This is a curious pedal. There are no labels, so you don’t know what the knobs are (Volume is pretty easy, but the rest take a little work). Plus, Left Foot Pedals is no longer in business, I just found out, so there’s no way to ask anyone about any kind of information about this little red devil. Therefore, this review was a challenge (which I enjoy) and a pleasure all in one. The original Zen Drive is highly...
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Here’s the rub: we really dig us some pedals from Adventure Audio. If for nothing else than being rabid Stranger Things fans, the Demogorgon Fuzz Tremolo Reverb was one of our favorite pedals pretty much EVER, and the Dream Reaper Fuzz Mod Machine was no slouch itself. That said, we were of course super-stoked to check out the Glacial Zenith II, an overdrive, EQ and boost all wrapped into one pedal, with a myriad of order and...
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How does one begin to review a legend? In part because of the difficulty of getting one, in a larger part due to its unique sound, a legend has certainly grown around the Hermida Audio Zendrive. I’ve just taken delivery of my second one, and can testify that it’s status is well deserved. First, the tone. No overdrive pedal I have owned or played through (and that’s a long list) does quite what a Zendrive does: a smooth, hairless...
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I should start by saying if you’re looking for a “Pajama Party Barbie Overdrive”, you my friend should keep looking. You’re not dealing with any ordinary cookie cutter Zendrive here. Don’t let her name fool you. This thing was forged in the fires of Mordor and doesn’t give a damn about noise ordinances. This baby’s pulse is pumping 1.21 jigawatts of pure uncensored sonic destruction through...
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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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Since the Femtaur Boost Overdrive arrived here at the shop 3 years ago, we’ve had the pleasure of getting to check out a bunch of effects from Kink Guitar Pedals, located in Cranbourne, Australia. Each has been unique and exciting, but with a cohesiveness to the brand that makes them all work well as a group. Today, we’re taking a look at our 5th Kink pedal, the Atomic Spaghetti Overdrive Tremolo, which is exactly as fun...
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As their name suggests, the makers of fine pedals at Fjord Fuzz are relatively obsessed with, well, FUZZ. Having had the privilege of reviewing their gear over the last 2 years, it’s safe to say we’re fairly obsessed with it as well. Today’s fuzzy gem comes to us as the EMBLA Overdrive Fuzz, a mix of circuits that present a wide range of dirt to experiment with, and we’ll probably be obsessed with this one,...
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Today, we’re continuing our look at the Dual Series pedals from Caline, and we’ve got another gem for you. The DCP-05 Key West Compressor Overdrive gives you one of the best pedal combinations to ever exist. With each side running either independently or in tandem, there are a ton of tones waiting to be explored here… The Compressor side is Caline’s Pressure Tank pedal, which is inspired by the famous Diamond...
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The Tube Screamer. Since the inception of this green monster in the late 1970’s, it has become a staple on many pedalboards throughout the globe, as well as having been heard on countless classic albums and songs. While it has a bit of a Love/Hate relationship with most guitar players, its presence and impact on the music world simply cannot be overlooked. Since many versions are rare, hard-to-find and extremely expensive if...
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The Klon. It has achieved mystical, mythical and maniacal status since its release in the early-to-mid 1990’s. While there have been dozens of clones (or Klones, as it were) produced over the years, trying to capture that sound without the $1500+ price tag, few sound as good as the Centura from Ceriatone Amplification. Deciding to further expand on their killer replication, Ceriatone has released a new, dual overdrive pedal,...
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Big. Black. Bold. Bowerful. Well, maybe not that last one, but the others (and Powerful) definitely describe the lineup of pedals produced by Wounded Paw Audio. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure to check out their Battering Ram Overdrive/Fuzz, Echo Drive and, most recently, the Black Wolf, a massive distortion for guitar AND bass. Today, we’ve got another creation of theirs for you: the Bighorn Overdrive. A little...
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We have enjoyed getting to review and demo a bunch of pedals from Michael over at Vick Audio, and we’re excited to bring another one to you today! Combining the best aspects of two of his favorite pedals, the Zendrive and the OCD v3, Mr. Vickery has taken overdrive sounds into another realm of possibility. Although simple in appearance, the Tree of Life Overdrive is a truly versatile little stompbox, one that will get you many...
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2-In-1 effects pedals are always an adventure, and today’s featured pedal takes us on yet another glorious sonic journey. Having previously reviewed the Battering Ram from Wounded Paw Effects, another 2-In-1, we were pretty stoked to be able to check out another one of their marvelous creations. The Echo Drive is a delay and reverb pedal, with additional overdrive on just the delay signal. Basically, your original tone still...
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The Wampler Euphoria (formerly the Ecstacy, but the good people at Bogner took exception) is an extremely versatile overdrive pedal that pushes well into distortion-pedal space before it’s done. Wampler promotes it as their “Dumble Box,” a description I think their marketing department should give another once over. The dark green metallic case sports four knob controls – Volume, Gain, Tone and Bass, which all...
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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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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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It’s been a while since we saw an effects pedal from Wounded Paw Audio, and it’s also been a while since we had a bass pedal to review and demo. Luckily, both of these are getting fixed today, with the introduction of the Attack Goat OD DI Bass Pre-Amp, a 2-channel fuzz, overdrive, EQ and more. If you’re looking for a tone-shaping, amp-pushing, low-end machine to handle your 4, 5 or 6-string needs, you’re in...
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We’ve got another killer Guest Review today from Brian Johnston – you can find him and more demo videos he’s done on his YouTube channel, CoolGuitarGear – click now! Thanks once more, Brian! Victory Amps has won several awards through various guitar magazines/sites, and this preamp makes those reasons obvious, with its magnificent tone. The four valves running the Kraken V4 produces a rich tone and quality that I have not heard...
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We loved both the Battering Ram and Echo Drive pedals we reviewed from Wounded Paw Audio, so we were stoked to be able to try another one of their creations for today’s featured pedal. The Black Wolf is a monster of a distortion pedal, with a tone of options for dialing in the perfect tone, and plenty of volume and gain on tap as well. If you’re looking for a clean boost or light overdrive pedal, you’d better get...
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Johnny Balmer Location Chicago, IL Together, with my wife Victoria, we operate Alchemy Audio www.alchemy-audio.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been playing electric guitar since I was 14. Victoria has played bass for a couple of years. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? I was a metal kid in the 80’s. Therefore, when I started playing guitar, it...
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Ben Deane Overland Park, KS (Kansas City Metro) Monarch Musical Devices https://reverb.com/shop/monarchmusicaldevices How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve always had a connection with music. From my dad’s outlaw country vinyl LPs to my mom’s affection for artists like Paul Simon and Billy Joel, music always spoke to me and I wanted to speak back. I had a couple of years of piano lessons...
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Lance Seymour Atlanta, GA Gear Talk www.gear-talk.com www.youtube.com/GearTalkChannel iTunes: Gear Talk Podcast Instagram @GearTalk Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/geartalk (one of dozens of Gear Talk groups on FB) How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician for over 20 years. Not near professional that long. LoL. I started playing drums and piano. In high school, I moved on...
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Eric Junge Maggie Valley, NC (via Cedar Falls, IA) Hungry Robot Pedals www.hungryrobotpedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I have been a musician since I was 14 years old. I started out on bass and slowly added instruments. I would still consider bass my main area of proficiency, but can play quite a few instruments fairly well. Who have been some of your major musical influences,...
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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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Scott Hachey Denver, CO I play guitar and make faces with The Magic Beans: magicbeansmusic.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I’ve been a gigging musician for almost 6 years now. Been playing music for over a decade now. Probably 15 years. Started on trumpet and moved on to guitar soon thereafter. Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present? Growing up in...
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Andy Green Andy Green Pedals We are located in Hollywood Florida about a mile from the beach. www.andygreenpedals.com How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place? I grew up in New York City around all the vintage guitar stores and legendary shops on 48th St. Ken Parker had his shop there and Mike Mathews had Electro Harmonics in the 70’s right there. I got a job in a vintage shop in 1981 and have been...
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