Amp emulator pedals are always a delicate topic of conversation amongst guitar players, and while some of these pedals can be hit or miss, the three we’re checking out today from Universal Audio are completely legit, and more. Drawing inspiration from three classic amps first released many decades ago, the Dream ’65, Ruby ’63 and Woodrow ’55 allow you to easily lose yourself in vintage tone, and save your back...
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We had the recent opportunity to check out our first effect from Handy FX, the Whiteout Fuzz, and it was an impressive piece of gear. We’re back again today to bring you the next gem in their lineup, the Muskrat Distortion Booster, a powerful 2-in-1 that oozes tone and grit, adding a much-needed punch to any rig. It doesn’t just look rad, folks, it sounds that way, too… The left side of the Muskrat is based on the...
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The music of Dinosaur Jr is known throughout the world, and for guitar fanboys, so is lead singer and guitarist J Mascis. With one of the most recognizable fuzz tones in the business, he has become synonymous with the Big Muff family of pedals, both as a player and as a collector. Today’s pedal, the Garbage Face Fuzz Boost, is a collaboration between J and Matt from Wren and Cuff, featuring a uniquely Muff-inspired fuzz side, a...
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Our new friends at PedalFarm FX are cranking out some wonderful pedals, and we’ve got another gem for you today. The B-1 is a classic germanium treble booster, but one with some unusual options. Featuring 16 selectable frequency settings, via internal dipswitches, this pedal takes a usually run-of-the-mill effect into an entirely new dimension… Aside from the giant output Volume knob, the B-1 also boasts a single toggle...
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We recently had the privilege to review and demo the Unit67 Boost EQ Compressor from DryBell, a wonderfully versatile addition to any rig or recording setup. As if knowing that an equally intelligent and option-filled dirt pedal would be the perfect effect to pair with the Unit67, they decided to release The Engine Foundation Preamp. A highly versatile and fully analog pedal, it features distinct voicing that has been inspired by...
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Having an EQ, a Boost and a Compressor in your signal chain are key ingredients for a lot of guitar players, and we tend to agree. Most times, however, these effects have to come from three separate sources, taking up a lot of real estate on your board, and having you tap dancing around like a maniac to get even a core sound correct. Well, those days just might be over. Today, we’re checking out the marvelous DryBell Unit67 EQ...
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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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Tim Bluhm San Anselmo, CA The Mother Hips www.motherhips.com/ How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been singing since I was a kid, in church choirs and in school choruses. I started playing guitar right after high school. In my second year of college I started the Mother Hips with Greg Loiacono and we started getting gigs really quickly. Who have been some of your major musical...
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A boost pedal is usually just that: a Boost pedal. Granted, while they do enhance your tone and give you amp a little kick where it needs one, mainly they just Boost, Boost, Boost. They can get your tone to that “just about break-up amp” sound, but what if you wanted (or needed) just a little bit more? Well, my buddy Nick and his cohorts over at Greer Amps decided that enough was enough, and they created a sort of hybrid...
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Eric Clapton. Ritchie Blackmore. Brian May. Tony Iommi. What do these fine gentleman have in common, besides being incredible guitar players? They achieved tones that are still being sought out today, by way of using a Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster. These pedals were made to push an amplifier into a gorgeous overdriven tone, and were featured on some real breakthrough albums back in the day. Our friends at Tribute Audio Designs...
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