We all know there are 4 seasons over a year, but did you know there are also 4 pedals in the Fox River Devices Seasonal Drive Series? We’ve had the pleasure of checking out three of them so far, and are proud to bring you the fourth, Summer, today. Wrapping up this series in a heavier-type of way, this Overdrive/Distortion brings the heat to any pedalboard, and will scorch your favorite amp with ease… Summer is the season...
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A good tube amp is hard to beat, but what if you could harness that sound and put it right into an effect-sized enclosure, complete with actual tubes? That’s what happened with today’s pedal, the Electron Brothers Brass Knuckle High-Voltage All-Tube Overdrive. This big yellow beast uses an all-tube signal path to create the harmonically rich overdrive tones only tubes can…let’s dive right in! Although based on...
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Today’s pedal is not one that your casual musician will get, or like, or want to have anything to do with, and that makes it all the more rad. The mad scientists at Industrialectric have been conjuring up crazy experimental gear for years, and the 567-M Modulation Machine keeps that streak alive and well. Lots of knob-twisting, ear-piercing and general sonic confusion give you a slight idea about what this pedal is capable...
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The My Little Klony and Fuzzy Rick were two of our favorite surprise pedals last year, coming from Drew and Aida at Daddy Daughter Pedal Works. Today, we’re checking out another effect from their lineup, the Clue’s Breaker Overdrive. Apart from a rad name and aesthetic, this versatile drive will give you all the boost, gain and grit you’d want, or maybe even need… The Clue’s Breaker is based on the famous...
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Mixing different kinds of effects together usually pays off pretty damn well, and today’s pedal keeps that fine tradition going strong. The Humanoid Pedals Psychosis Tremolo Overdrive combines two of our favorites into one wild enclosure, complete with nutty graphics and thick, heavy driven and modulated sounds. This isn’t a light one, folks, so buckle up and let’s see what its all about… The Psychosis is the...
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Each effects in the All-Pedal lineup is completely different, and that’s how we like it. Following in the footsteps of the Love Machine Octave Fuzz, Macrodose Envelope Filter and Steel Panther 1987 Delay Distortion, the Slamurai™ Overdrive has both a unique look and sound. Come along as we journey to the far east, discovering immense drive tones and amp-shaking dirt… With the Slamurai™, All-Pedal set out to make the most...
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We’ve had a working relationship with KMA Machines for close to a decade now, and have always loved the creativity and option-laden effects pedals they’ve produced over the years. Today, we’re checking out their Logan Transcend Drive, an overdrive pedal that will add immense tonal dimension and flexibility to anyone’s setup, all while preserving the natural characteristic and feel of your beloved instrument. Take a...
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We’re headed back to familiar territory today, both in pedal company and pedal model. Poison Noises has just released The Crook Overdrive V5, the latest version of the pedal that put them on the effects map. We started with Version 3, and have loved to see the progression of this circuit over the last couple of years. If you liked the other Crooks, you’re gonna really dig this one… The Crook has more gadgets in its...
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Taking inspiration from Analog Man’s Prince of Tone overdrive, the Harby Pedals Noble Tone is based on the same schematic to give you the same organic-sounding tube distortion. Built in the USA with high-quality components. And the best part? No waiting list. A faithful replication of the original circuit board and schematics, the Noble Tone shares the rich sound that makes both the King and Prince of Tone so desirable. Compatible...
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After we saw the Autumn and Winter overdrive pedals from Fox River Devices in their respective seasons, it’s only logical that the next one in this series would be….SPRING!! The third member of the Seasonal Drive Series, Spring is a low to medium gain overdrive with a max gain of approximately 44dB. It can be used as a clean (or clean-ish) boost at lower gain settings and a subtle overdrive with the gain turned up…...
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Last month, we continued our steak of reviewing excellent pedals from our friends at NUX, with the amazing Duotime Dual Engine Delay. Today, we’ve got another one from their impressive Verdugo Series of Stomboxes: the Queen of Tone Dual Overdrive. Bringing two different but extremely complimentary drive circuits to the table, this 2-for-1 gives you just about all the overdrive options you could need…and maybe a couple...
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Our third effects unit from All-Pedal takes a wild left turn from their previous 2 pedals we have reviewed, the Macrodose Envelope Filter and Love Machine Octave Fuzz. Inspired by the sounds of the ’80s, and made in collaboration with glam metal band Steel Panther, the 1987 Delay Distortion brings classic sounds of a decade long past right into your living room, practice space or gig. This delay and distortion is a fun one,...
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We’ve been enjoying the wonderful amps and effects made by our friends at Thermion for several years now, and are proud you bring you another one of their creations today. The Breakthru Overdrive lets you achieve the boosted ‘Blizzard of Nails’ British tones that influenced many guitarists and generations with ease. Two channels of mid-rangy overdrive that will upgrade your tone with a new dimension of punch and dynamics from...
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When we started reviewing effects pedals from the Walrus Audio lineup in 2014, the first distortion unit we saw from these guys was the Iron Horse, and it blew us away. Since then, we’ve come across the Red and the Melee, and we’ve got another powerful pedal for you today. Eras is a no apologies, high-gain distortion that’s ready to chug, shred, and palm mute with tight response and multiple clipping options…here we...
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We recently had the chance to check out one of the latest offerings from Sentimental Bob Electronics, the Tephra Distortion, and it was gloriously dirty and loud. Today, we take things down just a little bit and move into overdrive and boost territory, via the Albert Overdrive. If you’re in the hunt for an OCD-style drive with a TON of sonic options, this might be exactly what you need… The Overdrive section of Albert is...
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As evidenced by our Klone Wars demo series on YouTube, we love a good replica of that infamously mythical circuit that only a few can now afford. The J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer, in all its iterations, has steadily been one of the go-to clone units since its release. Today, we’re proud to help bring the latest version, the Archer Select, to you and the rest of the world… The Archer Select is a uniquely functioning...
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A few weeks ago, we ventured into the Land of Bass when we reviewed the Gus-Plus Bass-Friendly Overdrive – today, we’re picking up that low-end instrument once again, this time in the genre of blistering fuzz and distortion. The Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie B Hella Fuzz strives to resolve many of the common quandaries bassists come across in their search for a fuzz that really works for their instrument and their playing...
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We’ve been loving the replication effects that Warm Audio has been creating over the last couple of years, starting with the Jet Phaser, then the Foxy Tone Box and, most recently, the Centavo Overdrive. Today’s pedal from these guys is the Warmdrive Overdrive, a tribute to impossible-to-obtain amps and a special Zen-influenced drive. Your amp and your ears will thank you for checking out this beautiful machine, trust...
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Distortion pedals are a finicky bunch – what sounds great to one player might sound like garbage to another. As with most pedals, personal preference always comes into play. But what if there was a distortion pedal that let you know it was focusing on high-gain tones, then gave you a slew of options to achieve your perfect sound? Well, the DSM & Humboldt Electronics Black Clouds High-Gain Distortion translates a clear...
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Every effect we’ve investigated from Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals has been high-quality, both in build and sound, and we’re always ready for more gear from these guys. Today, we’re looking at the latest version of their JRM-OD Overdrive, V5.0, which is based on amp sounds from the 1960’s blackface period. The 2-band EQ and custom 3 mode switching of the clip diodes can be used to create a wide range of...
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Throughout 2022, we had a great time checking out the effects pedal lineup from our friends at Summer School Electronics, which ranged from overdrive to boost to delay to fuzz and more. Today’s pedal takes one of our favorites of theirs, the Gus-Drive Overdrive, and makes to more friendly to bass players and drop tuning guitarists alike. The Gus-Plus Bass Overdrive beefs up your low frequencies, while still maintaining punch and...
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We’re gonna finish up our latest run of gear from Caline today, but with an item that’s a bit different from the previous batch. The CA-100 G Lorcan Mini Guitar Amp gives you a fairly bold sound, a couple of onboard effects, 2 legit speakers, interfacing/mixing capabilities and more. A perfect travel or desktop amplifier, this orange beast is full of surprises… The included 18V power supply lets you charge the...
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The crew at Thermion constantly pushes the boundaries of what is sonically possible in their pedals, and today’s effect brings classic rock tones to the table. The Heartbreaker Preamp Overdrive gives you two gains, three modes and six parameters to explore, providing dynamics, crunch and delicious overdrive in the ultimate preamplifier for classic sound lovers. If you’re on the hunt of a unique, mid-gain British drive...
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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!!) I Have Too Many Pedals, How To Pare Down By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. There comes a point where every guitar player realizes they have too many effects pedals! It’s true, it happens, but you don’t need to get rid of any, you just...
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We’re getting back to basics today as we continue our look at some incredible pedals from TC Electronic. The Zeus Drive Overdrive is a legendary dynamic overdrive/boost pedal with 2 clipping modes and optional buffered bypass. With its highly sought-after overdrive boost circuit, this golden chalice among overdrive pedals has a luxurious warm tone and quite an astonishing dynamic response, injecting the nectar of the Gods...
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It’s Klone Time Again, Kiddos!! We love a good mythical circuit around here, especially when it looks and sounds *really close* to an original…well, at least what we’ve heard an original sounds like, having never been knighted into the club. This particular clone comes to us from Warm Audio as the Centavo Overdrive, an accurate recreation of one of the most unattainable overdrive pedals in guitar history. Let’s...
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Over the years, the folks at Aclam Guitars have put out some extremely specific and well-done effects pedals that have certain iconic sounds in mind. The Dr. Robert replicated the soul of the VOX UL730 am, used by the Beatles on Revolver & Sgt. Pepper; the Windmiller captured the sound of the preamp from the rare Grampian Reverberation Unit Type 636; the Cinnamon Drive gave us vintage British tube amp sounds of the 60’s and...
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Our first journey into the world of Sentimental Bob Electronics in Ukraine was the amazing Tacana Tap Tremolo, and it’s been three long years since. Thankfully, a package arrived a little while ago that contained not one but TWO new devices from these guys, and we’re excited to bring you the first today. The Tephra Distortion looks amazing right out of the box, one of those pedals you can just tell is gonna rock…and...
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If you’ve never indulged in the high octane effects units produced by our friends Wounded Paw Audio up in Canada, you should check out a couple, such as the Attack Goat Bass Pre-Amp, Bighorn Overdrive or Black Wolf Distortion. First, however, let’s talk about today’s pedal, the Hellhound Distortion, one of their latest offerings and a downright scorcher of an effect. With a wide range of sounds emitting from a...
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We love Fuzz. We love classic circuits. We love modern flair. We love aesthetically pleasing effects boxes. Today’s pedal checks off all the items on this list, with a punch and fury that will put a smile on both your and your amp’s face. The Supercool Pedals ’77 Fuzz Blender pays homage to a sound that we all know and love, with some more options and gorgeous tone oozing from every crevice. Prepare your ears for a...
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Today, we’re continuing taking a look at a new lineup of small but great-sounding effects pedals from our friends at Caline, with the G-011 Eagle Eye Boost and G–002 Green Mamba Drive. These seemingly simple boxes offer excellent tone that’s easy to dial in, coming in a wide range of genres, to create an entire pedalboard without having to sell a kidney on the black market. Let’s see what these next couple of...
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I’ve known Brian from Porter Pickups since we met while I was still living in Boise, Idaho, back in 2016. He and his team put some wonderful pickups in a couple of guitars of mine, with the Classic/Smooth humbucking combo in my PRS CE24, which you’ve heard on the majority of my demos over the last 6+ years. Today, I’m excited to help spread the word about their first effects pedal offering, coming via their subset...
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Every new release from Walrus Audio seems to have the pedal world buzzing, and their newest keeps that streak alive and well. The Melee: Wall of Noise Distortion Reverb takes two of your favorite effects (well, two of ours, anyway) and smashes them together into one bright pink enclosure that will dazzle both your auditory and visual senses. Shoegazers and sonic adventures, get ready: this effects will send you spiraling into the...
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So, there are distortion pedals, and then there are DISTORTION PEDALS. Today’s featured effect, the Beautiful Noise Effects Exploder Distortion Device, clearly falls into the latter category (whatever that is), taking what you thought you knew about dirt pedals and smashing all expectations into oblivion. Sound too harsh? Well, if that’s the case, you should probably stop reading and go play a nice, quiet melody on your...
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It’s been a looooong time since we had an effect from Ohmless Pedals come through the shop, but good gravy, was it worth the wait. The AKC-4 Overdrive takes on a certain mystical, mythical horsie-related circuit, taking it a few steps further than your average klone for what may be the most versatile type of this circuit out in the world today. Everything you need to find your own unique drive tone is right here at your...
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The effects pedals coming out of the English shop where Tom Oakes and Horrothia FX call home have always been cool to look at, built with extreme quality and incredible-sounding, to say the least. These marvelous traditions continue today with their latest release, the Triage Discrete Transistor Pre-Amplifier, which covers Boost, Dirt and Volume at the same time. Easily ranging from clean to nasty, we are really digging this...
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Today, we’re going all in, taking a look at not ONE, not TWO, but THREE new effect boxes from our friends at Sundance Electric. The Cassidy Drive + Boost, Clean Fuzz V2 and Harmonic Incubator each bring a different flavor of unique dirt sounds to your pedalboard, featuring wide-ranging sounds easily conjured up by simple control sections. Lots to explore, let’s see what they’re all about… The Cassidy Drive +...
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We’re taking a look at the second pedal in a series of overdrive that come from my beautiful home state of Wisconsin today! The Winter is the 2nd of four pedal in the aptly-names Seasonal Drive Series from Fox River Devices, and it warms your amplifier and your soul at the same time. Coming on the heels of the impressive Autumn Drive from a couple months back, this one keeps this impressive series moving right along… As...
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Love it or hate it, the Ibanez Tube Screamer, in all its iterations, is a staple in the world of guitar overdrive effects. With its characteristic mid-range boost and bright green enclosure, it works with rock, blues, metal and more, becoming part of many famous guitarists’ signature sounds. Its stock version, however, can leave some wanting more, and that’s where today’s pedal comes in – the TS9 Tube Screamer...
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It’s been a minute since we’ve had anything from Wren and Cuff come through the shop, but today’s pedal most definitely makes up for lost time. The Eye See ’78 Dual Op-Amp Distortion takes a peek at a very particular piece of Big Muff history, when the famous circuit changed drastically, if for just a brief period: 1978-80 or so, when the usual transistors were scrapped in favor of operational amplifiers...
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Like it or not, aesthetics play a certain role in all of our pedal collections. There are lots of flavors of design, look and feel to every effects pedal out there, from the plain metal enclosures to wildly imaginative, intricate pieces of artwork. Today’s pedal, the Shroot II (Deluxe) Overdrive from Fuzz Imp has, for a lot of us, an instantly-recognizable television character at its forefront, and it’s a large basis for...
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Getting in on the ground floor to help promote a company’s first flagship pedal is always something special here at Pedal of the Day, and we’ve got an absolute banger on the bench today. The Hog Overdrive from Tallon Electric is the only overdrive ever created that enables you to dabble with the untamed guitar stylings of the band Bilmuri, whose sound incorporates pop-punk, electro-laced emo, experimental post hardcore and...
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The recent revival of the Maestro brand has brought a couple of great pedals our way. We recently had the chance to check out the FIVE newest pedals in Maestro’s Original Collection, and today we’re heading back a bit to check out one of their earlier releases. The Ranger Overdrive features three knobs, one switch and a ton of tone to shape and sculpt your favorite distortion and overdrive sounds...
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A couple years back, we had the privilege to demo and review a couple of differently-flavored dirt pedals from the folks at Revv Amplification: the G2 Overdrive, G3 Overdrive Distortion and G4 High Gain Distortion. Taking their expertise in amplifiers and condensing it down into some effects pedals couldn’t have worked out better, and we were excited for what was coming next. Fast forward a year and a half, and today we’re...
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After the seemingly endless sonic possibilities we explored in the PLETHORA X3 from TC Electronic last month, it was nice to have a simple, stripped-down pedal to check out next in their lineup. The Magus Pro Distortion is a classic, high-gain distortion pedal with fat mids, a treble filter control and 3 different clipping modes, for any musical scenario. Powerful, amp-driving glory is right at your fingertips… The Magus...
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Over the coming weeks, we’re going to be taking a look at a new lineup of small but great-sounding effects pedals from our friends at Caline, starting with the G-001 Tiger Eye Distortion and the G-014 Nasty Bear Fuzz. These seemingly simple boxes offer excellent tone that’s easy to dial in, coming in a wide range of genres, to create an entire pedalboard without having to sell a kidney on the black market. Let’s see...
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When a huge company like StewMac contacts you and asks if you’d like to demo some gear from them, there’s only one answer: an emphatic YES, PLEASE. Today, we’re going to check out a pedal, yes, but some other guitar-related gear as well, all of which is available on the StewMac website, and all of which can help you greatly improve your tone and unleash your creativity. Lots to get into, let’s do it!! First up,...
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One of the perks of getting to know so many pedal companies in this business is the ability to have unique, one-of-a-kind pedals built for us, and we’ve got another great one today. Spindrift Audio approached me about doing a special effect just for Pedal of the Day, and we decided that it should probably be something Star Wars-related, ’cause why not? The result is the Mandalore Germanium Drive, a pedal that not only...
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We love the way the folks at VVco Pedals incorporate great effects with nostalgic merch from past movies, TV shows and more, and we’re especially stoked about today’s featured pedal. The Dark Father Preamp is clearly representative of a certain Jedi-turned-Sith, and it sounds just as evil. Melding elements of overdrive, fuzz, distortion, EQ, boost and preamp, this multi-faceted effect is not only fun to look at, it sounds...
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We always enjoy when a new type of device or way to add to your sound is unleashed on our community, and today’s effect(s) really take things up a notch. The crew over at Chaos Audio has designed the Stratus, a unit that allows to create an entire pedals board from one pedal and your phone. You control the effects in real-time from an app, chaining multiple pedals together in any way you choose. The app currently features over...
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