A couple years back, we reviewed and demoed one of the finest MIDI controllers we’ve come across, the MC6 from Morningstar FX. Fairly easy to use and full of possibility, we have continued to use it around the office ever since. We were justifiably excited, of course, when the announcement came about the ML5, a loop switching counterpart to the MC6, and one that looked just as simple to operate and efficient as well. If...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Monique Hernandez-Fuentes – you can find her with Guitar Tricks on Facebook, Twitter and on the Guitar Tricks website. Thanks again, Monique! In my quest for the ultimate high gain, I stumbled across the awesome Heavy by Canadian heavy weights, Empress Effects. Originally, I was looking for something super versatile and was referred to Empress by a guitar buddy of mine on Instagram. One thing I...
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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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Today’s piece of gear isn’t a pedal, but something that every player should have as the first bit of equipment they buy along with their instrument: a tuner. No ordinary tuner, either, mind you: this thing is in a class all its own, untouched so far by imitators or copycats. Now completely wireless with no phone necessary (although you can still use the app in many beneficial ways), this is some next level tuning right...
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Happy Valentine’s Day!….or whatever. Now, here’s something important: If you’re a fan of Andy Summers’ guitar work, there’s a good chance you’ve always tried to figure out just what created those classic sounds that he and The Police became famous for 40 years ago. Today’s pedals is a fantastic recreation of one of the most important pieces to that puzzle, the Electro-Harmonix Electric...
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You all have fun at NAMM last week(end)? Well, we’ve got one of the premiere effects from the show for you RIGHT NOW! Continually pushing the musical envelope is what it’s all about these days, especially in the crowded effects pedal market. Colt and the squad at Walrus Audio seem to be keeping themselves up near the lead in this crazy race, and with today’s pedal, they just might take the lead. The Fathom is a...
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2-in-1 pedals are fairly badass, and always welcome into the musical fold around here. Every once in a while, however, we get to check out the rare and even more fun THREE-in-1 pedal, one of which has graced us with its presence today. The High Tide from M.D. Effects is a chorus, reverb and delay all mixed together, with a boatload of options for tweaking this sonic beauty to fit literally any musical situation you may come across...
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We’ve been wanting to get our grubby mitts on a pedal from Wilson Effects for a couple of years now, and that day has finally arrived. Today’s featured pedal, the Stoned Grasshopper, not only has one of the best monikers we’ve come across so far, but also houses three independent effects that can be used by themselves or in conjunction with each other. While Boost, Overdrive and Fuzz are three fairly popular effects...
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Instrument crossovers are fairly rare in this business, but we’re super-excited about the one we’re bringing you today. The PLUS is a piano-style sustain pedal from Gamechanger Audio, and while that may seem like a not-too-flashy effect, it is. All the ambience and swells you’ve been searching for in countless reverb pedals presents itself here in a unique and unexplored fashion, giving you a ton of layers and audio...
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What can you say about the crop of pedals coming out of Portland, Oregon from Spaceman Effects? They have taken on a life all their own, with limited edition runs, outside-the-box designs and sonic explorations and a design, both inside and outside the pedals, that is rivaled by none. We try to get our hands on each pedal they release, just to see what they’ve come up with now, and are proud to bring you their latest today: the...
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The Big Muff Pi “Ram’s Head” fuzz circuit is one of the most well-known, coveted and revered sounds in the history of guitar effects, heard on countless classic albums and in live shows over the past 4+ decades. While the original pedals are expensive and difficult to obtain, there are a number of companies who make tasty recreations of this type of sound, emulating that specific fuzz tone to a T. The M-1 Ram’s...
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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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With the new-ish trend of players building smaller pedalboards these days, smaller pedals were bound to be a hit at some point. There are a couple companies who have embraced this, and quite well, but there was one who did it a while back, before the hype set in. The Micro Series from Guyatone ranged from Overdrive to Boost to Octave and more, including the MD2 Micro Digital Delay, which we’re going to look at today. The control...
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The name Analog Man is right up there with the top dogs in the effects pedals industry, a company that makes reliable, excellent-sounding gear for use by every type of player you can think of. Today’s featured pedal is an excellent example of their work and craftsmanship, and of the sonic prowess they consistently bring to the table. The ARDX20 Dual Analog Delay features two independent echo channels, and a delay warmth that...
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Whenever a weird, un-categorizable pedal comes our way, especially if it has a name we can’t quite pronounce, we become instantly intrigued. Today’s pedal, the Okto-Nøjs Octaver Fuzz from Emma Electronic checks all of these boxes, and produces some killer effects sounds as well. An octave effect and fuzz pedal in one, strange sounds lurk about deep within this creature, waiting to be released is a fiery ball of sonic fury....
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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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Ever since we had the pleasure of checking out the Gunshot Overdrive from ThorpyFX last year, we’ve been itching to get our hands on another one of their beautiful metallic creations and see what it could do. Well, the day is upon us, friends, as we check out the Peacekeeper Low Gain Overdrive, a clean boost/dirt pedal designed to enhance your tone and give your sound that missing sparkle you’ve been searching for. Volume...
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There are some companies that like to focus on one or two genres of effects pedals, and then really dig in and make their own creations stand out and rock your face. Our pal Chris Jupiter and JPTR FX, located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, loud and distorted is the name of the game, and a game they play well. The Gainsaw Distortion is our first foray into their lineup of eccentric and unusual pedals, and we’re hoping it won’t...
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Criss-crossing effects types in the pedal world to produce one marvelous sound machine is always a welcome sight to us, and today’s featured pedal embodies the genre-jumping we’re talking about with gusto and pizazz. Combining a quick slap/echo type of delay with an easy-to-use boost, The Milkman gives you a couple of great sonic options without being overpowering, and makes for an excellent always-on pedal. The Echo/Delay...
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Today’s featured pedal is kind of a 2-in-1, which you know we dig here at Pedal of the Day. Part fuzz, part distortion and all-powerful, the Boar Fuzz from Ohmless Pedals produces a broad spectrum of dirt tones, waiting to be unleashed from inside a smaller-than-usual enclosure, perfect for adding to any pedal setup. With simple controls and one fun additional knob, this effect will have affect on your tone, effectively and...
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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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When we had the chance to demo the original Flight Time FT-1Y Digital Delay pedal from Free The Tone early last year, we had no idea that some new features and improvements would be made so quickly, and that we’d have another chance to delve into this marvelous creation so soon. Well, as it happens, the new model is out, and has brought with it a couple of fantastic upgrades and options that every musician and studio engineer...
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Another compressor pedal, you say? Well, this one is a bit different than the one we reviewed earlier this week, the Lamplighter from Greer Amps. Where that one focused on studio compression in a pedal, the Kegel Compressor from Farm Pedals can get down and dirty, with enough squeeze to make your tone sparkle and pop. All we know is, a compressor with a Gain control sounds absolutely OK to us! V controls the overall output volume of...
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Today, we’ve got the next new pedal in the Animals Pedal lineup, and while it’s not reinventing the effects pedal wheel, the Major Overdrive is a solid choice for dirtying up your tone. With a simple control section and an output of tasty overdriven tones, this little brown box traveled to us all the way from Japan, and was worth the wait. Designed by Skreddy Pedals and including classic graphic artwork and bold buttons...
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Every time we get a new piece of equipment in from our Wisconsin pals at Dwarfcraft Devices, the anticipation and excitement are at full capacity. Today’s pedal was no different, perhaps even more so, as we had had our eye on it for a little while, and couldn’t wait to delve in. The Super Wizard describes itself as a pitch shifter and echo pedal, but it’s SO. MUCH. MORE. Keeping with the tradition of...
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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 did a written review for today’s delay pedal a couple years back, but wanted to add a video demo to the words as well, so the following review contains portions of our previous review, but the demo is ALL NEW. Enjoy! When you’re jumping into into the “dark” delay territory, the 616 MkII Ekko Dark Delay from Malekko Heavy Industry is an awesome way to start. There are a lot of option in this really nicely-sized pedal,...
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Efren Castro Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Paradox Effects www.paradoxeffects.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Since I was 11, I’m currently 30. I started playing bass on my own and then got together with a few friends to play some Misfits covers. I think one of the reasons I got through most of the days playing instruments was to keep myself away from the streets of my hood,...
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Sometimes we here at Pedal of the Day stumble across a relatively unknown, hard-to-find-info-on pedal that really rocks our world, and we’re going to check one of them out today. The Dynamic Delay from Tone Monster is an excellent delay that we acquired for less than $50, and it can hold its own with some of the big boys in the delay world, make no mistake. Simple and elegant, with a couple fun functions, this white wizard looks...
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We recently had the privilege to review the first of two pedals from Life Is Unfair, the Dream Left Behind Fuzz, which we were quite impressed with, especially for it being just a one-knobber. Today we’re going to take a look at the only other pedal in their current lineup, the Awkward Breed Fuzz. While boasting one more control knob and some different sounds, this pedal takes fuzz to the next level, as you’ll soon read...
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It seems like we’ve had a fairly steady stream of compressors coming through the shop lately, but nothing had prepared us for today’s mammoth of a pedal that arrived from Retrospec Audio’s shop in Weehawken, NJ. The Squeeze Box is a studio-quality optical compressor/limiter that has been sized down into pedal form, albeit a pretty big pedal. Every compression and limiting sound and tone you could really want or need...
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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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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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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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Today’s guest review comes to us from Coe S. – find him on Instagram (@coeschneider) and say Hi! You could say I have a problem. Maybe even an addiction. But at least I’m smart about it. Sometimes the urge, the need, the compulsion to buy another fuzz pedal comes on strong. What would you do? If you’re thinking the ELECA EFZ-3 Fuzz could scratch that itch, you’d be right. I was hoping to pick up something crazy and cool on...
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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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There are many, many pedals you see on all the forums and discussion boards, and what everyone wants to trade their garbage for. Sometimes, though, you discover a gem that, while it may have been around for a while, isn’t necessarily on anyone’s super-radar. Today’s pedal, the Double Deca Delay from VOX, is exactly one of those. We first ran across it while watching a Rig Rundown of Chris Robinson’s gear, and...
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Although we reviewed this guy a while back, it was V1, and we weren’t doing demo videos at the time, so we decided to revisit one of our favorite fuzz pedals, and update it a bit as well. We’ve included excerpts from our original review, as well as the sweet, sweet demo… We love this fuzz. The Bun Runner from JHS Pedals is a sonic marvel, and one of the most versatile and useful fuzzes we have ever had the privilege...
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There’s something about a wah sound that just gets your body movin’ and groovin’ a little bit. Maybe because it induces memories of your favorite Blaxploitation films, or the first time you heard ‘Shakedown Street’ live, or when you used to spin Stevie Wonder albums over and over in your youth. Whatever the case may be, it’s a clearly recognizable effect, and one that we can’t get enough of....
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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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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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The hits just keep on coming from our friends across the sea at Ninevolt Pedals, and we’ve got another simple yet bold piece of gear for you from them today. The Surfing Bear Overdrive is loosely based on a classic green overdrive that may contain the numbers “808” in it, but with a bit more range and a couple differences. Let’s just see what this bright blue beast has in store for us… The Volume, Tone...
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Joe Anastasio San Marcos, Texas Lone Wolf Audio www.lonewolfaudio.bigcartel.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? Been messing around with guitar and bass for over 20 years, but only really got serious after high school when I bought a high end P bass. Then I started playing guitar shortly after, so I play both. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? This is a...
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Fuzz pedals are everywhere these days, right? But so what?!?! They’re awesome, and we love checking out new ones in any way, shape or form. Today’s featured beauty comes to us from Wright Sounds in Portland, OR, and is a take on a rare and not-well-known classic fuzz from the past. The Fuzz-Stang MkII adds in an extra control knob from the original, and features more fuzz than you’ll know what to do with. The Sam Ash...
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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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*This is our last review before a much-needed (and we think deserved) break for the holidays here in the States. Thanks everyone for another killer year of support and helping Pedal of the Day continue to grow and thrive – and if you haven’t already, head over to Our Online Store and pick up some shirts, stickers and pedals for the musician in your life, or as a little treat to yourself. See you in 2017 – Cheers!*...
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*SURPRISE SATURDAY REVIEW* We sure have had a fun time reviewing and demoing the lineup of pedals from our friends across the sea in Japan, Ninevolt Pedals, and today we’re going to take a look at another one of their classic effects. Now, if the name Fishing Is As Fun As Fuzz doesn’t make you smile a little bit, maybe you should rethink your life and how you can be happier. Inspired (apparently) by the completion of the...
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Take a look at today’s pedal, and there’s a good chance a wave of nostalgia is going to wash over you…unless you were born after 2000, and then you won’t know what this is or why it’s awesome (sucks for you). The crew at RayGun FX have taken a little piece of our childhood and turned it into a rad fuzz pedal, because, let’s face it, it was never the best handheld video game system created, but it...
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Luke Miller Denver, CO Lotus www.lotusvibes.com Luke The Knife (DJ/Produce/Remix) soundcloud.com/luketheknife How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a professional musician for 12 years. I’ve been a musician for about 20 years. I took piano lessons as a kid, but I consider my true origin as a musician when I started teaching myself guitar freshman year of high school. That’s when my...
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