Man, I have been digging these space-saving pedals lately! I’m constantly floored by how much gets packed into such small enclosures, and they seem to keep getting better and better. Case in point: the Little Fuzzy Drive from E.W.S. Now, this little grey box might look small, weak, wussy, whatever you want to call it, but I am here to tell you you’re wrong. Dead wrong. There are some great fuzz tones to be had from the...
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You want a simple, no-BS fuzz pedal that will go right onto any pedalboard and fit in instantly? A fuzz that only features one knob and one toggle switch, for easy dialing in of tones and fuzzy gooeyness? A fuzz so clean and dirty at the same time that it just might make your head explode? Then look no further than today’s pedal, the Temple of Doom Fuzz from Furukawar Effects. The one lone knob on the Temple of Doom (great name,...
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I dig a nice, easy-to-use, not a lot of frills and thrills, good-sounding, good-looking overdrive pedal (don’t we all?). Although a giant list of options and switches can certainly be fun, useful and awesome, sometimes it’s nice to kick back with a guitar, an amp and one nice drive pedal to get a great rock n roll tone without exerting too much effort. That’s definitely what I found in the Aerodynamic Overdrive from...
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I think there’s something in the water in the United Kingdom that is making pedal builders over there produce some of the fattest, tastiest and meatiest fuzzes we’ve ever seen. I’ve reviewed a number of fuzzes recently that hail from overseas, and they just keep sounding better and better. Another shining example of what’s coming at you from across the pond is a pedal we’ll take a look at today: the...
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There’s an age-old debate about Silicon versus Germanium transistors in fuzz pedals: which sounds better, which produces a truer fuzz sound, and which is an overall higher quality and better product. The fine folks at Center Street Electronics may have finally put an end to the debate, and just made an awesome fuzz pedal with BOTH transistors inside – the Rasputin Fuzz. The setup for the Rasputin is fairly simple: a Fuzz...
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A boost pedal is usually just that: a Boost pedal. Granted, while they do enhance your tone and give you amp a little kick where it needs one, mainly they just Boost, Boost, Boost. They can get your tone to that “just about break-up amp” sound, but what if you wanted (or needed) just a little bit more? Well, my buddy Nick and his cohorts over at Greer Amps decided that enough was enough, and they created a sort of hybrid...
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Rarely am I at an immediate loss for words when plugging in a new pedal for a review, but that was absolutely the case with the Grizzly Fuzz from Stonefly Effects. This is one of the fuzziest, quirkiest, glitchiest fuzz pedals I have ever come across, and getting it to play nice was an awesome challenge. First off, there’s no power input: battery only. That should give you a hint as to how this pedal was conceived, and what it...
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Today, we’ve got another killer high gain pedal from the folks at 6 Degrees Music: the R3 Distortion. This bad boy is a heavily-modded RAT, basically, with 3 different (and highly useful) clipping modes to choose from. This sexy beast will do monster tones in a huge range, going from a tasty, warm overdrive to a ballsy sonic distortion in one roll of your guitar’s volume knob. Here we go… There are three main...
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Based on the 1960’s classic Dan Armstrong Orange Squeeze Compressor, the Analogman Juicer has built a reputation as one of the best compressors on the market today. This little orange box features one knob for overall volume and a bias trim pot inside to adjust the compression. About 8db of gain is available with the factory bias setting. This pedal comes with NOS N25457 transistors, germanium diodes, and JRC45582 On-Amp Chip....
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I can’t get over the fuzz tones coming from the pedals over at Hudson Electronics. I recently reviewed their standard BUZZ pedal, which was incredible, and today’s gem is the Buzzard, another killer fuzz from the UK. A blendable 2-transistor fuzz, this little blue triangle is a force to be reckoned with. If you want a light-hearted, Valentine’s Day, Nicholas Sparks fuzz, you better look somewhere else. Fast. Deep in...
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First off, let me say that I love Emerson Custom Guitars’ EM-Drive as it is, being a wonderfully transparent overdrive with great character and warm, smooth tones. However, I also like my overdrives to have a little more BITE than the stock EM has got, and that’s where this fantastic mod from my friend Ásgeir over at Pedal Projects in Iceland comes in. Just wait ’til you see what he’s done now. The Pedal...
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The Darkest Driving Overdrive pedal from Fuzzrocious Pedals is a tank, with more options than you’ll know what to do with, and a plethora of distorted soundscapes to play with until the cows come home…and then a little bit more. 3 footswitches, 3 toggles and 4 control switches might seem a bit daunting at first, but once you get the hang of this beast, it’ll blow you and everyone who encounters it right out of the...
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When you see the control knobs and toggle switches on The Elements Overdrive pedal from Dr. Scientist, you might be immediately overwhelmed, scared, frightened and perhaps cry a little, but not to worry: this monster IS tamable, and you’re going to have a great time doing so. Don’t let the 6 Control Knobs and 4 Different Toggle Switches haunt you in your dreams… Right off the bat, you’ll notice that 3 of the...
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The Firefly from JHS Pedals caught my eye well before it’s release, and I was just itching to give it a spin in the old home studio. Low and behold, it finally appeared on my doorstep, and I was anxious and excited as I tore the package open. Looking sleek and sophisticated from the get-go, I knew the Firefly was gonna win me over about 3 seconds after I plugged it in. This is JHS’ take on the Tonebender MKIII, a classic...
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Fuzzzzzzzzz. One of my favorite effects, by far, and so many different offerings in one category of pedals. The Arbiter Fuzz Face has been a staple sound in rock guitar music since it’s introduction way back in 1966, and the Pollinator from JHS Pedals aims to capture that same sound, but modernize it just a little bit. Simple, 3-knob pedal with loads of tone and a wide range of fuzz make for a perfect afternoon review. From the...
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I had never heard of Taylor McGrath Guitars until a few months ago, but this pedal with the weird name kept coming up in different circles and online, so I figured I should check it out. I watched a couple of video demos (most notably the Pete Thorn demo) and decided that I need to try the awesome-sounding DRHIVE for myself. Designed with legendary artist, writer and producer David Ryan Harris (Follow For Now, Brand New Immortals),...
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The Analogman Sun Face Fuzz is my first foray into a custom made to order effects pedal. I went for the kitchen sink on this one and got every extra I could (only partial regret was getting a power supply jack as this type of pedal does best with a cheap battery). Can come with a on/off pot switch so you don’t have to unplug the pedal to save battery life (awesome), optional L.E.D. (can drain battery faster). I did not get an...
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The Philosopher’s Rock is a pretty unique and useful pedal to add to any guitarists’ arsenal. Acting mainly as a great compressor, it gives you great control over the amount of squish you have in your signal, while adding miles and miles of beautiful sustain to every note on the fretboard. Basically, this pedal is a simpler version of another Pigtronix classic, the Philosopher’s Tone. The Treble and Blend functions...
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Yet another overdrive based on the famous Klon, the Soul Food from Electro-Harmonix was created to bring great-sounding tone to musicians everywhere…at an VERY affordable price. As with all great Klone-type pedals, the Soul Food provides sweet, creamy, transparent overdrive, but can also go pretty balls out if need be. Volume, Tone and Drive controls are also typical, but like so many other pedals have come to find out, one trip...
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Today’s rad daily pedal comes to us from Throne Room Pedals in lovely Bellingham, WA. The Revelator is a monster of epic proportions, and is about as versatile as you can get with a boost-overdrive-distortion-fuzz pedal. The usual knobs are present here (Volume, Gain and Tone), but what makes the Revelator stand out is the addition of a 3-Way toggle switch. This allows you to go between Silicone, Germanium and IC-based...
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Midnight 30 Music is a new company to me, but after seeing a couple demos of their stuff, I knew I needed to experience it for myself. They do not disappoint, my friends, believe you me. Example A: The Overdrive No. 30. A warm, full-bodied overdrive in a smaller enclosure, there are some GREAT tones coming out of this beautiful pedal (and mine scratches my nerdy Star Wars itch, as you can see from the picture!). The knobs are basic:...
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For musicians who love their guitar and amp’s tone. The Pharaoh pedal, while its roots and DNA are classic fuzz, has a few twists. The Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh has a wide range of clipping and tonal options. From a cleanish boost, to a light OD, all the way to saturated fuzz. It sounds clear and natural, strong and bold. Your guitar sound isn’t high jacked, and your amp’s tone is not destroyed. The Pharaoh utilizes a dual tone...
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