Tonebox Recommended Pedals
Wampler Ego Compressor V2
When it comes to boutique guitar compression effect pedals, nothing gets as much praise as Wampler’s Ego Compressor. It doesn’t just do what a compressor pedal is supposed to do, i.e. make the quiet parts louder and the loud parts quieter while boosting the sustain, it’s superb at retaining your natural playing dynamics and core tonal characteristics. Feature-wise, there are no differences between the Ego Compressor V1 and V2; only the I/O jack positions, knob placement, and graphics were changed.
MXR Six Band EQ
Covering all the fundamental guitar frequencies, the M109S Six Band EQ from MXR has been revamped with brighter LEDs for improved visibility, true bypass switching, noise-reduction circuitry, and lightweight aluminum enclosure. Each slider is ready to provide +/-18dB of boost or cut for unparalleled control of your sound. The M109S Six Band EQ is capable of eradicating onstage feedback, adding natural-sounding warmth to a quack acoustic pickup, producing scooped-mid rhythm tones with massive low end, and many more.
JHS Pedals Little Black Buffer
The Little Black Buffer by JHS Pedals is the remedy for poor guitar sound resulting from employing numerous pedals. Since it gives the perfect input impedance for your rig, you can quickly notice your guitar sound is reinvigorated with a full, natural tone that sounds like you are connected directly into your amp—regardless of how many pedals you utilize. The Little Black Buffer is your ticket to a sound signal chain and a small price to pay for tonal perfection.
EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery V2
The Spatial Delivery isn’t your ordinary garden-variety envelop filter; with its latching and momentary switching features, this guitar effects pedal from EarthQuaker Devices gives you unprecedented control over your filter effects’ sound and tone. The Filter knob lets you sweep from Lowpass to Bandpass through to Highpass filter modes, the Range dial controls the response to your unique picking dynamics, and the Resonance control lets you serve up anything from subtle filter effects to balls-to-the-wall mayhem.
Chase Bliss Audio Brothers
Designed in partnership with Resonant Electronic, the Chase Bliss Audio Brothers Analog Gainstage pedal boasts 33 routing options and two independent JFET/IC analog channels, providing you full control over stacking and combining the circuits of your choice. This pedal crams six unique fuzz, drive, or boost circuits within one compact enclosure, making it an excellent choice for gigging musicians looking to build a tiny, diverse pedalboard for travel or smaller shows. Players with single-channel amps seeking more variety will love the Brothers Analog Gainstage pedal.
Mission Engineering EP-1
The EP-1 by Mission Engineering is a sturdy and reliable expression pedal that enables you to control an extensive range of your effects processors with expression inputs. It is perfect if you want to manage your modulation and delay effects instantly. Built in California, the EP-1 boasts high-quality components and all-metal construction for years of seamless operation and rock-solid reliability. This expression pedal is designed for use with your synthesizers, effects pedals, and other expression-capable products.
Drive Pedals
Radial AC Driver
The Tonebone AC Driver from Radial is a portable acoustic instrument preamp designed for live performances, boasting innovative features for streamlining your setup and optimizing your acoustic-electric guitar’s tone. It includes Radial’s Class-A buffer circuit to guarantee the superb audio quality, allowing you to employ longer pedal chains and cable runs sans signal degradation or loss. Compared to a simple DI box, the AC Driver gives you more control over your sound, making it perfect for onstage use, especially if you have no dedicated sound engineer.
KHDK Abyss
The Abyss Overdrive from KHDK is a game-changing bass overdrive, allowing bassists full control of their tone by performing the job of two amplifiers. Instead of employing a cranked amplifier for overdriven midrange tone and clean bass amp for thick bottom end, you can obtain the signature bass rock tone with only one pedal. Abyss gives a whole-body punch sans altering your natural tone, and the Clean and Dirty channels let you draft your ideal sound with the perfect amount of richness added.
Suhr Shiba Drive
The Shiba Drive from Suhr is a smooth-sounding overdrive pedal with a pronounced midrange character that guarantees your tone slices through the mix. It gives you an extensive range of thick rhythm and warm lead tones. It works well with clean amps for a bluesy overdrive tone as well as an overdriven amp to drive to next gear. The Shiba Drive is extremely popular among those who want an overdrive pedal which can be utilized with both their amp’s overdrive and clean channels.
Joyo Lion’s Roar
Joyo built the JF-MK Lion’s Roar overdrive guitar effects pedal to capture the wide, spacious harmonics that exemplify the style of FirstBourne guitarist and 2016 IPMA winner Mike Kerr. The pedal’s tone itself is pure tube amp-style overdrive dripping with harmonic saturation and fat, dirty crunch. Dial back the gain for a subtle kick or crank it up for screaming leads. On the tone-sculpting front, you get dedicated Drive, Volume, Color, and Tone controls for extra tonal flexibility.
Behringer Vintage Tube Overdrive
Love that classic overdriven tube sound but can’t quite fit it into your pedal budget? The Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube-Sound Overdrive is here to the rescue. Featuring original 4558 dual op-amps and MA150 distortion diodes for that authentic vintage screaming tube sound and dedicated Drive, Tone, and Level controls for getting the exact sound you’re looking for, the TO800 gives you all the smooth sustain and fat tone you need minus the bank-breaking price tag.
Fulltone Soul-Bender
The Soul-Bender Overdrive guitar effects pedal from Fulltone takes its cue from late ‘60s-era classics such as the Colorsound and Vox Series III ToneBenders pedals. That translates to natural, tube amp-style overdrive that you can easily push into the realm of dirty, trashy distortion. The Soul-Bender’s three gain-matched germanium transistors provide all the tube-like saturation, insane sustain, and picking responsiveness you crave, while a wide-ranging tone control lets you sculpt your overdriven sound to your exact liking.
DOD Gonkulator
The DOD Gonkulator packs two effects into a single chassis consists of Ring, Frequency, Output, Distortion, and Gain knobs. It is capable of the clangy, robotic sounds of the ’90s original plus the ability to cover distorted experimental ground. The Gonkulator pushes boundaries and makes statements with boundless modulating effects. Other features include an adjustable carrier signal, lighter aluminum chassis, true bypass circuitry, and revamped PSU jack. True bypass lets your tone stay pristine even when the pedal is off.
Throne Room Pedals Revelator
Open your eyes to the might of the Revelator, a high gain distortion guitar effects pedal from Throne Room Pedals. This dirt stomp gives you all the gain and boost you could ever need. You can dial in something approximating a clean boost if you keep the gain low, of course, but when you really want to cut loose you can go straight to dirty, gritty distortion that’s already encroaching on fuzz territory. A three-way clipping toggle gives you an even wider range of tonal possibilities.
Sabbadius Custom Black Distortion
The Sabbadius Custom Pedal Effects Black Distortion is an ultra-versatile pedal that you can switch from a booster to a fuzz, passing through the fat booster, distortion, overdrive, treble booster, and fuzz. It leverages a JFET transistor as well as LM308AN or TL061 integrated precision IC. The Black Distortion is a boutique pedal that boasts flexible and classic sounds, capable of providing you with endless sustain in the maximum gain position. Each unit is hand-built and tested for the most excellent tonal production by Nicolas Sabbadin.
Greer Amps Little Samson
Greer Amps developed Little Samson at the request of tone guru and outstanding guitar builder Andy Elliott. Andy asked the Greer Amps team to create a pedal better than his favorite distortion pedal. The Little Samson is an ultra-versatile pedal boasting exceptional tonal possibilities. The concept was to achieve a natural, higher gain but remain full tone. The Little Samson is capable of delivering a chunky drive, with crunched out distortion and singing lead tones without getting flabby or buzzy.
Tech 21 BST-D
Looking for big, tight, aggressive distortion? That’s exactly what you get with Tech 21’s Boost Distortion guitar effects pedal. Dial in your perfect dirt tone with the dedicated Level, Tone, and Drive knobs then use the unique Sag pot to control the distortion effect’s dynamic pick attack response. The Boost Distortion doesn’t just add dirt to your signal, though; a separate Boost section gives you up to 21dB of punchy, crystal clear signal juice to take your signal over the edge.
Fulltone Catalyst
The Fulltone CT-1 Catalyst guitar effects pedal is one hardworking stompbox. It does the work of four different pedals: it’s a fuzz, distortion, overdrive, and clean boost pedal in one compact unit. If you use these four effects a lot and need to clear up precious pedalboard space, the Catalyst is the answer to your prayers. And don’t worry about the sound; the Catalyst can serve up gobs of ultra-fat non-compressed crunch, distortion, and fuzz sounds easily sculpted to your tastes via a two-band EQ. A true workhorse.
Seymour Duncan FOOZ
The FOOZ pedal from Seymour Duncan transforms your guitar into an over-the-top analog synth. It leverages an extremely saturated square-wave fuzz to turn your instrument into the “oscillator,” geared to be shaped by other blocks—it also makes for an exceptional fuzz tone alone. It consists of Depth, Speed, Wave, Shape, Freq, Resonance, Level, and Gain controls. Inspired by synth flexibility and iconic guitar tones, the FOOZ imparts the spirit of synth creativity in your guitar.
Tortuga Sasquatch Classic
Tortuga Effects is keeping things simple with its Classic Series, a hand-made pedal line marked by simpler graphics, simpler effect names, and more affordable price tags. The tone of Tortuga’s Classic pedals, however, are anything but simple. This dual channel fuzz box features uniquely matched silicon transistors in each channel, making the fuzz tone tighter and more aggressive compared to germanium-powered fuzz boxes. The Sasquatch Classic also comes with a Feedback switch and a dedicated control knob for even wilder fuzz tones.
Morley Cliff Burton Tribute Power Fuzz Wah
Any pedal that pays tribute to thrash metal god Cliff Burton should come with a snarl and a growl, and the Cliff Burton PowerFuzz Wah pedal from Morley is no different. This wah/fuzz hybrid bass effects pedal packs a lot of hairy aggression but is also versatile enough to be used effectively in styles other than metal. The design itself is based on the classic Tel-Ray/Morley Power Wah Fuzz that Cliff loved but enhanced with Morley’s modern wah pedal innovations.
Pigtronix Octava Micro
The Octava Micro by Pigtronix is a revamped variant of the octave up found in the Disnortion pedal. This pure analog frequency doubler features an onboard low pass filter control which lets you capture singing octave up tones, wherever on the neck, sans tweaking the tone control of your instrument. For increased overall flexibility and more signal power, Fuzz, Drive, and Blend knobs have been incorporated to the original two-knob design. Use the Blend control to combine its fuzz, drive, and octave effects with your dry signal.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Alpha Haunt
Exploring an enormous range of sounds you can capture from a single fuzz circuit, the Alpha Haunt by Old Blood Noise Endeavors lets you dial in a variety of fuzz textures, from squashed sputters to wide open overdrives. You get control over compression, fuzz gain, tone, and bias to establish the base fuzz sound. It includes selectable fuzz range and tone control voices to give you more options. A parallel Enhance circuit with individual volume provides clarity and body, while an active three-band master EQ sculpts the output.
Greer Amps Special Request
The Special Request by Greer Amps is a single knob boost that adds character and color to your sound. An internal voltage and D-Style FET based preamp indicate that you get loads of power behind it, helping the Special Request pack a powerful tonal punch. The Special Request possesses elements of EQ and compression at some points when you roll its single knob. It stacks nicely with other pedals and helps any player achieve their full tonal potential.
Fulltone Catalyst
The Fulltone CT-1 Catalyst guitar effects pedal is one hardworking stompbox. It does the work of four different pedals: it’s a fuzz, distortion, overdrive, and clean boost pedal in one compact unit. If you use these four effects a lot and need to clear up precious pedalboard space, the Catalyst is the answer to your prayers. And don’t worry about the sound; the Catalyst can serve up gobs of ultra-fat non-compressed crunch, distortion, and fuzz sounds easily sculpted to your tastes via a two-band EQ. A true workhorse.
T-Rex Alberta II
Since the T-Rex Alberta’s debut, guitarists have loved its tonal qualities and convenience of use. Some are employing two Albertas to get their fix in the studio and on stage, utilizing one for a cutting solo sound and another for creamy rhythm sounds. The T-Rex Alberta II has been built at the request of guitarists across the globe. While the classic overdrive sound has doubled in quantity, the physical size and sonic footprint remain the same, providing you with a three-step rocket of creamy, responsive overdrive sans compromising pedalboard space.
Mosky BROWN Distortion
Mosky Audio’s Brown distortion guitar effects pedal is a versatile dirt stomp built to grind your signal into the classic “brown sound.” It’s highly tweakable, with two separate tone controls that act as a two-knob parametric EQ for precise tone shaping. The Gain dial goes from low-gain early rock to modern high-gain dirt. The Brown pedal also comes with a Vintage/Modern voicing switch that lets you choose between a darker vintage sound and a brighter, more modern tone.
Seymour Duncan Killing Floor
The Killing Floor High Gain Boost from Seymour Duncan serves as both a musical amp-esque overdrive and a volume boost, with a distinctive bluesy vibe. You can utilize it to drive your amp further into overdrive, boost your overall output for solos, or for a thick, expressive solo tone. It also works well as an always-on pedal for giving the finishing touch to your tone, much like a total enhancer for your sound. The Killing Floor High Gain Boost features a single-knob layout with a three-position Voicing toggle switch.
Electro-Harmonix Signal Pad
Got a great-sounding overdrive or distortion on your amp but no easy way to switch between it and a clean rhythm tone? You need the Signal Pad passive attenuator from Electro-Harmonix. It lets you preset a volume setting on your amp and then use the Signal Pad’s own Volume control to bring it back down to a clean-sounding tone. Stepping on the Signal Pad’s footswitch then lets you switch quickly between your amp’s dirty, distorted volume setting and your preferred clean volume setting.
Darkglass Microtubes X
The Darkglass Microtubes X perfects the recipe for a powerful distorted bass that keeps the low-end impact. The key to punchy distorted bass is letting your highs and mids give the harmonic drive while keeping your low fundamentals undistorted and firm. The Microtubes X pedal does that by dividing your signal to two variable filters before the gain stage, allowing you to shape your drive tone with the perfect blend of bite and boom. It is capable of delivering defined bass tones regardless of how thin or boomy your bass may sound alone or how old your strings are.
Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra
The Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 builds on its predecessor’s sonic tenacity and provides extreme versatility for your bass tone. At the request of several players, Darkglass has incorporated a balanced XLR output with switchable cabinet emulation—you can get whole, amp-like tone by merely going straight to the recording chain or sound system. You may also connect to your PC or Mac using a USB to load up various virtual cabinet emulations. From your rehearsal to recording or performance, the Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 is a handy bass preamp pedal.
Two Notes Le Clean
The tube-powered Le Clean dual channel preamp turns to sunny southern California for its tonal cues. It sports a super clean A channel with a vintage voiced pre-grain EQ and a drive saturated B channel with higher gain levels and a post-gain EQ with mid sweep. These channels can be used independently, in parallel, or cascaded for extreme tonal versatility. Each channel also features its own dedicated control knobs and EQ sections for iron fisted tone tweaking.
JOYO Zip Amp
Tight, sparkly overdrive that responds nicely to your unique picking attack—that’s what you get with the R-04 Zip Amp guitar effects pedal from Joyo. This budget-friendly stompbox serves up a highly musical overdrive tone with insane sustain and a balanced gain that works well for both rhythm and lead work. And since the R-04 Zip Amp is an R Series pedal, it also features some cool ambient LED lighting effects to make it stand out on your pedalboard.
Xotic BB Preamp
The BB Preamp from boutique guitar effects pedal company Xotic is a boost and overdrive preamp stomp that boasts amazing tonal transparency. With up to 30dB of extra boost juice, the BB Preamp can deliver everything from a pristine clean boost to a gritty, crunchy drive tone—all while keeping your core tone’s unique characteristics intact. An adjustable two-band EQ stack provides plenty of control over your boosted signal’s harmonic content while true bypass switching keeps the BB Preamp quiet when you want it to be.
Tech 21 Q-Strip
All the vintage warmth, grit, and punch you recognize from legendary ‘60s and ‘70s sounds, laid right at your feet in the form of the Q\Strip direct input (DI) preamp and EQ box from Tech 21. This compact, road-tough DI gives you all the studio-grade tone shaping power of a 100% analog MOSFET circuit and four bands of EQ inspired by the most highly regarded of console recording modules. Whether you use it onstage or in the studio, the Q\Strip will make you sound good.
WMD Goldilocks Planet
Touted as WMD’s easiest to use pedal, the Goldilocks Planet is a versatile and flexible distortion stomp that delivers top of the line dirt sans the overly complicated controls usually associated with boutique guitar effects pedals. It features three different clipping modes that you can switch between using a mini toggle. For tone shaping, the Goldilocks Planet has dedicated Tone and Presence pots plus a Density knob that lets you fatten up your signal’s low end and body.
Morley Man FX Dual Boost Distortion
The folks at Morley know a thing or two about good guitar tone. They also know that sometimes some extra gain muscle is all that separates a milquetoast solo from a killer one during a gig. That knowledge and experience are evident in the Morley Man FX Dual Boost Distortion. a classic analog distortion pedal with two separate boost switches for cutting through the mix. The clean boost gives you up to 20dB of extra gain, while the distortion boost gives you another 15dB.
Vox Flat 4 Boost
The Flat 4 Boost from Vox is a vacuum tube booster you can utilize for a treble-boost, mid-boost, and overdrive, besides a full-range boost. It features a Baxandall tone circuit that enables the adjustment from a flat position to your preferred cut or boost range. Increasing the gain will slowly apply a low cut, providing you with an overdrive sound evocative of iconic vintage tones. A separate mid-boost switch allows you to change the mid-range response, which is suitable for playing lead. The Flat 4 Boost is perfect for blues guitarists looking to emphasize their picking nuances.
Amptweaker Pressurizer
The Amptweaker PressuRizer compressor is a powerful clean tone tweaker that provides sustain without compression. This mini pedal contains several switches and knobs, including Limit, Bloom, and Boost, all designed to provide you control over dry/wet blending, boost, as well as side-chain compression options. The PressuRizer boasts a 2-Step footswitch. Pressing and holding the switch locks the compressor on, while tapping it kicks in another boost knob, giving you a one-two punch with one button pedal.
Fulltone Fulldrive 3
The Full-Drive 3 is a modern overdrive classic. This NOS JRC4558D-powered overdrive guitar effects pedal from Fulltone serves up huge dollops of juicy crunch like it’s going out of style. Three voicings allow you to dish out everything from the ‘90s FD2’s thick, vintage dirt to a wider, more modern transparent sparkle. The Full-Drive 3 also features a discrete JFET clean boost, a germanium diode-based Limiting function for leveling out your tone, and an Order switch that lets you chose whether the Boost channel goes before or after the Overdrive section.
Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff
As you can tell from its name, the Metal Muff with Top Boost distortion pedal from Electro-Harmonix was built to do one thing: wreak massive metal mayhem. The unique Top Boost feature boosts your signal’s high end, letting you go from rib-rattling rhythm to full-on shred mode with a single stomp. The Metal Muff packs a three-band EQ for shaping your low-end, mids, and top-end just the way you want them, plus it comes with true bypass.
Modulation Pedals
TC Electronic June-60
The June-60 Chorus from TC Electronic is a faithful reproduction of the chorus circuit available in the Juno-60 synthesizer—the legendary synth sound that defined the cult movie themes of an era and ignited numerous 80s hits. You can now take the beloved chorus sound from among the most revered, vintage synthesizers back to the future. The June-60 Chorus features a two-button interface for spectacular and intuitive modulation tone. It incorporates pure analog Bucket Brigade Delay circuitry and true bypass.
Carl Martin Classic Chorus
Carl Martin spent a year researching and creating the Classic Chorus for the vintage guitar nut in you. The pedal comes in a solid diecast housing consists of off-white chicken-head knobs. Plug into this pedal, step on the Bypass switch to on the effect, tweak the depth and speed controls to achieve your preferred chorus effect, and then raise the level to show off the awesomeness of your sound. You will be astonished at how the Classic Chorus brings you back to the “day” with its full, round, classic chorus sound.
Dwarfcraft Devices Body Mod
The Dwarfcart Devices Body Mod guitar effect pedal is a Chorus, Flange, and Octave pedal all rolled into one–but with an extra twist! The Flux knob affects each modulation effect in wild and wonderful ways. In Chorus mode, it adds a bit of a feedback loop with an upper octave effect. In Flange mode, the Flux knob works as a resonance dial. In Octave mode, it lets you filter the effect’s parallel sub-octave and upper octave signals.
JOYO VISUAL MODULATION
With modulation effects up the wazoo, the R-09 Vision guitar effects pedal from Joyo is bound to be an instant shoegazer favorite. It features two separate channels, each with its own set of highly tweakable modulation effects, that you can mix and match in parallel or series. Use a chorus on Channel A and an optical trem on Channel B. Phaser on A, Vibrato on B. It’s a giant sonic sandbox for you to play in. The R-09 Vision is an R Series pedal, meaning it also has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
Electro-Harmonix Bass Clone
Packing core circuitry that’s nearly identical to the legendary Small Clone chorus pedal but optimized specifically to handle bass guitar signals, the Bass Clone chorus effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix is among the very best stompboxes for fattening up your tone. The Bass Clone can serve up a tight, wee-defined low end punctuated by a shimmering top layer of chorus. Turn the X-Over switch on to cut low end from the modulated signal for a excellent bottom end articulation and note definition.
Koogo Mod Digital
The Mod Digital pedal from Koogo allows you to enjoy eleven distinct modulation effects—A.FILTER, B.TREMOLO, O.TREMOLO, PHASER, VIBRATO, U.VIBRATO, JET, S.CHORUS, T.CHORUS, P.FLANGER, and N.FLANGER. It is a fantastic pedal, leveraging a 32-bit high-performance DSP chip. Every tone is comparable. A range of modulation effects imparts musical color to your sound. The Mod Digital also consists of three function knobs labeled as Depth, Speed, and Level for setting the depth, speed, and level of the effect respectively.
Rowin Mod Station
A ton of high-quality modulation effects, all packed into a small, very affordable stompbox that you can carry around in your pocket. The powerful LEF-3808 Mod Station multi-effects stomp from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin comes with eleven distinct modulation effects, all of which can be further tweaked via its dedicated Level, Speed, and Depth pots. Its footswitch is also multi-functional: pressing down twice will switch between fixed and non-fixed mode while holding it down will let you store a setting you like.
Xotic Robotalk 2
The original Robotalk has long been one of Xotic’s most popular boutique guitar effects pedals. They’ve since brought it back in a big way via the new and improved Robotalk 2. This dual channel envelope filter packs quite the feature list, with the two independently voiced and stackable channels being number one. Each channel is distinct, giving you a wide range of hyper-saturated wah tones whichever one you use. When you’re ready to get down and dirty, though, stacking them together is the way to go.
Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron Plus
Elevate your sound to the funkiest of heights. The Q-Tron Plus envelope filter guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix uses an innovative internal envelope follower to analyze your unique playing style and sweep the center of the envelope filter. You get auto-wahs that change dynamically depending on your pick attack. Plus, you can choose whether the sweeps go up or down. The Q-Tron Plus also features an effects loop and a Fast/Slow Attack Response dial.
Xotic Robotalk RI
The Xotic Custom Shop Robotalk RI is a reissued and revitalized version of one of Xotic’s most popular pedals, the Robotalk envelope filter. The Robotalk RI may be smaller, but it actually packs quite a few more features compared to the original, including an enhanced arpeggiator that lets you go from strictly old school to crazy space age sound effects. Xotic also put a lot of sweat into further improving the Robotalk’s envelope and filter tones for even more random filtery goodness.
Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water
Fairfield Circuitry took simulation mathematics—or K-field math—theory and used it to create a stompbox capable of generating familiar but still unique tone modulation effects. The Shallow Water effects pedal creates a short time delay then randomly modulates the delayed signal to give it a sprinkling of unexpected pitch shifts. The Shallow Water might look like some simple aluminum box, but this versatile stomp gives you a wide range of chorus, vibrato, pitch-shifting, and other vintage tape-style effects with which to wash your signal.
Source Audio Soundblox Tri-Mod Flanger
The Soundblox Tri-Mod Flanger by Source Audio is an evolutionary outgrowth of the classic Hot Hand Phaser/Flanger system within an accessible and portable format. It features eleven flanger effect variations each modifiable using an Envelope Follower, Hot Hand motion controller, or Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO). Each Soundblox effects pedal is compatible with the Hot Hand motion controller—available individually in wired or wireless configurations—or a broad arsenal of onboard controls. Soundblox pedals deliver various original sounding effects in a sturdy, ultra-versatile package.
Keeley Super Mod Workstation
Pedalmeister Robert Keeley wasn’t kidding around when he named this modulation multi-effects pedal the Super Mod Workstation. It features two banks loaded with eight high-quality modulation effects each, from thick chorus and pristine digital delay to rotary emulation and wah. Mix ‘em, match ‘em, stack ‘em–you have the power. The Super Mod Workstation also comes with a dedicated tap tempo footswitch as well as expression pedal support for real-time parameter control. A truly super stompbox.
Koogo Mod Digital
The Mod Digital pedal from Koogo allows you to enjoy eleven distinct modulation effects—A.FILTER, B.TREMOLO, O.TREMOLO, PHASER, VIBRATO, U.VIBRATO, JET, S.CHORUS, T.CHORUS, P.FLANGER, and N.FLANGER. It is a fantastic pedal, leveraging a 32-bit high-performance DSP chip. Every tone is comparable. A range of modulation effects imparts musical color to your sound. The Mod Digital also consists of three function knobs labeled as Depth, Speed, and Level for setting the depth, speed, and level of the effect respectively.
Donner Jet Convolution
Get an outstanding flanger at a bargain price with the Donner Jet Convolution. A lot is going on in such a compact pedal. The Jet Convolution features true bypass and a toggle switch for selecting between Filter and Normal modes. In the Normal mode, the pedal acts like a regular flanger, while the Filter mode is what your manual mode would be. The Jet Convolution consists of a giant Rate knob plus smaller Range and Color knobs that are pretty intuitive to use.
Koogo Flanger
The Koogo Flanger pedal gives you classic analog flanging and rolling effects. This beautiful sounding pedal is made of high-quality zinc alloy, boasting solid built and durability. It consists of three function knobs labeled as Rate, Range, and Color, as well as a toggle switch that lets you choose between Normal and Filter modes. You may simply adjust three function knobs and pick your preferred model to create your music tone. Savor your colorful and fun life with the Koogo Flanger pedal.
Rowin Flanger
Budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin’s LEF-312 Flanger is a very versatile, highly musical flanger pedal that punches way above its price class. You can dial in a wide range of psychedelic effects, from subtle spacey textures to full-on vortexes of flanged-out madness. The LEF-312 Flanger comes with a full complement of Color, Rate, and Flange knobs plus a two-way toggle that lets you switch between a normal flange effect and an exaggerated one where the comb filter’s been injected with stompbox steroids.
JOYO VISUAL MODULATION
With modulation effects up the wazoo, the R-09 Vision guitar effects pedal from Joyo is bound to be an instant shoegazer favorite. It features two separate channels, each with its own set of highly tweakable modulation effects, that you can mix and match in parallel or series. Use a chorus on Channel A and an optical trem on Channel B. Phaser on A, Vibrato on B. It’s a giant sonic sandbox for you to play in. The R-09 Vision is an R Series pedal, meaning it also has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
MXR Phase 90
MXR’s Phase 90 has long been a staple on numerous pedalboards around the world. Regardless whether the instrument is bass, guitar, keys, strings, or vocals, or if the genre is metal, jazz, rock, worldbeat, or alternative, the Phase 90 is has been present through it all to inject its unique lush voice to a player’s tone palette. This little orange box boasts a rich warm analog tone. The Phase 90 can go from subtle, spatial shimmer to full-on high velocity swooshing. The classic phase shifter behind several Van Halen recordings.
MXR Phase 95 Mini
With its refined sound, portable size, and superior construction, the Phase 90 has set the benchmark for phasers. Two years after, MXR introduced a mellower version—the Phase 45. You can now enjoy both legendary circuits in one pedal while also tightening up your pedalboard. The Phase 95 packs the Phase 45 and Phase 90 circuits into a compact package. The 45/90 switch toggles between the Phase 90 mode’s pronounced four-stage phasing and Phase 45 mode’s subtle two-stage phasing. A Script switch changes between two phasing styles.
Keeley Super Mod Workstation
Pedalmeister Robert Keeley wasn’t kidding around when he named this modulation multi-effects pedal the Super Mod Workstation. It features two banks loaded with eight high-quality modulation effects each, from thick chorus and pristine digital delay to rotary emulation and wah. Mix ‘em, match ‘em, stack ‘em–you have the power. The Super Mod Workstation also comes with a dedicated tap tempo footswitch as well as expression pedal support for real-time parameter control. A truly super stompbox.
JAM Pedals Ripply Fall Bass
Following years of promoting the Ripple and WaterFall as a match made in heaven, Jam Pedals set out to offer both pedals, packed side-by-side, within one chassis—the Ripply Fall Bass. The WaterFall and Ripple still function as standalone units, but Jam Pedals incorporated several additional features. The combination of both pedals creates a rich and deep modulation making up for some excellent contemporary UniVibe tones. Engaging the middle footswitch lets you discover uncharted territories.
CNZ Audio Phaser
The Phaser pedal from CNZ Audio delivers exceptional note bending and sound wave shifting effects to give your music depth and warmth with the likelihood of intense Phaser Effects. From wet to dry tones, you can add a massive range of modulation effects to your desired music. This user-friendly pedal comes with a cute space laser beam design. It enables beginners to tweak and tune their settings to provide a different feeling to their music, making them feel like a rock star.
Alexander Pedals Wavelength
The Wavelength is a massively versatile digital modulation machine in one small, stompable package. The Wavelength has six distinct modulation engines—textured tremolo, bright chorus, eight-stage phaser, flexible flanger, photocell- and lamp-style vibrato, and resonant low-pass filter—all controllable via a customizable LFO. As a NEO pedal, the Wavelength can store up to four presets and up to 16 presets via a MIDI controller. Plug a foot switch into the multi-jack, and you can seamlessly sweep through two different effects settings.
Wampler Latitude Standard
Wampler’s Latitude Standard tremolo boutique guitar effects pedal from lets you dish out everything from shimmering vintage tremolo tones to modern helicopter chops, all at the highest sound quality possible thanks to its pure signal path. Perhaps best of all, it’s dead simple to dial in a great tremolo effect using the Latitude’s standard sine wave and dedicated Speed, Depth, and Volume pots. This is what a great tremolo pedal should be: versatile, easy to use, and highly musical.
TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme
Boasting four times its predecessor’s memory, the VoiceLive 3 Extreme brings TC Helicon’s flexible all-in-one performance device to a whole new level. When you wish to sculpt and improve your vocals with beautiful-sounding onboard effects, craft realistic vocal harmonies, and process your guitar with effects and amp models built on TC Electronic’s famed TonePrint line, it can deliver. The feature-rich VoiceLive 3 Extreme provides you with innovative effects automation features, backing track storage, and USB import/export of loops.
Mad Professor MAD-MYT
The Mellow Yellow Tremolo guitar effects pedal from Mad Professor serves up everything from sine-based ‘50s style soft swing to deep tremolo tremors. It follows the trem effect approach of many vintage amps and uses a sinusoidal oscillator to give your guitar signal symmetrical modulation. What you get is a highly musical and very usable tremolo effect that works well with both a clean sound and high-gain dirt. Add it to your pedalboard and explore new sonic territories.
JAM Pedals Custom Chill
Featuring a design created by The Simpsons animator John Achenbach, the custom Chill pedal from Jam Pedals is built with carbon comp resistors to give you an authentic vintage sound. You may also utilize this warm and classic-sounding pedal as a clean boost. Simply roll the Depth knob to zero, set the Level to your liking, and achieve a warm vintage and harmonically lusher boost to your music. Grab yourself a no-frills analog sine-wave tremolo pedal now!
Amptweaker SwirlPool
The Amptweaker SwirlPool Tremolo/Vibe pedal is the brand’s first dive into non-distortion pedals. Highly requested by Amptweaker’s customers, the SwirlPool is a two-speed synchronized Tremolo/Vibe reminiscent of the circuits found in some vintage 60’s amplifiers. This analog pedal is capable of emulating various modulation tones and even inventing several new ones. The two footswitch buttons let you switch between two different Speed & Vibe settings while sharing one Tremolo control. The SwirlPool also features switches that help you fine-tune the pedal’s vibrato.
Fulltone MDV3
The Fulltone Mini Vibe MDV-3 Mini DejaVibe 3 vintage rotary guitar effects pedal is the closest you can get to true Uni-Vibe sound without actually selling a kidney to buy a ‘60s-era Uni-Vibe. Fulltone already did the heavy lifting for you with the MDV-3, cloning original ‘60s photocells and using the exact same preamp transistor that old Uni-Vibes used. You get all of the Uni-Vibe’s legendary writhing, undulating pulsations plus more headroom and a wider dynamic range.
Diamond Vibrato
The Diamond Vibrato is an ultra-versatile, dedicated pitch vibrato design leveraging an all-analog bucket brigade circuitry. It has a high-headroom circuit with MN3007 chip, offering up your instrument’s purest sound before you begin digging in. The variable chorus control lets you take your dry signal up against the pitch-modulated effected sound for real doubled tones. The Diamond Vibrato includes two switches—High that raises the vibrato’s intensity and Jazz which makes for a warmer, darker tonality for a vintage feel.
TC Electronic Viscous Vibe
The Viscous Vibe by TC Electronic is a marvelous vibe pedal that allows you to emulate the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe’s iconic sound in a contemporary, portable piece of kit. It features spot-on accurate reproduction of the unique tones and dramatic swirls of the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe plus the ease of a modern pedal. It is TonePrint-powered so you can beam beautiful signature tones into your pedal using the free TonePrint App. The Viscous Vibe comes in a durable die-cast metal chassis built for life on the road.
JAM Pedals RetroVibe
Made for Hendrix/Trower fanatics, the RetroVibe is Jam Pedals’ take on the most iconic Vibe pedal of all time. Jam Pedals originally wanted to emulate the sound of a vintage UniVibe. Upon getting there, however, they looked into leveling it up. The RetroVibe includes novel NOS 2SC828 transistors and carbon comp resistors for an authentic vintage sound. Jam Pedals also incorporated an additional internal trimmer which impacts the effect’s maximum intensity as well as manipulates the RetroVibe’s sound while keeping the pedal’s real vintage character.
Sabbadius Tiny Vibe
The Tiny Vibe from Sabbadius Custom Pedal Effects is a more compact variant of the classic Funky Vibe, which emulates the rotary Leslie speaker with four photo coupler. It lets you play the vintage sounds like Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and more. On top of that, you can also play your signature sound. The Tiny Vibe features a true bypass mechanical switch. This condensed version of Funky Vibe comes in a red chassis consists of white knobs.
JHS Pedals Unicorn V2
The Unicorn V2 from JHS Pedals loads the original Unicorn pedal’s lush, syrupy sound into a more compact package to save more space on your pedalboard. It combines a classic photocell modulator with an advanced tap tempo function, allowing you access to vintage vibe effects with hands-free tempo control. You can now always dial in the perfect tempo. The Unicorn V2 carries Depth, Speed, Volume, and Ratio knobs, as well as a Dry/Wet toggle. Its thick, swirling tones bring the distinct sound of a vintage Uni-vibe.
JOYO XVI
The Joyo R-013 XVI polyphonic octave guitar effects pedal adds meat to your sound by layering on an extra octave and sub-octave. It tracks notes fast, comes with a dry mix knob, and has independent volume controls for the extra octaves for complete tonal control. A warbling, wriggling chorus/trem-like modulation effect opens up even more sonic soundscapes to explore. The R-13 XVI is an R Series pedal, meaning it also has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
Mooer Pitch Box
The Pitch Box from the budget stomp masters at Mooer gives musicians a quick way to layer new harmonic elements into their sound. This pitch shifter guitar effect pedal has a shift range of ±2 octaves controllable via 16 optional parameters and comes with three effect modes. Harmony shifts your signal’s pitch and mixes it back in for a layered harmonic voice. Pitch Shift is a straightforward polyphonic pitch shift effect with precise tracking. Detune is a slight detune that, like Harmony mode, gets mixed back into your signal for a shimmering chorus effect.
EarthQuaker Devices Tentacle V2
EarthQuaker Devices has released single-dial stompboxes before, but for the Tentacle analog octave up guitar effects pedal, they scrapped even that single control knob and left only a footswitch. It’s all that it needs, really; the Tentacle does one thing—give you direct standalone access to the octave up effect found in the Hoof Reaper pedal—and does it extremely well. Tentacle V2 introduces Flexi-Switch capability, meaning you can engage the octave up effect with a standard tap on the switch ala latching footswitches or hold it down and release like a momentary-type switch.
Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer
Go subterranean with the Octave Multiplexer analog sub-octave generator. This Electro-Harmonix stompbox lets you get deep bass tones one octave below the notes you’re actually playing. You can easily tailor the sub-octave signal to your exact tastes with two separate onboard smoothing filters. This isn’t just a bass pedal; plug in a guitar, a keyboard, or even a mic for some truly deep bass sounds. Being monophonic, the Octave Multiplier works only on single notes.
TC Electronic Quintessence Harmony
The Quintessence Harmony pedal by TC Electronic produces smart two-voice harmonies over your playing, featuring complete creative control provided by the TonePrint app for crafting your custom settings. Armed with a MASH expressive footswitch, the Quintessence Harmony lets you bend the harmony voices down or up instantly for extreme or subtle effects. The analog-dry-through signal path guarantees your core tone preserves its sonic integrity. Whether you are after the possibility of crafting something different or want classic harmonized guitar tones, check out the Quintessence Harmony.
MXR Slash Octave Fuzz
Two timeless and iconic rock music icons—MXR and Slash—have joined forces to build the Slash Octave Fuzz. It boasts a searing Fuzz tone combined with an independent Sub Octave voice and Octave Up Fuzz for beefing up your sound with a sinister growl. It includes an arsenal of internal and external controls. The Slash Octave Fuzz comes with a distressed hot-rod paint job and special Slash artwork. It features true hardwire bypass, pure analog circuitry, and solid construction.
Timing, Dynamics & EQ Pedals
Chase Bliss Audio Thermae
The Thermae from Chase Bliss Audio is an innovative analog pitch and delay shifter capable of manipulating your signal without digitally processing it, ensuring your guitar signal stays 100% analog. It introduces four reissued versions of the famed MN3005 bucket-brigade delay chips, a digital brain enabling multi-functional controls, and a bank of dip switches allowing you to come up with infinite creative and unique settings. The Thermae represents a unique approach to analog delay and harmonization and is an excellent choice as your main delay pedal.
MOOER Ocean Machine
The Ocean Machine is the stompbox equivalent of a Swiss army knife. You get a 60-second looper, nine distinct reverb types, and two independent delays with a total of 17 different delay effects. This multi-effects monster is the brainchild of budget stompbox maker Mooer and self-confessed multitrack aficionado/metal maestro Devin Townsend, so you’ll definitely find some of the spaciest and craziest delay tones you’ve ever come across on the Ocean Machine. It’s a knob-twiddler’s dream instrument.
MOOER REECHO PRO
Budget stomp creator Mooer overdosed the awesome Reecho pedal on stompbox steroids to create the Reecho Pro, a dual footswitch delay and looper unit that doubles up on almost everything the original Recho could do. It features six distinct delay types: Digital, Analog, Real, Tape, Tube, and Galaxy. You can also layer on modulation, dynamic, and reverse effects to any of the aforementioned six. Plus, of course, there’s the 20-second loop function, tap tempo, EQ controls, and more.
Stone Deaf Syncopy
The Syncopy analog delay pedal serves as your perfect sonic center, in which echoes of the past meet and blend nicely with modern technology. With a pure analog modulation section and one full second of beautiful and textural analog delay, paired with the bonus benefit of advanced digital control, the Syncopy lets you craft, save, control, and recall multiple delay tones on the fly. It is capable of anything from long, lush modulated echoes to short classic delays to unearthly special fx. It delivers the dead-on control needed by modern musicians.
Alexander Pedals Sky 5000
The next evolution of Alexander Pedals’ Sky FI Delay and Reverb Pedal, the Sky 5000 Reverb Delay’s delay and reverb engines let you break through the sonic stratosphere with torrential waves of echoes, delay, and shimmer. Its onboard digital delay engine is crystal clear, with a tone filter that lets you tailor it precisely to your taste. Its reverb engine, meanwhile, is a no-nonsense nod to classic digital rack units from the ’80s and ’90s. These two engines run in parallel to keep your guitar signal from getting muddy.
Catalinbread Belle Epoch Tape Echo
The Belle Epoch EP-3 Tape Echo from Catalinbread boasts tape echo sounds so real you would think there was tape inside it! The Belle Epoch captures all that was well-loved about the iconic Maestro Echoplex EP-3 tape delay within a compact, maintenance-free pedal. Several not-so-subtle and subtle traits of the Echoplex had to be implemented to be authentic. If you are vying for the authentic sound of tape reel delay without the hassle or expense, this pedal is for you!
TC Electronic Fluorescence
The Fluorescence Shimmer Reverb by TC Electronic is among those effects you should include in your bag of tricks. First developed by recording legends Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, shimmer reverb is created by layering a tail of reverb on your natural dry signal. That forms rich soundscapes taking on a life of their known, spanning from beautiful chimes to interstellar travel-esque sounds evocative of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos while you are playing. The Fluorescence Shimmer Reverb consists of controls for Mix, Tone, Reverb, and Shimmer.
TC Electronic Skysurfer
Credits to three amazing onboard, studio-quality reverb algorithms, the incredibly tasty Skysurfer Reverb from TC Electronic is the ultimate yet affordable answer to your reverb prayers and cravings. It serves as your one-way ticket to that perfect wave. It allows you to skim conveniently across churning ocean, sail through the ambient spray of the surf, or swim in a cavernous grotto. Built around exceptional studio-grade algorithms, the Skysurfer Reverb serves up all the rich, transparent reverb sounds you could ever imagine without sacrificing your natural tone.
Seymour Duncan Silver Lake
With a ton of innovative multi-reverb pedals available, it is refreshing to see one as beautiful-sounding and intuitive as the Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb pedal from Seymour Duncan. It is a powerhouse reverb workstation, combining sophisticated reverb algorithms with powerful tone sculpting options and dynamic control for a deep sonic experience—whether you want a wash of massive ambiance or subtle sounds. The Silver Lake Dynamic Reverb’s foundation is the proprietary Dynamic Expression control and a set of eight well-crafted reverb algorithms.
Mooer Reverie Reverb
The TRV2 Reverie Reverb guitar effects pedal from Mooer is a versatile reverb pedal for musicians on a budget. You get five chorus modes, each of which can be mixed and matched with eight modulation tones. You’re also able to save up to five of your favorite chorus settings as presets. It uses a high performance floating point DSP chip to prevent tone loss while the twin switch design makes it easy to switch between effects on the fly, even when you’re rocking out on stage.
Walrus Audio Fathom
Boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio’s Fathom is a multi-function reverb pedal that packs enough reverb versatility to satisfy even the most consummate of ‘verb heads. You get a vast, reverberating Hall mode; a full-bodied Plate mode; a Lo-Fi mode than can go from warm to AM radio-thin; and a Sonar mode that mixes high and low octaves into the reverb effect. This limited edition retro pedal packs all of the regular Fathom’s reverb capabilities but features a special retro enclosure design.
Alexander Pedals Sky FI
The Sky FI Delay and Reverb Pedal gives you full tonal control over amazingly ambient helpings of delay and reverb. Aside from its tone-sculpting Reverb, Delay, Mix, and Repeat knobs, he Sky FI also has a Hold function that lets you control its Wash, Gleam, and Echo modes by keeping the footswitch held down. In Wash and Gleam modes, holding down the footswitch enables you to crank up the Reverb time and mix to infinity. Doing the same while in Echo mode pushes the pedal’s Delay feedback to the max.
Aguilar TLC
The TLC Compressor is an invaluable musical tool, whether you are recording or onstage. It is built to empower you to control your dynamics in a flexible and musical fashion. Thanks to Aguilar’s proprietary Trans Linear Control (TLC) circuit, it can deliver unprecedented levels of performance within a compact package. The Aguilar TLC Compressor provides you with a range of control often available only in pricey studio compressors and lets you dial in just the right sound.
Joyo Dr.J CompDriver
The Dr. J JDC CompDriver guitar effects pedal is the signature pedal of Spanish guitarist Jose de Castro, hence the name. It’s a compressor and an overdrive in one budget-friendly floor unit. There’s a pair of two-position switches, one of which lets you turn the compressor effect on or off while the other controls whether the effect is applied before or after the overdrive effect. The overdrive effect itself has been tuned to match de Castro’s exacting specs, making for a warm, dirty tone that cuts through the mix.
MXR Super Comp
Taking the legendary Dyna Comp even further, the MXR Super Comp compressor delivers an invisible boost to intricate licks, giving life to your sound and allowing you to lock in like never before. With the Sensitivity and Output knobs, you can dial in the ideal setting to keep your parts in place. The new Attack Level knob retains your original volume without compromising sustain. It guarantees that initial bite and chunk are not squashed, so you can run searing pickups and hear your dynamics.
Rowin Comp
The LN-333 Comp from budget guitar effects maker Rowin gives you studio-grade compression at a very affordable price. The LN-333 Comp is basically the minified version of Rowin’s similarly named and already pretty tiny LEF-333 Comp. It might be smaller, but it still gets the job done with flair; you can level out any rough spikes in your guitar signal for a more stable, full-bodied tone with increased sustain. It also comes with a two-way toggle switch that lets you engage a high-heavy Treble mode for a sharper attack.
Caline Hot Mushroom
Built on the classic Dyna Comp compressor pedal design from MXR and enhanced with Caline’s own unique twist, the Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor guitar effects pedal gives budget-conscious musicians a reliable compressor pedal that doesn’t break the bank. Its simple two-knob interface lets you go from a soft, subtle compression effect to full-on heavy compression. Boost quiet parts and even out loud spikes for rock-solid tone. The Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor comes with a true bypass feature.
Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher
Whether you rock a guitar or a bass, the Soul Preacher compressor pedal from Electro-Harmonix will fit right in your pedalboard. It packs three selectable attack modes–a 20ms Fast rise, a 50ms Medium rise, and a 100ms Slow rise–coupled with a Sustain knob that lets you dial in silky, lengthy sustains. The Soul Preacher gives you highly articulate compression without compromising your core tone. This compact, road-tough pedal also comes with a true bypass feature.
Tom’sline GT EQ
Budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Tomsline’s GT EQ stomp does exactly what it says on the tin: let you shape the overall EQ and tone of your guitar signal. The five EQ bands—100Hz, 250Hz, 630Hz, 1.6KHz, and 4KHz—can each be cut or boosted by up to 18dB. You also get a single Level pot for controlling the overall volume output. Use the GT EQ to brighten up your sound, build a heftier bottom end, or tame any unwanted frequencies in your signal.
Joyo 6-Band EQ
The JF-11 6-Band EQ from budget guitar effects pedal company Joyo is a true workhorse graphic equalizer: versatile, unobtrusive, and essential to getting the exact tone you want. With six EQ sliders, each of which can cut or boost by 18dB, the JF-11 6-Band EQ can supercharge your high end with more harmonic articulation, keep your mids firmly in the mix, or let you dial in earth shakingly subterranean lows. Use it as an always-on pedal or engage the EQ for precise and specific frequency boosts.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors 3 Band EQ + Buffer
The EQ + Buffer is a special edition of Old Blood Noise Endeavors’ Buffer and 3 Band EQ. Sliders and inverted color scheme provide you with a different visual and tactile experience for a handy circuit you must have in your chain. A switchable 3 Band EQ and always on Buffer. You will appreciate the Buffer when you employ multiple pedals or long cables, while the EQ is perfect for tailoring frequencies to specific parts, guitar switches, or as an always-on EQ.
J. Rockett Rockaway Archer
The Rockaway Archer from J. Rockett was built as a complete solution to iconic guitarist Steve Stevens’ EQ and overdrive needs. It boasts an extensive range of sounds, from clean boost to tube-like distortion that integrates smoothly with the tone of various amps. It falls under the “transparent overdrive” category, allowing you to dial in a nice amount of gain without drastically changing your guitar’s tone. The Rockaway Archer is an excellent way to hit the front end of an amp harder compared to a stock Archer pedal.
Death by Audio Apocalypse
The Apocalypse is touted as Death by Audio’s jack-of-all-trades fuzz pedal. Once greatly overdriven, the signal is routed to your chosen post-amp. You may toggle through its five signal paths and select the apocalyptic sound you desire. To make it more refined, adjust the sweepable frequency equalizer and craft your tone to your liking. Utilize the Apocalypse as your main sound, an amp simulated recording DI, bass blitzer, boost for solos, or run into it anything you want to supercharge, beef up, or blast out.
Electro-Harmonix Knockout
The Knockout attack equalizer effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix is a one-two punch straight to the head for maximum carnage. It packs a seven-pole low-pass filter for shaping your mids’ low ends while a six-pole high-pass filter takes care of sculpting your mids’ top ends. The Knockout’s low-frequency cutoff is set at 85Hz while the high-frequency cutoff is at 6.5kHz, plus it comes with a Dry signal knob. Place it after your distortion pedal for a true knockout attack.
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Latest News
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KMA Machines has announced a revamped and slimmed down version of its Wurhm distortion pedal—the Wurm 2. When the Wurhm first came to the music realm in 2020, it was
Boss has lifted the veil on two new digital stompboxes spec’d from its legendary RE-201 Space Echo—the RE-2 and RE-202. Stripping the RE-201 sound down to its core essentials, the
Line 6 has updated its cult-favorite DL4 Delay Modeler to MkII, hauling the 1999-dated original into the present-day era by some tonal tweaks and pretty aesthetic. Under the hood, the new-and-improved
Metallica electric guitar star Kirk Hammett has taken to Instagram to announce that his second signature Dunlop Cry Baby Wah is in the works. Dressed in a striking purple colorway
Old Blood Noise Endeavors has unleashed the Fault V2 overdrive/distortion stompbox, which boasts more extensive EQ controls, gain range and clipping options. “Tweaking the platform of our Fault overdrive/distortion, we’ve
Crazy Tube Circuits has dropped the latest addition to its pedal effects line, the Cyclone Phaser. The Cyclone is a pure analog phaser effect featuring tap tempo, voiced after vintage
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RPS Effects has debuted a new analog-synth and harmonizer stompbox, the Arcade Machine. The Arcade Machine is capable of adding glitchy, chiptune-inspired sounds to any pedalboard. Per RPS Effects, the unit
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TC Electronic has released a compact, budget-friendly take on the iconic Klon style of transparent overdrive stompboxes—the Zeus Drive. Sporting a similar compact form factor as TC Electronic’s Magus Pro
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Utility Pedals
BOSS TU-3s Tuner
The Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner is the go-to stompbox tuner for any and all serious musicians, and its little brother the Boss TU-3S Compact Chromatic Tuner serves up everything the TU-3 can, in a more compact form factor. Everything from the bigger TU-3’s performance and durability to its tuning functions and display are recreated in the TU-3S, minus the actual pedal switch. If you’re running low on precious pedalboard space, the Boss TU-3S Compact Chromatic Tuner is what you need.
Electro-Harmonix V256 Vocoder
With up to 256 adjustable vocoder bands, the V256 vocoder pedal from Electro-Harmonix is a true beast of a machine. Talking guitar effects, futuristic robotic voices, and gender-bending pitch adjustment are just some of the cool voicings you can create with the V256 and then store in up to nine onboard memory locations. It’s even got a Reflex Tune feature, giving you an auto-tune pitch correction effect that you can take with you on stage.
ammoon Mini Chromatic Tuner
It might not be the most glamorous of guitar effects pedals, but a good tuner is a must-have essential for any and all musicians. Whether you shred a six-string or slap a bass, you can make sure you always stay in tune with the Mini Chromatic Tuner from ammoon. Its big, bright LED display lets you know your exact tuning easily even when you’re playing on a dark stage surrounded by dry ice fog, and its true bypass switch means you won’t have to worry about your guitar signal getting corrupted.
Carl Martin Tuner
The Carl Martin Tuner is attractive, simple, efficient, and handy for any type of guitarist. Housed in a classic die-cast black enclosure, the Tuner is switchable between standard readout and strobe. Both are clear, bright, and readable from a standing position. The Tuner is an excellent addition to your Carl Martin pedal collection. It features a true bypass on/off for a clean signal path, mute switch for silent tuning, and can be calibrated from 437 to 443.
Digitech LUXE
If you want to beef up your tone without that weird warbling effect from a flanger or chorus, you need to see the DigiTech Luxe. The Luxe is an astounding unison/detuning pedal that sounds fantastic on your bass or guitar. It allows you to blend a slightly detuned input with the dry signal to produce a constant thickening sound identical to the studio technique of double tracking. Whether you are playing chords or single notes, the Luxe delivers a solid, rich, and true pitch-detuning effect.
Korg Pitchblack Custom (Red)
Add a readable and precise tuner to your pedalboard with the Pitchblack Custom by Korg. It features a limited edition vivid red finish and sturdy, compact design that makes it convenient to incorporate into your setup. The Pitchblack Custom’s three-dimensional display is bright enough for daylight use, but its detail and spacing is also suitable for dim stages. It boasts extreme 0.1-cent precision that guarantees you get the closest tuning achievable. It also features four display modes: Regular A, Regular B, Strobe, and Half Strobe.
GOKKO Repeater
The GOKKO Repeater Looper GK-27 guitar effects pedal is a workhorse loop stomp at a price that’s very hard to beat. You get one control dial, one footswitch, and a lengthy 10 minutes of available loop time to craft your own highly intricate, multilayered tracks. Recording a loop and adding unlimited overdubs is simplicity in itself; press on the footswitch once to turn the LED red and you’re recording. Step in it again to turn the LED blue and that marks the end of the loop. Rinse, repeat, and enjoy.
ammoon Looper
The ammoon AP-09 Nano Loop Electric Guitar is a great budget clone of the venerable TC Electronics Ditto Looper Pedal, but with twice the maximum recording time. The AP-09 Nano Loop lets you record up to 10 minutes and comes with unlimited overdubs, undo, redo, and delete functions. Using it is as simple as stepping on a switch and turning a knob, of which it only has one to control the volume. You can also download and upload loops to the AP-09 Nano Loop via its integrated USB port.
Mosky DTC
Mosky Audio’s DTC multi-effects unit is a four-in-one stompbox that combines three different effects with an effects loop function. Even if you don’t count the effects loop as an effect, the four-in-one designation still kinda works since the distortion section is actually split into two voicings: a vintage-leaning Crunch-style sound and a more modern high-gain tone based on the Riot. The DTC also comes with an overdrive section based on the TS9 Tube Screamer and a delay with a range of 25ms to 600ms.
Chase Bliss Audio MOOD
The MOOD from Chase Bliss Audio is a dual-channel granular micro-looper/delay. Built to be immediate and playful, it is a study of interaction, and is designed to be “internally collaborative.” The MOOD enables audio to freely pass back and forth between its two sides—wet channel and loop channel, which were developed by Old Blood Noise Endeavors and Drolo FX respectively. The MOOD’s heart is a clock control that accelerates or slows both sides in harmonized steps.
NUX MG-100
The NUX MG-100 features a six-band graphic EQ intended for electric guitars. It boasts 58 effects (up to eight can be utilized simultaneously) and an inbuilt drum machine with CD quality PCM sounds. Up to 40 secs phrase loop with sound on sound provides further playability. The MG-100 also includes 13 standard amp models with True Simulation of Analog Circuit, classic three-band passive EQ modeling for each amp model, and an overall 72 presets, 36 factory plus 36 user presets.
Electro-Harmonix Nano Looper 360
Taking its name from its recording time of up to 360 seconds, the Nano Looper 360 is a powerful looping device housed in a small and compact enclosure. The Nano Looper can store up to 11 loops and features an intuitive interface with only one footswitch handling record, overdub, undo, redo, and erase duties. No worries when it comes to loop quality, either; Electro=Harmonix kitted out the Nano Looper with 24-bit digital converters for high-quality sound.
Caline Pure Sky Overdrive
The Caline CP-12 Pure Sky Overdrive guitar effects pedal is a modded version of the Paul Cochrane Timmy Overdrive stompbox. Eschewing the toggle switch of the pedal it’s based on, the CP-12 provides great higher end with excellent tonal clarity. It can be used as a versatile four-knob overdrive or as an EQ pedal with surprising levels of precision in cutting and boosting your guitar signal. The Caline CP-12 Pure Sky Overdrive comes with a true bypass feature.
Strymon Timeline
Explore your creativity with the TimeLine from Strymon. It serves up twelve distinct delay machines, each with far-reaching control of sonic character and vibe. You may go from clear and crisp, studio-grade digital delays to the fluctuating and saturated sounds of tape delay machines. Capture fuzzy and warm analog style repeats to sparkling, crystalline, and shimmery ice delays. Tweak to your liking and record up to 200 presets of your favorite sounds. Top it off with a routable, 30-second stereo looper and full MIDI implementation, and you are en route to delay bliss.
TC Electronic Alter Ego X4
If you are into tap delays, you are perhaps a frustrated guitarist due to the bulk, maintenance, and reliability issues associated with those units. The Alter Ego X4 by TC Electronic gets you the iconic sound of several well-loved vintage tape delay units less the headaches. It provides you with the power of TC’s TonePrint tech to record and download presets from your iPhone straight to your pedal. Try the Alter Ego X4 and experience the sound of the most drool-inducing vintage delays.
WMD Geiger Counter Pro
This is the future of digital dirt. WMD’s Geiger Counter boutique distortion guitar effects pedal delivers a cornucopia of dirt tones, from the classic and recognizable to some insanely twisted, octave folded lo fi fuzz that brings to mind the irradiated wind that follows in the wake of a mushroom cloud. The Geiger Counter Pro is the evolved version of the Geiger Counter that crawls out of that radiation fallout. It ups the number of wavetables to 512 in total, has a wavetable morphing feature, comes with 16 switchable presets, and is even upgradeable via USB..
Mission Engineering SP-25L-Pro Aero (Black)
The Aero design’s extended sweep makes it an outstanding, versatile expression pedal for volume and effects parameter controls. The rear cut away as well as extended length curved surface have been ergonomically designed for ease of use whether you are sitting or standing. The SP-25L-PRO includes dual 25K outputs with polarity selection and a latching toe switch that works with various devices for acoustic instruments, keyboards, and guitar both in the studio and live. The SP-25L-PRO comes in a black stealth style powder coat finish.
Line 6 M5 StompBox Modeler
With the M5 Stompbox Modeler from Line 6, your pedalboard setup is about to take a giant leap forward. It consists of more than 100 stompbox models, so you can conveniently access delay, filter, reverb, distortion, and modulation effects sans the need to deal with a tangle of cables and mess of pedals. Housed in a roadworthy metal chassis, the M5 features simple to use dedicated parameter control knobs, an inbuilt chromatic tuner, and tap-tempo functionality. Get all that and more with the M5.
Boss AB-2 2-Way Selector
Make changing between different outputs and inputs a breeze with the Boss AB-2 Two-Way Selector. With a single stomp, you can switch between two different guitars, amps, or guitar effects pedal setups. Plug in a tuner and you can easily check your tuning while in the middle of a gig without having to worry about stray notes messing up your group’s performance. You can also use the Boss AB-2 Two-Way Selector as a quick kill switch.
Marshall PEDL-90008
Every good pedalboard setup needs an amp footswitch or two. If you’re gunning your signal through a Marshall amp, then there’s no better fit than a Marshall footswitch. The Marshall PEDL-90008 is a four-way momentary or non-latching footswitch designed specifically to work with the company’s MG15FX, MG30FX, MG50FX, MG101HFX, MG101FX , and MG102FX amps. It can be fully programmable via the amp and features built-in indicator lights so you don’t lose track of where you’re throwing your guitar signal.
JHS Pedals Stutter Switch
A simple yet powerful momentary kill-switch, the Stutter Switch from JHS Pedals provides you with a no-frills way to temporarily silence your instrument’s signal whenever necessary. This compact pedal enables a convenient means for a kill switch which can be incorporated within virtually any setup. It is handy for feedback control. Its seamless, clickless footswitch blocks the sound passage when stepped on, and instantly passes sound when depressed. You can creatively use the Stutter Switch before or after effects.
Lehle D-Loop
Employ two different effects loops with the D.Loop from Lehle. It boasts two true-bypass loops and high-end gold-plated relays, so your tone stays pristine when you are not utilizing it. Stomp on the D.Loop to bring in whatever range of effects you desire. You may also use the D.Loop to incorporate another preamp on the fly or utilize the main input and a return to bring in various instruments. Whatever you do, you will appreciate this stompbox’s full MIDI capacity, since you can make its switches operate the way you desire.
Walrus Audio Two Channel Remote Switch
Walrus Audio’s Two Channel Remote Switch is built specifically to give you remote control over the Descent and Vanguard’s preset and bypass footswitches. This means you can stick either of those two stompboxes at the back of your pedalboard and use the Two Channel Remote Switch to free up valuable space at the front. The preset footswitch lets you cycle between presets. The bypass engages and disengages the effect when used as a latching switch, but it can also act as a preset save switch when held down until the preset LED starts flashing.
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
Tone-suck is a prevalent pedalboard problem, but with the Swiss Things pedalboard reconciler from EarthQuaker Devices, it’s practically a thing of the past. It lets you use as many pedals as you want without having to worry about loss of tone, bypass or engage all of your pedals with a single footswitch, give your pedals Flexi-Switch capabilities, and more. The Swiss Things junction box and loop switcher can act as the true beating heart of your pedalboard setup.
Wampler dB+
Tone suck—it’s what happens when you have too many cables between your guitar and your amp. Your tone suffers and loses those sweet natural high frequency notes, giving you a muddy overall sound. Wampler’s Decibel Plus solves that problem by delivering top of the line independent buffering and full frequency boosting without taking up a lot of space on your pedalboard. Not only do you get to keep those natural high frequencies, you also get a clean boost to make sure your guitar floats above the mix.
Suhr Buffer
Modern players demand reliability, quality, and exceptional tone. The Suhr Buffer leverages only top-grade components, including a machined billet aluminum chassis, Glass Epoxy PCB, and low noise audiophile Op-Amps, to guarantee that your tone investment is preserved across your signal chain. Regarding reliability and quality, Suhr designed the Buffer with the same attention to detail as its other award-winning products. It is equipped with two individual outputs and comes in a portable, solid, aluminum enclosure.
Morley Buffer Boost
The Morley Buffer Boost isn’t a guitar effects pedal, per se. Instead, it’s an essential weapon in the constant battle against tone suck. The Buffer Boost contains a buffer circuit that gives your guitar signal that extra push it needs to maintain its output level and tone, no matter how many pedals you may have in your pedal chain. You can place the Buffer Boost at the front or back of the signal chain and use it as a clean boost with up to 20dB of extra output.
Mission Engineering VM-Pro (Red)
Housed in a fiery red chassis, the VM-PRO by Mission Engineering is the most sophisticated volume pedal you will find. It addresses several common issues with volume pedals, which result in mismatching and tone sucking problems. It works with your baritone, bass, electro-acoustic, or electric guitars. The VM-PRO is also compatible with other electric and acoustic instruments such as steel guitars, electronic keyboards, and instrument microphones. It incorporates compatibility switches for utilization with passive/active pickups as well as fuzz pedals.
Empress Effects Buffer Plus Stereo
The Empress Buffer+ Stereo seeks to eradicate signal loss due to long, unbuffered cable runs, which has long been an issue for guitarists. Empress Effects has incorporated the features of its Buffer+, including the noise filters, input padding, foot-switchable boost, and variable input loading, along with several new features such as an external switch control, AB/AY switching, and full stereo in/out connectivity. The Buffer+ Stereo boasts 12 operating modes, each with a separate signal routing to deliver supreme adaptability and versatility to virtually any rig.
Fender Level Set Buffer
Whether you utilize several guitars in a set or a single guitar through a large pedalboard, your signal strength can be negatively affected. That’s why the Level Set Buffer from Fender is a must-have for any pedalboard. It allows you to change guitars sans disrupting your tone. Fender consulted with several guitarists on the design, producing a stompbox equipped with stage-ready functionalities. The Level Set Buffer consists of a Mute footswitch, Load toggle switch, as well as Hi-Freq and Level knobs.
GOKKO KULT
Rein in unruly and unwanted signal noise with the Kult Noise Gate GK-28 guitar effects pedal from GOKKO. This budget- and pedalboard-friendly stompbox helps reduce the hums, hisses, and buzzes that invariably show up to pollute your signal when you have a lot of pedals, especially high-gain ones, in your chain. Use the sensitivity control knob to tell the noise gate when to kick in and use the two-way selector switch to choose between a soft, gradual volume cut or a hard and steep drop.
MXR Smart Gate
Whether you need to silence your chain of stompboxes or tame your hissing high-gain amp, the MXR Smart Gate has got you covered. This ingenious tool is armed with three selectable noise reduction ranges to manage just about any signal type. The Smart Gate bites down on sizzle and hum but allows the tiniest detail of your playing through. It possesses an uncanny capability to sense when and how fast to engage. It also boasts an incredibly clean circuitry, precise threshold trigger, and hardwire bypass.
Rowin Nosie Gate
Get rid of unwanted buzzes, hisses, and hums in your guitar signal with the LEF-319 Noise Gate from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin. The Noise Gate does exactly what it says on the tin; it takes you guitar’s dry signal and eliminates the noise level within your effects loop. Just set the minimum volume threshold where the pedal’s functions kick in via a dedicated Threshold knob, choose Hard or Soft gating via the two-way selector, hit the footswitch, and enjoy noise-free playing.
TC Electronic Sentry
Enjoy a dynamic, noise-free performance with the Sentry Noise Gate pedal from TC Electronic. Leveraging the groundbreaking multi-band System 6000 algorithms, it provides you with smooth, natural-sounding noise reduction. The Sentry Noise Gate comes packed with a classic hard-gate mode sporting a Return/Send loop for dealing with noisy pedals or utilizing it for creative sidechaining. It consists of controls for Decay, Threshold, and Damp. Keep your rig’s noise in check with the Sentry Noise Gate pedal.
Pigtronix Gatekeeper
The Gatekeeper from Pigtronix is a lightning-fast, studio-grade noise gate pedal that eliminates any unwanted noise from your rig. Carrying Threshold and Release time controls, the Gatekeeper gives you 100% attenuation with unparalleled response time, making it the most efficient and valuable noise gate pedal available. It leverages high-speed JFET circuitry to fully get rid of hiss, buzz, hum, and other non-musical sounds from your signal path. The Gatekeeper will let you crank up your volume without worrying about hearing the disgusting 60-cycle hum or white noise common to high gain rigs.
MXR Noise Clamp
Clampdown on excess noise and hiss with the Noise Clamp pedal by MXR. By sensing the dry signal of your guitar, it lowers the noise level in the effect loop, putting the kibosh on even your noisiest signal. A single Trigger dial lets you select the volume threshold at which the Noise Clamp is active, and a green LED tells you whether the gate is on/off. The Noise Clamp can trim noise up to 26dB, preserving riff definition at massive gain levels.
Joyo JAM BUDDY (Black)
There are a lot of guitar multi-effects processor units that have headphone jacks now. The Jam Buddy from Joyo one-ups them all by having both a headphone jack and built-in speakers. The Jam Buddy’s two 2” 4W speakers have enough power for a quick practice session without bothering the neighbors, and its rechargeable battery will let you extend the jam session to up to three hours. The Jam Buddy also features footswitchable clean and OD channels, a built-in delay, and Bluetooth connectivity for playing along to an audio track.
Mooer Micro Drummer
Rock, pop, jazz, R&B, funk, latin, metal, blues, reggae—whatever style of music you play, the Micro Drummer can serve up a pretty authentic drum track emulation for it. This digital drum machine guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox masters Mooer is packed with 121 different drumbeat patterns spread across 11 genres. Just pick a genre with the rotary selector, dial in your preferred volume, speed, and tone, and then use the tap tempo to get the beat you want.
JOYO O.M.B
Joyo’s OMB Looper and Drum Machine turns you into a one-man band with a single stomp. This single pedal can act as a looper, a drum machine, or a combo looper plus drum machine. The looper function lets you record up to 40 minutes of audio and features unlimited overdubs, auto-align, and count-in. You get seven drum patterns and seven drumbeats in drum machine mode, plus you can add fills to the patterns and use a tap tempo function. The OMB is an R Series pedal, meaning it has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
Joyo GEM BOX III
The Gem Box III is Joyo’s flagship entry in the guitar multi-effects processor arena, and it packs quite a punch. The Gem Box III features 61 preamp models, 157 effect types, and 300 preset tones. It also comes loaded with 26 impulse responses, to which you can add your own via Joyo’s Studio software. For playing solo, the Gem Box III’s drum machine with 40 presets and 10 metronome rhythms will come in handy along with the 52-second looper. And when it’s time to hit the stage, this sturdy unit will hold up to the rigors of the road.
Rowin Beat Loop
The LBL-01 Beat Loop is a versatile and affordable combination drum machine and looper pedal from budget-priced guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin. The looper section can record for up to five minutes in each of 30 separate storage locations. The drum machine has two drum groups with 40 drum types, half of which are standard while the other half is electronic. The LBL-01 Beat Looper also has a separate dual footswitch controller that lets you control the drum section.
Digitech TRIOPLUS
The DigiTech Trio+ is among the most impressive performance, writing, and practice tools for guitarists. This simple-to-use guitar pedal is built on DigiTech’s famed Trio technology which listens to your playing and instantly plays drum and bass accompaniment. The Trio+ gives you five additional genres for achieving the perfect feel. You select a genre and style variation, then start playing. The Trio+ pedal also includes three bass line modes that will fit any style of music you are playing.
Other Pedals
Dunlop Eddie Van Halen Wah
Experience Eddie Van Halen’s iconic wah sound with Dunlop’s EVH95 Eddie Van Halen Signature Wah Wah. It is a replica of Eddie’s famed Cry Baby—a regular Cry Baby he had modified to achieve a more vocal-like tone. Dunlop recreated the “worn-in” pot feel and sweep to give you Van Halen’s wah playing feel. The EVH Wah Wah sports “Van Halen II” black-and-yellow striped graphics and delivers the same tone definition as Eddie’s favorite wah. It features an extra wide frequency sweep, custom inductor, and pot.
Electro-Harmonix Wailer Wah
Whether you rock it or cock it, Electro-Harmonix’s Wailer wah pedal gives you killer wah tones that will make you sound like the Lord of Funk’s second coming. The Wailer’s circuitry is based on the design that powered Electro-Harmonix’s classic Crying Tone wah pedal, giving you the same thick, musical wahs that the latter was known for. It’s a straightforward and highly musical wah pedal with a lightweight and sturdy chassis that won’t break the bank.
MOOER Free Step
The Free Step is an innovative little guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox masters Mooer that pulls double duty as a vintage analog wah and a versatile volume pedal while being less than half the size of a regular expression pedal. You can shape the wah tone to you liking via the side-mounted Q dial. In volume mode, you can set the minimum volume from 0% to 50% using the Min. Vol. dial located on the pedal’s side.
Mooer Red Kid
The MOOER WTW1 RedKid is halfway between a conventional wah and a talkbox. You use the pedal like you would a wah, but it has a distinguishing throaty impact that makes it stand out a bit more. You get two distinct voicing characteristics, plus Mooer’s expression activation technology lets you activate the RedKid immediately just by touching the wah or by using the traditional click style. Built-in foot rings unfold to give you a larger surface area to work with, and once you’re done rocking out you can fold them back in to save room.
JOYO MULTI-MODE WAH
Joyo’s WAH-II Multimode Wah and Volume pedal gives you two modes to choose from: a Wah with True Bypass and a combined Wah + Volume pedal. The Wah is pretty versatile; you can tweak the effect’s Q values, the sweep’s width, and the frequency range. The Volume side is comparatively more barebones, with just a dial for setting the minimum volume. It’s just barely larger than the average compact pedal, too, so you have more flexibility when choosing where to put it on your pedalboard.
Mooer Envelope
Protip: if you want to get all fancy, call a pick attack-sensitive auto-wah an envelope filter. The Envelope guitar effects pedal is budget stomp maker Mooer’s first analog version of this effect. Thanks to its analog circuits, the Envelope serves up a smooth, warm wah tone. It can handle both guitar and bass signals and features sensitivity and tone controls for your sound-shaping needs. You can even coax out a cocked wah effect by rolling the sensitivity setting to0 and turning the Envelope into a static frequency filter.
Mooer Baby Water
The Baby Water delay and chorus guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox maker Mooer provides acoustic guitar players a pair of must-have effects in a very tiny, very affordable package. Even if you don’t have a pedalboard, the Baby Water is so small you can literally put it in your pocket and take it to gigs. It comes packed with delay and chorus effects that can be used either individually or in conjunction with each other, all selectable via a dedicated rotary dial.
Rowin Auto Wah
Boutique level auto wah sound at a price that won’t flatten your wallet. The LEF=3804 Auto Wah from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin can serve up a wide range of classic wah tones, from a soft, slow wah to a faster, more watery Cry Baby-esque attack. You can dial these in using the dedicated Cutoff, Shape, Reso, and Speed control knobs. The LEF-3804’s Auto Wah’s footswitch also has a secondary function: hold it down to store a parameter to create some interesting layered tones.
GOKKO SPANISHFLY
The GOKKO Spanish FlyGK-32 acoustic guitar pedal does double duty as a preamp and a direct input (DI) box. You get dedicated Treble and Bass knobs for tone shaping plus an Input dial for setting the input level. There’s also a cool Anti-Feedback footswitch with its own dedicated Antu-Feedback dial for cutting out volume feedback. And since the Spanish Fly is a DI box, you can use the XLR Out jack to directly connect your guitar to a mixer.
Pigtronix Bob Weir’s Real Deal
The Pigtronix Bob Weir’s Real Deal acoustic preamp gives you a very clear, screaming acoustic guitar tone while faithfully preserving the natural wooden sound of your instrument. It is universally compatible with all kinds of acoustic guitar pickup—from a simple, passive piezo element to intricate active systems leveraging internal microphones, magnetic pickups, and/or contact elements. The Bob Weir’s Real Deal features 60db gain on microphone channel and crossover sweeps from 300Hz to 3kHz. It consists of Volume, Piezo, Crossover, and Microphone controls.
Radial AC Driver
The Tonebone AC Driver from Radial is a portable acoustic instrument preamp designed for live performances, boasting innovative features for streamlining your setup and optimizing your acoustic-electric guitar’s tone. It includes Radial’s Class-A buffer circuit to guarantee the superb audio quality, allowing you to employ longer pedal chains and cable runs sans signal degradation or loss. Compared to a simple DI box, the AC Driver gives you more control over your sound, making it perfect for onstage use, especially if you have no dedicated sound engineer.
TC Electronic Body-Rez
Capture studio-grade acoustic tones at live gigs with the BodyRez Acoustic Pickup Enhancer from TC Electronic. This invaluable tool serves up tweaked and sweetened tones that give your piezo pickup realistic and natural acoustic guitar tones. It features intuitive single-knob control that takes the guesswork out of achieving exceptional tone. The BodyRez merges pre-configured filters with just the right amount of compression to stir your plugged-in acoustic tone. An inbuilt feedback suppression keeps the pesky low-end howl at bay.
EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe
The EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe is the extended variant of the earlier signature model. It is an all-analog design boasting innovative features to transform it into your signature pedal. Built in collaboration with Billy, this signature pedal provides relatively more gain compared to the original purple version. The Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe carries Clean, Level, Tone, and Drive knobs, a phase inverter switch, boost drive footswitch, as well as three compressor modes—Mid, High, Off.
Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive
Bassists already excel at putting out chest-pounding rhythms and lines, but if you want to push the envelope even further then the Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive pedal is the right stompbox for the job. Designed specifically for bass guitar signals, the ODB-3 gives you all the bone-shattering distortion you need for your aggressive hard rock, thrash, and punk riffs. You can control your dry and overdriven sounds with the Balance knob, while an onboard two-band equalizer lets you sculpt your tone even further.
ZVEX Vexter Fat Fuzz Factory
The Fat Fuzz Factory from boutique guitar effects pedal maker Zvex is versatile enough to keep the fuzz traditionalists happy with everything from subtle fuzz to woolly, gritty hair, while letting the more experimental push the envelope with some of the wildest and most out of this world oscillating fuzz tones imaginable. Whether you’re the former or the latter, the Fat Fuzz Factory will let you dial in your own idea of the perfect fuzz and then tweak it whichever way you like, even on the fly.
Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe
Tech 21 built the Bass Driver Deluxe specifically for the preset-stomping bass player who doesn’t like lugging around too much equipment. It’s positioned as the ultimate weapon for live performing bassists, letting them switch things up onstage, on the fly, whether it be instruments or tone. Each of the Bass Driver Deluxe’s dual inputs can be programmed with three custom tones, or you can use all six for a single instrument. It also features an all-analog signal path, an FX loop, and parallel/tuner out.
Behringer Bass Overdrive
With massive fat tone, silky smooth sustain, and tube-like distortion, the Behringer Bass Overdrive BOD400 Authentic Tube-Sound Overdrive is a must for any bass player who wants their sound to truly growl and snarl. Its Balance knob lets you mix the exact amount of overdriven sound you want with your natural bass sound for extra clarity and punch. Best of all, the BOD400 is specially designed for bass guitars, so there’s no danger of your tone’s bottom end dropping out when you turn it on—even if you have a five- or six-string bass.
MXR Bass Preamp
The MXR Bass Preamp is your go-to pedal for studio-quality bass tones anywhere you play. It combines a studio-quality Direct Out with a pristine bass preamp so you can adjust your sound to different recording or live scenarios. It comes in a Phase 90-sized enclosure, delivering clear tone without consuming plenty of precious pedalboard real estate. Utilize the Bass Preamp to sweeten up any amp, give a new voice to an old passive bass, or add a special sauce on a song.
Vox V860
The Vox V860 signifies a new benchmark in guitar volume pedals, giving ultimate tonal purity. This expertly designed unit is a reimagining of the vintage Vox pedal design illustrated by its famed wah pedals. The stylish aluminum enclosure boasts an anodized and blasted finish that is both classy and tough. The pedal mechanism leverages gears with a high tooth count, guaranteeing seamless operation and durability. Each component is entirely hand-wired, reducing any alteration in the tonal character.
Ernie Ball 250k Mono Volume Pedal
Get complete and precise volume control right at your feet. The Ernie Ball 6166 250k Mono Volume Pedal is an excellent hands-free option for controlling your volume. It features a super-smooth sweep and has a micro taper switch that lets you choose between two different volume swell rates. It’s calibrated specifically for the perfect handling of passive audio signals and comes with an independent tuner output for unobtrusive onstage tuning. The 250k’s rugged aluminum construction means it can withstand the rigors of constant use.
Donner Wah Cry
The Donner Wah Cry gives you an excellent Wah response as well as a Volume function. It comes in a tiny footprint, way smaller compared to a standard Volume or Wah pedal. Switch on the side for either Volume or Wah. The response in the WAH mode is based on the original Crybaby response. For the VOL mode, Donner crafted an active circuit which ensures retaining all the details of your sound. Donner has also included a volume range control for VOL mode. As a volume pedal, the Wah Cry is capable of catering to the demand of any guitarist.
Morley Little Alligator Volume
The linear taper in Morley’s Steve Vai Little Alligator optical volume pedal is Vai specified, stamped, and approved. This means you get a dependable and sturdy volume pedal with a smooth and seamless sweep that works equally well in your effects loop or straight into a front amp input. The Little Alligator’s electro-optical circuit design means you won’t have to worry about worn out pots and it can handle both guitar and bass signals perfectly.
Mission Engineering VM-PRO
Not your dime a dozen volume pedal, the VM-PRO by Mission Engineering is a multi-output, buffered, adjustable volume pedal that is ready for action. Imagine it as an excellent starting point for your signal chain. Suitable for your acoustic-electric guitar, bass, and electric guitar, you can set the VM-PRO’s input jack for active or passive instruments. The buffered output guarantees proper frequency response via your pedals and lengthy cable runs. The VM-PRO volume pedal can handle whatever rig you are running.
Ernie Ball MVP
The Ernie Ball MVP definitely deserves its “Most Valuable Pedal” name. This volume pedal gives you a silky smooth, super-precise volume sweep that doesn’t lose any high frequencies at any volume level. It’s very versatile, as well, working extremely well with both active and passive electronics. The MVP also features a minimum volume knob that lets you set the open position to have anywhere from 0% to 50% volume, plus a gain boost control lets you set the closed rocker position either to 100% volume or a pretty significant signal boost of up to +20dB.
Mission Engineering EP-1
The EP-1 by Mission Engineering is a sturdy and reliable expression pedal that enables you to control an extensive range of your effects processors with expression inputs. It is perfect if you want to manage your modulation and delay effects instantly. Built in California, the EP-1 boasts high-quality components and all-metal construction for years of seamless operation and rock-solid reliability. This expression pedal is designed for use with your synthesizers, effects pedals, and other expression-capable products.
Mission Engineering Chris Broderick Signature SP-1
Sporting Chris’ trademark white finish, the Chris Broderick Signature SP-1 from Mission Engineering is the same SP-1 utilized and loved by numerous guitarists across the globe. The SP-1 consists of two 1/4″ output jacks—one for the switch and another for the expression pedal. You can operate the switch by shoving down on the front with your foot, just like in a standard wah pedal. That is utilized to turn a pedal-driven effect (vibrato or wah) on/off at the pedal itself.
Line 6 EX-1
Designed for utilization with Line 6 stompbox modelers and other pedals, the EX-1 expression pedal lets you morph seamlessly between any two settings of a model. For the AX2, it can be employed for volume or wah. Boasting durable construction, the EX-1 features custom wahs, pitch control, and two preset variations. The EX-1 is compatible with stompbox modelers (M5, M9, M13, DL4, DM4, FM4, MM4), POD HD400, POD HD500, POD HD500X, POD XT Live, POD X3 Live, and others.
Mission Engineering EP1-KP
Get the most out of your Kemper Profiler and Remote with the EP1-KP from Mission Engineering. This switching expression pedal features a linear potentiometer matched precisely to the Kemper Profiling Amp’s specs for a natural and accurate response. Even better, the EP1-KP carries a toe switch that you may connect to your Kemper Profiling Amp to turn effects on/off without needing a separate footswitch. Right down to its beautiful green finish, the EP1-KP pairs nicely with your Kemper amp.
Ernie Ball Expression Tremolo
WIth its rocker-style pedal form, the Ernie Ball Expression Series Tremolo pedal gives you complete and precise control over its sweepable tremolo effects without requiring any extra expression pedal attachments. Choose from five different tremolo waveforms—Slow Rise, Slow Fall, Sine, Square, and Harmonic—and then use the treadle to control the tremolo depth and rate individually or both at the same time. Leave the treadle open in the zero position and you get an ultra-clear transparent signal that doesn’t color your core tone at all.
Electro Harmonix Expression
The Electro-Harmonix Single Expression Pedal is a versatile and flexible expression pedal tough enough to handle the rigors of nightly gigs but affordable enough for musicians who actually need to take nightly gigs just to survive. You can fine-tune the sweep using the Range knob, while a Reverse button controls the direction of the sweep. It also has a polarity switch for enhanced compatibility with a wide range of guitar effects pedals and comes with a six-foot TRS cable.
Koogo Acoustic
The Koogo Acoustic pedal makes your electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar. It also boasts the ability to transform an intermediate level electronic or acoustic guitar into an incredible sounding professional guitar. The beautiful sounds produced by each knob and switch make it suitable for virtually any style or player. The Acoustic pedal carries a toggle switch that lets you select between Jumbo, Standard, and Piezo modes. All three modes work well for various genres and effects.
Tech 21 SansAmp GT2
Tech 21’s SansAmp amp simulator technology has long been at the forefront of letting musicians dial in their favorite amp tone without needing to lug around that specific amp. The SansAmp GT2 doesn’t just give you a single amp’s signature tone, though; it packs a whole slew of the most sought-after vintage tube and modern amp sounds, from a clean tweed-flavored rhythm to a scream Mesa-style lead tone. Pair the GT2 with a DI box and you’ll forget your amp even existed.
Joyo JF-310
Despite its tiny size, Joyo’s JF-310 Orange Juice amp sim pedal packs the full, in-your-face British-flavored power and attack of a vintage Orange amp. It perfectly captures an Orange amp’s dynamic, highly defined, and aggressive overdrive assault. Dedicated Drive, Tone, and Voice control pots give you plenty of built-in tone sculpting tools to dial in the exact tone you want. Whenever you need to layer some dirt onto you signal, the JF-310 Orange Juice will deliver.
JOYO Clean Glass Mini
The JF-307 Clean Glass guitar effects pedal from Joyo brings the classic tone of blackface-era Fender amps straight to your feet. As its name suggests, this tiny stompbox does justice to Fender’s classic twangy and clear clean channel sound. There’s also a dedicated Drive knob for when you want to add saturated, sustain-friendly dirt. The JF-306 Night Train is an Ironman pedal, so it’s small enough to fit in your front pocket and features a flip cover to keep your control dial settings safe from stray stomps.
Death by Audio Apocalypse
The Apocalypse is touted as Death by Audio’s jack-of-all-trades fuzz pedal. Once greatly overdriven, the signal is routed to your chosen post-amp. You may toggle through its five signal paths and select the apocalyptic sound you desire. To make it more refined, adjust the sweepable frequency equalizer and craft your tone to your liking. Utilize the Apocalypse as your main sound, an amp simulated recording DI, bass blitzer, boost for solos, or run into it anything you want to supercharge, beef up, or blast out.
Carl Martin Rock Bug
The Rock Bug by Carl Martin is an amp/speaker simulator and headphone rehearsal unit running on a single 9v battery. Simply plug your guitar into the unbalanced 1/4″ input of the headphone amp, connect your favorite headphones to the unbalanced 1/4″ output, and off you go. You can choose between closed and open cabinet simulation through the mini-toggle switch, adjust your guitar’s volume using the Guitar knob, and wail away thanks to the privacy of your headphones.
TC Helicon Talkbox Synth Pedal
The Talkbox Synth pedal from TC Helicon serves up new and vintage sounds to your arsenal. From wonderfully electronic talking robot effects to easily distinguishable talkbox hose-in-the-mouth sounds, picture yourself commanding attention at gigs and jams. Even while the effect is off, the Talkbox Synth is capable of drastically enhancing your core vocal sound with studio-quality reverbs, pitch correction, and Adaptive Tone. Designed and engineered in Canada, the Talkbox Synth comes in a sturdy, roadworthy chassis for years of reliable performance.
Sabbadius Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz Modulator
A significant fuzz pedal created using top-grade materials and silicon transistors. The Sabbadius Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz Modulator was designed and inspired by Dante Spinetta, who asked Nico if he could devise a pedal for his band, IKV, and said he wanted one that is capable of delivering an explosive fuzz sound yet very deformed. The Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz consists of Wah Wah Trick, Bias, Fuzz, and Synth Controller knobs, as well as a toggle switch that lets you select from Normal or Deform settings.
Earthquaker Devices Data Corrupter
EarthQuaker Devices’ Data Corrupter puts your guitar signal through a meat grinder, mangling it beyond all recognition—and in this context, that’s a good thing! A modulated monophonic PLL circuit turns your tone into a three-voice synth with a heaping helping of thick fuzz, and with six dials, two rotary selectors, and two toggle switches you get all the tone sculpting tools you’ll ever need. If you really want your guitar to stop sounding like an actual guitar, plug it into the Data Corrupter and watch the sonic sparks fly.
Seymour Duncan FOOZ
The FOOZ pedal from Seymour Duncan transforms your guitar into an over-the-top analog synth. It leverages an extremely saturated square-wave fuzz to turn your instrument into the “oscillator,” geared to be shaped by other blocks—it also makes for an exceptional fuzz tone alone. It consists of Depth, Speed, Wave, Shape, Freq, Resonance, Level, and Gain controls. Inspired by synth flexibility and iconic guitar tones, the FOOZ imparts the spirit of synth creativity in your guitar.
WMD Geiger Counter Pro
This is the future of digital dirt. WMD’s Geiger Counter boutique distortion guitar effects pedal delivers a cornucopia of dirt tones, from the classic and recognizable to some insanely twisted, octave folded lo fi fuzz that brings to mind the irradiated wind that follows in the wake of a mushroom cloud. The Geiger Counter Pro is the evolved version of the Geiger Counter that crawls out of that radiation fallout. It ups the number of wavetables to 512 in total, has a wavetable morphing feature, comes with 16 switchable presets, and is even upgradeable via USB..
Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine
It’s always fun to make a guitar sound like a completely different instrument. If old-school organ tones are your thing, then the B9 Organ Machine from Electro-Harmonix is the perfect guitar effects pedal for you. It doesn’t just work with a guitar either; plug in a modern keyboard and you can make it sound like it came straight from a ‘60s recording studio. The B9 comes with nine classic organ-voiced presets, setting-specific modulation effects, and a dedicated control knob for percussive click sounds.
