We get pedals coming through the office here from time to time that are so fun and so insane that they’re difficult to write about. The Tesla Oscilador (Oscillating Tesla, for you English-speakers) from Lee de Forest is a synthesizer-fuzz-envelope-filter-harmonizer-laser-maker of a pedal – again, difficult to write about. While you’ll get the best idea of what this thing can do from the demo video below, we’ll...
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The Uni-Vibe is an iconic effect, whether coming from Hendrix and Band of Gypsy’s “Machine Gun,” Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” or multiple tracks from “Dark Side of the Moon” from Pink Floyd, you’ve heard it before many times, and chances are you dig it. Today’s pedal seeks to re-create those iconic effects units of the past, with a couple new enhancements as well. The...
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Roadie Bass has finally arrived and it will change the way you tune bass guitars. This tuner has all the features of Roadie 2 and a powerful motor which turns even those rusty pegs. Twice as powerful as Roadie 2, Roadie Bass does not require a mobile phone to work, allowing you to tune wherever you are, and lets you tune up to 150 strings on a single charge. Automatically tunes all string instruments including bass, acoustic,...
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Straight-up, no-frills, to-the-point effects pedals are becoming somewhat of a rarity in today’s crazy market, so we were pretty excited about today’s featured piece of gear, a simple-to-use and extremely easy to dial in fuzz pedal from across the way in Slovenia. The MindFuzz from Surfadelic Soundwaves has a bare minimum control section, but is absolutely jam-packed with tone, power and, of course, FUZZ. The little...
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Doom. Sludge. Stoner. Down and dirty, low-tuned and mellowly aggressive music has been around for decades, and has taken on many shapes, forms and monikers. There are certain effects pedal out there that instantly remind you of these types of musical genres, and today’s pedal does just that and more. The Golem Distortion from Deep Space Devices delivers all the low end you could want or need, but also manages to keep things from...
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The Narwhal Distortion Fuzz from PLBR Effects is one of the funnest fuzzes we’ve seen come through as of late, so we were pretty stoked to try out its bug brother, the Maritimus Distortion Fuzz as well. Taking similar controls from the Narwhal and expanding upon them, the Maritimus allows you to further shape your tone and create magnificent walls of distorted fuzz. There’s a lot to get to in this pedal, so let’s...
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As an online reviewer and demo-er of effects pedals, we really like stuff that’s a bit out of the ordinary. “Auditory Signal Disruptor” is one of those phrases that is immediately intriguing, and today’s pedal that happens to be attached to that tagline does not disappoint. The Mountain from our new pals at Frost Giant Electronics just ripped a hole (metaphorically) in our amp the first time we plugged it in,...
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A couple of years ago, a revolutionary delay pedal was unleashed on the market, changing the landscape of effects forever. The Nemesis from Source Audio remains one of the top delays around, even after a few years and a multitude of other have tried to top it. The crew at Source Audio, recognizing this accomplishment, decided to further their sonic adventure and crafted today’s featured pedal, one that’s sure to sit...
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Having reviewed the first and second versions of today’s wicked awesome delay pedal, we were intrigued to see what this latest V3 would bring, and what new and exciting features would be incorporated. Just when you think there are no more improvements to be made, the guys and gals at GFI System manage to top themselves once again, raining down a fury of tones and relatively easy-to-use and intuitive controls, for a well-rounded...
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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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Today’s pedal is an awesomely odd one to approach, as it is really 10 pedals in one. The Console from ELTA Music uses a series of interchangeable sound cartridges, each with its own set of three modes, to produce a wide array of tones and auditory revelations that will alter your approach to creating music. We are going to review and demo all 10 of these cartridges eventually, and the next one is our series is the Magic Pitched...
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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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Orange Amplification bring back their iconic 1970’s OMEC brand with an ingenious new product, the OMEC Teleport. The Teleport is a soundcard with a twist – in addition to being a studio-quality USB recording interface, it fits inside a guitar pedal – perfect for a gigging musician. The innovative, new OMEC Teleport is a universal connection device compatible with iOS, Android, MacOS or Windows devices without the need for...
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The crew at Big Joe Stomp Box Company has been making solid, great-sounding and easy-to-use effects for a while now, and we’ve had the pleasure to be able to review and demo many of them for you. Today’s is high up on our list of their pedals, for sure, as we are suckers for anything flanger-related, and the B-306 Analog Flange doesn’t disappoint. Boasting a HUGE range of flanger tones, and all the jet engine screech...
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In this current era of “space-saving pedalboard layouts,” isn’t it nice to see some oversized gear that feels no shame for its size and stature? Well, today’s pedal, When The Sun Explodes, from the masterminds down under at Beautiful Noise Effects, comes to you just ripping out of the gates, big and bold and rough all over, just waiting to get a chance to show what it can do. Which is a lot, now that you ask,...
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Jumping into the now-insane world of pedal creation is a daunting task: where to begin, how to solder, what makes a pedal function, etc… Luckily, for anyone who wants to take the plunge, there are companies like MOD Kits DIY, who offer pedal-building kits with different difficulty levels that come with easy to use instructions and use point to point wiring. We’re going to take a look at one of their kits today – The...
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Let’s face it: there’s not really a ‘Maybe’ vote when it comes to compression on your pedalboard – you either dig it or you don’t. Around here, we can’t get enough of it, and always look forward to another pedal sending us into the realm of sustain and tone-balancing, and we’ve got another one for you today. The R-Comp Compressor from Vick Audio recreates one of the most famous comps in...
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Are you looking to get nuts with your sound? Tired of having 8 drive pedals that all sound fairly similar, and want to spice it up? Looking for a compact and easy way to create walls of noise and freak out your audience? Then the Downer from Malekko Heavy Industry is just what the doctor ordered. Part wavefolder, part saturator, part octave and part filter, these words vaguely describe what this grey monster is able to unleash. The...
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You know that feeling you get when you hear that first Dm chord and opening lick of ‘Shakedown Street,’ or the first few funked-up keys at the start of ‘Superstiton?’ Well, you might not, but if you do, today’s pedal is right in your wheelhouse. The Disco Terrapin from Hochstrasser Electronics is a super funk machine, an envelope filter and auto wah conceived with numerous options and a wide range of...
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We dig a good Leslie cabinet emulating effects pedal around here, and one that is low-budget-friendly is always a welcome perk. The Big Spender Spinning Speaker, designed and distributed as Billionaire by Danelectro, covers both areas, while managing to create some incredibly useful and tone-enhancing sounds. Self-described as the “best ever spinning speaker tones,” the Big Spender does in fact utilize just a couple of...
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When we recently had the opportunity to review the DB-CL Dual Band Compressor Limiter from FEA Labs, we were blown away by what a compressor could truly be, and were excited to check out some more of their gear. Luckily, the Photon Fuzz II arrived and we were able to scratch that itch rather quickly. This fuzz is extremely versatile, with options and tones specifically designed for BOTH guitar and bass, and makes each of them sound...
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The Klon. There might not be a more easily-recognizable, more debated-about effect on the planet. And since they are rare and pricy, there are a LOT of copycats out there, but how to choose the right one? Well, the quest for the perfect clone may have just ended – welcome in the Centura Professional Overdrive from Ceriatone Amplification. Aesthetics aside, this beast sounds spot on to its original counterpart, made with...
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Man, the little guys have just been KILLING it lately! Today’s fantastic piece of gear represents how the smaller companies around the world are creating amazing effects, not just the ones here in the States. The Narwhal Distortion Fuzz from PLBR Effects comes to us all the way from Croatia, and apparently, there’s something in the water there, because this pedal is just incredible. Distortion and Fuzz are not usually...
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The first pedal we had the pleasure of reviewing and demoing from M.D. Effects, the High Tide, was a gamechanger in the realms of chorus, reverb and delay. Today, we get to explore one of those genres in depth, via another M.D. pedal. The Moondust is a stereo reverb pedal that features wide soundscapes, gorgeous overtones and lush, inspired reverb sounds, all packed into a sparkled, space-themed enclosure, perfect for any musical...
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Today’s pedal is an awesomely odd one to approach, as it is really 10 pedals in one. The Console from ELTA Music uses a series of interchangeable sound cartridges, each with its own set of three modes, to produce a wide array of tones and auditory revelations that will alter your approach to creating music. We are going to review and demo all 10 of these cartridges eventually, and are starting off with the Cathedral Reverb. The...
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Today’s post, while not technically “pedal-related,” is still an exciting discovery on our part (maybe we’re just late to the party, who knows?). Though we don’t cover a TON of acoustic pedals here, we have had our fair share, and are, of course, always looking to improve the sound of ALL our instruments, not just the ones that are loud and ROCK. Coming across the website FU-Tone.com was a bit daunting,...
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Here at Pedal of the Day, we’ve always tried to support the little guy, the company consisting of one or two employees, working in a basement somewhere, trying to create an effect they think the masses will love. These qualities are most certainly represented here today with our featured pedal, the Ahab Overdrive from Pine-Box Customs. Their flagship overdrive is an all-analog, amp-like pedal, pushing your amp into glorious (but...
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The phaser is one of those effects that is excellent a being both subtle and super-nutso-crazy, so we’re always up for checking out any company’s take on one of our favorite effect genres. Today we’re going to look at the R-408 RAW Phaser from Big Joe Stomp Box Company, a vintage analog phase machine loaded with a ton of classic sounds, yet featuring an easy on-board control system. Parameter-wise, there’s...
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We love fuzz pedals around here, and the only thing better than a killer fuzz effect is….that’s right, TWO fuzzes in one pedal. The Bitoun is a Doubled Octave Fuzz from our friends in France Anasounds, and while looking seemingly simple from the bare bones control section, this guy is anything but. Based around the Shin-Ei Superfuzz pedal from the 60’s, the Bitoun Fuzz also incorporates aspects of Anasounds’...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Dominick F. – you can find him here on Twitter. Thanks again, man! The Meris Polymoon is an incredible delay pedal based off of old Rack unit modules. With relative ease create lush reverb sounds or even syncopated rhythmic trails. With up to 1200ms of delay with or without tap tempo and premium analog JFET inputs, this beast offers crisp and clean high quality audio. Onto some of the controls:...
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Full disclosure: we are digging the lineup of pedals coming our way from the folks over at ModTone Effects. These simple, affordable and great-sounding pieces of gear fit every musical style and playing type, as well as fitting onto any pedalboard AND fitting any size budget, big or small. The next one we’ve got for you today is the Bohemian, an overdrive/distortion that purrs and growls with the best of ’em, and will make...
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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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There are times when you plug in a pedal and think, “Hey, this might be kinda cool” and are then absolutely blown away once you click that bypass switch. Today’s pedal was one of those for us, for sure: the Solar Eclipse Fuzz from Earthground Audio. Not only does it satisfy all of our fuzzy desires, it has options for days and tweakablity to fit into any musical scenario. Let’s check it out! Inspired by the Big...
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Happy 4/20, kiddos! We’ve got a pedal today that seeks to build upon an already existing design, giving you two different sounding but equally incredible pedals to choose from (who are we kidding, you’ll probably buy both). The original Warped Vinyl Analog Vibrato Chorus from Chase Bliss Audio was a monster modulation pedal in its own right, as was the subsequent MkII version, which took things up a notch. Their new...
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One of the best parts of this gig is discovering new pedal companies that are doing innovative, exciting and non-traditional building in the effects pedal world, and today’s pedal and company both have captivated us in the best of ways. The DB-CL Dual Band Compressor Limiter takes all you thought you knew about compressors and turns your brain upside down, spins it around and sends it into a musical abyss from which you’ll...
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A couple years back, we reviewed and demoed one of the finest MIDI controllers we’ve come across, the MC6 from Morningstar FX. Fairly easy to use and full of possibility, we have continued to use it around the office ever since. We were justifiably excited, of course, when the announcement came about the ML5, a loop switching counterpart to the MC6, and one that looked just as simple to operate and efficient as well. If...
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The crew at Malekko Heavy Industry have always been up near the forefront of companies creating effects pedals that defy logic, expand minds and throw all caution to the wind. Today’s achievement holds nothing back, either, producing a slew of unorthodox and unusual sounds, twisting and warping your brain as you step into another dimension of time and space. The Thicken does thicken your tone, it’s true, but it does so...
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Do you need a little funk in your music, or your life, but don’t like things super-clean or proper? Have you always wanted to venture into the world of auto-wahs and filters, but never found just the right pedal to make the leap? The Cock Fight from Electro-Harmonix incorporates elements of wah, fuzz, and filters to create a uniquely-voiced effects pedal, one that’s certain to make your head turn and your body bust into a...
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DUMBLE. If you play guitar, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard about these rare and legendary (and ridiculously expensive) amps, used by such players as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ben Harper, Ry Cooder, Lowell George and more. Fetching price tags ranging from $50,000 – 100,000 EACH, there’s also a good chance you’ve never (and will never) get to play one for yourself. Today’s pedal, the Dumble Overdrive...
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The wonderful world of modulated effects opens huge doors into other levels of musical consciousness, whether it be via flanger, phaser, or something like the pedal we’ve got for you today: chorus. Our friends at Big Joe Stomp Box Company have created a gorgeous, simple yet robust and invigorating chorus effect, one that allows you to mimic your favorite sounds, ranging from the 70’s to the 00’s and beyond. The B-305...
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A lot of times, when a Boost pedals comes to us, it’s intended to just boost your signal, and why shouldn’t it? However, we love it when a Boost comes in that isn’t JUST for boosting, but enhancing your tone, and maybe even getting a little bit dirty. The Germanium Boost from Expresso FX does both of these things, adding a shimmer and sparkle to your tone, giving you a number of options to use AND driving your...
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We’ve had our fair share of reverb pedals come through the shop over the years, and we love it when one arrives that really re-imagines the way that effect should sound. My friends, the Dark Aura Modulated Reverb from Haunted Labs does just that, and more. Taking your favorite bits of ambience and stuffing them through a sonic meat grinder, this pedal takes you to the edge of modulation insanity and space-time travel, for a...
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The folks over in Japan at Free The Tone don’t mess around with their effects, always taking things up a notch from where we all think they might level off, surprising and delighting us along the way. Their TA-1H Tri Avatar Multi-Dimensional Chorus pedal continues this tradition by unleashing an absolute mammoth of a chorus pedal, full of all the modern, vintage, classic and yet-undiscovered sounds you could imagine, and then a...
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It’s no secret: WE LOVE DELAY. Old, new, analog, digital – bring it on. There’s a special place in our instrumental hearts for a good tape echo, though, and the Tapex 2 from Mr. Black Pedals is a top-notch inspirational charged delay that echoes (see what we did there?) the echoes of some classic players, songs and tones. A Stereophonic Tape Echo, this silver machine glistens and drips with analog sound, with a ton...
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We’ve had some really great compressor pedals come through the shop recently, and today’s featured effect is right on par with the rest of ’em. Looking and sounding like a true studio rack compressor that has just been squished down into pedal form, the Underthruster from RetrogradeFX gives you all you’d expect from a comp unit. With essential features and uncompromised audio fidelity, you’ll get all the...
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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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Today we’ve got another collaboration pedal from some friends in Japan and a pedal builder in Nevada, one with a heap of fuzz tones, as well as some overdrive and distortion thrown in just because. The Rover Fuzz comes to us from Animals Pedal, via Skreddy Pedals, easily creating big, fat and tone-filled walls of sound. Touch-sensitive and stable in any temperature, this pedal is gonna shock and surprise you, we promise…...
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Keeping with the theme of heavy and dirty started off earlier this week with the Medor Amps Hurt Circuit Fuzz, today’s featured pedal is an absolute mammoth of a distortion, with an easy-to-use control panel, a versatile array of sounds it can produce and a price tag that will fit any budget around. The Red Ghost Distortion comes to us from Deep Space Devices, and enjoys elements of sludge, doom, metal and even some good old...
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When today’s pedal arrived on our doorstep all the way from Medor Amps in Australia, it was a beast to behold. Seriously, this thing is HUGE! We talk a lot about “Pedalboard friendly” here, and if there’s one thing the Hurt Circuit Fuzz is NOT, it’s that. However, once you plug it in and get to know how it works, you’ll throw that “size matters” theory right out the window. Wait…....
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Jerry Gentry, and uses a familiar effects pedal in a completely new and creative way. If you’re into the Vibraphone, or know anyone who might be as well, this review is for you! Check out Electric Vibes on Facebook and here on Write Off Records’ website – thanks again, Jerry! Tube amps produce a sound which is distinctive. In the reinforcement of the aural signal they can be...
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