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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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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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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After the wallop our ears got with the last effort from Mistweaver Effects, the Serpent Fuzz, we were excited and slightly terrified to see what lay in store for their next offering. Fortunately for the decibels, but not the tone quality, the Forestry Overdrive dials it down just a tick, with plenty of gorgeous dirt on tap to bring any amp to its full potential. With a fairly extensive control section and sounds that work in any...
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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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Now fully established as a fuzz and distortion-producing powerhouse of a company, we are always happy to get new effects in the office from our friends at Wren & Cuff, and we’ve got another mammoth for you today. The Super Russian is a potent fuzz pedal, plus a buffer/boost as well, a well-rounded machine that works wonderfully with bass and guitar alike. Featuring loud, boisterous, Muff-y tones and distortion, plus a...
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Joe Halliday Hampshire, UK Hello Sailor Effects hellosailoreffects.weebly.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing guitar for about 15 years, I always wanted to learn but never really picked one up until after I’d joined the Royal Navy, a couple of guys onboard my first ship started to learn and the rest is history. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or...
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TWENTY-FIVE VOLTS OF POWER? Welcome to today’s beast of an overdrive, folks: the Two Five 25V from classic noisemakers Wren and Cuff. It’s been a minute since we had a pedal of theirs pass through the shop, and what a way to return! This yellow monster reminds us of those striped, buzzing insects you hope don’t sting you on a picnic, full of terror, gusto, determination and oozing with grit and tone. Not only do the...
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Right away, today’s featured pedal jumps out at you: big box, crazy, futuristic graphics and knobs the size of small cars…well, not really, but it’s a bold-looking effect, for sure. Once you plug in the Spitfire Overdrive Distortion from Lauren Audio, you realize all of your excitement and fear was not for nothing, as gorgeous dirt tones drip and ooze from your amplifier. Created by Lauren Audio in sunny Southern...
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Since the inception of Pedal of the Day, Mike and Vick Audio have been one of our biggest supporters, and we in turn have had the pleasure of checking out many of their pedals over the years. Consistently putting out beautiful, excellent-sounding machines, we’ve come to expect killer sound and fantastic build quality from them, and the pedals always live up to these high standards. The V-2 Overdrive Distortion is no different, a...
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Straight-up, no-frills, to-the-point effects pedals are becoming somewhat of a rarity in today’s crazy market, so we were pretty excited about today’s featured piece of gear, a simple-to-use and extremely easy to dial in fuzz pedal from across the way in Slovenia. The MindFuzz from Surfadelic Soundwaves has a bare minimum control section, but is absolutely jam-packed with tone, power and, of course, FUZZ. The little...
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Doom. Sludge. Stoner. Down and dirty, low-tuned and mellowly aggressive music has been around for decades, and has taken on many shapes, forms and monikers. There are certain effects pedal out there that instantly remind you of these types of musical genres, and today’s pedal does just that and more. The Golem Distortion from Deep Space Devices delivers all the low end you could want or need, but also manages to keep things from...
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The Narwhal Distortion Fuzz from PLBR Effects is one of the funnest fuzzes we’ve seen come through as of late, so we were pretty stoked to try out its bug brother, the Maritimus Distortion Fuzz as well. Taking similar controls from the Narwhal and expanding upon them, the Maritimus allows you to further shape your tone and create magnificent walls of distorted fuzz. There’s a lot to get to in this pedal, so let’s...
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We love fuzz pedals around here, and the only thing better than a killer fuzz effect is….that’s right, TWO fuzzes in one pedal. The Bitoun is a Doubled Octave Fuzz from our friends in France Anasounds, and while looking seemingly simple from the bare bones control section, this guy is anything but. Based around the Shin-Ei Superfuzz pedal from the 60’s, the Bitoun Fuzz also incorporates aspects of Anasounds’...
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There are times when you plug in a pedal and think, “Hey, this might be kinda cool” and are then absolutely blown away once you click that bypass switch. Today’s pedal was one of those for us, for sure: the Solar Eclipse Fuzz from Earthground Audio. Not only does it satisfy all of our fuzzy desires, it has options for days and tweakablity to fit into any musical scenario. Let’s check it out! Inspired by the Big...
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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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One of our favorite pedals from over the years is the Snowjob Underdrive from Lotus Pedal Designs, a boost/overdrive with simple functionality and great tonal properties. Since we liked the original so much, we were stoked to get our hands on a special version of this pedal, the Ge Underdrive, and see what new and exciting features came with it. We’re happy to report that this pedal reveals a nice twist on the first version,...
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When we started doing reviews for Pedal of the Day, the EM-Drive from Emerson Custom was all the rage, followed shortly by the Paramount, two of the finest drive pedals we have come across, and staples on pedalboards around the world. So, we got pretty damn excited when we heard that the Pomeroy Boost Overdrive was going to be hitting the market, and couldn’t wait to check it out for ourselves. Well, the wait is over – a...
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Earlier this year, we finally got around to checking out the original Octron Octave Divider from Foxrox Electronics, and we thought it was just an incredible piece of gear. Fast-forward to today, and we’ve got the next iteration of this steel gray beauty for you, complete with upgrades, more options and that same killer circuitry and tone. The Octron3 features a smaller enclosure, two additional toggle switches and an analog...
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In an effects world full of clones and “borrowed” circuits, there’s a want, maybe even a NEED, for fresh pedals, new ideas and incredible music-making machines. A company that absolutely adheres to this mantra in Dr. Scientist, who continually reinvests the proverbial sonic wheel, creating unique design after design, some of which we’ve had the pleasure to review. Today’s pedal, the Frazz Dazzler Fuzz,...
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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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It’s always a surprise when you open a box from EarthQuaker Devices, and in our experience, always a positive one. Today’s featured pedal is no different, and has actually vaulted to near the top of our list of their overdrive effects. The Gray Channel, based on the classic DOD 250 Preamp Overdrive, is a dual-channel dirt box with so many options it’s dizzying, and more tones than you can shake a guitar at. Clean,...
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Fuzzzzz…..we dig it, as do a lot of you players out there. While fuzz might not be for everyone, those of us that like it like it a LOT, and today’s featured pedal is a fuzz to end all fuzzes (if that’s actually possible). You probably know the name Scotty ProAnalog, and we’re going to take a look at his MkII Fuzz V2 pedal, which replicates everything from timeless 60’s British fuzz tones to medium-gained...
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Let’s face it: an octave effect can really add another dimension to your sound, period. Whether it’s up or down (or both, in the case of today’s pedal), this one effect has produced some classic tones over the decades, and continues to be a powerful, if underrated, piece of gear to use on both guitar and bass alike. The Octron Octave Divider from Foxrox Electronics brings you the best of both worlds in the octave...
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Hailing from the Endangered Audio Research family, today’s featured piece of gear comes to us under the moniker of Moxtronix, and is entitled the TransTone Fuzz. This small grey beauty has a TON of options and sounds just waiting to be dialed in, explored, abused and left for dead, all of which you’ll have no problem doing as your ears bask in the glow of a magnificent, fuzzy wonderland. But, first things first,...
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We’ve been checking out the lineup from Cathouse Pedals over the past couple months, and today we bring you the last one in their current lineup. The Fuzzy Tongue is a brilliant take on the classic Fuzz Face, complete with old germanium transistors for authentic 60’s-style fuzz tones and more. With a simple control section and loads of sounds on tap, this little pink mystery will have you rocking and rolling in seconds...
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Today’s featured pedal is yet another overdrive in a long line that we’ve reviewed, but this one has a couple of secrets up its sleeve for some great tonal functionality. The Smooth Driver is the first offering from Burnt Audio Effects, and is an excellent first stage pedal to really push your amp and add some much-needed crunch to your overall sound. With a simple setup and broad range, this baby blue beauty really get...
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The third pedal in the current lineup of Cathouse Pedals that we get the pleasure to check out today is a complex and option-filled distortion/overdrive. The Screamer will keep you on your toes as you attempt to figure out just what it is, and how it can benefit you sound. Relatively simple but full of flavor and oomph, this thing comes at you like a ton a rock and roll bricks. Gain, Tone and Volume all show up on the control panel,...
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Tim Bluhm San Anselmo, CA The Mother Hips www.motherhips.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been singing since I was a kid, in church choirs and in school choruses. I started playing guitar right after high school. In my second year of college I started the Mother Hips with Greg Loiacono and we started getting gigs really quickly. Who have been some of your major musical...
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Every pedal company strives to have their pedals be easily recognizable – whether it’s colors, shapes, design, graphics…the list goes on, but you want to make your mark. The guys at StoneFly Effects have most definitely accomplished that feat, with their crazy array of graphics, enclosure sizes, control knob placement and more, and today’s pedal continues in that realm. The Two Headed Werewolf is a fuzzy,...
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We see a lot of fuzz pedals come through the shop, and today’s pedal is another representation of how we live in a marvelous and fuzzy age. Having recently reviewed their Rat Fink Distortion, we were excited to check out another pedal from Cathouse Pedals, especially since this time around it was gonna be a fuzz. The Bender Fuzz is a seemingly simple three-knob effect, but has some internal secrets and bold tones abound. Fuzz,...
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We were recently privileged to test out and review an awesome fuzz pedal from a relative newcomer (at least to us) in the pedal world, Spruce Effects. The Lichen Fuzz was a great fuzz pedal, and we were impressed by its quality build and sound as well, so we were super-stoked to check out another one of their creations – the Growth Ring Boost. Right off the bat, the mismatched knob selection drew us in, as we dig some wackiness...
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As stated before in many, many reviews, we love fuzz pedals here at Pedal of the Day. While we’ve checked out a LOT of them over the years, there’s still something special about plugging into a new one for the first time, hitting that bypass switch and immediately going “Whoa”, ala Neo in The Matrix. Today’s tasty little fuzz morsel, the Lichen Fuzz, did exactly that when we turned her on, and continued...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Rob H. – you can find him on Instagram (@studio.rh), Twitter (@Rob_Hildreth) or on his website (Studio RH). Magnetic Effects are a London (UK) based boutique pedal manufacturer. All of the effects are designed and built by Christian Livingstone, who also happens to be the riff monster from NZ garage rockers The Datsuns. You only need to listen to his guitar work to realise this guy...
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Apparently, there are still guitar players in existence that don’t like fuzz. Finding that fact difficult to imagine, today’s pedal gears specifically towards fuzz-haters, and has been affectionately dubbed “the fuzz for guitarists that hate fuzz.” Celestial Effects has been putting out some interesting and powerful pedals over that last few years, and the Aquarius Fuzz just might help to convert some...
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Fuzz pedals just put a big smile on your face, don’t they? If not, you need to work on that, but for the rest of us, there are fuzzy gems like today’s featured pedal, the Supamodel MkIII Fuzz from DAG Pedals on the Island of Mallorca. Tall and slender, but beefy and tough just the same, this pedal exudes a tremendous amount of fuzz with ease, and will slip onto any pedalboard with ease as well. Three controls make up this...
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John Snyder Electronic Audio Experiments Boston, MA http://www.electronicaudioexperiments.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? My first instrument was actually the violin, which I began playing at age six. I took private lessons for about twelve years, firmly establishing classical music as a big part of my musical DNA. I listened to all types of music growing up, but I only started...
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Andy Green Andy Green Pedals We are located in Hollywood Florida about a mile from the beach. www.andygreenpedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I grew up in New York City around all the vintage guitar stores and legendary shops on 48th St. Ken Parker had his shop there and Mike Mathews had Electro Harmonics in the 70’s right there. I got a job in a vintage shop in 1981 and have been...
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First off, we’d like to welcome you to the next phase of Pedal of the Day: website update, more info for the reviews, higher quality sound and layout for the demo videos and more. Please take a minute to look around the site and see what’s new (and don’t forget to check out our latest Instagram Giveaway!). Now that we’ve got the business out of the way, let’s move on to today’s featured pedal. This...
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Stumbling across a new (to us, anyway) pedal company and new line of effects is always welcome here at Pedal of the Day, and today’s pedal falls squarely into both of these categories. The ATX Dynamic Overdrive from Enormous Door adds harmonically rich saturation to your amp, without too much coloring of your original sound, making for a nice, warm, tube-like overdriven sounds. Plus, it boasts a nice control section, with a...
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There’s just something so unique and inviting about each pedal we’ve reviewed from Hudson Electronics, and today’s featured pedal is no different. The Sidecar Overdrive is a special take on a classic “green” overdrive circuit, with some added elements and quality components, to make it a drive that will contend with anything you put it up against. We recently reviewed the Hudson Broadcast Pre-Amp, and...
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We get pretty excited about all the pedals we review here at Pedal of the Day, but when a box arrived from the UK with “Hudson Electronics” on the label, we knew we were in for a treat. Having already reviewed the awesome Buzzard and Fuzz pedals a while back, we were stoked to see what Michael and the crew had come up with this time around. In short, we were not even close to being disappointed – here is the...
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Sometimes when you review a particular pedal, you get to do a little research and discover another pedal in the process. The flavor of the day today focuses on the classic Shin-Ei Super-Fuzz FY-6 pedal, which was produced from 1968 until the late 1970s. Our featured pedal today not only made a long journey to us via India, it also has the innards and homage that make it an excellently-modified version of an awesome vintage effects...
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Sometimes, you want a fairly straight-forward, easy to manage fuzz, that just adds in enough power and oomph to your guitar tone to give it a little grit and gusto. Other times, you want a fuzz that is unpredictable, crazy, innovative and spectacular, one that opens up your mind and expands your musical library. Today’s pedal is most definitely the latter, a giant beautiful mess of blips, squawks and bleeps, complete with a...
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I have found that a lot of old pedals, like from the ’70s old, like ME old, really rock. Hard. Today’s pedal is absolutely no exception, and has been used by some of rock and roll’s most famous guitarists as well. The Distortion + from MXR has a bit of a misleading name, as it is definitely more of an overdrive, but can get into relatively chunky territory with ease. A pretty easy to use pedal, there’s really...
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There have been a lot of fuzz pedals floating around the office as of late, and one of the ones I was most excited about playing is today’s featured pedal, the White Atom Fuzz from Magnetic Effects. I’d seen this pedal around on different sites online, and was extremely delighted when we both decided to collaborate on a review for the newest model, the MkII. Anticipation was high as I waited for the pedal to arrive from...
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Design and individuality are keys in today’s oversaturated guitar pedal market, and the folks at Amptweaker have certainly utilized both of those concepts, crafting unique and innovative pedals around every turn. Today’s pedal is just another in their lineup of great-sounding and option-packed pedals, and can add so much depth and dimension to your tone, you’ll be blown away by the TightFuzz Distortion. As with other...
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There are a lot of overdrive pedals out on the market at the moment, and there have been for years and years now. Hi-Gain, Transparent, Low-to-Mid, etc…there are many sub-categories of overdrives, too, and sometimes you have to play a LOT of them to figure out which sound is best suited for you as an individual, and your personal style of music. The Howlerr Classic from SFG Music Supply up north in Canada is an instantly smooth...
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The Analog Man Beano Boost is a great pedal for guitarists looking to boost certain frequencies in their tone. This pedal can drive an amp into distortion, add mid bump for lead work and add fatness to single coil pickups. The Beano Boost specs are as follows: – True bypass stomp switch / Status LED – 9V adaptor jack – Volume knob (Which if purchased as a mod can operate as a push/pull switch for Treble boost)...
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