New pedals from new (to me) companies are always intriguing, as you get to see different designs and innovations along the way. Today’s pedal, the monochrome fuzz one Germanium/Silicon Analogue Fuzz, comes to us all the way from the Ligurian Alps in Italy, and I for one am glad it made the trek to get here. Three knobs and two switches might not seem like too much to work with, but trust me, there are PLENTY of amazing sounds...
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I am always excited when Third Man does a collaboration with another effects company, and today’s pedal teams them up with one of our favorites. The Troika Delay is a multi-function delay pedal they have created with JHS Pedals and, of course, Mr. Jack White. Bringing a versatility not often seen in the realm of delay (or any other, really) pedals, this big beefcake lets you use delay with your favorite guitar and effects AND...
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We’ve been checking out a bunch of mini-sized pedals from Tone City over the last several months, but today we’re diving back into their larger collection of effects. One of our favorites from a couple years ago, the Heavenly Lake v2025 Delay Reverb has been updated and upgraded, bringing us the highest quality dual pedal in their arsenal. Use the delay and reverb together or separately, and let the experimentation...
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We’re continuing to look at more wonderful effects pedals from our friends at Keeley Electronics today, bringing you a unit that brings the very first amp effects into the modern era. The Zoma Stereo Reverb and Tremolo mixes the ultimate reverb experience with rich, modulated textures, for a wonderfully warm and inviting sound. With a gorgeous stereo field on tap, and a wide range of tones to explore, this silver beauty brings...
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The pedals coming out of the Heather Brown Electronicals camp over the least 4 years have always been unique and intriguing, so I wondered what her take would be on a semi-controversial effect genre: Compression. Well, it turns out she knows a little something ’bout that, too, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Darlene Compression. Small, simple, quiet yet bold, this pedalboard-friendly tone-shaper gives you an easy...
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There’s a very distinct look and feel to effects from Supercool Pedals, and I have grown to love each and every one of their releases I’ve had to opportunity to check out. Today’s pedal, The Cutback Preamp-Style Distortion, is no different, continuing a strong tradition of dirt pedals from our neighbor to the North. Conjuring up sounds from one of my favorite all-time preamp pedals, this chill beast will encourage...
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Recently, we took a look at the new lineup of pre-made pedal kit effects from our friends at StewMac, which included the Sun Fuzz, Ghost Drive Transparent Overdrive, Two Kings Dual Boost Overdrive and the Lightcycle Phasor II Optical Phaser. We’re going to take a solo look at the third pedal in the lineup today, after checking out the Sun Fuzz and Ghost Drive earlier this month. The Two Kings Pre-Built DIY Dual Boost Overdrive...
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I always have a blast when pedals from NUX arrive on the doorstep, and I’ve recently been really enjoying the Core Series of effects they’ve sent my way. Following in the footsteps of the Verb Core Deluxe, Time Core Deluxe MKII and Komp Core Deluxe MKII pedals, today we look at the Amp Core Studio Amp Modeler & IR Pedal. Filled with amplified sounds both modern and classic, this golden beauty just might have you...
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Towards the end of last year, I was lucky enough to have the crew at Olinthus send over their flagship pedal, the Cicada Overdrive. Not only did it sound incredible, but it was far and away the smallest effects unit I had ever seen. Fast forward to today, and we’ve got their latest creation for you all to check out – help us welcome into the world Earwig – World’s Smallest Fuzz. The Earwig delivers a huge range...
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Over the course of this year, I’ve had an amazing time reviewing and demoing a couple of effects pedals from Case Study Effects. After the rousing success of their Aspen Overdrive and Studio Compressor units, I was stoked to receive the final pedal in their lineup, the Lastlight Transistor Based Boost & Overdrive. A simple four-knobber this is NOT, as you’ll see and hear below – this very well could be the final...
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The amplifiers coming out of the Silktone shop in Roseville, California, have always been amazing, and I was so stoked when they entered the effects pedal market a few years back. Having demoed their Germanium Fuzz and overdrive+ pedals, I was excited when the Expander Preamp Fuzz Overdrive was announced, and even more so when it arrived on our doorstep. Combining elements of the three best dirt genres out there, this seemingly simple...
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Well, we’re back again today with another gem from the innovative crew at Chase Bliss. Their latest, the Lost + Found Collection of Curiosities, is unlike anything they’ve released before – and, as you may know, that’s saying something. Combining elements of Chorus, Compression, Reverb, Grain Sampling, Harmonizers, Looping, Octaves, Phasing and much more, this green monster will expand your soul and create new...
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Small, pedalboard-friendly effects units are always nice to have on hand, especially for an overcrowded signal chain that takes up a lot of real estate. The fine folks at Tone City continue to recognize and build on this, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Sweet Cream v2025 Transparent Overdrive. If you like your drives crunchy with an edge of break-up tonality, this pedal is really worth checking out! The Tone City Sweet Cream is a...
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Another wonderful effect from Keeley Electronics is on the docket, folks – we checked out the Rotary Stereo Pedal a couple weeks ago, and we’ve got another stereo creation today. The Halo Core Delay takes all the things you love from the original pedal and simplifies it, making for an easy-to-use effect that doesn’t skimp on tone. Grab those headphones, this one sounds amazing… The Halo Core is a streamlined...
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A couple weeks ago, we took a look at the new lineup of pre-made pedal kit effects from our friends at StewMac, which included the Sun Fuzz, Ghost Drive Transparent Overdrive, Two Kings Dual Boost Overdrive and the Lightcycle Phasor II Optical Phaser. We’re going to take a look at the second pedal in the lineup today, after checking out the Sun Fuzz earlier this month. The Ghost Drive Pre-Built DIY Transparent Overdrive brings a...
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Whenever a new pedal from Discomfort Designs shows up, there’s a rarified excitement that builds as I open the box and see what awaits. Today’s pedal, the Riemann’s Grave Octave Bit Crusher Distortion Filter, keeps that tradition in tact, with a wide array of controls, knobs and switches waiting to be poked, prodded and pummeled. Unlike most of the effects that I see come through the shop, this one will keep a smile...
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It’s been a hot minute since we had an effects pedal from Source Audio in the shop, but our return to this wonderful company couldn’t have been better, with the Encounter Ambient Delay+Reverb. This unit is a fully-loaded vessel of atmospheric discovery, thoughtfully designed to explore swirling celestial tones and deeply immersive soundscapes. Boasting 12 delay and reverb modes, stereo connectivity, 128 presets, external...
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We’re back today with the latest release from our friends over at Strymon, which is always an exciting time, as you all know. An out-of-the-box kind of effect, oil can delays produce extremely specific kinds of echoes, and when Strymon does their thing, the sonic possibilities suddenly become infinite. The Olivera Vintage Oil Can Echo is the result, bringing wide sweeps, stereo sound, gorgeous modulation and more to the practice...
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We’ve checked out LOTS of effects from our friends at NUX over the years, and today we’re going to continue looking at their Core Series of pedals. After really digging the Verb Core Reverb and Time Core Deluxe MKII Delay pedals last year, I was excited to check out the Komp Core Deluxe MKII Transparent Compressor, and it did not disappoint. Five knobs and one toggle switch really let you customize the compression you need...
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It’s usually all about rocking out and lots of overdrives and making cool noises here at Pedal of the Day, but it’s also nice sometimes to just kick back with an acoustic guitar and chiiiiiillllll… Today’s pedal allows you to do just that, but makes you also sound good while you relax, providing incredible tone, a bunch of connectivity options and even let you bring in some of your favorite noisemaker effects....
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It’s time to explore another new (to us) pedal company today, and their first effects unit is a sign of amazing things to come. Monger Pedals’ The Little Guy Fuzz-Phaser combines a 2-stage OTA phaser with waveform shaping (triangle, upward sawtooth, downward sawtooth) with an op-amp fuzz with hard clipping character, for an exploratory unit that will take you on a wild, experimental sonic journey through space and time....
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A couple weeks ago, we took a look at the new lineup of pre-made pedal kit effects from our friends at StewMac, which included the Sun Fuzz, Ghost Drive Transparent Overdrive, Two Kings Dual Boost Overdrive and the Lightcycle Phasor II Optical Phaser. We’re going to take a look at teach of these pedals individually now, starting today with the Sun Fuzz. Grab a Sun Fuzz from StewMac https://stewmac.sjv.io/3JxWky Back in the...
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Small, pedalboard-friendly effects units are always nice to have on hand, especially for an overcrowded signal chain that takes up a lot of real estate. The fine folks at Tone City continue to recognize and build on this, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Bad Horse v2025 Boost Overdrive. With a wide-spanning range of sounds and all the amp-pushing, grit-filled tone you’ve been searching for, this little wonder proves that you...
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It isn’t always the units on your pedalboard that make the coolest noises that make the most difference…I know, hard to believe, but if anything represents that well, it’s today’s piece of musical gear. The PCH Active Direct Interface, the latest release from our friends at Strymon, is an advanced stereo active direct interface with a hidden superpower – an onboard console-quality headphone amplifier. Now you...
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I’m excited to bring you yet another rotating speaker pedal this week – we don’t see these too often, so having two in the span of a couple days is both rare and exciting! After investigating the Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble a couple days ago, today we’re looking at the aptly-titled Rotary Pedal from Keeley Electronics. Also a stereo pedal like the RT-2, this offering from Robert and crew has a bit more on the...
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The unmistakable sound of a rotating speaker has been heard and revered on countless recordings over the decades, but it’s not necessarily the easiest tone to achieve. Real Leslie speaker cabinets are big, expensive and have a TON of upkeep and maintenance that come with them, not to mention most stage sizes aren’t very accommodating to something that large. Enter the BOSS RT-2 Rotary Ensemble, a compact way to get these...
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It’s always special when we can support local builders, and in the case of Marla Amplification, it’s an absolute pleasure when I get to crank up one of their fine amplifiers. Today, we’re looking at an exclusive collaboration between Marla Amps and Reverb.com, the S40 Charlie Barker Special Edition Amplifier. The man behind the curtain, Anthony Hernandez, and I met up here in the Asheville area, and I got a sneak...
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New pedals from new (to us) companies are always welcome here at Pedal of the Day, and we’ve got just that for you on this fine Tuesday morning. The King Wizard Germanium Fuzz Driver from Portland, Oregon-based spellcasterFX immediately sucks you in with a wild, trippy aesthetic, then keeps you enthralled with a huge spectrum of tonal shifts, boosts, drives and, of course, lots of FUZZ. Sort of like three pedals in one, this...
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Josh and the crew at JHS Pedals are always coming up with something creative and inspiring to add to the world of effects, and today’s pedal conjures up tones of yesteryear with a replication of an unusual piece of gear. Replicating a bedroom studio recording device, the 424 Gain Stage Preamp Distortion Overdrive allows us to recreate sounds of the 70s, 80s, 90s and beyond, all in a neat, tidy, compact form. With a couple of...
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Small, pedalboard-friendly effects units are always nice to have on hand, especially for an overcrowded signal chain that takes up a lot of real estate. The fine folks at Tone City continue to recognize and build on this, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Golden Plexi v2025 Overdrive Distortion. With a big range of sounds and all the classic amp tone you’ve been searching for, this little wonder proves that you can make big...
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As fun as effects pedals are, they’re usually accompanied by an instrument of some sort, mostly the guitar in our case. That’s why we always like it when we get a new instrument in the shop to test out – however, today’s piece of gear actually requires NO PEDALS AT ALL. The Divitone MF Studio DSG-10 Smart Electric Guitar comes loaded with amps, effects, IRs, a tuner, a drum machine and more – all wrapped...
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I always enjoy when a new effects unit comes in from our friends at Walrus Audio, and today’s pedal keeps that joy and wonderment intact with ease. The Lüm Texture Engine Granular Reverb is a pedal that’s a bit hard to describe or fully classify, sending your brain on an ethereal, ambient journey the likes of which you might not want to return from…EVER. With a bunch of knobs and switches and cool hidden features,...
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Innovation is a key component in the competitive world of effects pedals, and today, we’ve got a new creation that is as innovative as anything I’ve seen in years. The crews at Black Mountain and Jack White’s Third Man Hardware have teamed up to produce the Roto-Echo Delay, a warm echo pedal that lets you use your foot and a special roller to control one of three parameters, opening up the possibilities of what you...
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We recently had the chance to dive into the world of Radio Wave Effects, and were quite impressed with their first creation, the Nervous Energy Fuzz Distortion Overdrive. Today, we’re checking out their second pedal, the Dalliter Fuzz, a vintage-meets-modern fuzzy creation with three knobs and an absolutely monstrous range of tones. Get your eardrums ready, this baby blue beauty is about to knock your socks off… The Radio...
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Today, we’re diving into our second pedal (of three in their current lineup) from Awestruck Amplification, a boutique builder out of Michigan. Today’s creation is the Mayday Discrete Boost, a one-knob, one-toggle device that will push your amp and shape your tone in an instant. From slight volume jump to edge-of-breakup glory, this unit reminds us all that you can’t always judge a pedal by its parameters… The...
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The fine folks at StewMac have always had your guitar needs covered, whether it’s guitars, accessories, blank wood canvases, electronics and, of course, pedals. Their DIY pedal kits have been a favorite of players for years, and now they’ve decided to offer these great-looking and -sounding units as PRE-BUILT pedals, cutting out the DIY portion and giving you all that great tone in an instant. We’re taking a gander...
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Whenever the folks at Echo Fix release a new creation, it’s always an exciting time. From the incredible EF-F2 Tape Echo to their EF-P2 Spring Reverb and EF-P3 Chorus/Vibrato pedals, the high-end audio pieces coming from down under enhance the sound of anyone who has the pleasure to use them. Today, we’re looking at their latest, the EF-P5 FET Compressor, a studio-grade unit that works for guitar, bass, keys, drums, vocals...
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I have always dug the circuits coming out of the MMK Electrics camp, and it’s always a treat to get their latest creation in our shop. Following in the footsteps of the Norris Fuzz, Red Cream Soda Overdrive Distortion and the pair of Custom Shop PNP Boost Type 14 & 32, we bring you not one but TWO incredible new fuzzes. The Pavlof Fuzz comes in 2 different iterations, and they both sound quite amazing… Two Knobs, two...
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Small, pedalboard-friendly effects units are always nice to have on hand, especially for an overcrowded signal chain that takes up a lot of real estate. The fine folks at Tone City continue to recognize and build on this, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Tape Machine v2025 Analogue/Digital Delay. One big knob and two little ones may not seem like much, but they allow you to dial in some amazing echo sounds… The Tape...
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The Aspen Overdrive from Case Study Effects is one of the better drives that has come through the shop recently, and I couldn’t wait to check out some more gear coming out of Lake Country, Wisconsin. Today, we’re looking at their Studio Compressor, which is exactly what it sounds like it would be, but is also somehow MORE than you’d expect. With a bunch of knobs and a surprise toggle switch, you get true studio...
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Today, we’re checking out our third pedal in the current lineup from Awestruck Amplification, a boutique builder out of Michigan. The last pedal (for now) from this company is the Metro Organic Overdrive, a bright and vibrant effect both in sonic tone and aesthetics. With a couple of toggle switches to shape your sound, and a bunch of drive on tap, you’re not gonna want to sleep on this colorful creation… Inspired by...
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We’ve checked out a LOT of gear from our friends at Hotone over the years, but never anything quite like today’s…well, NOT a pedal. The Pulze Mini Portable Modeling Amp makes it easy to take killer tones on the go, no matter where you are in the world – plus, it actually sounds really good! Whether you’re running your signal into a DAW, or doing a little practice via headphones, or playing a really small...
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We’re bringing you another new (to us) company today, and this first pedal of theirs is a doozy!! The Nervous Energy Fuzz Distortion Overdrive from our new friends at Radio Wave Effects brings the essence of a rare old pedal into the modern era, with dirty tones for days and days. This one even has a hidden feature, which always makes for fun exploration and something unique to bring to the pedal game – let’s get...
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There’s just something so fun and enjoyable about multi-effects units, and we’ve got another great one for you all today. The Spurr Audio PMF-8824 Personal Multi-FX Modulator combines multiple modulation effects into one glorious, vintage-looking and -sounding pedal that pushes the boundaries of effect experimentation. Taking your sound to otherworldly sonic levels, this space-age piece of gear will open up your musical...
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It’s been about a year since we had a pedal from DPE Pedals in the shop, but after the gloriousness that was the Chromosome Dual Overdrive, I was excited to see what they had in store for me. The DC-30 EF86 Valve Preamp exceeded all my expectations, taking the world of preamp pedals to another level, and really punching my amps and eardrums alike. You gotta love pedals that use REAL TUBES, and this jet black beauty is one of the...
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Small, pedalboard-friendly effects units are always nice to have on hand, especially for an overcrowded signal chain that takes up a lot of real estate. The fine folks at Tone City continue to recognize and build on this, as evidenced by today’s pedal, the Tiny Spring v2025 Spring Reverb. With about as simple a control section as you can have, it’s easy to dial in a great sound quickly, along with a nice, big range of...
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Today, we’re diving into our first pedal (of three in their current lineup) from Awestruck Amplification, a boutique builder out of Michigan. First up is the Highland Discrete Overdrive, a three-knob, two-toggle beauty that provides a wonderful range of sounds and tones. Moving easily from boost to drive to borderline fuzz territory, there’s a lot to explore with this multi-colored creation… At its core, the Highland...
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New Release Day for ANY pedal is always fun, but when we get let into the wild world of Death By Audio effects, you know you’re in for a special treat. We’re actually going to take a look at TWO devices today: the Crossover Fuzz and the Photomodulator Expression Controller. The fuzz takes your highs and lows and splits them into a wild stereo spectrum, further exploited and energized by light-controlled expression. Lots to...
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It’s been a minute since we had anything from Night Owl Industries in the shop, but I’m excited to bring you all their latest release today! Not a pedal, but most definitely pedal-related, the FMJ Amplifier provides gorgeous clean tones to use as the basis for your rig, designed for players who like to get drive and distortion from their pedalboard. With an simple control layout, small size and big tones, this guitar amp...
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I’ve always loved the looks and unique tones created by Spaceman Effects, and today we’re gonna showcase their lastest creation, our first of theirs in over two years. The Atlas IV: Preamp Booster make seem simple on the outside, with just one big knob and two small toggles, but there’s a ton going on under the hood here. This is one of those pedals that makes your amp instantly come to life as soon as you turn it...
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