We’re stoked to continue to bring you the ENTIRE lineup of pedals from Rockready Mini Pedals over the coming weeks, and we’re continuing with two more excellent mini creations today. The BC-1 Brit Crunch and NG-1 Gatekeeper are small, yes, but they pack a big punch with their sonic output. With simple controls and mini enclosures, these pedals fit onto any pedalboard, and into ANY budget… The VP-1 Vintage Phase has a...
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It’s been a minute since we had a pedal from Cusack Music in the shop, but today’s effect from their lineup comes absolutely roaring back into action. The Meta Plexi Distortion Boost, as the name might suggest, follows in the footsteps of a certain hallowed, classic amplifier preamp, instantly transforming your tone and sending you back to classic rock and metal heydays gone past. Plug in, crank up, annoy neighbors, melt...
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The sounds of AC/DC have echoed through concert halls, dorms, bedrooms, vans, strip clubs and just about any other place you could think of for close to 50 years now. Many have tried to capture their classic sound, and many have gotten close. Today’s re-creation attempt comes to us from our pals in France, in the form of the Anasounds High Voltage Plexi Distortion. This dirty, overdriven beauty conjures up tones reminiscent of...
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We’ve all been trying to find THAT amp-in-a-box sound forever, it seems, right? A lot of good pedals have come out that have achieved this goal pretty well, but to really make it convincing, you’ve got to have real tubes, and that just isn’t always possible. Fortunately, we have a unit today for you that utilizes TWO real preamp tubes to bring you a faithful recreation of the 1987 Marshall Plexi amp. Ladies and...
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From the very beginning of their production in 1965 out of the Marshall factory, there’s a group of amps that have been and are still some of the most coveted on the planet: the Plexis. Countless amp and pedal builders have tried time and time again to capture that sound once more, most being fairly successful, but never truly getting it “just right.” Well, the wait may just be over, as we examine the Plexi-Drive...
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If you know even the slightest bit about effects pedals, and you know what reverb is, there’s a 99% chance you’ve heard of the Strymon BigSky Reverberator. One of the most popular reverb pedals ever created, it set a new bar across the board for how reverb could sound. Today, we’re so stoked to bring you Strymon’s brand new take on this pedal, the BigSky MX – the new pinnacle of what a reverb pedal can be...
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We’re diving into the world of UAFX from Universal Audio again today, but this one takes a different sort of turn. The OX Stomp Dynamic Speaker Emulator provides you with the ability to mimic just about any speaker cabinet + microphone setup you could think of. With on-board options and easy controls, plus a ton of extras as usual, this unit continues UA’s magnificent run of amazing pedals… Grab an OX Stomp from...
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The entire lineup of UAFX pedals from Universal Audio is amazing, let’s just be honest. With each new release, there’s another options-filled gem that gets our creativity flowing and takes our musical thinking and approach up a notch. Today’s pedal, the Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp, shifts things from a modulation/delay/reverb vibe to some classic amp-pushing, overdriven sounds from decades past… Grab a Lion...
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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!!) Guitar Tricks presents Delay Pedals Do’s and Don’ts By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. One of the best ways to add depth and space to your guitar signal is by using delay effects pedals. In fact they work great for any...
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Well, it’s that time once again…NEW STRYMON DAY!! We’re always proud to be part of their new releases, and today’s pedal is one that we can all enjoy…thoroughly. The Brig dBucket Delay takes Strymon’s now-classic Brigadier Delay and smashes it down into a compact form, first introduced with the amazing Cloudburst Ambient Reverb a couple months ago. Here’s some info from Strymon: “The...
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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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We’re continuing to look at some stellar effects from TC Electronic today as we peruse the Impulse IR Loader. This magnificent little box aims to give you guitar tools that support your playing rather than a degree in tech manuals, keeping things simple and fun to use. Lots of options are trapped inside this mini effect, which gives you big sound from a tiny source… In short, Impulse is a Cab Sim and IR Loader, and just...
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In all the years we’ve been demoing and reviewing effects units from our friends over at Strymon, we never delved into their beloved Flint – a crime, to be sure, but one that has been remedied today. The newer Flint Tremolo & Reverb V2 brings all the sonic glory of the original into focus, along with a slew of new upgrades and controls, for one of the most versatile, well-rounded pedals we’ve ever seen. Two...
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Mario Marino has been creating products under the name Axess Electronics since 1998, crafting custom buffered splitters, routers, switchers MIDI foot controllers and more, for names like Alex Lifeson, Peter Frampton, Richie Sambora, John Petrucci, Dweezil Zappa and Eddie Van Halen. Bringing decades of expertise to the effects pedal world, he has released the AXSGTR OBViouS™ Boost/Overdrive, an option-filled beauty that dirties up your...
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After recently jumping back into the marvelous world of pedals from Cusack Music with the brilliant Meta Plexi Distortion Boost, we were stoked to have another piece of their gear on our demo table. The Screamer Fuzz V3 Fuzzdrive combines elements of overdrive and fuzz in one pedal, allowing you to blend and mix as you see fit. Along with a great control section and several clipping options, this was a fun one right out of the...
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The effects we’ve checked out so far from Malaise Forever have been glorious, starting with the magnificent Clubber Lang Harmonic Percolator Fuzz, and continuing with the Rage Monster Germanium Gain Stage. For Pedal #3 today, we’re helping with the release of the brand new Iron Fistula JFET Preamp Drive, a swiss army knife of incredible tones and dialed-in dirt for days – let’s see what’s in store, shall...
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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!!) Message in a Pedal: How to Get Andy Summers’ Signature Sound By Steven Kendzorski for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons. Andy Summers joined The Police in 1977, and quickly catapulted the group to international superstardom. With hits like “Every Breath You...
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After the Catalinbread Tribute Parametric Overdrive a couple days ago, we’re honored to get to share in the release of another brand new drive pedal today, this time coming to you from J. Rockett Audio Designs. Based on the classic tones of a bearded Texas legend, El Hombre is the ideal overdrive for those feeling the blues or ready to rock all night. Capturing the nuances and touch sensitivity of an amplifier, El Hombre can go...
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The looks and sounds produced by vintage Maestro effects units have wowed musicians for decades – the Fuzz-Tone, Phase Shifter, Echoplex and more set the sonic bar high long ago. With those older effects being rare, expensive and full of maintenance, Gibson and Maestro have teamed up to release the ‘Original Collection’ of pedals, 5 different effects that lay the foundation for any rig or recording setup. Today, we’re going to look at...
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We love the pedals that our friend Mike Trombley over at NativeAudio has been putting out for years, having already checked out the Wilderness Delay, Kiaayo Overdrive and Rising Sun so far. We’re bringing another one to you this fine Saturday morning, the Pretty Woman Bird Chorus Vibrato, a modulation effect that’s perfect for all occasions. The Pretty Bird Woman is a preset-capable chorus and vibrato designed with an...
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All of the pedal from Eventide’s dot9 Series have, so far, been nothing short of mind-blowing. The BlackHole Reverb, MicroPitch Delay and UltraTap Delay have sent us down many a sonic rabbit hole, ones we almost wished we couldn’t get out of. Today’s pedal, the newly released Eventide TriceraChorus Stereo Tri-Chorus, continues this impressive run of gorgeous Stereo effects pedals, continuing to impress and delight at...
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Admittedly, MIDI is not one of the things that comes easy to us. The way the messages work, the CCs and the PCs and the whatnot, have always been a bit confusing. Today’s pedal features a user-friendly interface, along with a straightforward phone app, to take all the guess work out of the complexity that is MIDI. The Hotone Audio Ampero Control MIDI Commander is a fully programmable Bluetooth MIDI controller, one that took only...
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As we continue on with our Flamma Fridays series, we shift gears just a bit this week, from modulation to DIRT. The Flamma Innovation FS06 Digital Preamp provide 7 different preamp flavors to explore, with each one being based on a different well-known amplifier. Covering classic and modern tones alike, this purple-headed warrior has a ton of stuff going on, so let’s jump right in! The 7 different models you can choose from on...
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Normally, you don’t think of overdrive pedals as being laden with options. Volume. Tone. Gain. Done. Today’s pedal, however, takes things up a notch, building on an original circuit to create a powerful amp-driving machine. The LPD Pedals Sixty8 Deluxe Overdrive brings boost, overdrive and distortion elements to the table – all with smooth and sweet tonal bliss. Taking the LPD Pedals’ original Sixty8, the...
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The Simplifier Zero Watt Amp + CABSIM is a preamp, EQ, boost, overdrive, cabinet simulator and more wrapped into one tidy little package. The crews at DSM Noisemaker and Humboldt Electronics have created a machine which allows you to integrate your pedalboard adding full stereo routing directly to a PA System, Amps, Audio Interfaces or anything you need with its 4 simultaneous outputs (2 x XLR, 2 x 1/4 bypass-able outs), stereo...
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The new DCP Series of pedals from our friends at Caline are all Dual Effects, featuring two of your favorite Caline pedals in one enclosure. With the effects ranging from overdrive to EQ to distortion to compression to fuzz and more, there’s something in this lineup for everyone. Today, we’re going to take a look at the DCP-02 Brutus Distortion Overdrive, a powerful dual-dirt combo that packs a punch and adds to your tone....
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So many overdrive/distortion pedals….so little time. But what separates a GOOD one from a GREAT one? Well, therein lies the age old question, right? For us, it’s always been about the FEEL you get, as soon as you plug a pedal in, before you have time to dissect and scrutinize every little aspect of the build and sound….when you know, you know. Your amp comes alive, a big grin washes over your face and, for a moment,...
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The guys at Analog Alien have been making incredible effects for years, and we’re excited to check out another one of their creations today. Going in a different direction than the FuzzBubble 45 and Alien Comp pedals, the Rumble Seat mixes Overdrive, Delay and Reverb into one gorgeous orange unit, saving valuable pedalboard real estate and giving you three primo effects in one convenient place. Let’s dive in and see what...
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Over the last couple of years, some of the most innovative, instantly-recognizable effects have come from the Hologram Electronics camp. In keeping with the success and sonic prowess of the Dream Sequence and the Infinite Jets, we’re proud to present their latest creation, the Hologram Electronics Microcosm Granular Delay Looper. This wild machine creates cascading microloops that get locked into tight tap-tempo synched rhythms,...
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Overdrive pedals that use actual tubes in them are not very common, but we checked on out a couple weeks ago (the Xtonebox Plexi Heritage), and are going to check out another one today! Yay Us! Today’s gem, the GlassJaw, comes to us from Vibrato, LLC, and is a high voltage vacuum tube overdrive pedal.With a dead simple control section and warm, sweet-sounding, amp-driving tones pouring from it, this is the kind of pedal...
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The world of Strymon is a fascinating, intriguing and exciting place to be – anyone who’s ever used one of their pedals can certainly attest to that. For their latest release, they’ve gone in a bit of a different direction, but one that is most welcome, and will flip the way pedalboards are arranged and used from this point forward. Iridium is an amplifier and Impulse Response cabinet simulator, one that connects...
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The T-Rex Effects Replicator Junior Tape Echo was one of our favorite delays that has ever come through the office, and we were excited to see if there were any more delays made by this fantastic company from Denmark. As luck would have it, we stumbled across today’s pedal, the Replay Box Stereo Delay, an extremely small but wicked powerful straightforward delay, with stereo options and 3, count them THREE, seconds of delay...
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Mmmmmmmmmmm….Plexi. Those classic Marshall amplifier tones that have been recorded for over 50 years just put a smile on all of our faces, don’t they? However….that exact sound is not the easiest to dial in or obtain, with out-of-production gear, soaring prices for the vintage amps and problematic parts and repair make up a few of the reasons why this tone is so cherished, and so hard to come by. Enter the...
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We love a good synthesizer pedal when they come through the shop, and we love the effects that Robert and the crew at Keeley Electronics put out, so the combination of both of these was a welcome announcement. The goal was to create a synth sound that took you from unnatural fuzz noises to pseudo-harmonic, random glitchy counterpoint, and boy, did they ever succeed. The Synth-1 Reverse Attack Fuzz Wave Generator lets you create...
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My name is Anders Mouridsen, and I’m a Danish guitarist, living in Los Angeles and working all over the place. I currently perform, write and record with country artist Cam (www.camcountry.com). In the past, I’ve performed and recorded with artists like John Fogerty, Pink, Taylor Swift, Tim Timebomb, Meghan Trainor, Guy Sebastian and many others. You can hear some examples of my work as a writer, producer and musician on...
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Let’s face it: it can be difficult and expensive to find all the pieces you need to emulate some of your favorite rockers from the 1970s. Vintage amps and cabinets now fetch prices that most Joe Schmoe guitarists might not be able to afford, not to mention finding a place to unleash such robust and ear-smashing tones without getting a visit from your landlord or the friendly neighborhood police. That’s where the crew at...
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There is nothing like the sound of a Marshall stack, particularly a vintage one, perhaps of the Plexi variety, with the classic 4 input configuration. Those in the know have discovered a special secret about these amps: using a patch cable to connect two of the inputs together. This results in the Volume controls from both channels becoming active, and able to be blended at will to produce gorgeous, soaring crunch tones. If...
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We were recently fortunate enough to review and demo the String Slinger Overdrive from our friends at Free The Tone, and what an overdrive that was. Seeing as how they released TWO overdrives at virtually the same time, we were understandably excited to see what lay in store for us with the Fire Mist FM-1V Overdrive, a different spin on another classic amp, packed into one pedal and ready to rip. Where the String Slinger focused on...
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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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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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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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Right off the bat with today’s featured pedal, there’s something very unique. While most pedal enclosures feature some kind of graphics or etching or something along those lines, the Scenic Drive from Square Amps is completely see-through, letting us all see the insides for all their glory (well, at least to those who can understand what’s going on in there, which definitely leaves us out of the loop). Not to mention...
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Neal Casal nealcasal.com Chris Robinson Brotherhood www.chrisrobinsonbrotherhood.com Hard Working Americans www.thehardworkingamericans.com Circles Around The Sun Skiffle Players (with Cass McCombs) Phil Lesh And Friends Gospelbeach How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I started playing guitar in 1981. I was obsessed with the Rolling Stones and the bands I saw in the Gimme Shelter film....
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Max F. – find him on SoundCloud (@MaxFaith)! Darkglass Electronics’ products are quickly becoming the hottest way to sculpt tone in the bass world. The Finnish company makes some of the most musical bass preamps, distortions, and amps on the market right now. Today’s pedal is the Darkglass Microtubes B3K Bass Overdrive. The B3K Overdrive has simple and intuitive controls for sculpting a wide...
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Steve Sterlacci Westchester, New York Jessica Lynn jessicalynnmusic.org How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? So I was trying to play professional baseball until I was about 23. I had played in college on a scholarship and traveled the country going to try outs, but never got an opportunity that made sense. I had already played guitar by that time in a dance/Top 40 wedding band and my now...
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Jared Scharff SNL Band guitarist Pearl Lion instrumental project Creator of “Unnecessary Shredding” YouTube series www.soundcloud.com/IamPearlLion www.youtube.com/JaredScharff Instagram: @ScharffIsHere Twitter: @ScharffIsHere SnapChat: JaredScharff Facebook: JaredScharffOfficial Facebook: Pearl Lion How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been in love with music since I was a kid and...
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John Snyder Electronic Audio Experiments Boston, MA http://www.electronicaudioexperiments.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? My first instrument was actually the violin, which I began playing at age six. I took private lessons for about twelve years, firmly establishing classical music as a big part of my musical DNA. I listened to all types of music growing up, but I only started...
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What can you say about Greer Amps? Nick and the gang just keep putting out incredible pedal ofter pedal (among other things), consistently topping their previous endeavor somehow. Today’s pedal continues on where their famed Southland Overdrive left off, bumping up that great tone into the realm of a true high-gain overdrive/distortion pedal, but keeping with the same smoothness and crispiness that their pedals are all known...
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A couple months ago, we reviewed a tasty fuzz pedal from St. Petersburg, Russia, called the Termofuzz, which was one of the most fun and diverse fuzzes I have had the pleasure to review. Well, the guys and gals behind that pedal are up to it agin, this time switching directions and offering up the Breaking Bad Delay Deluxe. With graphics and functions both nodding to a certain spectacular TV show, this delay is about as inventive,...
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This pedal is a one off custom job from Trevor at TSW Pedals, and is one (well, 2) of my favorite drives combined into one pedal. This is definitely my coolest pedal as it has my signature image laser engraved right onto the front panel. He takes his Dragon Slayer, which is a take on “plexi in a box” and combines it with his Infinite Drive (similar to a tube screamer but with a smoother tone control and more gain on tap)...
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