Julep /ˈjo͞oləp/ – a sweet flavoured drink made from a sugar syrup, sometimes containing alcohol or medication. Today’s pedal, the Julep Stereo Pan / Phase from Mile End Effects, is by concept a semblance of the infamous Ibanez FP-777 Flying Pan, but functionally and electronically is an expansion and improvement on the idea. From syrupy, frothy vibe effects to dizzying, choppy stutters, this optical stereo panning/tremolo...
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The MTHRFCKR=RPTR Cassette Tape Delay Preamp was one of our favorite pedals in 2020, and we’re excited to dive back into the world of Mile End Effects once again today. The Ronald PreAmp 150 takes one of the sections of a beloved tone-enhancing unit from the 70’s, pulls it out and gives it to you in a solo pedal presentation. Let’s see if we can discover the rich, full bodied and sparkling tone that this pre-amp...
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Although we’ve never had the pleasure of testing out an old Binson Echorec, Roland Space Echo or Maestro Echoplex, we sure love a good tape delay sound. Those machines, while classic and heard on thousands of incredible recordings, are now decades and decades old. This leads to a ton of maintenance, know-how and upkeep, and that’s if you actually KNOW what you’re doing. They can fail at any moment, usually requiring...
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We really loved the first four effects in JHS Pedals’ “Legends of Fuzz” series: the Bender, the Crimson, the Smiley and the Supreme. They’ve added a few more since, and we’re going to take a look at the Berkeley 1973 California today. With just two simple controls and a Mode switch, you can easily dial in vintage fuzz sounds with this black beauty… Grab a Berkeley 1973 California at Sweetwater:...
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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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Our pal James Bowman started Bowman Audio Endeavors a couple years back, and each new pedal release brings his unique spin on effects to the forefront. Today, we’re taking a look at the Satan’s Fingers Fuzz, a sinister and opaque piece of gear that has two knobs and a ton of noise. This one crushes from the moment it’s turned on – let’s see what it’s all about… Satan’s Fingers is a...
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The Legends of Fuzz series from JHS Pedals is a tribute to the world’s most historic, rare, and sought after fuzz circuits. Since the originals are extremely hard-to-find, extremely expensive when you do and prone to the problems electronics might have after 50 years, this series brings these sounds and tones to the masses, for all to enjoy. There are four pedals in all, and we’re going to run through each one, what they...
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WE LOVE PHISH. Said it, not sorry, deal. Now that you know that, know this: we were SUPER excited to have a Helping Friendly Box Overdrive Compressor from Hochstrasser Electronics appear on our doorstep, and here’s why. This particular pedal harkens after the setup that Trey Anastasio from Phish used for many years (and still does occasionally), where two differently-gained Tubescreamers were followed by the famous Ross...
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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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We’ve always loved the effects pedals that Ryan and the Dr. Scientist crew have sent our way over the years, and we’re happy to have another wonderful creation from them for you today. The Sunny Day Delay provides oodles of choices, blending vintage and modern delay tones together in one glorious machine. If this pedal doesn’t brighten up your day and put a smile on your face, you might want to get some help…...
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We’re back with a bit of a blast-from-the-past today, with an updated version of a classic circuit that’s been around for over 20 years. The Keeley Electronics Katana Clean Boost has one knob, a couple of functions and miles and miles of gorgeous sound. Want a mirror image of your tone, only louder? This is it. Grab a Katana Boost Exclusive from Sweetwater – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKg6db In addition to increasing...
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In collaboration with our good friend Todd Tabor at @dryrunwoodworks, Pedal of the Day is proud to now offer something almost every effects pedal enthusiast wants: PEDALBOARDS! Standard woods will be a choice of cherry or wormy maple, and sizes will be 16×12 or 24×12, but if you need a custom size, let us know and we can make it happen. Other add-on options include patch cable holes, handles, Input/Output jacks, power outlet...
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Where do we even start with a rare, out-of-production and highly sought-after pedal like this? The Goatkeeper 3 GK3 Tap Tremolo Sequencer has become a pedal of mystery and intrigue, not to mention hard to find and pretty expensive, too. Described as an analog tremolo sequencer, this big white whale is so much more, a giant tone machine just itching to be experimented with, and thanks to the genius minds at Lightfoot Labs, one that we...
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The innovative, creative team at Death By Audio have been supporters of Pedal of the Day for years, so when they released today’s limited edition pedal, we knew we had to snag one and help support them right back. The Exploding Head Triple Delay harkens back to a classic DBA effect, as well as celebrates a milestone anniversary for a landmark album. Just when you thought echo couldn’t go any further… “Long ago,...
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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!!) How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pedals By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. I have GAS, and it’s bad. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a common ailment among new guitar players, triggered by tone-envy, causing them to spend every...
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Believe it or not, I have never owned, borrowed or even seen an actual DOD 250 Preamp pedal. I’ve used effects that were based on this legendary unit, but haven’t had to privilege to hold one in my hands and hear it in all its vintage glory. Needless to say, then, I was pretty excited about the release of the JHS Pedals Overdrive Preamp – although slightly different from the Gray Box version that everyone is used to,...
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What’s better than an amazing, killer, amp-pushing overdrive pedal? Well, not much, unless you have TWO drive circuits in ONE enclosure! Such is the case for today’s unit, the Browne Amplification Protein Dual Overdrive. Taking inspiration from a couple of timeless (but not necessarily accessible) circuits and combining them into a single, glorious pedal makes this one a must-have for any overdrive fan. Each side sounds...
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Phasers are absolutely in our top tier of favorite effects on this planet, and we love a good tremolo, too. Today’s pedal mashes both of these effects into the tiniest of enclosures, while still bringing unprecedented quality and tonal bliss to the table. The Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope Phaser is part of their newly released lineup of small, pedalboard-friendly pedals, and this is a hell of a way to start it off. Bringing all...
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A little over three years ago, we got our hands on the first model of today’s pedal, and we loved it. The TA-1H from Free The Tone was one of the first stereo choruses we had come across, and the wide spectrum of sounds it covered put a big old smile on our face. Today, we’ve got the next generation for you: the Tri Avatar TA-2H Multi-Dimensional Chorus, which takes the building blocks from its older sibling and just makes...
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We simply cannot get enough phaser around here, and when it comes from a vintage unit thats coveted by players across the world, that makes it even better. Today, we’re tasking a look at a simple but powerful phaser, one with a great history and even better tone: the Small Stone Phaser from Electro-Harmonix. While this particular iteration is a bit different, the Small Stone has been a go-to phaser pedal on many pedalboards for...
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Mike Dillon Kansas City, MO Bands: Mike Dillon Band, Nolatet https://mikedillonband.bandcamp.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have played music since I was 10 years old. I started taking drum lessons when I was in 5th grade, and had my first garage band in 6th grade. We played “American Band,” “Smoke on the Water” and “Black Dog.” I am sure we sucked, but I was hooked!! I played in...
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We’re always excited to have gear from Dunlop and Way Huge come through our door, and today’s featured effect is a really special treat. Limited to only 40 pieces worldwide, the one-run-and-done was conceived during the first part of the Covid pandemic, housed in a beautiful enclosure adorned with colorful artwork, along with Japanese writing from the early prototype stage. Ladies and gentleman, may we present the Way Huge...
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Happy New Year!! Here’s to 2021 just absolutely being better than 2020 – let’s all do our best to be good, kind, decent humans and get on the road back to (somewhat) normalcy in the world, k? With that said, let’s start off the next 365 with a BANG, and by checking out a couple of incredible pedals from the past. Both beloved and revered in the vintage realm, the PN-2 Tremolo/Pan and the DC-3 Digital Dimension...
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Tape echo delay units have been heard on classic recordings for decades, on albums from artists like Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Hawkwind, Chet Atkins, Eric Johnson, the late great Eddie Van Halen and many, many more. The old units, while possessing some secret ingredients and mojo, lend themselves to malfunctions, upkeep, unavailable replacement parts and general unreliability…but no more. Today...
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Hello all! My name is Sam Ralbovsky and I play guitar in the Adirondack jam band The Hasbens (The band that has Bens. We have two) Instagram: @thehasbensband Facebook: The Hasbens How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I first picked up the guitar when I was in the fifth grade. The guitar, at that time, was an escape from the monotony of trudging through each Suzuki piano book I was assigned...
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My name is Luis Aznarez, I am from Barcelona, Spain and I have a pedal company called Lefa Pedals located in Seattle, Washington www.lefapedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing bass more than 25 years ago. A friend from school told me to join his band. My musical knowledge at that time was practically non-existent, I thought that a bass was a 4-string guitar that did...
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HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY! Hope yours was safe, enjoyable and filled with love and happiness! Speaking of love and happiness, we’ve got a monster overdrive for you on this wonderful New Year’s Day, one that will bring a smile to your face and put some joy in your heart. The R-403 Vintage Overdrive arrives to usher in 2020 from our friends at Big Joe Stomp Box Company, and is sure to start the year off right, at least as...
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Flanger is an awesome effect, but one that can be love or hate, depending on whom you ask. Fans of Pink Floyd and The Police likely fall into the “love” category, as some of David Gilmour and Andy Summers’ tones are just drenched in flange, specifically the classic 18v Electric Mistress from Electro-Harmonix. Today, we’re going to check out a pedal that seeks to recreate these awe-inspiring sounds, but housed...
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Ori Naftaly Southern Avenue www.southernavenuemusic.com https://facebook.com/SouthernAvenueMusic/ https://www.instagram.com/southernavenuemusic/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was 5 years old. I remember listening to my dads record collection that was full of Jazz, Blues, Funk and British rock from the 60s and 70s. I had an amazing mentor called Tony...
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A couple years back, a pedal came onto the market that was unlike any we had all seen before, the Dream Sequence Filter/Tremolo/Sampler/etc. from Hologram Electronics. After the success of that beauty, the Hologram crew came up with another astonishing effect, which we’re going to check out today. The Infinite Jets is a wildly ambient machine, with a ton of sustain and exquisite sampling abound, making for a creative and...
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Reverb pedals come in many shapes and sizes, from a simple one or two-knob configuration to the most outlandish, extravagant effects machines on the planet. Today, we’re going to look at one that harkens towards the simpler side, but that by no means means isn’t absolutely powerful as can be. The Moby Depth Reverb from Jonny Rock Gear utilizes Accutronics™ (Belton) digital reverb technology, resulting in a lush,...
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A lot of the pedals we review and demo have a ton of buttons, toggles and footswitches, and are able to produce more sounds than you could possible use at once. While we love those effects and all they are capable of, it’s nice to sit back with a really great-sounding, 3-knob overdrive and just plain rock out. The BB-74x Blues Breaker Overdrive from Mr. Black allowed us to do just that, conjuring up classic 60’s amp tones...
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Brandon “Taz” Niederauer tazguitar.com @brandonniederauer @NiederauerMusic How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been playing guitar since I was eight years old. I became fascinated with my father’s album and video collection and was listening to The Allman Brothers and other guitar and jazz music. When I went to my first concert at eight, I knew I wanted to play. Who...
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Another day, another delay….and why not? They’re only the most fun effects out there, and we’ll review and demo ’em as long as companies keep making ’em! Speaking of making exceptional pedals, today’s gem comes to us from Mr. Black, longtime maker of intriguing devices and inspiring tone machines, and this one is no exception. The SS-850 is a solid state echo chamber delay unit, featuring a retro...
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Patrick Garland Houston, Texas GARLAND FX garlandfx.bigcartel.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’m 33 years old, and started playing guitar at age 10 – so about 23 years. 20 on electric guitar. The first guitar I ever played was my mom’s Guild Madiera from 1970. My mom uses it for playing music to pre-schoolers – she’s quite talented and can play and sing. I also still...
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Tremolo pedals are always welcome here in the Pedal of the Day office, as each one seems to have its own personality, features and tones, regardless of how many knobs, bells and whistles it may have. Today’s featured pedal leans towards the high end of that spectrum, with a ton of tonal options and sonic parameters waiting to be explored, and unleash all of their glory onto any recording or unsuspecting crowd. The Quaverato from...
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Clint McDuffie Gadsden, Alabama Deep Space Devices deepspacedevices.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? For myself, I’ve been playing for around 13 years, which I would’ve been 12 or so when I began learning to play. I started out playing bass and, just like anyone else, I transitioned into guitar, but at the end of the day, I’ll always be a bass player at heart. At the time, friends were...
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It’s been a hot minute since we had anything from Yellowcake come through the office, but boy, was it worth the wait. The Lida Machine is an analog resonant filter, with hints of tremolo and vibrato, ring modulator, phaser and more jammed into an impressive-looking and sounding enclosure. With two footswitches and a lot of knobs, we’re ready to dive in and explore this beast immediately… Also known as a VCF (Voltage...
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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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The resurrection and resurgence of the new Shin-ei brand of pedals started off with the stellar Vibe-Bro (click here for our review and demo), and continues to build and build with more pedals from vintage eras. The Screaming Sister is an octave boost based on the Prescription Electronics’ Clean Octave Boost (COB), a now rare (and crazy expensive) effect used by Doyle Bramhall II, Jonny Lang and more. This simple three-knob box...
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Sometimes, you just need a damn good overdrive pedal to rock your amp with – nothing fancy, no more than three controls and tone that will put a smile on your face for days. Today’s pedal comes to us from new friends M.D. Effects, makers of some of the funnest gear we’ve had the pleasure to review recently, and a company who knows what it means to have a simple drive to just flat rock out. The Warlord started out as...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Liam Stevens – you can find him on Instagram, and with his band Tainted on Facebook. Thanks again, Liam! Had Tony Pepers, of Pepers’ Pedals fame, knock me together this custom pedal a few years back. At its core, it’s a clone of a Big Muff, but he’s done a few neat little tricks to it to make it more versatile. On the front of it there is a switch that shifts the mid range. You...
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Marco Benevento Upstate New York Homepage Follow the Arrow When longtime jazz/jam favorite of ours, Marco Benevento, brought his band through town last week for a show at the Asheville Music Hall, he was kind enough to sit down and talk with us about music, touring, gear and more…here’s our chat, enjoy! [Pedal of the Day] First of all, where did you grow up? Do you still live in the same place? [Marco Benevento] I grew up...
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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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Michael Parker Seattle, WA – The People’s Republic of the USA I play guitar & keys in the band Pickwick www.pickwickmusic.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar when I was in the 8th grade on a whim. I had a friend who was a drummer and needed some people to jam with. He recruited me basically because I was in the room and had nothing better to do. He...
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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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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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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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