We love a good compressor to smooth out our tone a little bit, and using not too much or not too little is the real key. Today’s featured pedal gives you the flexibility you need in a compressor/limiter, with the functionality and tone of studio-grade sounding gear. The Velvet Comp VLC-1 is a perfect example of how a compressor should work and sound, providing smooth and lustrous compression to your entire rig. A simple...
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In our experience with Vick Audio, we have had the pleasure of testing, reviewing and demoing some of the greatest fuzz pedals we’ve come across. That said, we were pretty excited to venture into a new genre of effects from Mike Vickery and the crew, especially since it was a new and shiny delay pedal! The Hypocenter Delay harkens back to tasty analog delay and echo sounds from the ’60s and ’70s, with a wide range of...
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We are suckers for aesthetics here at Pedal of the Day, and today’s pedal just jumps right out at you (plus it look sweet in a group of pedal, too). A collaboration between the crews at SolidGoldFX and The Tone Mob, the Model 001 Fuzz Generator is an aluminum fuzz masterpiece, a pedal that is expressive both visually and sonically, and one that’s sure to make you take a step back in wonder the moment it’s engaged....
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Boost pedals not only make you sound louder in the mix, they are capable of pumping up the tone in a great amp as well, not to mention adding in a little bit of dirt to your sound when set right. Today’s pedal takes the boost concept even further, by giving you not one but TWO boost options in one pedal. Why would you need two boosts, you ask? Well, you obviously haven’t played through the Pierce Street Double Boost from...
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Coe S. – find him on Instagram (@coeschneider) and say Hi! You could say I have a problem. Maybe even an addiction. But at least I’m smart about it. Sometimes the urge, the need, the compulsion to buy another fuzz pedal comes on strong. What would you do? If you’re thinking the ELECA EFZ-3 Fuzz could scratch that itch, you’d be right. I was hoping to pick up something crazy and cool on...
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Mmmmmm…..Fuzzzzzzz….. We’re hooked here at POTD, which is why we were once again super-excited for today’s featured pedal to show up on our doorstep. The Primary Fuzz is Plasma Pedals’ take on the classic Fuzz Face circuit. With a broad range of sounds available, both vintage and modern, this thing slices and dices any mix that stands in its way, and makes your amp come alive as well. Let’s check...
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Check out this quick video from our friends at Roadie Tuner, showcasing their new and improved Roadie 2 guitar tuner, with accolades from some very special guests! There’s even one for you Bass players out there – check it out: GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
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A lot of times, you can tell if you and a pedal are going to gel from the first minute or so of playing it. Today’s featured pedal took us about 8 seconds before we knew it was a keeper. The White Widow Silicon Fuzz comes to us all the way from Brazil, and it was well worth the wait. Based on a special version of the Big Muff Pi from the late ’70s, this one has a couple more options and tones than its classic predecessor....
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The first time we ever heard about the Black Cat Vibe, it was doing research on the rig of Trey Anastasio, who used to keep the original half unit in his on-stage rack (known then as the Custom Audio Electronics Black Cat Vibe). Since those particular units were pretty rare and pretty expensive, we never got to fully appreciate and play with the sound we came to know and love. Recently, however, we acquired the newer pedal version of...
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There are many, many pedals you see on all the forums and discussion boards, and what everyone wants to trade their garbage for. Sometimes, though, you discover a gem that, while it may have been around for a while, isn’t necessarily on anyone’s super-radar. Today’s pedal, the Double Deca Delay from VOX, is exactly one of those. We first ran across it while watching a Rig Rundown of Chris Robinson’s gear, and...
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Today’s pedal is a fantastic example of everything a 2-in-1 pedal should be, especially when it combines two great genres of effects together. The Vader (as we assume is its proper name) is a one-off custom pedal built by VFE Pedals, and it joins together their Blueprint Delay and Choral Reef Chorus effects. While these have both been discontinued, having them together in one pedal is a real marvel, and the rarity of it and the...
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There aren’t many companies who deliver the goods consistently with each and every pedal they release, but one that just about has that market cornered is EarthQuaker Devices. From the most complex and innovative pieces of gear to a simple, two-knob fuzz effect (like maybe today’s featured pedal?), the musical inspiration their stuff brings out when you play it is almost unmatched. The Bellows Fuzz Driver is a two-knob...
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Although we reviewed this guy a while back, it was V1, and we weren’t doing demo videos at the time, so we decided to revisit one of our favorite fuzz pedals, and update it a bit as well. We’ve included excerpts from our original review, as well as the sweet, sweet demo… We love this fuzz. The Bun Runner from JHS Pedals is a sonic marvel, and one of the most versatile and useful fuzzes we have ever had the privilege...
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Anyone who reads these reviews knows that we’re big fans of 2-in-1 pedals. The effect we’re looking at today is a perfect example of combining two great effects together in one pedalboard-friendly enclosure to maximize all the tone available from your instrument and amp. The Revolver RVO-3 is both and overdrive and a boost, working excellently on their own, and sounding just phenomenal when in tandem. The crew at Dedalo FX...
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Sometimes, a knob or two are all you need to create big, fat tones to incorporate into your sound. Today’s featured pedal comes to us from Sioux Guitars, and has that exact tonal mentality. The K-D Chorus has a simple, two-knob setup, but within those dials are a vast, sweeping expanse of sound for us all to enjoy. Two controls make up the K-D Chorus’ parameter section – Depth and Rate. The Depth knob adjusts the...
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There’s something about a wah sound that just gets your body movin’ and groovin’ a little bit. Maybe because it induces memories of your favorite Blaxploitation films, or the first time you heard ‘Shakedown Street’ live, or when you used to spin Stevie Wonder albums over and over in your youth. Whatever the case may be, it’s a clearly recognizable effect, and one that we can’t get enough of....
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Today’s guest review comes to us from Coe S. – find him on Instagram (@coeschneider) and say Hi! From the get go I was interested in the small box, single knob lineup from SolidGoldFX. As much as I like to tweak sounds and create sonic havoc the appeal of a simple to use straight ahead sound tool is foundational and super important in my mind. I’ll admit, boost doesn’t usually get me excited, but this one caught my...
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Those of us that love fuzz can’t help but dig those old, vintage effects pedals of said genre. Problem is, more often than not, they’re hard to maintain, and modern improvements on their original components and design are as tempting as ever. Which brings us to today’s featured pedal – the 1861 Fuzz. Modeled after the Civil War-era fuzzes of the early ’90s, the crew at Vick Audio has made a delicious nod...
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Our first encounter with New Zealanders Flux Effects was with their Liquid Ambience pedal, a super-reverb drenched in ambient awesomeness that has had very few competitors to this point. So…we were pretty excited when Michael said he was going to send us a Liquid Tremolo to review and demo – needless to say, we were extremely happy with our second encounter as well. This tremolo has a boatload of options, too many sounds...
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As much fun as it is to inspect, decipher and enjoy effects pedals that make all different kinds of noises, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and marvel at one that doesn’t really alter your sound all that much. Not that today’s pedal, the Iconoclast Stereo Parametric Speaker Emulator from Neunaber Audio Effects, isn’t super useful and important – no sir (or ma’am), it is quite the opposite. Opening...
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The infamous Klon. We’ve all heard about it, a lot of us have played one or heard it live, and a couple fortunate souls actually own one (not us). For the majority of us gearheads who don’t have $1500+ to spend on one pedal, we look elsewhere to find that signature tone, which brings us to today’s featured pedal: the Klone. There are many of these floating around out in the effects world, and we decided to take a...
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It’s always a surprise when you open a box from EarthQuaker Devices, and in our experience, always a positive one. Today’s featured pedal is no different, and has actually vaulted to near the top of our list of their overdrive effects. The Gray Channel, based on the classic DOD 250 Preamp Overdrive, is a dual-channel dirt box with so many options it’s dizzying, and more tones than you can shake a guitar at. Clean,...
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Fuzzzzz…..we dig it, as do a lot of you players out there. While fuzz might not be for everyone, those of us that like it like it a LOT, and today’s featured pedal is a fuzz to end all fuzzes (if that’s actually possible). You probably know the name Scotty ProAnalog, and we’re going to take a look at his MkII Fuzz V2 pedal, which replicates everything from timeless 60’s British fuzz tones to medium-gained...
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Discovering new and exciting pedal builders has always been a great thrill for us here at Pedal of the Day, and the effects we’re checking out today embodies that to a big, fat “T”. Mattoverse Electronics was an unknown company to us not too long ago, and after checking out the Swell Delay, we’re glad that we can witness what they are capable of. A delay/echo/reverb pedal and beyond, this thing is going to put...
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It’s been a hot minute since we reviewed an effect from Throne Room Pedals, but we’re glad we got to check out today’s featured piece of gear. The Atlantis Overdrive is a low-to-mid gain dirt pedal, providing plenty of crunch and boost for any situation. Let’s check it out! The Volume, Tone and Drive controls are standard fare for most overdrives, and the Atlantis is no exception. The Drive in particular has a...
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A couple of weeks ago, we took a look at a pedal from our friends at Celestial Effects, the Virgo Rock Overdrive, and found that it was a rocking little purple beast. Today’s featured pedal is the Virgo’s older, grown-up and more powerful brother, the Capricorn Rock Distortion. A versatile Boost/Overdrive/Distortion pedal, this creamy creation boasts two gain stages and broad spectrum of tones on tap. Volume starts things...
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A little while back, we were super excited to get a package all the way from Mexico, containing a pedal from One Pot, a company that we had been excited to work with for a while. Not only that, but this particular pedal, the Mojado Wetback Drive, had been custom-designed for us, and was even emblazoned with the Pedal of the Day logo, which we always love! Plus, it’s a 2-In-1, which hold special places in our musical hearts, and...
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Well, it’s been a helluva ride delving into the big bag of tricks that the folks at Ninevolt Pedals gave us, and today we bring you the last one in their complete series of effects pedals: the excellently-named Skateboarding Bear Metal Distortion. This is a BIG pedal, with tons of volume, attitude and range all in one, plus a drawing of a bear on a skateboard, and who doesn’t love that? A high-gain adventure awaits us all,...
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Who likes delay and echo? “WE LIKE DELAY AND ECHO!” Of course you do, silly. Today’s pedal is an incredible recreation of one of the most famous echo units ever created, the Binson Echorec. This classic delay unit created in the 1950’s was made famous by bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Hawkwind and the Chemical Brothers. The folks at Gurus Amps have created their take on this magical machine, and today we...
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If you’re around the pedal world on even a minor level, there’s a good chance yo’ve heard the name Jack Deville. The mastermind behind the Mr. Black line of pedals, he’s got his hands in ventures all over, one of which we are going to check out today. The Friday Club pedals are a line of fairly straightforward effects that feature no fuss, no muss controls and excellent tonal qualities. We’re going to...
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In the modern world of pedals, there are a handful of companies who are consistently pushing the envelope and getting new sounds and sonic options out to the masses, and have the following and resources to do so. One of our favorites is Walrus Audio, who just put out today’s featured pedal, and knocked another one right out of the park. The Red is a high-gain distortion pedal, complete with a huge range of dirt, a big EQ section...
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We get to meet a lot of great people doing this pedal review thing, and today’s up-and-coming company are no exception. Starting with their flagship pedal, the Lion Drive, the folks at Monarch Musical Devices are right up our alley, being as kind and communicative as can be. Not to mention this blue beast they sent us to check out adds some sparkle and shimmy to any amp or guitar tone, so let’s check it out… The Lion...
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Unless you’ve been living under a musical rock for the past couple years, you know about the pedal being produced by Strymon, and how they have come on full-force to bring some innovative and unique sonic designs to the table. While they had previously focused on modulation-types of effects, today’s pedal brings us their first foray into the world of overdrive, and, as expected, they brought their A-game. The Riverside is...
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There was a period of time in the early-mid ’90’s where DOD was putting out some really experimental effects, and we were able to track one of them down for today’s featured pedal. The DFX94 is a digital delay, but it’s also a sampler as well, and boasts a full FOUR SECONDS of delay time, which was pretty unheard of at the time it was introduced, and is still pretty lengthy even by today’s modern...
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There are pedalboard-friendly pedals, and then there are pedals from Henretta Engineering. These guys take it to a whole new level, throwing all the controls (via trimpots) into enclosures that only measure 2-1/8″ x 2-5/16″, making them the ultimate small sized pedal. Today’s feature pedal of theirs is no different from others we’ve reviewed in the past, except that its a bad-ass delay, and it’s bright...
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Old school, vintage, classic delays really just can’t be beat. Plain and simple. You plug it in, get that little background hum going, and then hit that first note, and the smile just washes over your face. Today’s pedal is one of the more rare and coveted analog delay from the ’70’s, from Ross, a company probably best known for creating the (in many opinions) greatest compressor of all time. We are, however,...
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Let’s face it: an octave effect can really add another dimension to your sound, period. Whether it’s up or down (or both, in the case of today’s pedal), this one effect has produced some classic tones over the decades, and continues to be a powerful, if underrated, piece of gear to use on both guitar and bass alike. The Octron Octave Divider from Foxrox Electronics brings you the best of both worlds in the octave...
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Sometimes, you just know an effect is going to be rad based solely on its name, and today’s pedal proves that once again. The Dirty Robot from DigiTech is a mini-synth pedal, turning your guitar or bass into a close-to-full-blown synthesizer, without having to worry about a second pickup or interface to haul around. A powerful effect indeed, there’s lots to learn about it, so let’s dive right in! There are a bunch of...
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We dig a good reverb pedal, and we figured this new line of MXR pedals would have a pretty good one when they finally released it. In short, we were right. The M300 Reverb features SIX selectable reverb types, along with 3 basic control knobs, to give you more reverberated sounds than you’ll know how to use, but will have a blast figuring out just how to do so. For the control section, Decay, Tone and Mix are all you need to...
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Ever the innovators, Robert and his crew at Keeley Electronics never cease to amaze us with the creations they continue to re-invent and release every year, and while today’s pedal is a little bit of an older model for them, it’s pretty damn brilliant nonetheless. The Caverns is a dual-function Delay and Reverb pedal in one, trapped in a super pedalboard-friendly enclosure and just oozing with tonal options. If...
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We have had the pleasure of reviewing and demoing a whole bunch of pedals from our friends at Celestial Effects over the years, and we get to do it again today! The Virgo Rock Overdrive conjures up feelings and sounds of all your favorite classic rock tunes and guitarists from the ’60’s and ’70’s with ease, while adding in some modern functionality and enough options to fill Madison Square Garden. Deceptively...
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At first glance, one could easily mistake today’s featured pedal for a run-of-the-mill pseudo-copy of one of the most famous (and now expensive) effects pedals ever created. However, once you plug the Pelitaur into your amp and crank up the volume knob on your guitar or bass, you quickly realize that you were sorely mistaken, and apologize to no one in particular almost immediately. This pedal is a fuzz, but not a normal one,...
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Tremolo has always been one of our favorite effects, and in recent years, pedal builders seem to be embracing them more and more as well. Today’s pedal from our friends over at EarthQuaker Devices is a tremolo on steroids, with a ton of options to choose from, and a million-and-one sounds to be created. The Night Wire™ is a harmonic tremolo (more on that in a minute), and one that really adds an entirely new level of sonic...
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The hits just keep on coming from our friends across the sea at Ninevolt Pedals, and we’ve got another simple yet bold piece of gear for you from them today. The Surfing Bear Overdrive is loosely based on a classic green overdrive that may contain the numbers “808” in it, but with a bit more range and a couple differences. Let’s just see what this bright blue beast has in store for us… The Volume, Tone...
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Today’s featured pedal is one we’ve had our eye on for some time, and were super-stoked when the opportunity to review it came along (we even managed to get the Vintage King Special Edition). The Kilobyte™ is a Lo-Fi Delay pedal, one with a bunch of options, and some of the smoothest and craziest echoes you’ll find on a pedal, anywhere. Deep, dark, analog delay tones are easy to come by, as well as crystal-clear...
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If you’ve ever had the opportunity to play one, you know that the Boss DM-2 is one of the finest analog delay pedals ever created. While there have been many attempts to recreate the vintage tones of this sought-after piece of equipment, most have fallen short in some way or another…until now. Not sure how they did it, but the folks at Retro-Sonic have managed to create a pedal that has everything we love about the DM-2,...
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We sure love to experiment with anything that comes our way from Mantic Effects near Denver, CO, and that certainly didn’t change when today’s pedal arrived on our doorstep. The Vitriol (which means a sulfate of any of various metals, such as copper, iron, or zinc) Distortion is a simple yet complex dirt box, excellent for both bass and guitar, and one that leaves you hungry for more sonic experimentation. Plus, you can...
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Today’s featured piece of gear is a step away from our usual reviews, but this pedal is one that can really add a lot to any musical rig. The MixingLink from Eventide is labeled as a high-quality mic preamp with FX loop in a compact form, and while it is that, is can also do so much more. Plus, you can use it with instruments, microphones, as a mixer and a ton of other options – let’s check it out! As far as vocals...
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The folks at Free The Tone are making some absolutely phenomenal effects pedals, and have been for some time. Today, we’re going to take a look at their latest offering, an effect genre that is as popular now as it’s ever been, and one that continues to gain traction moving forward. The Ambi Space AS-1R is a digital reverb that has a warm and analog-ish feel, while supporting digital interfacing and harnessing modern...
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Today, we look at a pedal that has absolutely taken the guitar-playing, effects-using world by storm since its inception and release in the mid-2000s. The Obsessive Compulsive Drive (or OCD) is an overdrive that features a ton of dynamics, open-sounding tones and singing tube-like distortion raging through your amplifier. One of the best-selling pedals of all time, we’ll explore what makes this little cream-colored box a go-to...
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