Hi, my name is Brian Moss. I play guitar and sing in Spafford. We are based out of Phoenix, Az and our website is www.spafford.net. Follow us on all social media platforms as well! How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician as long as I can remember. I grew up in northern New Jersey. My older brother and I, naturally, grew up competitive. He was bigger, faster and stronger at...
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Delay is one of our favorite effects – analog, digital, echo, modulated….it doesn’t matter. It always adds some mystique and mystery to any tone or setup, usually getting out into the sonic stratosphere to produce wild, unruly and unexpected tones, something we are huge fans of. Today’s delay pedal has a smooth balance of subtle and extreme, giving you a nice range of options and sounds to play with. The Dakota...
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Robert Walter Los Angeles, CA Robert Walter’s 20th Congress https://robertwalter.com Greyboy Allstars https://greyboyallstars.com Mike Gordon https://mike-gordon.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing music when I was 8 or 9. My father plays drums so I have been around music all my life. My parents also had a great record collection so I spent a lot of time listening to...
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We’re always interested in what our gear-making friends across the pond are up to, and today we’ve got a new company that we’re checking out for the first time. Jānis lv Effect Pedals are straight outta Birzgale, Latvia, and have both a unique look and sound to their effects. With just a couple pedals in their lineup so far, we’re excited to check out the first one, the Miesnieks, a powerful...
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Oooooohhhhhhh…..NEW DELAY DAY! We love ’em, and are super-stoked about his one, people. The Temporal Tap Machine from MAK Crazy Sound Technology not only has one of the longest combined names we’ve come across, but has killer delay tones, a ton of sonic options and fantastic sounds to heighten and excite all of your guitar-playing endeavors. With so much packed into a small enclosure, there’s a lot to chat...
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Remember when you first discovered how to add a little bit of funk into your playing? Those couple of chords that you could jam on forever, thinking you were going to form the next Parliament or be the next Stevie Wonder, but on guitar? The Blurst from Electro-Harmonix is a modulated filter pedal that brings the funk with authority, while adding in some fun twists and turns, and always keeping a smile on your face. Diverting slightly...
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Cross-company collaborations are always a fun excursion in the effects pedal world, and today’s featured piece of gear is from two of the best. Robert Keeley and Keeley Electronics have partnered up with Dan and Mick, from the hugely popular YouTube series That Pedal Show, to create an overdrive/boost combo pedal that features a wide range of tones, spanning the full spectrum of overdriven glory throughout its many options and...
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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 wonderful world of modulated effects opens huge doors into other levels of musical consciousness, whether it be via flanger, phaser, or something like the pedal we’ve got for you today: chorus. Our friends at Big Joe Stomp Box Company have created a gorgeous, simple yet robust and invigorating chorus effect, one that allows you to mimic your favorite sounds, ranging from the 70’s to the 00’s and beyond. The B-305...
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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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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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For some reason, the “Power Series” of pedals made by Ibanez/Maxon in the mid-to-late 80’s don’t get the respect they truly deserve, and we’re bringing you another one of those pedals today to prove it. The DL10 Digital Delay is a simply-controlled, excellent-sounding and now extremely affordable delay effect, one that should definitely be popping up on more boards across the globe. Famed for its crystal...
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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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It’s been a little while since we’ve anything in the shop for our friends at Anasounds, but today we’ve got the first of three pedals from their stellar lineup to chat about and demo. A good phaser can add that special something that maybe you didn’t know you needed in your rig, or can be take you on a beautiful, space-infused journey, depending on what you need it for. The Phase Lag is an organic, analog...
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The Earth Drive from Sarno Music Solutions was one of the best drives we had the pleasure of reviewing lately, so we were equally stoked to check out its big brother, the Solar Flare Distortion. Featuring another user-friendly control section and a whole slew of killer tones to drive your amp, this second offering from Sarno lived up to expectations, and then some. Get ready to blast some eardrums and rock some faces, this is the...
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While we don’t often do many bass pedal reviews (sorry, guys), we’ve got a pedal today that guitarists AND fans of the low end will appreciate and marvel in. Based on the famed Akai Deep Impact SB-1 Bass Synth, the Future Impact I is also a bass synthesizer pedal, offering more options and parameter controls than the the Akai, but all the while staying true to the sounds it has become famous for creating. Ready to take a...
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There are a ton of great reverb pedals on the market right now, so you’ve got to do something to stand out from the pack to succeed. The crew at JHS Pedals is pretty good at that in general, and today’s pedal is no exception. The Spring Tank Reverb not only provides lush, amp-type spring reverb tones, but gives you a second channel from which to select for a different reverb depth at any given moment. The two independent...
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Chris Marlon Jennings Northampton, Massachusetts Sun Parade http://www.thesunparade.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? When I was 5, I took some guitar lessons for a little, until I ran away from a lesson. So I guess I started when I was about 12, after I broke my foot during the baseball season and then asked my dad to show me bar chords. I also saw a Sum 41 music video on MTV of them...
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Matt Olson Onalaska, WI Mattoverse Electronics mattoverse.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician for about 22 years now. I started playing guitar when I was 14, after a close friend and future bandmate suggested we pick up guitars and put down the Nintendo Game Boy. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I was born in 1981 and grew up in...
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Sometimes, you see a pedal and, for purely aesthetic reasons, say to yourself, “I gotta check this thing out.” Well, that’s how we’ve felt about the Bloody Finger Distortion from the Guitar Tone Company (GTC) for some time now, and were super-stoked to finally get our grubby mitts on one. No disappointment here, folks, this guy is the real deal, with a simple control section, and enough power and gusto to bring...
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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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After the success of the DD-500 Delay pedal they put out late in 2015, Boss decided to ride the wave and issue two more similarily-shaped but vastly different effects machines, one of which we’ll take a look at today. The MD-500 focuses on modulation effects, and we have a review coming up for that one, but let’s check out the RV-500 right now, a mega-powerful reverb with more ambient options than you can shake a Fender...
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We’ve been fortunate enough to get to review and demo some excellent gear from our friends over at Eventide, and that is gonna keep going today when we take a look at another marvelous creation from these guys. The PitchFactor is a pitch shifter / harmonizer / octave and so much more, adding layers upon layers of sound into your signal path, and allowing you to create and imagine more than you could before. With synth effects,...
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Somehow, we hadn’t yet discovered the company building today’s featured pedal until now, and we’re sure excited that we did. Midnight Amplification Devices hail from Brisbane, Australia, and feature an eclectic lineup of effects over a variety of musical genres. We’re checking out the Giant Sound Boost Fuzz Preamp today, and have a couple more pedals from these guys in the queue for review as well…...
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Ben Deane Overland Park, KS (Kansas City Metro) Monarch Musical Devices https://reverb.com/shop/monarchmusicaldevices How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve always had a connection with music. From my dad’s outlaw country vinyl LPs to my mom’s affection for artists like Paul Simon and Billy Joel, music always spoke to me and I wanted to speak back. I had a couple of years of piano lessons...
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Jamie Stillman Akron, OH EarthQuaker Devices www.earthquakerdevices.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician since I got my first drum set around 5. I didn’t pick up playing guitar until I was about 12. I’ve always been into music as long as I can remember. A couple of my uncles were musicians and taught me some basics and I just took it from there. Who have been some of...
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Chris Benson Portland, OR Benson Amps www.bensonamps.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician since I first started banging on a piano and found a simple melody to pick out. I think it was at a Christmas party when I was 5 at a neighbors house. Music has been a huge part of my life, and has been huge part of my identity for as long as I can remember. Building amplifiers...
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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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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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Matt Jalbert New York TAUK http://taukband.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a musician pretty much all of my life. My mom had me and my brothers learning how to read music and play from a young age. I started out on the violin and it lasted maybe a couple of weeks before I decided it wasn’t for me and asked if I could try guitar. Right away there was a connection...
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In our experience with Vick Audio, we have had the pleasure of testing, reviewing and demoing some of the greatest fuzz pedals we’ve come across. That said, we were pretty excited to venture into a new genre of effects from Mike Vickery and the crew, especially since it was a new and shiny delay pedal! The Hypocenter Delay harkens back to tasty analog delay and echo sounds from the ’60s and ’70s, with a wide range of...
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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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Sef, lead guitarist in the band Your Favorite Enemies. Montreal, Quebec, Canada www.yourfavoriteenemies.com www.facebook.com/yourfavoriteenemies www.instagram.com/yourfavoriteenemies www.youtube.com/yourfavoriteenemies www.twitter.com/yfeofficial As you can see in some of the pictures, we have the crazy privilege of living in a former catholic church that we turned into our own professional studio a couple of years ago. It’s pretty...
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Eric Junge Maggie Valley, NC (via Cedar Falls, IA) Hungry Robot Pedals www.hungryrobotpedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician since I was 14 years old. I started out on bass and slowly added instruments. I would still consider bass my main area of proficiency, but can play quite a few instruments fairly well. Who have been some of your major musical influences,...
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In the modern world of pedals, there are a handful of companies who are consistently pushing the envelope and getting new sounds and sonic options out to the masses, and have the following and resources to do so. One of our favorites is Walrus Audio, who just put out today’s featured pedal, and knocked another one right out of the park. The Red is a high-gain distortion pedal, complete with a huge range of dirt, a big EQ section...
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There was a period of time in the early-mid ’90’s where DOD was putting out some really experimental effects, and we were able to track one of them down for today’s featured pedal. The DFX94 is a digital delay, but it’s also a sampler as well, and boasts a full FOUR SECONDS of delay time, which was pretty unheard of at the time it was introduced, and is still pretty lengthy even by today’s modern...
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Ever the innovators, Robert and his crew at Keeley Electronics never cease to amaze us with the creations they continue to re-invent and release every year, and while today’s pedal is a little bit of an older model for them, it’s pretty damn brilliant nonetheless. The Caverns is a dual-function Delay and Reverb pedal in one, trapped in a super pedalboard-friendly enclosure and just oozing with tonal options. If...
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The folks at Free The Tone are making some absolutely phenomenal effects pedals, and have been for some time. Today, we’re going to take a look at their latest offering, an effect genre that is as popular now as it’s ever been, and one that continues to gain traction moving forward. The Ambi Space AS-1R is a digital reverb that has a warm and analog-ish feel, while supporting digital interfacing and harnessing modern...
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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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Jeremy DePoyster Chicago, IL The Devil Wears Prada www.tdwpband.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I got my first acoustic at 10, and have played ever since. I took a quick interest in keyboards, synths, and sequencers and have been making music with them since around the same time. I started with a KORG Polysix running a curly cable into a Fender Champ Amp. Who have been some of your...
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Peter D’Amore Waukesha, WI www.peterdamore.com www.facebook.com/peterdamoremusic www.youtube.com/peterdamoremusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I always enjoyed making skits and songs on cassette recorders since I was five. Recording and editing is still my very favorite thing to do, and it always feels like a privilege. Besides Marty McFly and Van Halen references that heavily...
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Pedals like the one we’ve got for you today are always a blast to review, as they seem so futuristic and uncommon, even though they were first released decades ago. With a ton of knobs, footswitches and jacks, the UE 305 is a multi effect for the ages, combining three excellent pedals from Ibanez’s golden age of effects into one HUGE enclosure (no joke, this thing is massive). Let’s just dive right in and see what...
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Some effects pedals are created to strictly do one thing: make noise. Today’s pedal is not just a fuzz, not just a distorter of sound, not just an eardrum blaster, but a little box of noise-infused noise, with a light dusting of noise on top. Loud Loud Loud is the best way to describe the Fūzwami Fuzz from Friday Club Pedals, although that is not all it can do, as we shall find out. The controls on the Fūzwami are labeled...
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Jesse Aycock (Tulsa, OK) www.jesseaycock.com / www.facebook.com/jesseaycockband Hard Working Americans (everywhere USA) www.thehardworkingamericans.com Paul Benjaman Band (Tulsa, OK) www.paulbenjamanband.com / www.facebook.com/paulbenjamanband Lauren Barth (Tulsa, OK) www.laurenbarth.com / www.facebook.com/laurenbarthmusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I guess I’ve been a...
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One knob pedals can be super-fun, space-saving and powerful, and today’s featured pedal is all of those things and more. The Dream Eater Fuzz, aside from having a horrifically awesome name, boasts a simple layout with a unique fuzz sound and style all its own. Here we go… The lone control knob here is a Gain knob, and features a broad range of sonic possibilities waiting to jump out and surprise you. One awesome feature is...
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Rafferty Swink Evolfo: www.evolfo.com Low Noon: lownoon.bandcamp.com Oyinda: oyinda.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started taking piano lessons when I was about seven years old and never stopped. In middle school, I started playing in garage bands with my friends, as well as taking jazz piano lessons with a private teacher. I think having the balance of a serious music education...
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Joel Cummins Venice Beach, CA Umphrey’s McGee umphreys.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing piano at the age of 8 when my parents told me I had to pick an instrument and practice 30 minutes a day. Umphrey’s McGee started in late 1997 and we haven’t looked back since. I started with sight reading, mainly focused on classical music, but also did some ragtime, blues...
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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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