Tonebox Recommended Pedals
ZVEX Vexter Fuzz Factory
With five dedicated control knobs that let you play around with the very idea of a fuzz tone, the Fuzz Factory stompbox from boutique guitar effects pedal company Zvex is a versatile fuzz stomp that really let you push the sonic envelope. You can dial in everything from tight fuzz tones that cut off abruptly as soon as you stop playing to lingering hairy oscillations that decay alongside your notes. Zvex’s Vexter line of silk-screened pedals feature the exact same tone, features, and parts as their hand-painted counterparts. The only differences are the painting process and the price.
Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. M
Two Notes’ Torpedo C.A.B. M is a true cabinet in a box, giving you a direct line from your guitar rig to a PA system, mixer, or recording interface. A lot of things may change between each gig, from your backline to the room quality, but with the Torpedo C.A.B. M you can be sure your preferred tone will stay the same. The Torpedo C.A.B. M comes with a carefully curated selection of 32 of the most highly prized amp tones, plus you can load it with your own IR files.
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler
Boasting an extensive gain range, the Frazz Dazzler pedal from Dr. Scientist will frazzle dazzle you with its destructive and mean-spirited fuzz, regardless if you are playing bass, guitar, or an electronic instrument. It includes a three-band EQ section that is very useful for dialing in your desired sound. The Frazz Dazzler carries Vol, Volts, Gain, Mix, Treb, Mid, and Bass knobs. You can tweak the Mix knob to blend your dry and wet signals, suitable for setting the amount of each you want roaring out of your amp.
Walrus Audio Slö
Walrus Audio’s Slö multi-texture reverb pedal is a boon for musicians who prefer to use reverb effects to add texture to their sound. This boutique guitar effects pedal ditches the ambient subtlety of most traditional reverbs and puts you in control of everything from lush auto swells to atmospheric octave effects. You can even throw in some modulation, of which the Slö has three wave shapes, to make the reverberation trails even more animated. Finally, the Slö has momentary switching capabilities so you can use the reverb effect to highlight specific notes.
Walrus Audio Deep Six V3
Combining the sheer power of the Universal Audio 1176 compressor with the simplicity of a Ross, Walrus Audio’s Deep Six compressor pedal brings ultra versatile studio-grade compression right to your feet. V3 of the Deep Six pedal features a new Tone knob that lets you cut and shape your signal’s low end. It also features a soft switch / relay bypassing for smoother operation, new top mounted input and output jacks, and brand new chassis artwork by Adam Forster.
Keeley D&M Drive
The brainchild of Keeley maestro Robert Keeley and That Pedal Show’s Dan Steinhardt and Mick Taylor, the dual-channel D&M Drive is effectively two pedals in one. One channel acts as a boutique-level high-gain overdrive while the other channel is an independent, highly-tweakable, and stackable boost. Each channel has its own Level, Gain, and Tone controls, plus you can choose which goes first: Drive or Boost. Whether you just want some extra dirt, a sweet sustain-heavy solo, or full-on fuzz-style noise, the D&M Drive can do the job.
Drive Pedals
JOYO MAXIMUM
The Maximum guitar effects pedal from Joyo is a highly tweakable, dual-channel stomp that has enough tone-shaping options to scratch even the most consummate knob-fiddler’s insatiable itch. You get four dedicated control knobs—Tone, Gain Boost, and Volume—plus two toggle switches: one adjusts the mids EQ while the other lets you switch between MOSFET and diode clipping. Use the Drive channel for chunky, overdriven riffs then engage the Boost to make your solos cut through the mix.
JAM Pedals LucyDreamer Bass
The Jam Pedals LucyDreamer Bass is an ultra-versatile bass overdrive boasting tube amp-esque response and saturation. It carries a Mix knob that lets you find your ideal Wet/Dry signal ratio and a footswitch that alternates to a higher gain stage. The LucyDreamer Bass includes componentry and design variations which enable more low end to come through and move the sweet spot of the saturation to complement the register of the bass. It also consists of controls for Gain, Tone, Level, Dry/Wet Mix, and high gain footswitch.
J. Rockett Animal
The Animal is J. Rockett’s faithful reproduction of an overdriven 1960s Plexi tube amp. It features an enhanced gain structure to cover all the vintage Animal overdrive tones and more without requiring the Snarl Switch of the original Animal. It also boasts a touch-sensitive response from the utilization of your guitar’s volume control for dynamic playing. The Animal consists of Volume, Treble, Bass, and Gain knobs that are pretty easy to use, and regardless of where they are set, they produce a remarkable tone.
Rowin Tube Drive
The LN-328 Tube Drive is yet another drive stomp from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin that takes its tonal cues from the legendary Tube Screamer. It comes with two modes, Normal and Boost. The former is a very transparent low peak mode ideal for clean boosting. The latter, meanwhile, is a high peak mode with a more full-bodied low end. When you crank the Gain pot up in Boost mode, the drive tone also gets a little high and mid frequency boost.
Maxon 9-Series Overdrive
The OD-9 Overdrive from Maxon may look like your classic fave, but the similarities end there. Enhanced circuitry with the JRC4558 IC delivers that creamy, smooth, and dynamic overdrive fancied by guitarists. Level and Drive knobs adjust the volume and intensity, while Hi Boost/Hi Cut tone controls set the brightness from smooth and warm to red-hot. From mild boosts to outrageous roars, the OD-9 gives you the most extensive range of valuable, noticeably tube sounds available.
Lehle Sunday Driver
Maximize your guitar tone with the Sunday Driver by Lehle. This high-end preamp comes in a portable footprint. It boasts JFET-based circuitry and gives you two operation modes. It eradicates signal loss through effects and leads, keeping your signal clear and strong. Position the Sunday Driver preamp between your amp and pedals, select the Driver setting and get ready for tonal bliss—regardless of how many stompboxes you are running. With the Sunday Driver, your sound becomes fuller, livelier, and more dynamic.
ZVEX Channel 2
Despite the TV-sounding name and TV-inspired artwork, the Channel 2 actually takes its name from the second channel of Zvex’s Super Duper 2-in-1 boost pedal, which itself packs two Super Hard Ons into one box. This simple little pedal will give you the signature super clean boost of a SHO, but once you crank that gain knob up you’ll find yourself well inside tube amp-style overdrive country. The Channel 2 is part of Zvex’s California Mini pedal line.
Ibanez BB9 Bottom Booster
In an age of often highly complex technology, the simple, trustworthy, and durable stompbox remains the most widely utilized and efficient means to color, sustain, expand, mutate, twist, and distort tone. The Ibanez BB9 Bottom Booster gives you a thick bottom end with a powerful sound, suitable for those who wish to drive their amp into overdrive while preserving their low-end. The BB9 is meant to help clean tones reverberate further and deliver more intensity to a sound. Couple it with a distortion pedal for an extensive selection of tone colors.
Mosky Mini Crunch Distortion
Like the Crunch Red, the Crunch distortion stomp from budget guitar effects pedal brand Mosky Audio takes its tonal cues from MI Audio’s venerable Crunch Box pedal. The Crunch, however, is a much simplified version of both the original and its similarly named cousin. It’s small and sports only one control knob, but don’t let that fool you; the Crunch can pump out anything from rip-roaring riff crunch through to scorching hot distortion and all points in between.
EMMA Electronic PisdiYAUwot
Emma Electronic’s PisdiYAUwot is a metal pedal built to create super-fast and -tight distortion that cuts through with supreme definition. It comes in a standard EMMA aluminum box with a lightning bolt and badass skull graphic. It carries two red LEDs which light up like eyes when you engage the effect. The PisdiYAUwot consists of five controls that cover Gain, Treble, Level, Bass, and Mid. It is a must hear if you are big on metal or heavy riffing rock.
Death by Audio Absolute Destruction
The Absolute Destruction is arguably Death by Audio’s most insane pedal yet. Showing little-to-no respect for your instrument’s natural sound, or even how most individuals want them to sound like, Death by Audio pushed this device until it appeared disgusting. You can achieve that thick, gnarly fuzz tone that sounds marvelous. The Absolute Destruction features OVERLOAD and GAIN sliders that interact to provide an enormous range of unique sounds in different positions. It’s up to you how much to distort your sound.
NUX Cerberus
The NUX Cerberus is an ultra-versatile effect pedal that you can utilize as a standalone device to ready your setup or with the four cable method. It comes loaded with innovative features such as IR loader, inside routing, analog overdrive, distortion and digital effects. The Cerberus also includes a MIDI control for organizing your effect pedals while also enhancing your effects control. NUX combined two analog drive/distortion pedals, delay & reverb effects, and modulation effects. These effects and sounds have been improvised from timeless and new gears.
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.
Vick Audio Black Russian
The Vick Audio Black Russian classic reproduction series features slightly less sustain and is smoother compared to its American cousins. It is prized among guitarists and bassists looking for a smooth, refined fuzz with an incredible low-end response. The Black Russian consists of controls for Sustain, Tone, and Volume. It also carries a switch for three midrange selections scooped (stock) as well as boosted and flat mids. The Black Russian comes in a powder-coated aluminum chassis.
Keeley Rotten Apple
The Rotten Apple from Keeley Electronics is a righteously ‘90s-sounding op-amp fuzz stomp that draws heavy inspiration from the thick, cutting, and very aggressive tone popularized by the Smashing Pumpkins on their pre-2000s fuzzed-out masterpieces. On top of the three basic Loud, Buzz, and Tone knobs you get a three-position switch that lets you control the tone further. Set it to Full for added bottom end, Scoop to cut some mids, and Flat to leave the EQ unaltered.
Death by Audio Robot
The Death by Audio Robot is a fun, lo-fi 8-bit pitch transposer without any emotion. It is purely synthetic and makes every input a puree of resynthesized robot jargon. The Robot consists of a Rotary Selector (Normal, Octave Down, Octave Up, and Arpeggiator) as well as Control and Volume knobs. Volume controls the master volume while the Control adjusts the pitch of the effect. The Robot’s four switchable modes will bring you through a set of synth-like freakouts.
Walrus Audio Jupiter V2
Gritty, thick, and most importantly, loud. That’s the kind of fuzz tone that boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio was shooting for when they made the Jupiter fuzz box, and as the resulting stompbox itself shows, they hit the bullseye. V2 gives the Jupiter even more gain and an internal gate control trim pot for reining reining in any stray noises. The original Tone pot has also been updated to provide a better high end response.
Mojo Hand FX El Guapo
The El Guapo by Mojo Hand FX is a nasty, gnarly fuzz featuring an extensive range of sounds from classic and smooth to gated with octave-like overtones. Handcrafted in the USA using only top-grade components, the El Guapo is capable of withstanding life on the road and sounds exceptional each time you step on it. It consists of controls for Gain, Volume, Cut, and Starve. It also features a one-button footswitch operation, LED indicator light, and standard 1/4” jacks.
Fender Engager Boost
Whether you are looking for a thicker tone or more volume, the Engager Boost from Fender is the perfect clean boost pedal. The onboard three-band EQ allows you to dial in your tone to cut through the mix, while the Frequency switch enables you to choose the middle frequency range, perfect for dead-on tone sculpting. The Engager Boost is suitable for boosting your signal into a tube amp’s preamp, beefing up your tone. Buffered and true bypass modes guarantee that this pedal works exceptionally in any rig.
Vemuram Budi
Clean boost pedals don’t get more boutique than the Vemuram Budi Boost. Use it to push your amp’s front end and make your solos soar to the top of the mix or keep it always on to give your overall guitar sound some extra juice. You can cut or boost your bass and treble frequencies using the Budi’s dedicated Bass and Treble mini pots and use the Level control to either match your amp’s volume or to cut through the mix.
Walrus Audio Emissary
Make your solos soar over the mix or push your tube amp into natural breakup territory with the Emissary parallel dual boost box from boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio. It features two independent boost circuits that can be run in parallel or independently. The Bright boost circuit packs a high headroom, JFET-powered boost. The Mid boost is a more targeted one that you can set to either 1kHz or 800Hz via a toggle switch. Use the Bright and Mid pots to dial in the output level of each circuit.
Black Cat Pedals OD-Boost
The OD-Boost is a two-channel boost/overdrive pedal combining the OD-1 with a clean boost circuit. Both channels can be utilized individually or together simultaneously. The OD-Boost is a dynamic, robust, and extremely loud pedal that lets you find and explore the best grades of raw, unprocessed dirt. The pedal carries VOLUME and DRIVE knobs for the OD channel, and a BOOST knob to adjust the Boost channel’s level. The Boost and OD channels complement each other well, with several valuable combinations possible by changing the order of the channels and blending the circuits.
Orange Two Stroke
Two Stroke is Orange’s take on the classic clean boost pedal, boasting increased flexibility. With an active dual parametric equalizer coupled with up to 12dB of output boost, the Two Stroke serves as an exceptional tool for fine-tuning your sound or driving the front end of your amp with unparalleled control. The dual-parametric active EQ enables anything from wide, mild cuts and boosts to narrow dips or peaks. The Two Stroke also features transparent buffered bypass and internal charge pump.
Tom’sline AGR3S Michael Angelo Batio
Rounding out the Michael Angelo Batio signature line of essential stompboxes is the Vintage Overdrive, a versatile drive pedal with a built-in Boost mode. Dial in a rich, saturated vintage overdrive tone and use it to play rhythm under Normal mode then switch to Boost mode to make your solos pop. The Vintage Overdrive features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
Xotic BB Plus
The BB Plus from boutique guitar effects pedal company Xotic is a dual channel boost and overdrive preamp stomp that boasts amazing tonal transparency. Channel A houses the heart of the original BB Preamp and packs the same amp-like tones that made the BB Preamp famous. Channel B, meanwhile, features one of Xotic’s most veratile booster circuits ever with its own three-band EQ stack. Go combo with Channel A, plexi with Channel B, or stack both in any order you want.
Joyo Boogie Master
The JF-309 Boogie Master guitar effects pedal from Joyo is a Mesa Boogie amp sim that gives you that trademark “roided-out Marshall” sound without having to spend over a thousand bucks on an actual Mesa Boogie amp. Crank the Drive knob up for a high-gain Mesa sound or stay clean to hew closer to a Boogie. The JF-309 Boogie Master 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.
Radial Bassbone OD
Many players, including Bootsy Collins and Victor Wooten, rely on Radial for exceptional tone with or without an amplifier, and same goes with the Bassbone OD. It is a bass preamp pedal that provides you with two instrument input channels that feature passive EQ, level control, and low-frequency filter for sculpting your bass tone. Multiple outputs allow you to feed PA pre/post EQ, send a signal to a pedal, and connect to your amp on stage simultaneously with several instruments.
Radial Tonebone PZ-Pre
The Tonebone PZ-Pre from Radial Engineering serves up amazingly natural-sounding acoustic preamplification. This feature-packed onstage must-have incorporates a three-band EQ, variable notch filter, and filter. It allows you to kill feedback easily and rapidly. Individual piezo boosters on each channel provide some kick to your pickup-equipped acoustic instrument. The Tonebone PZ-Pre gives you great connection options and foot-switchable functionality. It also features a tuner out with footswitch mute and individual post- and pre-EQ DI outs for checking and FOH connections.
Two Notes Le Crunch
Two Notes’ Le Crunch dual channel preamp pedal packs the classic vintage crunch attack of a Marshall amp stack—the defining sound of rock’n’roll. Channel A is pure plexi overdrive, while channel B kicks things up into a higher gear with more gain and a powerful post-gain EQ. 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.
MOOER 016 Phoenix
Mooer Audio’s Micro Preamp line of guitar effects pedals is all about giving shoestring budget shoegazers easy and affordable access to the legendary tones served up by classic and boutique amp models. The Mooer 016 Phoenix, in particular, is based on the German Engl Fireball amp. Its modern, dark mid-range gain sound makes it a perfect stomp for chunky metal riffs and screaming shred leads. It comes with two channels as well as volume, gain, low, mid, and high controls. It also features a cab sim on and off switch.
Tech 21 Boost RVB
Looking for that something extra to push your sound over the edge and into new sonic landscapes? Tech 21 gives musicians a high quality reverb and clean boost in one analog road-tough stompbox with the Tech 21 Boost RVB guitar effects pedal. The Boost RVB’s reverb section serves up a plethora of spacey, vintage voiced reverb effects that decay naturally, even when you abruptly switch the pedal off. On the boost side, the Boost RVB gives you a shot of up to 9dB of boost to help you cut through the mix.
Carl Martin Hydra Boost
Flaunting a classic, pedalboard-friendly design, the Carl Martin Hydra Boost delivers a clean, 15dB low noise boost. It will give you some extra clean dB’s to boost your input on your amp for more sustain and bite. You can also utilize it to drive your distortion pedals for extraordinary results. The Carl Martin Hydra Boost features a 9V battery adapter, high bright blue LED indicator, rugged housing, vintage style pointer knob, and low noise design.
NUX Lacerate
A tiny pedal with a ginormous boost, the Lacerate FET Boost from NUX features two bypass modes (True Bypass or Buffer Bypass), two boost options, and a simple control-knob. Its surprisingly simple user interface comes from NUX’s intricate dual FET circuit design. It allows you the choice between two boosting modes: Clean and Crank. The Lacerate FET Boost pedal includes an integrated voltage-doubler that automatically converts 9V to 18V, providing you with massive headroom and dynamic.
J. Rockett Steampunk
Easy yet ultra-versatile, the J. Rockett Steampunk is an exceptional two-in-one Buffer Booster. The Buffer is great for addressing impedance issues caused by employing big boards and long cables. It will let you save your tone and recover any high end loss. An LED indicator watches the Buffer control while it is in phase. The Boost feature gives a clean 20+ Db push to your effects and amps. The Steampunk can also take perfectly clean tones and impart clarity and sustain.
J. Rockett Archer
The J. Rockett Archer is a versatile overdrive/boost featuring exceptional headroom meant to help you cut through the mix. You may utilize it as merely a clean boost by turning down the gain. The Archer pedal packs the coveted K-style harmonic saturation and lots of clean output. This handbuilt pedal boasts excellent dynamics and sensitivity. Responsive, organic, and versatile, the Archer comes in a classic silver enclosure with a crimson three-knob design. It can be powered by a 9-volt battery.
Black Cat Pedals OD-Boost
The OD-Boost is a two-channel boost/overdrive pedal combining the OD-1 with a clean boost circuit. Both channels can be utilized individually or together simultaneously. The OD-Boost is a dynamic, robust, and extremely loud pedal that lets you find and explore the best grades of raw, unprocessed dirt. The pedal carries VOLUME and DRIVE knobs for the OD channel, and a BOOST knob to adjust the Boost channel’s level. The Boost and OD channels complement each other well, with several valuable combinations possible by changing the order of the channels and blending the circuits.
Modulation Pedals
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.
Walrus Audio Julia
Boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio’s Julia pedal is a feature-rich and extremely flexible analog chorus and vibrato box that can dish out everything from a calm, smooth and recognizable chorus and vibe mix to a wildly thrashing, seasickness inducing vibrato with a splash of unique chorus notes. Switchable analog LFO wave shapes add extra tonal versatility to the Julia’s arsenal of sound, while a special Lag pot further extends the Julia’s sonic boundaries.
ammoon Chorus
The Nano Chorus from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Ammoon is a tiny chorus stomp perfect for travel, compact, or crowded pedalboards. It serves up a lush analog chorus powered by an MN3207 bucket brigade device chip. You get the typical mix of chorus pedal control knobs: Level controls the dry/wet signal mix, Rate handles oscillation speed, and Depth is for the effect’s intensity. The Nano Chorus doesn’t have an EQ or tone pot, but it does have a two-position Deep/Normal voicing switch that lets you tweak the tone further.
Keeley Seafoam Chorus
Keeley went above and beyond when developing the Seafoam chorus guitar effects pedal. It features what Keeley calls “True Chorus,” a new type of chorus effect that adds second and third voices that have a slight difference in timing and pitch characteristics from your original tone. This creates a more organic, more real-sounding chorus effect compared to a straight-up copy of your original signal. Add a touch of reverb with the Space knob and switch between modern and vintage voicings to explore new sonic soundscapes.
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.
Caline CP-13 Super Chorus
The Caline CP-13 Super Chorus guitar effects pedal is an all-analog classic chorus stompbox that gives you a wide range of different chorus tones. Versatile, reliable, and quiet as a whisper, the CP-13 is the perfect chorus pedal for guitarists working with a shoestring budget. Its two-knob Depth and Rate controls let you create surprisingly versatile chorus effects that fatten up and enhance your guitar’s sound. The Caline Cp-13 Super Chorus comes with a true bypass feature.
WMD Protostar
“Maker of the most powerful and versatile envelope filter on Earth” is a tough claim to prove, but WMD does just that with the Protostar. This so-called harmonic density engine packs quite the list of features. It has a built-in LFO, four different filter modes, a full-featured CV patch bay, and an input jack for an expression pedal / CB. It even tightens up your tone with an onboard compressor section and extends your control further via a dry / wet mix knob.
Dwarfcraft Devices Attack Release Filter
Dwarfcraft Devices’ Attack Release Filter (ARF) guitar effect pedal is packed full of envelope filter goodness. Prolonged swells? Abrupt jumps? The ARF’s got them. This momentary soft-stomp envelope filter features adjustable attack and release controls, letting you serve up everything from far-out synthy tones to more familiar wah-type sounds whenever you want. Stop relying on pick dynamic-controlled stomps that never work as you want them to; the ARF gives you all the control you need.
CNZ Audio Crush Bit
The CNZ Audio Crush Bit Guitar Effects Pedal offers tremendous classic sine wave bit crushing effects. It features a triple Toggle switch that you can utilize to change between three unique settings. Every setting has its frequency range, selecting between low, mid, and high. An extensive range of bit crushing sounds can be found between these settings. The pedal carries a Crush knob for adjusting the Crush effect’s tone, Filter knob for controlling the amount of distortion from the pedal, and Mix knob for adjusting the pressure effect in your sound.
Mad Professor Hand-Wired Tiny Orange Phaser
The Tiny Orange Phaser from Mad Professor serves up everything from floating vibe-like tones to classic phase effects. Thanks to its premium quality parts and exquisite construction, the Tiny Orange Phaser gives you a very balanced and highly musical tone. You also get a choice between two very different phaser tones—a light and bright one and a deep tone with a fat low end—using a rotary switch knob. The Tiny Orange Phaser is hand-made and hand-wired in Finland using only top-quality components.
Electro-Harmonix Riddle
Few envelope filter effects pedals can come close to the tone-shaping power and precision that the Riddle: Q-Balls For Guitar brings to the table. This envelope filter pedal from Electro-Harmonix lets you dial in some truly expressive and funky tones using adjustable Q, sweep range, and filter type. Plug in an expression pedal and you get even more control over the Q frequency’s sweeps. There’s also a dedicated Distortion effect that can dish out everything from a subtle bite to an all-out crush.
Death by Audio Evil Fuzz/Filter
The Evil Fuzz/Filter from Death by Audio sounds great with your guitar, synth, or amplified skateboard. It is absolutely psychotic destruction with blooming inverted compression. The CV/Expression in lets you adjust the filter in sync with an arpeggiating synth or manage it using an expression pedal. The Evil Filter is a combination of fuzz/filter with chaos factor that surpasses the sum of its chaotic parts. While you can use filtering and fuzz individually, the two effects are sonic co-conspirators.
TC Electronic Vortex
The Vortex Flanger by TC Electronic brings flanging to a different dimension. It consists of controls for Delay Time, Feedback, Depth, and Speed, taking you through an extensive range of flanging, from subtle to jet engine extremes. Its innovative Feedback knob lets you dial in both negative and positive feedback for very different tone styles. It also includes a toggle switch for choosing from vintage tape-esque warble to modern flanging. Set the toggle switch in the center position to access a TonePrint flanger style.
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.
NUX Flanger Core
The Flanger Core by NUX lets you pick between two kinds of flanger effect: Tape and Normal. It features a true bypass design, tone lock function for preventing incorrect operation and a preset save or recall. Effects like chilling vibrato, resonance modification, rotating speakers, jet sounds, and intensified studio flanging with two modes. The Flanger Core comes in an aluminum alloy enclosure, boasting solid construction. It consists of four control knobs: Feedback, Width, Depth, and Rate.
TC Electronic Stereo Chorus+
The TC Electronic SCF Stereo Chorus+ Pitch Modulator and Flanger features three distinct effects—pitch modulation, flange, and chorus—with comprehensive parameter control that allows you to effortlessly dial in the very sound that fits your needs, from intense vibrato/tremolo effects to heavy-duty flanging to the ultimate clean chorus. It boasts a silkiness unrivaled by digital gear. It also has an onboard preamp/line driver that lets it work in a full range of applications and also helps minimize signal loss along lengthy cables. Other features include remote bypass and an overload LED.
Digitech Nautila
Create soothing rhythmic waves or unique tidal swirls with the DigiTech Nautila flanger and chorus pedal for your keyboard and electric guitar. It features Drift and Voice controls that let you add up to four flanger voices or eight chorus voices, and then combine and morph these waveforms at will. You can increase the modulation speed using the momentary footswitch. Individual Mix, Voices, Emphasis, Depth, and Speed controls shape your waves into soupy foam or clean curls. The Nautila’s rugged construction, stereo inputs and outputs, true bypass, and silent switching make it as practical as it is innovative.
NUX MOD Core DELUXE
The Mod Core Deluxe from NUX is a pro-quality modulation effects pedal featuring eight modulation effects (Phaser, Chorus, Pan, Flanger, Tremolo, U-vibe, Rotary, and Vibrato) with two kinds of algorithms suiting the needs of every musician for sound enhancement and colorization. Add-in Depth and Rate controls to adjust the primary parameters and Tweak knob to set relevant parameters for every effect, and you get more tone-sculpting possibilities compared to other modulation pedals. The Mod Core Deluxe includes a tone lock function to prevent improper operation.
Electro Harmonix Nano Small Stone
The Small Stone made waves when it Electro-Harmonix released it in the ‘70s, and now the 21st century has its own full-bodied, three-dimensional phaser pedal in the form of the Small Stone Nano Analog Phase Shifter. A simple two-knob interface lets you add a dash of swirl to your sound or crank it up for jet plane wooshes. The Small Stone Nano perfectly captures the sound of its bigger predecessor in a small, extremely pedalboard-friendly body.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dweller
The Dweller Phase Repeater by Old Blood Noise Endeavors boasts the ability to remember, be it familiar vibe and phase sounds or resonant random step filtering, warm delays, and formerly unheard in-betweens. It is capable of infinite sonic textures with six modes and five controls. It carries toggle switches for choosing between three wave shapes (triangle, sine, and random step) and two phaser voices (eight stage and four stage). The Dweller also consists of Rate, Depth, and Regen controls for shaping the phaser’s sound.
Electro-Harmonix Stereo Polyphase
The Stereo Polyphase analog optical envelope and LFO phase shifter gives you cascading stereo phase shifts that are out of this world. This Electro-Harmonix XO unit uses optocouplers for a smooth, liquid tone and features selectable LFO and envelope follower modes. Tone sculpting is made easy by user-defined start and stop ranges as well as a feedback resonance control switch, plus the Stereo Polyphase’s optical circuitry makes it very responsive to most hot instruments, including keyboards.
Joyo Nebulous
The JF-328 Nebulous Phase guitar effects pedal from Joyo packs a big analog phase punch in a small, budget-friendly unit. Phase-heads get a lot of tonal control with this four-stage phaser thanks to a trio of knobs that control Speed, Width (Joyo’s name for Depth knobs), and Feedback. As an Ironman pedal, the JF-328 is small enough to fit in your pocket and comes with a flip cover for keeping the control knobs safe from stray stomps.
Chase Bliss Audio Wombtone mkII
The Wombtone mkII from Chase Bliss Audio is a highly versatile pedal, and as with other Chase Bliss pedals, it delivers exceptional control and fine tuning. This pedal allows you to determine the waveform of the modulation, has several DIP switches for a maximum in control of the unit, and a tap tempo with a small toggle for setting the time value. The Wombtone mkII also includes a tap/midi output jack and expression/CV input jack.
ZVex Vibrophase
The Vibrophase is actually based on a candle-powered vibrato / phaser machine called the Candela that Zvex mastermind Zachary Vex created a few years back. Fans loved the Candela’s swirling sounds, so Zvex created the Vibropahse. From classic analog phase to Uni-vibe textures and otherworldly pulses, the Vibrophase’s sonic palette is pure bliss. Zvex’s Vexter line of silk-screened pedals feature the exact same tone, features, and parts as their hand-painted counterparts. The only differences are the painting process and the price. The more “standard” vertical orientation of the Vibrophase Vertical also makes it easier to slot this pedal into your pedalboard.
Electro-Harmonix Holy Stain
The Holy Stain is notable for being Electro-Harmonix’s first true multi-effects pedal, and they really went all out. You get Room and Hall reverb, pitch shifting, and tremolo effects bolstered by analog overdrive and fuzz for creating a truly unique and rich sonic stew. The Holy Stain is like manna from heaven for true knob-twiddling aficionados, as all of its control dials dynamically interact with each other for an even wider range of custom tones and sounds.
Fender Tre-Verb
The Fender Tre-Verb puts individual reverb and tremolo effects at your feet within a portable, user-friendly pedal. Fender has incorporated vintage reverb voicings based on its famed ’63 and ’65 spring reverb units as well as several tremolo modes to ensure you can achieve your ideal sound for your music. A comprehensive set of tone-shaping controls makes the Tre-Verb sonically versatile, while stereo inputs and outputs guarantee it is convenient to connect to any amp or pedalboard.
ZVex Vexter Sonar
Calling the Sonar tremolo pedal from boutique guitar effects pedal company Zvex “versatile” is an understatement. It does everything a more traditional tremolo pedal can do, but it also has some unique tricks up its sleeves. The Sonar can sound amazingly transparent but it can also chop your signal into absolute silence, slow down or speed up the tempo, and even duty cycle. Zvex’s Vexter line of silk screened pedals feature the exact same tone, feature set, and internal parts and circuits as their hand-painted counterparts. The only differences are the painting process and the price.
EarthQuaker Devices Hummingbird V4
EarthQuaker Devices’ Hummingbird repeat percussion tremolo pedal is an absolute beast when it comes to adding tremolo textures to your sound. Pick between the Slow, Mid-Tempo, and Fast modes then play around with the Rate and Depth control knobs to dish out everything from classic shimmering tremolo effects to helicopter chops and abrupt, synth-like pulses. V4 adds Flexi-Switch capability, which means the footswitch can act as both a latching and a momentary-type switch. Plug in an external expression pedal and you get even more freedom of control over the tremolo rate.
Diamond Tremolo
The Diamond Tremolo features an all-analog signal path leveraging an optoisolator like the 60’s vintage tube amps. The analog signal path is coupled with a microprocessor controller to give you a range of quirky features. The Tremolo boasts a double speed switch and multiple selectable waveforms, from sine and sharkfin wave to square wave and chop. That is comparable with the Empress Tremolo regarding its shaping ability but has a bit more far-out settings.
Supro SF2
Featuring the dual footswitch Reverb and Tremolo on/off remote for just about any Supro combo amp—the Supro SF2. It requires a TRS cable (not included) to connect to an amp. It boasts a rugged metal construction and a two-button format that turns Reverb and Tremolo on or off remotely. It is compatible with Rhythm Master, Tremo-verb, Royal Reverb, Titan, Saturn, and Jupiter guitar amps. With the SF2, you get full control over your Supro tube combo electric guitar amp’s reverb and tremolo effects.
EarthQuaker Devices Aqueduct
Wobbles, trills, pulsations, bends, squiggles, and wiggles—you get all these and more with EarthQuaker Devices’ Aqueduct pitch vibrato guitar effects pedal. This vintage-inspired stompbox uses eight different modulation modes to serve up almost any kind of pitch vibrato effect your mind can think of. Its intuitive and easy-to-use interface features only three knobs: one for Rate, another for Depth, and a rotary selector for picking the modulation mode—but those three are really all you need to break new sonic boundaries.
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.
Eventide ModFactor
When it comes to modulation effects, Eventide’s ModFactor multi-effects pedal is the pinnacle. You get all the classics—Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Rotary, Tremolo, and Vibrato—plus a couple of unique Eventide effects. There’s the dreamy, pulsating Undulator, which combines two delays, two detuned voices, and a tremolo effect. Also included is a RIngMod effect that adds futuristic bell-like overtones to your sound. The ModFactor can hold up to 100 presets, has true analog bypass, and supports real-time control via MIDI or expression pedal.
ZVEX Vexter Instant Lo-Fi Junky
Boutique guitar effects pedal company Zvex built the Instant Lo-Fi Junky to replicate the crazy low fidelity sounds of the Lo-Fi Loop Junky in real time. That in itself is impressive enough, but the Instant Lo-Fi Junky actually ups the ante by giving you full control over the dry and wet signal blend. Zvex’s Vexter line of silk screened pedals feature the exact same tone, feature set, and internal parts and circuits as their hand-painted counterparts. The only differences are the painting process and the price.
Strymon Mobius
The Strymon Mobius packs twelve iconic modulation effects into a convenient guitar effects pedal. Handcrafted from the best components available, it brings together twelve of the most expressive, versatile, and organic modulation effects ever existed. Each vintage effect has been painstakingly emulated and then expanded upon to enhance versatility and broaden sonic possibilities. The Mobius is equipped with 200 inbuilt presets enabling the perfect modulation sound to be recorded and recalled at any time. That function is also controllable by a MIDI foot pedal to streamline the process.
Donner Mod Square
The Donner Mod Square is a modulation pedal that lets you have seven modulation effects, including Flanger, Vibrato, Rotary, Tremolo, Phaser, Chorus A, and Chorus B, to add musical color to your tone. It comes in an aluminium-alloy chassis consists of three function knobs (Rate, Depth, and E.Level) for setting the effect level. Use the E.Level control to adjust the effect level, Depth for the effect depth, and Rate to set the effect speed. Mod Square also features a true bypass switch and an LED indicator that displays the working state.
Walrus Audio Descent
Walrus Audio’s Descent pedal is a three-mode reverb unit that lets you switch between Hall, Reverse, and Shimmer modes. Were it really gets interesting is that you can also mix in +1 and -1 octaves into each mode’s reverb effect. Hall mode can let you smoothly transition between small room and large hall echoes, Reverse mode comes with pre-delay time controls, and Shimmer mode brings the octave mix to the forefront to create a shimmering wall of reverberating sound.
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper V2
EarthQuaker Devices’s Hoof Reaper double fuzz with octave up guitar effects pedal dumps a lot of fuzz power right at your feet. This unholy hybrid of the popular Hoof and Tone Reaper stompboxes already puts out massive levels of thick, meaty fuzz, and then EarthQuaker went ahead and added an old-school analog octave up function. Each effect can be used alone or in a series, plus in V2 the octave effect features Flexi-Switch technology so you can use it as both a latching and a momentary-type footswitch.
Greer Amps Super Hornet
Based on the famous FOXX Tone Machine, the Super Hornet by Greer Amps is a shop favorite regarding fuzz and all things octave. Greer Amps has taken the fundamental building blocks of the original circuit, modified it, added some special flavor in the design by leveraging NOS BC-107B transistors, and placed an extra feature in the mix. The Super Hornet is constructed with a familiar interface of Fuzz, Volume, and Tone controls with a dual-mode switch. The Stinger switch enables momentary octave when you engage the fuzz.
T-Rex Quint Machine
While standard octave doubling is nice, throwing in a fifth up and providing all three modulated sounds with a separate volume control unlocks a different world. The Quint Machine by T-Rex Engineering lets you emulate an organ, 12-string, or synth sound. Eliminate your dry signal and sound like a synth merely possessing that lonely heart. Designed to give you more, the Quint Machine will keep you discovering new sounds for years. It consists of +1 Fifth, +1 Octave, -1 Octave, and Mix knobs.
Fuzzrocious Grey Stache with Octave Jawn Mod
The Fuzzrocious Grey Stache is built on the GGG-tuned and Civil War variants of a muff fuzz, building a flexible guitar and bass-friendly beast. It sports a CME exclusive orange and black polish. The tone stack boasts the capacity to flatten the mids for an even-keeled sound, scoop mids to enable a massive, deep sound, or boost the mids for a newer sound that lets one punch through in the mix as well as drive speakers. Dialing back the sustain can give more of an overdrive sound.
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.
Top Categories
Timing, Dynamics & EQ Pedals
Blackstar HT-DELAY
Featuring eight different delays within a single unit, the Blackstar HT-DELAY tube delay pedal can bring you from classic analog and linear full bandwidth effects to vintage and multi-head tape delays, along with two versatile loop modes. The unique SATURATION knob lets you add harmonics and real tube compression, while the TAP/LOOP footswitch allows easy control. The eight delay effects include Loop 1, Loop 2, Multihead 1, Multihead 2, Space, Tape, Linear, and Analogue.
Mooer Repeater
If there’s one thing a digital delay should be, it’s transparent. It should be able to repeat the exact sound you play without adding any tonal colorations or tracking issues. Budget stomp maker Mooer’s Repeater guitar effects pedal does just that on its Normal mode setting. If you feel more adventurous, try the Kill Dry mode to remove the original signal entirely and play only the repeats. The Repeater also has a Mod mode that adds a layer of modulation for a spacey, chorus-like delay.
EBS DynaVerb Guitar Edition
The EBS DynaVerb Guitar Edition employs a 24-bit digital processing circuitry for noiseless and excellent performance both in the recording studio and on stage. It is optimized for use with your guitar and offers Room, Hall, and Plate types as well as controls for Tone and Reverb. The Hall reverb provides two variations while Plate and Room can work in three variations, creating a total of eight unique reverbs. The DynaVerb Guitar Edition is among the three first released products in EBS’ Red Label Pedals for guitar.
T-Rex Replicator
The Replicator Tape Echo by T-Rex Engineering captures authentic tape echo sound quality within a portable pedal, equipped with magnetic heads, a motor, and replaceable tape cartridge. Handmade in Denmark, the Replicator boasts modern functionalities making it more like a standalone instrument instead of merely a sound effect. Pure analog signal provides the sound with an overall classic warmth. The Replicator Tape Echo consists of controls for Delay Time, Delay Level, Feedback, Saturate, Chorus, and Master Volume.
Digitech Jam Man
DigiTech’s JamMan Stereo Looper boasts the ability to save 35 minutes of CD-quality loops within 99 internal memories and an SD memory card expansion slot that allows you to store more than 16 hours of material in an added 99 slots. It also includes reverse playback, true stereo looping, and a mic input making it suitable for DJ applications and backing tracks. The JamMan Stereo has USB connectivity and will sync to the JamManager XT software which organizes and records your JamMan Stereo loops to your Mac or PC.
JHS Pedals Lucky Cat (Black)
A straightforward digital delay/echo complete with everything you need and nothing unnecessary. The Lucky Cat Delay is equipped with standard controls, including Mix, Time, Darken (EQ), Repeats, and Ratio knobs as well as a Modulation toggle. Mod 1 is a mild modulation that adds the perfect amount of movement to the delay, while Mod 2 is a deeper modulation that provides a seasick sound for where you want drenched in modulation. The Lucky Cat also includes a dip switch for Digital Clean/Vintage Tape tones.
Keeley Hooke Reverb
Vintage, tube-amp style spring reverb and tremolo effects in a box. The Keeley Hooke Neo-Vintage Spring Reverberator guitar effects pedal has enough reverb-shaping tools to drown in. It features a three-position toggle that lets you engage three different reverb modes: classic Spring reverb, a trippy Trem-Verb, and a church organ-like Fugue effect. Open the Hooke up and you can access an internal switch that enables three more reverb modes: a Trem-Verb with longer decay, spring-plate reverb, and a vibro-spring effect.
T-Rex Creamer
T-Rex formed the Creamer Reverb pedal to be incredibly easy to operate with adequate room for tweaking, so you will not feel limited in your quest for the sonic counterpart of Grand Canyon or that tiny room you often visit daily. Instead of digitizing your precious guitar signal, the Creamer blends the reverb sound with the analog dry signal. It consists of Decay, Tone, and Reverb controls. It also boasts three distinct reverb algorithms that you can tailor to suit your preference using the knobs.
EarthQuaker Devices Ghost Echo V3
The Ghost Echo vintage voiced reverb guitar effects pedal, a chimeric cross between analog and digital, is based on classic spring reverb units but is just as capable of dishing out cavernous hall-type reverb effects and rockabilly slapback delays. For its V3 update, EarthQuaker Devices kitted out the Ghost Echo with upgraded low-noise op-amps, twice the reverb signal output compared to the V2, and a recalibrated Dwell control knob that can trigger self-oscillations when cranked to the max.
Fuzzrocious Afterlife Reverb v2
Afterlife is a Fuzzrocious reverb pedal that looks extra exciting and does more than your average vintage reverb pedal. The Afterlife Reverb v2 sports a CME exclusive orange and black finish. You may set the repeats for short decay to full, shimmery oscillation. You can also plug other pedals into the loop to impact the wet [reverb] signal path’s sound. The Afterlife Reverb v2 comes with a simplified control set consisting of Repeats and Mix knobs, and a left footswitch sending the signal straight to oscillation.
Caline Snake Bite Reverb
The Caline CP-26 Snake Bite Ambient Reverb guitar effects pedal is an affordable slimline stomp with a six-knob interface that gives you full tone-shaping control over your sound. Dial in a reverb mode with the RES knob, shape the tone with the CFR knob, and add a little warmth with the LPF knob. Then, use the PRD knob to set the delay time, the MIX knob to control the amount of reverb, and the DECAY knob to set the reverb’s decay length. The Caline CP-26 Snake Bite Ambient Reverb comes with a true bypass feature.
Dwarfcraft Devices Treeverb
With Hall, Pitch, and Modulated reverb modes, the Treeverb reverb guitar effect pedal from Dwarfcraft Devices that can dish out anything from traditional reverb tones to spaced-out sonic insanity. Hall is the most traditional of the modes and features dedicated Length, Pre-Dela, and Tone controls. Pitch adds dual pitch shifters into the mix, one set an octave up and the other an octave down. Modulated is where things get spacey; it’s a far-out reverb with a layering of chorus on the wet signal.
Keeley Aria
Two of Keeley’s most popular effects, combined in one stompbox. The Keeley Aria guitar effects pedal marries Keeley’s highly-transparent compressor circuit with the touch-sensitive overdrive circuit that powers the Red Dirt pedal. There’s a lot of versatility in this box; you get seven dedicated control knobs, plus the Drive channel has switchable low- and high-gain modes. Oh, and you can choose to put the compressor before or after the drive effect and even insert some other pedals between them.
JAM Pedals Dyna-ssoR
The Dyna-ssoR is the fulfillment of Jam Pedals’ dream to combine an MXR DynaComp with a Ross Compressor, that’s why it is named as such. You can use the Dyna-ssoR either as an endless sustainer for soaring, overdriven humbucking tones or a squashing compressor for tight single coil-driven funk grooves. It features true bypass as well as Sustain and Level knobs. It runs on a nine-volt battery or 9V boss-type DC adaptor (negative tip). The Dyna-ssoR represents Jam Pedals’ commitment to crafting well-tuned circuits.
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.
Truetone Route 66
The Comp 66’s silky smooth compression and the Route 808’s wide-range overdrive made them two of Visual Sound’s most popular releases. Following the company’s rebrand into Truetone, they’ve taken another look at these two classic stompboxes and given them the modernized reboot they deserve in the form of the Route 66. Aide from combining the functions of the Comp 66 and the Route 808, the Route 66 dual pedal features true bypass switching, independent compression and overdrive inputs and outputs, and clean mix knobs for maximum blending control.
MXR Studio Compressor
The Studio Compressor by MXR gives you recording-quality compression within a pedalboard-friendly package. It boasts Constant Headroom Technology and true bypass switching for clear, transparent performance. It consists of Ratio, Release, Attack, Input, and Output knobs that allow you to fine-tune your compression level with visual feedback from a vibrant LED gain-reduction status meter. It comes in a sturdy, Phase 90-sized, lightweight aluminum enclosure. With the Studio Compressor, you get studio-style control over your guitar dynamics.
Diamond Bass Comp Jr
Just like the original BCP1, the Diamond Bass Comp Jr provides a similar high-quality optical compression as well as a simple yet efficient Tilt style EQ control featuring selectable center frequency (250Hz or 900Hz), increased frequency response and high headroom to fit various active or passive 4/5/6 string basses. All that within a more compact and pedalboard-friendly enclosure compatible with a broader selection of pedalboard power supplies. The Bass Comp Jr features true bypass operation, bi-color LED, and premium audio components.
WMD Utility Parametric EQ
WMD’s Utility Parametric EQ is the perfect always-on pedal for sculpting your tone. Don’t let the simple three-band layout fool you; the Utility can a lot of power under its hood. The three frequency knobs let you dial in the filter’s center frequency; frequency ranges are 31Hz to 1.6kHz, 100Hz to 4.8kHz, and 300Hz to 16kHz. Each frequency pot also has its own dedicated Q and level dials for controlling the filter’s sharpness and the cut / boost, respectively.
Tom’sline Bass EQ Mini
Budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Tomsline’s Bass EQ stomp does exactly what it says on the tin: let you shape the overall EQ and tone of your bass signal. The five EQ bands—62.5Hz, 125Hz, 500Hz, 1KHz, 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 Bass EQ to brighten up your sound, build a heftier bottom end, or tame any unwanted frequencies in your signal.
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.
Joyo JF-11
The JF-11 6-Band EQ guitar effects pedal is a true workhorse when it comes to tone shaping. Make your highs stand out with more harmonic articulation, keep muddy mids from getting lost in the mix, or boost lows for additional bottom-end chunk. Its six EQ sliders each provide up to 18dB of boost or cut, plus each slider has its own LED indicator to make them easier to adjust while you’re on a dark stage.
Maxon GE601 Graphic Equalizer
The Maxon Reissue Series Graphic Equalizer pedal is the ideal accessory for guitarists who need accurate control of the tone of their instrument. Providing +/- 12 dB of boost or cut and covering six meticulously picked frequency bands from 100 Hz to 3.2 kHz, you may utilize the GE601 EQ as a level booster, feedback eliminator, tone filter, or pickup simulator. Maxon’s Reissue Series gives you the classic sonic palette that defined the tones of guitarists over the last three decades. Every model’s circuit is pure analog and housed in a durable chassis.
Rowin Equalizer Mini
Budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin’s LEF-317A GT EQ is a five-band EQ pedal that packs a lot of use and versatility in its tiny full metal shell. Each of the five bands’ frequency centers—100Hz, 250Hz, 630Hz, 1.6kHz, and 4kHz—can be boosted or cut by up to 18dB of adjustable gain. The GT E also features a dedicated master Volume control knob. Its tiny and unobtrusive design also makes it an ideal addition to compact or crowded pedalboards.
Utility Pedals
Rowin Power Tuner
Whether you’re practicing, recording, or performing, it’s important to always make sure that you instrument is in tune. LT-920 Power Tuner from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin is fast tuner with a large display whose chassis is small enough to fit even the most crowded pedalboards. Not only that, but it also pulls double duty as a power supply. The LT-920 Power Tuner can provide power to up to six 100mA pedals and upt to two 500mA 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.
MOOER Baby Tuner
The Baby Tuner is so small, light, and useful that you might never remove it from your pedalboard once you plug it in. This compact mini tuner from budget stomp master Mooer is lightning fast, meaning you spend more time actually performing than waiting for it to tell you whether or not your guitar is in tune. The big red and blue LED display also works well on dimly lit stages, and it has true bypass so you won’t have to worry about tone loss.
Donner DT-1
The Donner DT-1 is among the most affordable and best tuner pedals for both live and solo situations. Despite its price range, this chromatic tuner includes a true bypass and insane visibility. At first, it looks faded since it is different from what other tuners give you. You cannot clearly read the letter from afar, but you may still tune your string and recognize when you have hit the right spot. The whole screen becomes green when you are at the perfect frequency. The DT-1 is very handy if you love wandering around the stage.
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 Advance
The Pitchblack has become a favorite of amateurs and professionals across the globe. Korg has now introduced the new generation model—the Pitchblack Advance. It carries the roster’s easiest-to-read and largest display yet. Nearly twice the size of the earlier model’s display and leveraging high-brightness LEDs, you can view your tuning whether you are out in the bright sunlight or inside a dark club. You will also enjoy the option to utilize the Pitchblack Advance in regular, mirror, strobe, and half-strobe modes.
BOSS RC-30 Phrase Looper
Boss unveiled a new line of RC-series Loop Stations for the 10th anniversary of the original Loop Station, and the RC-30 is one of that line’s poster boys. The Boss RC-30 Loop Station is a twin pedal multitrack looper that comes with two synchronized stereo tracks, built-in loop effects, and a phantom power XLR input jack. The RC-30’s massive internal memory lets you record up to three hours, while a USB 2.0 port lets you import and export WAV files or save your loops to an external storage device.
Digitech Jamman Solo XT
After inventing looping many years back, the DigiTech JamMan Solo XT gives you the ultimate stereo looping experience. Increase the energy in your performance and gain new inspiration with almost infinite loops. Smooth transitions between looped phrases make the Solo XT an indispensable device for performing and composing. It features ten pre-loaded drum loops from Pat Mastelotto. Enjoy the stereo looping experience you desire from simple backing loops to complex loop layers with your band or by yourself. Polish your performance with Auto-Quantize, Auto-Record, three Stop modes, and adjustable BPMs.
Koogo Loop Station
A beautiful and powerful pedal, the Loop Station by Koogo allows you ten minutes of looping, infinite overdubs, delete, redo, and undo functions. It lets you select between Normal, Reverse, and 1/2 Speed modes. The Normal mode gives you normal loop speed, Reverse offers reverse play, while 1/2 Speed delivers half-speed playback recording. The Loop Station comes in a mini, convenient, and sturdy aluminum alloy enclosure. It includes true bypass and an LED indicator that displays the looper status.
Rowin Loop Station
The LN-332S Loop Station is a heavy-duty loop pedal with a teeny tiny form factor and a jaw-droppingly affordable price tag. Budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin packed the LN-332S Loop Station with an impressive feature set: it can record up to 10 minutes of audio; comes with unlimited overdubs; lets you undo, redo, and delete loops; and it lets you do all that using only a single footswitch. You can also export and import loops from and onto the LN-332S Loop Station via USB.
Donner Looper
Make looping as easy as one-two-three with the Looper from Donner. It records your loops when you power down or remove the power plug. No more worries as the music you made remains stored and is ready to go when you need it—be it rehearsal, jamming on ideas, studio, or live performance. The Looper is boiled down to the fundamentals and makes control simple yet versatile, so you can concentrate on performing and playing. It features unlimited overdubs, true bypass, and Undo/Redo function.
TC Electronic G-System
For years, TC Electronic has been a leading creator of various high-quality audio equipment for recording studios. Its G-System is the first comprehensive floor-based guitar system to provide an unparalleled arsenal of effects, integration, and control. The special mix of two DSP sections delivers excellent amp switching, analog loops, floor control, effects, as well as 9VDC power outputs for your pedals to obtain the utmost level of integration possible. You can select from a rack or floor-based setup, determine how the effects are routed, set the footswitch layout, and pick from over 25 onboard effects.
Source Audio Soundblox2 Orbital Modulator
Boasting a diverse sound palette, the Source Audio Soundblox 2 Orbital Modulator is an ultra-compact, versatile, and sturdy multi-effects pedal. It features a dynamic arsenal of precision-engineered flanger, tremolo, chorus, and phaser effects. Nine adjustable parameters, twelve effect types, and internal/external modulation control elevate it way beyond the sonic limitations of old-school modulation pedals. The Orbital Modulator’s rack-mount power gives you infinite modulation possibilities, including variable notch phasers, rotary speaker simulation, through zero flange, multi-voiced choruses, and many more.
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.
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.
Eventide H9 MAX
With 51 effect algorithms that include literally everything Eventide’s TimeFactor, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and Space pedals can do, the H9 MAX Harmonizer is basically an entire pedalboard in compact effects pedal form. It features reverb, chorus, delay, modulation, pitch-shifting, distortion effects, all of which can be tweaked and edited via an intuitive single-knob interface. The H9 MAX comes preloaded with 99 presets, plus you can get over 500 more for free via the H9 Control app.
Singular Sound BeatBuddy
Introducing a drum machine within a guitar pedal format—the BeatBuddy by Singular Sound. It allows you hands-free and creative control of the beat. You can conveniently insert fills, throw in drum breaks, add accent hits, shift from verse to chorus, and more, to produce an unparalleled live drummer effect—all in an iconic, natural 24-bit sound. The BeatBuddy is loaded with features for all kinds of musicians. A visual beat display makes it effortless to enhance rhythm or play with unusual time signatures.
Donner Dynamic Wah
The Dynamic Wah from Donner is a compact auto wah pedal housed within an aluminium-alloy enclosure. It is a well-made pedal, wholly controllable envelope filter featuring a unique decay control, precise and quick tracking. The Dynamic Wah consists of Range, Res, Sens, and Decay knobs for controlling the filter frequency range, filter sharpness, sensitivity, and filter frequency fall back to the resting point respectively. It also includes an LED indicator that shows you the working state and true bypass switch.
MOSKY DUAL SWITCH
The Dual Switch footswitch pedal from budget guitar effects pedal brand Mosky Audio has one job: act as a dual momentary footswitch controller for your other guitar effects pedals. In stompbox terms, momentary (also known as non-latching) means the pedal’s effect is only active for as long as you hold the footswitch down. This is different from the typical latching operation–stomp once to activate then stomp again to turn off–that regular stompboxes have. Note that the Dual Switch is not a channel selector or AB/Y controller.
JHS Pedals Mini A/B
Some players employ an A/B box like JHS Pedals’ Mini A/B, while others don’t know what they’re missing. Packed with indispensable benefits in the studio, on the gig, as well as at home, the Mini A/B gives you incredible convenience within a compact enclosure that can squeeze into even the most cramped spaces. It is perfect for swapping between two amps, changing between two instruments, or isolating your tuner from your signal chain. You can also leave one output unplugged for a handy mute function.
Morley Kiko Loureiro Mini Switchless Wah
The switchless signature wah pedal Morley created for Brazilian guitar virtuoso Kiko Loureiro is beautiful. Small, simple, and extremely musical, this little green monster is powered by a custom MQ2 inductor set to Loureiro’s favorite wah tone and sweep. It also features Morley’s famous Electro-Optical wah circuit design, True Tone bypass, and a glow-in-the-dark treadle design. Whether you plug in a guitar, a bass, or keyboards, the Kiko Loureiro Mini Switchless Wah will let your signal soar high above the mix as you lay down scorching hot grooves.
Electro-Harmonix Switchblade Plus
A convenient, versatile solution for all of your switching needs. With the Switchblade Plus channel selector from Electro-Harmonix, you can easily route your signal to an A or B channel, use the A and B channels simultaneously, or switch between pedalboards. Its audio path is completely passive for whisper-quiet operation, plus the tuner jack is hardwired to the input jack so you always have a direct output for a tuner or some other pedal regardless of whether or not the Switchblade Plus is active.
Boss LS-2 Line Selector
Simplify your setup with the Boss LS-2 Line Selector, a pedal that lets you easily and quickly switch between different effects loops and amplifiers as well as route input and output signals on the fly. The LS-2 has two line loops with independent level controls and comes with six looping modes. Use it with an AC adapter and you can turn the LS-2 into the ideal power supply and master switching unit for other Boss pedals in your pedalboard.
Throne Room Pedals Tiny Tap Tempo (Normal, 2 Outputs)
With even smaller enclosures made from solid aluminum, Throne Room Pedals’ Tiny line of pedal switches are some of the tiniest and most road tough control pedals out right now. The Tiny Tap Tempo is built to work with other guitar effects pedals that comes with external tap tempo compatibility, such as a delay pedal or tremolo stomp. This particular version features two tap outputs and works with pedals that require a normally open switch.
TC Electronic PolyTune 3
The PolyTune 3 by TC Electronic is quicker, more intuitive, and more reliable than ever, featuring precision within 0.1 cents and a no-frills approach to the instrument and guitar tuning. Credits to its inbuilt BonaFide Buffer circuitry, the PolyTune 3 is now capable of enhancing your tone for lengthy cable runs. Meaning, you obtain the treble and transient response way closer to connecting straight to an amp. Alternate tuning modes enable you to explore different ways to create your art.
Lehle Sunday Driver SW
The Sunday Driver SW from Lehle is a portable high-end preamp for acoustic and electrical instruments. It allows acoustic guitars, electric guitars and basses, as well as other stringed instruments like cellos, double basses, and violins to unleash their musical potential. Boasting a high-quality JFET technology, the Sunday Driver SW lets you switch between two operation modes: D (Driver) and S (Sunday). In off status, the Sunday Driver SW offers two modes of operation—TB (True Bypass) and TS (True Sound).
Mooer Microbuffer
Ever notice that the longer your cable gets, the worse your tone seems to become? It’s especially noticeable when you’re a consummate shoegazer with a pedalboard filled with dozens of interconnected pedals. The MBF1 Micro Buffer guitar effects pedal from budget stomp maker Mooer helps you minimize tone suck caused by pedal and cable impedance problems. Stick it in your pedal chain, choose a high or low EQ cut, and use the Boost knob to bump up the signal level in case of any volume loss.
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.
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.
Xotic Super Clean
In the battle against tone suck, a good buffer pedal is an indispensable weapon in your arsenal. And when it comes to high-end buffer pedals, the Super Clean from boutique guitar effects stompbox company Xotic is one of your best choices. This buffer stomp is powered by a legendary JRC4558 chip and delivers up to +12dB of clean boost. It features a convenient Gain mini-pot as well as four side-mounted dip switches that let you tweak the EQ settings to your liking.
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.
Alexander Pedals Defender
Don’t let the Defender Stargate Drive’s classic arcade game-inspired graphics fool you. This new stompbox from Alexander Pedals is a shapechanging beast that takes fuzz, distortion, and overdrive to intergalactic heights. The Defender allows you to create your quirky, clipped tones from various built-in modes. It offers several configurable options with preset storage and expression control. With simultaneously selectable “special effect” (PIT, SPC, FLT) and Distortion mode (OD, DST, FZ), it sets a course to marvelous guitar tone.
JOYO Noise Gate
The JF-31 Noise Gate guitar effects pedal from Joyo is the bane of the unwanted buzzes, hums, hisses that infect your guitar signal. With just a lone Threshold knob, its control scheme is so simple and no-nonsense that it’s practically zen. It’ll take some experimentation with your overall input level and the Threshold knob, but when you find that silent sweet spot the JF-31 Noise Gate will definitely be a worthy addition to your pedalboard.
MOSKY Noise Reduction
The Noise Gate is budget guitar effects pedal maker Mosky Audio’s offering to those musicians who are having headaches dealing with unwanted buzzes, hisses, and hums in their signal. It takes you guitar’s dry signal and eliminates the noise level by up to 26dB within your effects loop. You can set the minimum volume threshold where the pedal’s functions kick in via a dedicated Gate knob. Just dial in your preferred threshold, hit the footswitch, and enjoy noise-free playing.
Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger
Signal hum can be a source of headaches and frustrations for all musicians. Throw a Hum Debugger into your effects chain, though, and you can kick that annoying sound to the curb. This hum eliminator isn’t a noise gate, and neither is it a noise suppressor, but it extracts hums and buzzes from your signal and turns it into dead silence via some sonic voodoo courtesy of Electro-Harmonix. Accurate and precise noise elimination has never been easier to achieve.
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.
NUX MFX-10
The MFX-10 boasts 55 models overall (you may use as much as eight simultaneously), vintage three-band passive EQ for each amp model, 19 classic amp and pedal models with A/B channel switching, and parametric EQ with additional mid-frequency sweep control for pedals. Twelve cabinet models give you two distinct modes for a guitar amp or mixer/PA input. The MFX-10 also features an inbuilt drum machine with CD quality PCM sounds, and 72 presets: 36 user plus 36 factory presets. The A/B switch lets you utilize up to 144 presets.
Joyo JAM BUDDY (Orange)
With its pair of built-in 2” speakers packing 4W of output each, the Jam Buddy is Joyo’s solution for musicians looking for a quick way to practice without having to lug along a big and heavy amp. Bluetooth connectivity also lets you connect your phone or media player to the Jam Buddy so you can play along to a song or rhythm track. This floor-based multi-effects unit also features clean and overdrive channels,
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.
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.
NUX JTC
When the NUX Mini Core pedals hit the market, NUX has received requests to include a loop pedal in the collection, so here comes the Jam Track Creator (JTC) Drum & Loop pedal. It is the tiniest 24-bit loop pedal featuring an auto-detection drum machine. The JTC Drum & Loop Mini allows you to select from 11 inbuilt drum rhythms. It gives you unlimited overdubs and up to six minutes recording in 24-bit high-resolution audio quality. Loop and Drum volumes are adjustable individually.
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.
Other Pedals
Dunlop Billy Duffy Cry Baby
Dunlop’s Billy Duffy Cry Baby packs two distinct wahs into one package, allowing you to switch between classic and modern sounds on the fly. Each wah mode includes an inductor, selectable using the kick switch, with LED indicators to display which mode is active. The 95Q mode boasts an aggressive, high Q inductor similar to the 95Q Cry Baby Wah, together with its Q and Volume controls. The Billy Duffy Cry Baby also includes auto-return switching that lets you step in and out during solos and riffs.
ZVex Super Seek Wah
The Super Seek Wah is light years ahead of the iconic ’60s wah that redefined modern music. A juiced up 16 step version of boutique guitar effects company Zvex’s original Seek Wah sequencer, the Super Seek Wah is a powerful and flexible sequencer that you can use no matter the time signature you’re playing in simply by choosing between 1 to 16 steps in the sequence. The Super Seek Wah also features tap tempo control, MIDI sync, expression pedal compatibility, eight programmable memory banks, and delta speed control.
Dunlop Slash Cry Baby Classic
The Cry Baby has been a significant part of Slash’s career, helping him produce his signature epic solos which he weaves into his revolutionary gritty, blues-inspired rock. Dunlop worked closely with him to build the Slash Cry Baby Classic, custom-voiced for the organic, expressive sound which inspired a generation of guitarists. Boasting a custom-wound resonance inductor and tuned to a lower frequency, this wah-wah features a wide sweep and extensive dynamic range. It has two side-mounted blue LEDs displaying the On/Off status, visible from any angle onstage.
Dunlop Cry Baby Bass Mini
The Dunlop Cry Baby Bass Mini Wah allows you to enjoy the 105Q’s functionality and sound without consuming larger space than a Phase 90. At half the size of the 105Q, the Bass Mini Wah has a thunderous presence. It was meticulously designed to maintain and complement your low end, with Q and Volume controls to better fine-tune your wah sound. The Bass Mini Wah comes in a lightweight aluminum chassis, and with such a tiny footprint, it will fit perfectly on your downsized travel board.
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.
Morley M2 Maverick Contour Wah
Vintage construction or modern convenience? Morley makes picking the right wah pedal even easier with the M2 Maverick Contour Wah, a wah pedal that marries the vintage pot-based wah approach with modern optical design. Apart from the switchable dual wah modes, the M2 Maverick features Morley’s famous Electro-Optical potless circuit design along with Audio 1000K slide pot for all your classic tone and Q shaping needs. The M2 Maverick also features switchless operation and True-Tone Bypass.
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.
Zoom AC-2 Acoustic Creator
The AC-2 Acoustic Creator by Zoom is a revamped direct box that serves up everything you need to achieve your natural acoustic tone anywhere you play from the studio to the stage. It instantly restores the tone lost via acoustic pickups, guaranteeing that your live sound stays resonant, lush, and true to your selected instrument. The AC-2 Acoustic Creator features high-quality preamp, piezo/magnetic input pickup select, reverb effect, and three-band equalizer. It also includes an inbuilt chromatic visual-led Tuner and Anti-Feedback control.
Mooer Woodverb
The Woodverb from budget stompbox maker Mooer is a reverb guitar effects pedal tuned specifically for expanding the tonal palettes of acoustic guitars. The Woodverb comes with three reverb modes, all selectable via a three-position toggle switch. First is the classic, lush space of the pedal’s magnificent plate reverb. The second mode adds a subtle chorus effect to the reverb. The third and final mode adds mild filtering into the mix for a snappier attack.
Rowin LT-901
A tuner is arguably the most important tool a musician can have in their arsenal. The tiny LT-901 mini chromatic guitar tuner from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin is an ideal fit for those who want to make efficient use of space on their pedalboards. Short of a clip-on tuner, the LT-901 is one of the most inconspicuous and affordable tuners available on the market. Don’t let its small size deter you, though; it’s fast and has a large display so you won’t have to squint.
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.
ammoon AROMA
Can’t be bothered to pack an acoustic guitar along with your electric? Go unplugged in a single stomp with the ammoon AROMA AAS-5 Acoustic Guitar acoustic simulator pedal. This pedal comes with three guitar modes—Piezo, Standard, and Jumbo—and has dedicated knobs for controlling volume, gain, and the body resonance of the acoustic guitar you’re simulating. The AROMA AAS-5 also features true bypass, letting your guitar signal pass straight to the amp without losing tonal integrity, strength, or frequency.
Mad Professor Snow White Bass Auto Wah
The Snow White Bass Auto Wah traces its pedigree all the way to a rack-mounted BJF remote wah circuit from the early ‘90s. Mad Professor took that circuit, went all Dr. Frankenstein on it, tuned it to handle heavy bass signals, and crammed it into a compact, pedalboard-friendly stompbox chassis. What you get is a highly musical and extremely flexible auto-wah with tracking so fast and accurate that most other auto-wah pedals would be left in the dust. The Snow White Bass Auto Wah is hand-made and hand-wired in Finland using only top-quality components.
Xvive V13 Mini DI
The Mini DI direct input box from budget guitar effects pedal creator Xvive is the exact tool you need for plugging your guitar or bass directly into mixer or a club’s PA system. It’s designed to have ultra-low distortion so your core tone doesn’t get discolored, plus it has a built in cab sim that you can engage via an on/off switch. It also lets you boost or cut your signal’s gain by 20dB either way and comes with a ground lift function as well as balanced and ¼ unbalanced XLR outputs.
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.
Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer
Getting fatter and funkier bass sounds has never been easier than with the Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer stompbox. Based on the classic SYB-3, the SYB-5 takes synth pedals to a whole new level by using the latest in Boss’s Digital Signal Procession (DSP) technology to recreate the SYB-3’s classic analog synth tones and giving it more punch and sonic power. You can even use the stompbox’s pedal to hold a note and jam to it.
JAM Pedals Ripple Bass
Delivering a distinctive deep “vibey” tone, the Ripple is a tribute to two-stage phasing. This smooth, transparent, and sweet two-stage phaser pedal works nicely before and after overdrive pedals. You may leave it always on without mashing up your sound. The Ripple sounds perfect with Jam Pedals’ WaterFall chorus/vibrato. Neither the Ripple’s bass nor guitar variants will sacrifice low-end content, but the bass versions are tuned differently to accommodate the modulation’s response to lower register content favorably.
EBS Bass IQ
The BassIQ by EBS is an analog envelope filter pedal activated by the notes you play. It delivers the most responsive and funkiest sounds within a stompbox. From classic auto-wah to your distinct space-bass or “Funkadelic” sound, the BassIQ does it all. It includes controls for attack and threshold, and operates in three separate modes—Up, Down, and Hi-Q. The BassIQ contains multiple trim pots, including a dynamic high-pass filter mix-in, high-pass filter mix-in, and gain trimmer.
Morley Mini Power Wah Volume
A classic wah tone paired with smooth and seamless volume control, packed into a tough, compact chassis ideal for crowded pedalboards. The Mini Power Wah Volume pedal from modulation master Morley gives you two versatile and essential pedal effects without taking up as much space as a regular expression pedal. It comes packed with Morley’s modern wah innovations including electro-optical circuitry and true-tone bypass, plus a custom HQ2 inductor that gives you more funk for your buck.
Vertex T Drive
The T Drive by Vertex is a sonic simulation of the iconic Trainwreck Express amp with a highly sensitive pick attack and response. Rooted in the tradition of 60s and 70s British amps, Trainwrecks are known for their quick pick response and excellent dynamics from chimney Vox-esque cleans to towering Plexi overdrive. Vertex’s journey to craft the most precise Wreck-in-a-box has resulted in the innovative T Drive pedal, which features the harmonic complexity, dynamics, and voice-esque overtones evocative of the amp it was inspired by.
Mooer Mini Series Leveline
A good volume pedal is an essential component of any good pedalboard setup, but most of them just take up too much space. Enter the Leveline, budget stompbox maker Mooer’s answer for shoestring shoegazers who need a volume pedal with a smooth transition and doesn’t distort the core tone. The tiny Leveline features a pair of built-in foot rings that unfold to give you a larger surface area to work with. Once you’re done rocking out you can fold them back in to save room.
Fender Downtown Express
The Fender Downtown Express is your one-stop-shop for bass tone sculpting, carrying all the bass essentials—overdrive, three-band EQ, and compressor. It is an all-original Fender circuit designed by Alex Aguilar. The Downtown Express features a direct output that allows for convenient integration into any studio or performance situations. Fender acknowledges that a strong signal chain has to be versatile, so it added a switch that allows you to reorder the overdrive and compressor circuits to your liking.
Ernie Ball VPJR 25K
Much like Ernie Ball’s larger volume pedal offerings, the Volume Pedal Jr 25K is an excellent hands-free option for controlling your volume. It features a super-smooth sweep, a 25k ohm potentiometer resistance calibrated specifically for the perfect handling of active audio signals, and an independent tuner jack for unobtrusive onstage tuning. The 25k’s rugged and roadworthy construction means it can withstand the rigors of constant use despite being a very compact unit with a small pedalboard footprint.
CNZ Audio Active Volume
The CNZ Active Volume Pedal is constructed with a sturdy steel housing, weighted knobs, and a golden CNZ Audio logo. It holds up under an overzealous volume controllers and intense heavy-footed players. This volume pedal is easy to use, making it an ideal choice for beginners. Just plug the pedal in and you get complete control of your volume. The CNZ Active Volume Pedal also boasts boost capabilities and adjustment knobs that advanced players will enjoy.
Tapestry Audio Bloomery Passive Volume Pedal (Black)
The Bloomery passive volume pedal from Tapestry Audio features some very unique differences from a regular volume control pedal. This compact (measures only 7.8″ x 2.25″), convenient to use, and efficient passive volume pedal comfortably fits on your pedalboard. The Bloomery is machined out of steel for a tough, durable solid feel. A slide potentiometer alongside a direct shaft drive eradicates the need for annoying strings. With a smooth volume curve, you get a more nuanced pedal sweep. The Bloomery quickly turns tuner output into an expression output.
Mission Engineering EP-HR
The EP-HR by Mission Engineering is a secondary expression pedal specially built for your Headrush Guitar Amp/FX Modeler. You may connect to the Headrush’s EXPR2 port with a single TRS cable. The EP-HR works in conjunction with the onboard pedal in both Advanced and Classic mode. Utilize one pedal for wah and the other for volume, or configure advanced functions in real-time such as distortion level or delay repeats. The EP-HR comes in a sturdy, flat black chassis.
Donner Viper Mini
The Donner Viper Mini is a two-in-one Expression/Volume pedal with a super lightweight housing that gives you convenience. This mighty little pedal features an excellent Expression response as well as Volume function. The Viper Mini instantly detects and catches the output source (EXP/Vol) objective. It also includes a special analog circuit design and smooth taper that precisely responds to different parameters. The Viper Mini comes in a sturdy, hard plastic compact enclosure and works without a pedal power supply or battery.
Mission Engineering SP-HR
The SP-HR by Mission Engineering is a switching expression pedal purpose-built for your Headrush Gigboard. It allows you seamless, expressive control over whammy, wah, volume, and any number of assignable parameters. The SP-HR features an ergonomic design that combats foot fatigue while giving an expressive throw, which will be intuitive for all guitarists to utilize. It also incorporates a toe switch toggle that enables you to change pedal assignments on the fly. The SP-HR delivers everything you need to take charge of your HeadRush Gigboard.
Tapestry Audio Bloomery Passive Volume Pedal (White)
Conserve valuable pedalboard space with the compact, convenient to use, and efficient Bloomery passive volume pedal from Tapestry Audio. It includes some very unique differences from a standard volume control pedal. Its portable size necessitates less space while remaining comfortable for your foot. It has been machined out of steel for a tough, solid feel. Direct shaft drive and slide potentiometer eradicate the need for pesky strings. The passive model lets you convert the tuner output into an expression output.
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.
Catalinbread SFT
The Catalinbread SFT is the brand’s take on the respected Ampeg SVT circuit, offering tone shaping and drive options for bass and guitar. Boasting a two-band Baxandall EQ circuit, along with the Gain and Volume knobs, the SFT is capable of outright distortion, amp emulation, subtle tone-shaping, or painting all shades of saturation in between. Whether you are in the market for a bass overdrive, guitar distortion, or the ultimate heavy drop tune saturator, the Catalinbread SFT can do the job.
Keeley Monterey
A must-have for anyone on a quest to emulate Jimi Hendrix’s legendary tones. Keeley’s Monterey multi-effects pedal combines a number of Hendrix’s favorite effects into one roadworthy bag of tricks. You get a rotary speaker, a vibe effect, and an auto-wah, plus a heaping helping of thick, highly responsive fuzz and variable octave up and down functions. Got an external expression pedal? Plug it in for manual control over the wah or the modulation speed.
GOKKO ROCK-ACE
The Rock Ace GK-30 guitar effects pedal does a lot of cool things for a stompbox its size and price. You can plug in an audio player and use it to play along to a song or backing track. You can use it as a direct input (DI) box so you can plug directly into a mixer or PA board without messing up your tone. You can also use it as a preamp. The ROck Ace also comes packed with its own clean/distortion switch, giving you a wide array of tone options ranging from super-clean to full-on heavy metal.
Rowin Shaper
Only a few musicians can afford a home recording studio with 11 different amps in it. It’s not just the price, either; you’d have to find room for all of those amps, too. What most musicians can afford, though, is the tiny little LEF-3802 Shaper from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin. This very compact and extremely affordable cab sim stomp comes packed with 11 distinct high quality cab models, making it a perfect tool for the musician on a budget.
Joyo Boogie Master
The JF-309 Boogie Master guitar effects pedal from Joyo is a Mesa Boogie amp sim that gives you that trademark “roided-out Marshall” sound without having to spend over a thousand bucks on an actual Mesa Boogie amp. Crank the Drive knob up for a high-gain Mesa sound or stay clean to hew closer to a Boogie. The JF-309 Boogie Master 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.
ammoon AROMA
Can’t be bothered to pack an acoustic guitar along with your electric? Go unplugged in a single stomp with the ammoon AROMA AAS-5 Acoustic Guitar acoustic simulator pedal. This pedal comes with three guitar modes—Piezo, Standard, and Jumbo—and has dedicated knobs for controlling volume, gain, and the body resonance of the acoustic guitar you’re simulating. The AROMA AAS-5 also features true bypass, letting your guitar signal pass straight to the amp without losing tonal integrity, strength, or frequency.
Emma Electronic OKTO-NOJS
The Okto-Nøjs from Emma Electronic gives you two pedals in one! It combines dead-on, fast-tracking Octave down (the Okto) with a dynamically sensitive, synth-like Octave-Fuzz (the Nøjs). Both circuit sides are all-analog and boast true bypass switching and high-quality buffers to give you the best sound quality possible. The Okto Nøjs transforms your signal into pure subsonic fire. It allows you to enter a world of never-heard-before tones. You may use the Octaver and Fuzz together or individually.
Electro Harmonix Superego Plus
Make your guitar sound like a synthesizer; give your tone insane levels of sustain; sustain a chord then freeze it so you can solo over it—the Superego+ has all of the features that made the Superego Synth Engine great, but with tone-sculpting features cranked up to 11. Electro-Harmonix has added 11 onboard effects, each of which can be independently switched on to give your tone added depth. You can also control individual parameters with an external expression pedal.
Empress Effects ZOIA
Empress Effects’ ZOIA is loaded with a massive collection of modules to realize virtually anything you can imagine. LFOs, oscillators, bit crushers, filters, envelope followers are only some of the available modules which may be connected in almost any way you desire. Essentially a modular synthesizer in pedal form, the ZOIA offers the modules required to build a tremolo or delay from the ground up. It allows you to craft your custom effects, midi controllers, synthesizers, and digital pedalboards. Empress Effects has also developed modules for all your common guitar effects.
Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer
Getting fatter and funkier bass sounds has never been easier than with the Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer stompbox. Based on the classic SYB-3, the SYB-5 takes synth pedals to a whole new level by using the latest in Boss’s Digital Signal Procession (DSP) technology to recreate the SYB-3’s classic analog synth tones and giving it more punch and sonic power. You can even use the stompbox’s pedal to hold a note and jam to it.
TC Helicon TalkBox Synth
With the Talkbox Synth from TC Helicon, you get classic Frampton-style guitar effects without the fiddly hose-in-the-mouth stuff. A guitar-triggered vocoder and onboard synth sounds give thrilling robotic vocal effects to your single-note runs. But this pedal is not merely for guitarists. Vocalists will love its inbuilt mic preamp and Adaptive Tone functionality, along with studio-quality pitch correction and reverbs. Its simple three-knob design delivers ease of use. The Talkbox Synth is capable of adding excitement to your performance.
T-Rex Quint Machine
While standard octave doubling is nice, throwing in a fifth up and providing all three modulated sounds with a separate volume control unlocks a different world. The Quint Machine by T-Rex Engineering lets you emulate an organ, 12-string, or synth sound. Eliminate your dry signal and sound like a synth merely possessing that lonely heart. Designed to give you more, the Quint Machine will keep you discovering new sounds for years. It consists of +1 Fifth, +1 Octave, -1 Octave, and Mix knobs.

















































































































































































































