A couple years back, we had the privilege to demo and review a couple of differently-flavored dirt pedals from the folks at Revv Amplification: the G2 Overdrive, G3 Overdrive Distortion and G4 High Gain Distortion. Taking their expertise in amplifiers and condensing it down into some effects pedals couldn’t have worked out better, and we were excited for what was coming next. Fast forward a year and a half, and today we’re...
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The combination of overdrive and reverb is a no-brainer, and when they are paired up in an enclosure like today’s pedal has, that just makes things sweeter. The Clifton Guitarworks Torque Converter Overdrive Reverb is a big ‘ol box of awesome, a bright beacon that’s easy to find on any board, and easy to dial in a great sound quickly. Let’s not waste any more time, here we go…!! The Torque Converter is a...
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The Ventura Overdrive from HTJ-WORKS was one of the best pedals we saw last month, and after putting it through the paces, we were excited for more gear from this Japanese company. Today, we’re bringing you another gorgeous-looking-and-sounding effect from them, the Bright Horse Boost Overdrive. Another take on a mysterious and mythical circuit, this 3-knob gem provides a wide range of amp-pushing and tone-shaping tones… A...
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We recently got to check out our first pedal from the team at Colfax Recorders, the Apache Rose Preamp, and were more than a little impressed. Today, we’re venturing down their path once again, as we explore the Zephyr Overdrive. A versatile but easy-to-dial-in drive, this baby blue beauty adds the perfect dirt element to your pedalboard, and fits right in as your new favorite always-on effect… The Zephyr Overdrive with...
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Mario Marino has been creating products under the name Axess Electronics since 1998, crafting custom buffered splitters, routers, switchers MIDI foot controllers and more, for names like Alex Lifeson, Peter Frampton, Richie Sambora, John Petrucci, Dweezil Zappa and Eddie Van Halen. Bringing decades of expertise to the effects pedal world, he has released the AXSGTR OBViouS™ Boost/Overdrive, an option-filled beauty that dirties up your...
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We have had a bunch of new pedal companies join our ranks as of late, and they just keep on comin’ with today’s featured builder, HTJ-WORKS from Japan. As soon as I plugged in their Ventura Overdrive, I knew something special was happening, and it has not disappointed yet. Bringing vintage and modern overdrive elements together, this monster shapes your tone and drives your amp in a unique and beautiful way… Although...
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The effects from Summer School Electronics just keep getting better and better, and today’s pedal from these guys combines two classic circuits into one delicious piece of gear. The Science Fair Overdrive Distortion takes elements of a classic black rodent distortion pedal and a green, mids-forward drive and brings them together in wonderful musical harmony. All the dirt you could ever need? Maybe, just maybe… The left...
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Earlier this year, two of the best Klon clones we’ve ever played came to us via Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals, in the form of the KCM-OD Gold V9.0 and the KCM-OD Silver V10. After those two beauties, we were eager to see what their next overdriven creation would be, and now we’ve got it for you today. The Dhyana Overdrive V2.5 takes on a super-rare pedal, one we’d never even heard of, and brings it into the present...
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We love exploring new pedal companies, and we also love a good Klon-inspired piece of gear. Luckily, today’s pedal checks off both boxes, putting a delicious spin on a classic circuit and sound. The Harby Pedals Centauri Clean Boost/Overdrive brings a wide range of sounds to the table, ranging from simple volume boost to amp breakup to glorious tube-amp overdriven tone for days…let’s jump in and see what makes this...
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Over the last 2 months, we’ve had the distinct pleasure to usher in a newly revitalized pedal lineup from our friends over at Poison Noises. Today marks our 17th review and demo from them, and we’re bringing it back to where our collaborative efforts began. The Crook Overdrive V3 was our first foray into the Poison Noises world back in February, so we’re ending this long run with its successor, The Crook Overdrive...
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Following in the footsteps of the Gladys Overdrive, Stone Thrower Fuzz, Snow Day Delay, The Bootster Booster and Gus-Drive pedals, the Trash Panda Overdrive Distortion continues to expand on the diverse effects lineup from Summer School Electronics. This soft-clipping overdrive/distortion unit has just three knobs, but don’t be fooled: the range here, both in dirt and tone, is vast, opening up new sonic pathways at every turn....
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Our friends over at Poison Noises are releasing new versions of their entire lineup of effects pedals, and have asked us to help showcase these overhauled creations. We’re looking at 2 pedals a week for the next couple months, continuing today with the Knuckle Sandwich Overdrive V3. Get prepared to pummel some eardrums and grab a fistful of tone…. Designed to work as a low mid boost at lower drive levels, the Knuckle...
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From the Archer Ikon to the El Hombre to the Mr. Moto and beyond, the folks at J. Rockett Audio Designs keep finding ways to pack a whole lot of effect into a small enclosure. This wonderful trend continues today with the .45 Caliber Overdrive, a dirt pedal derived from the classic rhythm playing of Malcolm Young and the face-melting goodness of Pete Townshend. If you’re on the hunt for your next amp-in-a-box pedal, this might...
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Effects that come with a backstory, or some kind of accompanying literature, are always a hit here at Pedal of the Day (and elsewhere, we assume). Today’s pedal has a bit of mystical mystery to it, as well as sounding absolutely incredible. The Tulpa FX Tsathoggua Overdrive is rooted in dangerous adventure, but brings all the tone and power to back it up… In certain circles, Tsathoggua (also known as The Sleeper of...
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Our friends over at Poison Noises are releasing new versions of their entire lineup of effects pedals, and have asked us to help showcase these overhauled creations. We’re looking at 2 pedals a week for the next couple months, continuing today with The Gaia Overdrive. This one just might be your new desert island pedal…. The Gaia Overdrive is loosely based on a K-style circuit, but with a new take on the whole thing....
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We recently had the opportunity to check out an amazing double drive pedal, the Pantheon Dual Overdrive Deluxe from Wampler Pedals, and today we’re back with a similar effect. The Gearbox Any Wood Signature Overdrive gives you two separate channels of dirt, each based on a classic circuit, to push you amp and your sound where it needs to go. Lots of knobs and switches here, let’s get right to it, shall we? The Gearbox is...
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Over the last several months, we’ve had the opportunity to get to know a relatively new company, Summer School Electronics, and explore their impressive lineup of effects. Ranging from boost (Bootster) to overdrive (Gladys) to fuzz (Stone Thrower) and delay (Snow Day), their pedals span multiple musical genres, providing something for everyone across the board. Today, we’ve got another effect of theirs for you, the...
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A good overdrive can really make you amp come alive and sculpt your tone, but what if you have TWO in one single pedal? That’s the name of the game with the impressive and options-laden Pantheon Dual Overdrive Deluxe from Wampler Pedals. From boost to crunch to powerful drive and up to heavy distortion, this purple beast has all you could want in a dirt pedal…and then some. The now legendary Wampler Pantheon provided a...
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We’re always on the lookout for new pedal companies to discover, and today we’ve done EXACTLY that, with our first pedal from That New Pedal Company. Coming all the way from Galacia, Spain, the Raio Tones & Circuits 70s Overdrive uses a simple 2-knob layout to reproduce classic tones from a classic decade. Perfectly recreating the original sound of the first overdrive models, this one has a vintage sound that never...
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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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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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Effects pedals with one footswitch are great…but TWO footswitches? You know you’re in for a real treat. Such is the case with today’s mammoth beast, the Crossfire Overdrive Preamp from Crazy Tube Circuits. Inspired by one of the most iconic Pedal/Amp combinations in musical history, this two-sided gem shapes your tone, pushes your amp and much, much more… The left side is voiced after the blackface amps that...
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We see a LOT of overdrive effects come through the shop here at Pedal of the Day, so at first glance, today’s pedal *seemingly* was just another 3-knob dirt creator. Upon further investigation, however, it seems that the crew at JET Pedals has taken the conventional drive and tossed it right out the window, opting instead to create the MR JAX Overdrive Distortion. There are a lot of sounds hiding inside this one, let’s...
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The infamous Klon has produced more clones than perhaps any other circuit (well, maybe the Tubescreamer has it beat). We love a good Klone here at Pedal of the Day – hell, we even have a series dedicated to them on our YouTube channel. Today’s pedal brings another mythical creation to the table, this time in the form of the Handy FX Minotaur Overdrive… With the familiar layout and classic oxblood knobs, you’ll feel...
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Most of us have, unfortunately, been affected in one way or another by cancer. Research and development of new ways to combat this killer are the only way we can rid the world of it forever, and today’s pedal set seeks to help fight that fight. The Electric Love Pedals Fuzz, Overdrive & Delay are being sold as a set, with ALL proceeds going to fund breast cancer research. Let’s see what creator Ben Carlin has to say...
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One of the first pedals we ever reviewed here at Pedal of the Day was from our friends at Catalinbread (the Semaphore Tremolo) and we’ve been marveling at every new release they’ve had since then. Today, we’re proud and honored to help introduce the world to the Tribute Parametric Overdrive, a 4-knob, amp-driving, tone-shaping powerhouse that’s sure to find its way onto pedalboards across the globe. Let’s...
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The legendary Nobels ODR-1 Natural Overdrive has been a staple of session players around Nashville for years and years, gaining praise from the likes of Jerry Donahue, Guthrie Trapp, Carl Verheyen, John Shanks, Tim Pierce and more. This secret weapon works great for all musical genres, not just country, and will give your rig a truly natural-sounding overdrive, without a ton of coloration. Today, we’re bringing you a couple of...
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Many, many moons ago, we got our hands on an overdrive from a company we had just recently heard of, Free The Tone, called the Red Jasper. We loved that pedal, and have loved every one of their creations since, as our friendship and partnership has grown over the past 7 years. Therefore, we’re pretty excited to bring it full circle, back to where it all started, with the upcoming release of the RJ-2V Red Jasper Overdrive, back...
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Believe it or not, I have never owned, borrowed or even seen an actual DOD 250 Preamp pedal. I’ve used effects that were based on this legendary unit, but haven’t had to privilege to hold one in my hands and hear it in all its vintage glory. Needless to say, then, I was pretty excited about the release of the JHS Pedals Overdrive Preamp – although slightly different from the Gray Box version that everyone is used to,...
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We love discovering new, up-and-coming effects pedal builders here at Pedal of the Day, and we’ve got another for you today. Summer School Electronics has a three-pedal lineup so far, and we’re going to check them all out over the coming weeks, starting with the Gladys Overdrive. This three-knob, one-switch beauty is a no-frills overdrive unit, with one added option to set it apart from the rest. Let’s what what...
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A lot of overdrive pedals come through the office here. A LOT. As fun as they can be, and as good as they can sound, we like it when the circuits get crazy and offer some options we haven’t seen before. Such is the case with today’s Limited Edition pedal, the Spiral Electric FX Yellow Spiral LF351 Overdrive. With a rare opamp and 3 different texture settings, this one sounds different from any other drive we’ve come...
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We’ve got another Klon-inspired beauty to bring to you today, only this one takes everything up a couple notches. Recently, we had the pleasure of checking out the KCM-OD Silver V10 from Studio Daydream Handmade Pedals, and today we’re bringing you their next version, the KCM-OD Gold V9.0 Overdrive. Looking and sounding similar to a certain horsie-laden and ridiculously expensive pedal from the ’90s, this one has a...
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There aren’t a ton of effects pedals coming out of a city I lived in for 8 years, Boise, Idaho, so I’m proud to represent and bring a hand made gem to the masses today. The Red Velvet Overdrive Distortion from Vanilla Sundae Pedals looks deceivingly simple at first glance, but this crimson beauty is hiding some real power under the hood. Part overdrive, part distortion and all balls-out dirt, this bright beauty tears...
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What can you say about a good overdrive pedal? That feeling that sweeps over you when you plug it in, crank it up and hit your favorite chord is like nothing else. Today’s pedal, Poison Noises The Crook Overdrive V3, gives you all these feels and more, proving a wide sweep of sounds that will pummel and destroy your amp…but only if you want it to. The Crook isn’t your average three-knob overdrive pedal, no sir. The...
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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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What’s better than an amazing, killer, amp-pushing overdrive pedal? Well, not much, unless you have TWO drive circuits in ONE enclosure! Such is the case for today’s unit, the Browne Amplification Protein Dual Overdrive. Taking inspiration from a couple of timeless (but not necessarily accessible) circuits and combining them into a single, glorious pedal makes this one a must-have for any overdrive fan. Each side sounds...
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Continuing the New Year’s rocking start, we’ve got an excellent, versatile and robust pedal for you all today. The Bennett Custom Audio Weather Man Overdrive + Boost boasts a wonderful control section, 3 different mid-range voicings and a wide range of boost-to-drive settings. Combining a versatile, dynamic, light-to-medium gain overdrive with a powerful, totally independent JFET-based clean boost, these 2 effects would...
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There are certain tones that are highly sought-after in the guitar player world, one of them belonging to a Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn. However, most of us cannot afford an original early ’80s Tube Screamer, much less a $50,000 Dumble Amp, so we rely on pedal companies to create those tones for us. Today’s effect, the Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive Boost, seeks to encapsulate SRV’s ‘Twang’ in a box,...
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The first two pedals we saw from Radio Mule, the Red Petal Fuzz and the Electric Beard Fuzz were, well, awesome, to say the least. Eagerly anticipating their next release, we were recently rewarded with today’s pedal, the HIGH Overdrive Preamp. A low-to-mid gain dirt pedal, this one has some excellent add-ons for really digging in and sculpting your sound – let’s dig in, too! The HIGH Overdrive Preamp is inspired by...
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Flashy graphics and newly-shaped enclosures have their place in the effects pedal world, for sure, but sometimes, simplicity can be welcome. That seems to be the goal with the lineup from our pals at Kenny B Pedals, and we’re taking a look at our 4th effect from them today. The Double Double has an easy-to-figure-out control section, complete with multiple sonic options, housed in an unassuming, minimalistic case. That’s...
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When a dirt pedal can do more than one thing, that’s never a bad option. Today’s pedal, Berch Audio’s The Golden Axe, combines aspects of Fuzz, Overdrive and Boost into one medieval enclosure, sparking ancient imagery and conjuring up vintage tones with a quickness. The wide-ranging control panel ensures you’ll be able to get virtually any dirty sounds you want out of this beauty… The Golden Axe features...
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The gear coming from the NativeAudio camp has always intrigued us, especially ever since we got our mitts on their Wilderness Delay a while back. Their latest release has had a ton of coverage, and we’re gonna join in the fun today as well. The Kiaayo Overdrive is a streamlined drive pedal that focuses on a less-is-more kind of philosophy – not to worry, there’s plenty to explore with this one… With just a...
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Last month, we began our journey through the G-Series of effects pedals from Revv Amplification, starting with the G2 Overdrive. We continue down this glorious path today withe the G3 Overdrive Distortion, a true amp-in-a-box effect with voicing based on the signature Revv Purple Channel from their Generator 120 and 100P amplifiers. Clear, sustaining and crunchy, this purple gem brings the thunder to your rig… Volume and Gain...
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Boost pedals have slowly become an essential part of every pedalboard we build, and when they’re combined with an excellent Overdrive, it’s a hard combo to beat. The RFO Electronics Tone Star Custom Overdrive/Boost Combo is a dual workhorse, smashing a wicked drive circuit into an enclosure with a powerful, tasty boost, along with some fun switching options and overall tonal bliss. Fasten those seatbelts, here we go…...
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We reviewed a couple of effects from Kenny B Pedals a few years ago, and are excited to jump back in and check out some more of his gear today. The William Overdrive is a seemingly simple 3-knob, 1-toggle affair, but beneath the surface lies a powerhouse boost overdrive distortion that’s just waiting to unleash itself on the world. Let’s see what’s in store for us, shall we? Inspired by the Prince of Tone, the...
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There are a LOT of overdrive pedals in our world today, and we’ve seen a pretty decent number of them here at Pedal of the Day. A certain green screamer effect circuit seems to get copied and cloned, or slightly altered to fit the maker’s sonic needs, as does today’s specific pedal. The Vertex Tone Secret Overdrive recreates the sound of these “classic” pedals hitting a Blackface 12AX7 preamp, but with...
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We recently added a new amplifier into our demo mix, the wonderfully and versatile Revv Amplification D20, and we can’t get enough of it. Revv also makes effects pedals, and they sent a couple over for us to check out, starting with the G2 Overdrive. Based on the “Green Channel” from Revv’s Generator amps, this powerhouse provides clear, dynamic, amp-like tone to push your rig where you need it to go. The...
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When you see a Dophix pedal, you know exactly what it is, and where it’s from. The subdued silver enclosure and minimal controls & graphics create fine works of art, much like the art or artists each pedal is based on. Today, we’ve got another one from their lineup, the Lussuria Overdrive, another one with just three control knobs, but loaded with killer tones and amp-driving gusto, all the way from Italy. The...
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Towards the end of last year, we dove headfirst into a couple of magnificent pedals from Interchange Noise Works. The On Air Fuzz and Element 119 Distortion brought new ideas about these two genres to the table, and we were thoroughly impressed by both. Today, we’ve got a couple more pedals from these guys – a dirty, overdriven trio, to be precise, aptly named Overdrives I, II & III. Overdrives I, II & III all...
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Today we’re continuing down the path of Dual Enlightenment, thanks to the wonderful DCP Dual Series from our friends at Caline. The DCP-08 Nightwolf Overdrive Fuzz combines two of our favorite effects into one box, perfect for adding a bit of tone-shaping or completely annihilating your clean sound. These two classic effects make for a great team, let’s check out some more details! The Left side of the Nightwolf is a...
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