layout of that marvelous pedal, they’ve now released the Limited Edition Nocturnal Delay...
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Greg Loiacono & Tim Bluhm Marin County, CA / Fairfax, CA The Mother Hips motherhips.com Greg Loiacono Band gregloiacono.com Green Leaf Rustlers Tim Bluhm w/ The Coffis Brothers timbluhm.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Greg Loiacono: I started playing guitar at age 11. I wanted to learn as soon as I heard “Purple Haze” for the first time. I stopped for a bit and got back...
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The effects coming from our Norwegian friends at Fjord Fuzz focus on, well, FUZZ, of course, but each unit has its own unique set of skills. After the BJØRN, BIFROST and ODIN V2, we didn’t know what to expect from today’s fuzz-filled pedal. Well, the BERSERK Fuzz (unsurprisingly) delivers once again, combining two vintage fuzz circuits with some modern updates, for a powerful and wide-ranging wall of fuzz… Taking...
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Turning the effects pedal world upside down, thinking outside the box and creating something brand new is harder and harder to do these days. Luckily, we’ve become pals with a company who is doing just that, with an effects unit that’s gonna be a game changer. The Modal Effects Disruption Modular Gain pedal utilizes individual effect modules, or “Mods”, that are easily swappable, to create an entire customized...
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All of the pedal from Eventide’s dot9 Series have, so far, been nothing short of mind-blowing. The BlackHole Reverb, MicroPitch Delay and UltraTap Delay have sent us down many a sonic rabbit hole, ones we almost wished we couldn’t get out of. Today’s pedal, the newly released Eventide TriceraChorus Stereo Tri-Chorus, continues this impressive run of gorgeous Stereo effects pedals, continuing to impress and delight at...
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We have loved every piece of gear we’ve come across from the Mu-Tron family, from the old 70’s Phasor all the way up through their newer line, like the Octavider+ and Micro-Tron. Today’s pedal is one we have been particularly excited about, as have many of you, patiently awaiting its release for a long time….the Bi-Phase II Phase Shifter takes Mu-Tron’s HUGE 70’s unit, makes some improvements,...
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Today, we’re going to take a look at a wild, bold, bright dirt pedal from Tone.ElectroniX, which was conceived, born and raised in Figueira da Foz in Portugal. The Animalizzer (“the MufferFuzzer” as originaly was called) is a distortion…wait…is a fuzz…no…. it’s BOTH. Yes, it’s a distortion/fuzz effect pedal for guitar and bass – still, it can even sound like mild overdriven...
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Following in the footsteps of the highly successful BlackHole Reverb released in mid-2020, the innovators at Eventide are back with another impressive effect. The MicroPitch Delay harkens back to classic Eventide rackmount units from the mid-1970’s, some of the first commercially available digital audio effects devices. Combining de-glitched pitch change with Delay and Feedback, these machines opened up entirely new worlds of...
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In keeping with their unique brand of effects pedals that we’ve loved here for years, KMA Machines has come out with another innovative, intriguing gem of a pedal. The Moai Maea Analog Subsonic Octaver is an octave pedal, to be sure, but one like no other we’ve encountered. Spewing forth a plethora of both low and high-octave choices, you’re able to mix and match tones to produce some special sounds with the greatest...
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We all know multi-effects pedals, especially the ones that have been coming out the last couple of years, can be super fun, and essential to some rigs. But they really open up when you can control more of their functionality easily, and that’s why we’re here today. The new Tap and Dual AUX switches from Rock Stock Pedals open up your Line6 HX Stomp (and other multi-effects) and lets you customize how you use it to your...
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We’ve long been admirers of Robert Keeley and all things Keeley Electronics, and they have been huge supporters of us almost since Pedal of the Day began. We love it when new inventions of theirs arrive on our doorstep to explore, and today’s genius piece of electronic wizardry is no different. The Loomer Fuzz Reverb is just that, a fuzz and reverb in one enclosure…however, that’s about where the similarities...
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Enrico Preuß KMA Audio Machines Berlin, Germany www.kma-machines.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Well, I started playing guitar with the age of 18. A friend from school was playing a red Squier Strat and a Peavey Valveking 100W 2×12 combo and he showed me some Green Day, Ulver and Anathema riffs…oh, and he was using a Marshall jackhammer pedal (the first pedal I ever heard...
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Hey everyone! I’m Evan Miller, the guitar player from the band Funk You. www.funkyoumusic.com www.facebook.com/funkyoumusic www.youtube.com/funkyouaugusta Instagram – @funkyoumusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Ive been playing in bands for the past 15 years but I started on the piano around the age of 10 years old. My grandma played the piano for our church, so I was drawn...
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My name is Luis Aznarez, I am from Barcelona, Spain and I have a pedal company called Lefa Pedals located in Seattle, Washington www.lefapedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing bass more than 25 years ago. A friend from school told me to join his band. My musical knowledge at that time was practically non-existent, I thought that a bass was a 4-string guitar that did...
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Welcome to another adventure into the mind of Walrus Audio – today, we’re heading back in time just a bit, to the Age of Overdrive. The OKC crew hasn’t released a new dirt pedal since 2016, and given how much we’ve enjoyed their previous ventures in this genre, we were pretty stoked. The Walrus Audio Ages Five-State Overdrive gives you unforgettable sounds, a ton of sonic options and all the boost/drive...
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As impressive as their amps have always been, the crew at Orange have, especially in recent years, had a knack for conjuring up some fantastic effects pedals. The Orange Amps Bax Bangeetar Guitar Pre-EQ is a pedal, but is more of a machine masquerading as a pedal (and it has the girth to prove it). Not shy about its size or power, this mammoth boasts a unique and hugely versatile gain structure with extensive EQ controls. You can dial...
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You gotta make your mark in this industry, right? With so many companies and so many pedals on the market, if you don’t stand out, you’re not gonna last. Well, today’s pedal is the first in a lineup of not only aesthetically-pleasing effects, but ones that have the power, grit and usability to make them contenders for years to come. We always love to discover new(er) companies, or ones that might not have a...
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Through our Klone Wars videos on YouTube, we pit two Klones against each other and see which one sounds best (in everyone’s vastly different opinion, of course), but what about some other effects that are getting cloned around the world? One of the most sought-after effects, and one that has a years-long wait list, is the King of Tone from Analogman. A dual channel Boost/Drive/Distortion, it has become one of the most popular...
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“This one is a synthesizer trapped inside a guitar pedal.” These are words that many of us long to hear, and get overly excited about when a new piece of gear of this type is released. One of the pioneers of this technology is Boss (let’s face it, they’re pioneers of a lot of technology), and they’re back at it again with their latest bit of synth-y goodness: the SY-1 Synthesizer. Working well with both...
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Ori Naftaly Southern Avenue www.southernavenuemusic.com https://facebook.com/SouthernAvenueMusic/ https://www.instagram.com/southernavenuemusic/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 5 years old. I remember listening to my dads record collection that was full of Jazz, Blues, Funk and British rock from the 60s and 70s. I had an amazing mentor called Tony...
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John Lee Shannon (www.johnleeshannon.com) Brooklyn, NY In addition to my own solo project, I regularly work in collaboration with: Zephaniah Ohora Cliff Westfall Bonehart Flannigan Brother Roy How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 15 or 16. My mom is a huge music lover, we were always listening to the radio in the car and going to concerts growing up. My dad...
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Michelangelo. Obviously, he was a fairly famous artist in the 1500s, and was also arguably the coolest of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 1980’s and 90’s. Today, however, his name adorns an effects pedal, one coming straight from his home country of Italy, and one that sculpts your tone and paints vivid images of sonic waterfalls in your mind. The Michelangelo Overdrive Plus from Dophix is an overdrive and boost...
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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 effects that have previously come from Dr. Scientist have always had a little bit of a learning curve, so we expected the same when today’s pedal arrived….but WOW! The Atmosphere Reverb is an absolute sonic mammoth, covering the bases of just about every single reverb mode, sound and option you could want, with a couple of other things thrown in for good measure. It even has a colorful display screen, MIDI and the...
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When we think of the most popular places that effects pedals are created, Birzgale, Latvia, somehow always ends up at the top of our list….wait, what? It’s true: while possibly not the most POPULAR spot in the world for pedals, Jānis.lv Effect Pedals are pumping out some incredible gear, all handmade and sounding fantastic. We got a chance to check out their Miesnieks Overdrive Distortion, were truly surprised at how...
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Phil Tessis Toronto, Ontario, Canada After Funk www.afterfunk.ca How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar for around 20 years now. I first became interested in playing by watching my cousin play and thinking that it looked like a lot of fun. I bugged my parents for a guitar until they finally gave in and bought me one and signed me up for lessons. I loved it right away and...
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The Beatles. Whether you dig ’em or not, there’s no denying their influence on music since they came on the scene in the early 1960’s. Today we get to check out a pedal that captures their spirit and sound, complete with artwork by an iconic illustrator and sounds from one of the rarest amps of all time. The Dr. Robert from Aclam is an overdrive preamp that encapsulates the sounds from the Vox UL730 amplifier, a...
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My name is Anders Mouridsen, and I’m a Danish guitarist, living in Los Angeles and working all over the place. I currently perform, write and record with country artist Cam (www.camcountry.com). In the past, I’ve performed and recorded with artists like John Fogerty, Pink, Taylor Swift, Tim Timebomb, Meghan Trainor, Guy Sebastian and many others. You can hear some examples of my work as a writer, producer and musician on...
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We really dug the first iteration of the Panther Cub Analog Delay from JHS Pedals, as it took everything we knew and loved about the original Panther Delay and condensed it, along with adding in a couple more features. As is the hip thing these days, halving the size of the first model wasn’t taking it far enough, so JHS produced the Panther Cub V2, which is half the size of the half-sized Panther Cub 1/1.5… Got that?...
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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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Greg Bortnichak Olympia WA Teach Me Equals (currently) & Sparta Philharmonic (formerly). I’ve also done session work pretty consistently over the last two decades, lending string arrangements to all sorts of projects. Some you might recognize would be Circa Survive, Jonathan Badger, Dream Tiger, Eating Club, The Metal Hearts, RedRumsey, Br’er, and HeadShy. www.teachmeequals.com spartaphilharmonic.bandcamp.com How long have you...
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Anthony Thogmartin Papadosio EarthCry www.papadosio.com earthcry.net How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Music has always been a huge part of my life. My father apparently sung to me while I was still in the womb. My mother used to play me to sleep with her violin. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? In my early days I discovered Hendrix, Jethro Tull,...
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Trey Anastasio. For those of you who don’t know (or don’t care), Trey has been a HUGE guitar influence on us for almost 3 decades, and today’s pedal encompasses some of the best aspects of his tone. From his use of the famed grey Ross Compressor at various stages of Phish’s career, to his consistent use of different variations of Tube Screamers, his tonality and superb sustain give him an unmistakeable and...
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My Name is Colin Croy, I am the Owner and Engineer at CroyTone Audio Effects Pedals based out of St Louis, MO. Our website is www.CroyToneAudio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician for about 15 years. My dad was a jazz guitarist and my family and family friends were largely musical so there was always music being played around me. I initially started out playing bass...
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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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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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