Tonebox Recommended Pedals
Fulltone Octafuzz
Few fuzz and octave-up pedals are as legendary as the Tychobrahe Octavia. That same vintage fuzz tone popularized by Jimi Hendrix himself can now be at your feet thanks to Fulltone’s Octafuzz, an exact copy of the Octavia packed into a modern and compact unit. You can use it as a straight-up fuzz pedal or engage the octave-up function for true Octafuzz tone. Other than the original Octavia itself, nothing comes close to creating that classic dirty, otherworldly vibe.
JHS Pedals Little Black Buffer
The Little Black Buffer by JHS Pedals is the remedy for poor guitar sound resulting from employing numerous pedals. Since it gives the perfect input impedance for your rig, you can quickly notice your guitar sound is reinvigorated with a full, natural tone that sounds like you are connected directly into your amp—regardless of how many pedals you utilize. The Little Black Buffer is your ticket to a sound signal chain and a small price to pay for tonal perfection.
JHS Pedals Prestige
A single knob pedal with lots of tricks up its sleeve, the Prestige is an enhancer/booster/buffer sure to give you the magic you have been looking for. You can crank it up to drive your amp into natural overdrive or use it as an always-on preamp or buffer. The Prestige carries a volume knob. In the first 25%, you get a natural enhancer/buffer for long cable runs or a hint of brightness to your signal. It becomes a volume boost when set at 25% to 75%. Roll it at over 75% to send your amp into a meaty natural breakup.
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.
JHS Pedals Muffuletta
For years, the Big Muff fuzz has been heard on various classic recordings and been through multiple variations that virtually any guitarist has a favorite version of its legendary tone. The JHS Pedals team wanted to pay homage to such an undeniably classic fuzz pedal, but could not agree on which Muff was king. With the Muffuletta, the group’s indecision is your gain. The Muffuletta loads five pure analog recreations of beloved Big Muff tones along with a JHS-exclusive take on the iconic stomp.
Mission Engineering EP-1
The EP-1 by Mission Engineering is a sturdy and reliable expression pedal that enables you to control an extensive range of your effects processors with expression inputs. It is perfect if you want to manage your modulation and delay effects instantly. Built in California, the EP-1 boasts high-quality components and all-metal construction for years of seamless operation and rock-solid reliability. This expression pedal is designed for use with your synthesizers, effects pedals, and other expression-capable products.
Drive Pedals
Vertex Steel String Clean Drive
The Steel String Clean Drive by Vertex is a faithful but original rendition of the vintage D-style sound. This pure analog overdrive emulates the sound as well as the feel of the iconic Dumble Steel String Singer amp. The Steel String Clean Drive pedal is capable of anything from EQ shaping to fat boost to overdrive to compression and more. Capture the distinctive fat clean tones and crystal clear overdrive from albums like Continuum, Texas Flood, and Venus Isle via any clean amp platform.
Amptweaker TightDrive
The TightDrive comes with various unique features, including the Tight control. It tweaks your amp’s attack, and when you combine it with the Volume, Gain, and Tone controls, loads of distortion sounds are possible. It can also dial in different amounts of crunch. Whether you are utilizing it to beat up your heavy amp or with a clean amp, the TightDrive pedal can do the job. It can tighten the attack and lower the gain to turn heavy lead tone into a chunky rhythm sound seamlessly.
TWA SC-02
Totally Wycked Audio’s Fly Boys line is a collection of ultra-compact and super affordable mini pedals that pack boutique level tone but without the boutique level price tag. The FB-02 overdrive pedal is a must have for tube amp aficionados and purists. It serves up a tonally transparent and completely organic tube amp overdrive that ranges from subtle drive to full saturation. Switchable Hot and Warm modes open up all-new sonic possibilities, making the FB-02 an even more flexible drive stomp than it already is.
Vick Audio Mount Pleasant
The Mount Pleasant by Vick Audio is a beautiful-sounding low to medium gain overdrive that works great for rock, blues, and several other applications. Except for the toggle switch, it includes your regular tone and volume gain controls. The tone stack was tweaked from the original unit to provide a more balanced response. It also incorporates a high cut switch to deliver other options. Made in the USA, the Mount Pleasant comes in a powder-coated aluminum chassis.
Friedman Amplification Motor City Drive
Friedman Amplification didn’t mess around with your standard tube amp emulation methods when they made the Motor City Drive. They just went ahead and crammed an actual high voltage 12AX7A preamp tube into it. This gives the Motor City Drive a natural, compressed, and harmonically rich tube-powered fuzz unmatched by most other tube amp overdrive emulators available. From light overdrive to rich high-gain tones, you’ll get a lot of sonic mileage out of the Motor City Drive.
EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, EBS launched the Billy Sheehan Signature Drive pedal for bassists who wish to beef up their bass tone. Equipped with compression, level, tone, and drive controls, the Sheehan Overdrive provides a dual loop input and pure analog design for various tonal possibilities and connection options. It gives you inbuilt compression, aggressive overdrive, and ultra-versatile effects loops for fine-tuning your sound. Individual level controls for your overdrive and clean tones allow you to preserve your low end’s solid thump while injecting overdrive.
JHS Pedals Sweet Tea V3
Blending JHS Pedals’ Angry Charlie V3 and Moonshine V2 into one stompbox, the Sweet Tea V3 does everything from yelling tube-esque overdrive to British high-gain distortion. On the right side, you will find the Moonshine V2, which takes your instrument’s signal and adds an attitude. The left side houses the Angry Charlie V3, which captures the spirit of the iconic Marshall JCM800, transforming your guitar into a sonic monster. The Sweet Tea V3 is handmade for durability and exceptional sound.
Maxon Overdrive Extreme
For well over three decades, Maxon’s iconic 808 overdrive circuit has become a fundamental component to creating an exceptional guitar tone. The 808 in its various incarnations has been heard on more recordings and in more rigs than anyone would bother to count. Maxon’s Overdrive Extreme is a tweaked variant of the legendary OD808 Overdrive. Increased frequency response enhances note definition and clarity. It features a buffered bypass switching and harder clipping that yields more aggressive amp-esque distortion.
Amptweaker TightMetal ST
The Amptweaker TightMetal ST Distortion Pedal takes the famed TightMetal pedal with its aggressive metal and hardcore crunch tones and incorporates Amptweaker’s proprietary SideTrak effects loop, which works only when the pedal is off. The loop lets you alternate clean effects, or a different distortion pedal, with one stomp, eradicating the stomp-box tap-dance. The TightMetal ST boasts a High/Low gain switch to choose vintage or modern metal tones. It also features a Thrash EQ switch for a deeper mid-scoop and inbuilt noise gate for extremely tight stops.
Tom’sline Firecream
Dial in a wide range of rich, creamy fuzz tones to layer onto your guitar signal with the Firecream fuzz stomp from budget guitar effects pedal maker Tomsline. Dedicated Volume, Tone, and Sustain pots let you sculpt the exact fuzz tone to meet your demands. Due to its size, the Firecream can’t accommodate a 9V battery; you need a compatible DC 9V adapter to use it. The Firecream also features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
Sabbadius Custom Black Distortion
The Sabbadius Custom Pedal Effects Black Distortion is an ultra-versatile pedal that you can switch from a booster to a fuzz, passing through the fat booster, distortion, overdrive, treble booster, and fuzz. It leverages a JFET transistor as well as LM308AN or TL061 integrated precision IC. The Black Distortion is a boutique pedal that boasts flexible and classic sounds, capable of providing you with endless sustain in the maximum gain position. Each unit is hand-built and tested for the most excellent tonal production by Nicolas Sabbadin.
Creation Audio Labs Mark 4
Tap into that classic Mesa Boogie Mark IV amp tone with the Caline CP-16 Mark 4 Distortion guitar effect pedal. Two gain stages with separate control knobs give you unprecedented control. Use the Gain 1 knob to dial in as much treble distortion you want for a hard and sharp attack, then use the Gain 2 knob to control the bass distortion and fatten and round out your sound. The Caline CP-16 Mark 4 Distortion comes with a true bypass feature.
AmpTweaker TightFuzz Jr
Amptweaker’s TightFuzz Jr is a versatile fuzz pedal with a Tight attack switch and Silicon/Germanium transistor switch for different gain and tone. It has Fuzz, Volume, and Tone controls which automatically adjust bias for cleaner tones. The EQ switch offers three settings: 60’s, 70’s, and the “Now,” which is dialed in for newer fuzz tones. Other features include 9-18VDC operation, true bypass switching, and a thumbscrew—removable bottom with special holes for tie-wrap or screw-in pedalboard attachment styles.
Walrus Audio Janus
The Janus tremolo and fuzz stomp from boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio is a stompbox oddity. Instead of control pots for Tone, Speed, and Depth, it features Tremolo and Fuzz joysticks. The former controls the tremolo effect’s speed and depth while the latter lets you dial in the fuzz effect’s tone and depth. There’s nothing gimmicky about its sound, though; the Janus can dish out both throbbing tremolo and thick, heavy fuzz. You can use both effects independently or together for a wild mix.
Skreddy 1971
In 1971, the Big Muff Pi by Mike Matthews ignited a revolution in fuzz. Creamy, sustaining, and thick, yet refined and more amp-esque instead of buzzy. Skreddy’s 1971 pedal merges the exact elements of the vintage “triangle knob” BMP, like ceramic capacitors, 2N5133 transistors, and carbon comp resistors, into a design that has its gain pulled back slightly. It enables the distortion to preserve a balance of openness and tightness and a more amp-like vibe as opposed to a liquid fuzz character.
Animals Pedal Fishing Is As Fun As Fuzz
The Animals Pedal Fishing Is As Fun As Fuzz draws inspiration from the legendary Big Muffs. Thanks to its enhanced tone sculpting abilities, this fuzz has a more extensive range compared to the muffs of old and allows you to adjust the tone and tightness of the effect. The DRIVE control enables the illumination and manipulation of the distortion level in the effect. As with other Animals pedals, the Fishing Is As Fun As Fuzz pedal features true-bypass switching and runs on 9V power.
J. Rockett WTF
The WTF Fuzz by J. Rockett is designed for individuals who hate fuzz. You can achieve sounds ranging from slight overdrive to insane random octave fuzz. You may also get sounds similar to a trombone or trumpet as popularized by Paul Trombetta, the creator of this circuit. Move from smooth and dark to bright and neutral conveniently and instantaneously. The bright setting works nicely with Marshall and Fender while the darkest setting is great for Vox-style amps. The WTF can be powered by a nine-volt battery.
Fuzzrocious Heliotropic
The Fuzzrocious Heliotropic delivers a sludgy, grimy distortion which darkens your sound, making it perfect for endless sonic experimentation and heavier playing styles. Controls for Tone, Volume, Sustain, and Pregain help sculpt the doomy mood of the Heliotropic. The Heliotropic also comes in a classy aesthetic, with gold-colored knobs and hand-painted artwork. It features an extremely dirty sound, offering gritty tones that will delight heavy, experimental sound enthusiasts. The Heliotropic is hand-painted and handcrafted in New Jersey.
T-Rex Moller 2
Named after Danish guitarist Knud Møller, the Møller 2 from T-Rex Engineering offers the same classic overdrive that has made its predecessor among the most sought-after T-Rex pedals. It boasts easier-to-read control knob graphics and a sturdier Bass Boost toggle switch. The Møller 2 is equipped with a 0 to 20 dB Clean Boost plus a Mix knob that allows you to dial in the right balance between clean and distorted signals. It provides you with an abundance of dynamic tones.
Keeley Katana Clean Boost
The Keeley Katana guitar effects pedal is a crystal-clear clean boost. A unique side-mounted Volume knob lets you adjust the gain level on the fly with your foot. Pull that very same knob and you get an additional level of gain boost. Keep the Katana engaged all throughout a song to give your amp an extra shot of gain or use it sparingly for those times when you need your signal to cut through the mix.
J. Rockett Lenny
Considered a “happy accident,” the Lenny is a reproduction of the iconic Dumble Steel String Singer popularized by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The plan was to build a Steel String Singer being pushed to give color, feel, and texture versus a merely clean and loud tone. It is a highly musical boost that adds color to your tone, in an inspiring fashion like a Neve console. The Lenny features a definite mid character as well as a sound that cuts through a mix. It also takes advantage of the advanced Speed Switch system.
Vertex Boost
Expertly built to be a buffer, clean boost, and volume pedal in one, the Vertex Boost will leave your tone unchanged while raising the level of your signal. It boasts an ultra-linear buffer for conditioning your line without any tonal coloration, even with a multitude of pedals in your chain. You also get full volume control by connecting the Boost to any EXP/volume pedal and setting your volume like you would with a standard volume pedal.
T-Rex Vulture
The Vulture Distortion from T-Rex Engineering is highly customizable, featuring an extensive range of gain levels as well as a broader range of distortion sounds. It comes in a compact form factor with a simple layout. It consists of controls for Level, Gain, Tone, Fat Boost, and Low Boost. The Fat Boost control lets you add punch and weight, while the Low Boost knob is designed for giving more body. A massive bottom end is available at the roll of a knob.
Donner Giant Metal
The Donner Giant Metal is an invaluable, insane distortion pedal within an aluminium-alloy chassis. The Hi Boost gives you the most expressive metal sound. Showcasing a more flexible and sharper metal sound by selecting three mods and adjusting three sound buttons. That gives you abundant impressive metal sound conveniently. Three modes include Hi Boost, Boost Off, and Lo Boost. Improving the pedal’s high frequency makes the heavy tone-color and hard skills perform better. The Giant Metal enables you to design your unique guitar sound in various live performances swiftly.
Xotic BB Preamp
The BB Preamp from boutique guitar effects pedal company Xotic is a boost and overdrive preamp stomp that boasts amazing tonal transparency. With up to 30dB of extra boost juice, the BB Preamp can deliver everything from a pristine clean boost to a gritty, crunchy drive tone—all while keeping your core tone’s unique characteristics intact. An adjustable two-band EQ stack provides plenty of control over your boosted signal’s harmonic content while true bypass switching keeps the BB Preamp quiet when you want it to be.
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.
Greer Amps SOMA ’63
The SOMA ’63 Vintage Preamp is the first installment in Greer Amps’ XFR pedal series. It is built upon the tone and vibe of classic brown era amps from California. It emulates the whole preamp, power section, phase inverter, and the feel of the ten-inch Utah speakers within those iconic brown amplifiers. The tone stack gives you a broad and dynamic range of tonal options. The Presence knob is intended to be a full range control affecting the whole circuit’s sound.
JHS Pedals Clover
Spec’d from an ‘80s preamp pedal used by the Edge from U2 and other prominent players, the Clover from JHS Pedals is designed to serve as your always-on tone-shaping device. It is also primed for electric, acoustic, and bass guitars. It consists of three EQ controls that deliver plenty of control to boost or cut Bass, Treble, and Mids. A rotary switch lets you choose between three settings: No EQ, No Mids, and Full EQ.
Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra
The Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 builds on its predecessor’s sonic tenacity and provides extreme versatility for your bass tone. At the request of several players, Darkglass has incorporated a balanced XLR output with switchable cabinet emulation—you can get whole, amp-like tone by merely going straight to the recording chain or sound system. You may also connect to your PC or Mac using a USB to load up various virtual cabinet emulations. From your rehearsal to recording or performance, the Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 is a handy bass preamp pedal.
Two Notes Le 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.
T-Rex Moller 2
Named after Danish guitarist Knud Møller, the Møller 2 from T-Rex Engineering offers the same classic overdrive that has made its predecessor among the most sought-after T-Rex pedals. It boasts easier-to-read control knob graphics and a sturdier Bass Boost toggle switch. The Møller 2 is equipped with a 0 to 20 dB Clean Boost plus a Mix knob that allows you to dial in the right balance between clean and distorted signals. It provides you with an abundance of dynamic tones.
Keeley Katana Clean Boost
The Keeley Katana guitar effects pedal is a crystal-clear clean boost. A unique side-mounted Volume knob lets you adjust the gain level on the fly with your foot. Pull that very same knob and you get an additional level of gain boost. Keep the Katana engaged all throughout a song to give your amp an extra shot of gain or use it sparingly for those times when you need your signal to cut through the mix.
J. Rockett Lenny
Considered a “happy accident,” the Lenny is a reproduction of the iconic Dumble Steel String Singer popularized by Stevie Ray Vaughan. The plan was to build a Steel String Singer being pushed to give color, feel, and texture versus a merely clean and loud tone. It is a highly musical boost that adds color to your tone, in an inspiring fashion like a Neve console. The Lenny features a definite mid character as well as a sound that cuts through a mix. It also takes advantage of the advanced Speed Switch system.
Vertex Boost
Expertly built to be a buffer, clean boost, and volume pedal in one, the Vertex Boost will leave your tone unchanged while raising the level of your signal. It boasts an ultra-linear buffer for conditioning your line without any tonal coloration, even with a multitude of pedals in your chain. You also get full volume control by connecting the Boost to any EXP/volume pedal and setting your volume like you would with a standard volume pedal.
T-Rex Vulture
The Vulture Distortion from T-Rex Engineering is highly customizable, featuring an extensive range of gain levels as well as a broader range of distortion sounds. It comes in a compact form factor with a simple layout. It consists of controls for Level, Gain, Tone, Fat Boost, and Low Boost. The Fat Boost control lets you add punch and weight, while the Low Boost knob is designed for giving more body. A massive bottom end is available at the roll of a knob.
Donner Giant Metal
The Donner Giant Metal is an invaluable, insane distortion pedal within an aluminium-alloy chassis. The Hi Boost gives you the most expressive metal sound. Showcasing a more flexible and sharper metal sound by selecting three mods and adjusting three sound buttons. That gives you abundant impressive metal sound conveniently. Three modes include Hi Boost, Boost Off, and Lo Boost. Improving the pedal’s high frequency makes the heavy tone-color and hard skills perform better. The Giant Metal enables you to design your unique guitar sound in various live performances swiftly.
Modulation Pedals
NUX Stageman Floor
The Stageman Floor Acoustic Preamp + DI by NUX is an analog acoustic preamp boasting digital effects and looper function. Preamp featured with an extremely sensitive three-band EQ with input gain control, adjustable notch filter, and MID scoop toggle switch. It also offers a massive headroom that gives you the sound all-natural. The notch filter helps you cut the resonating frequency. The Stageman Floor consists of Treble, Middle, and Bass knobs, depending on the speaker/amp characteristic, acoustic guitar’s body type, and playing style, you may tune your sound to your liking.
Tom’sline ACH3S Michael Angelo Batio
Every shred head knows the name Michael Angelo Batio. While his signature Tomsline pedal, which is so innocuously named Chorus, won’t magically turn you into a speed demon, it will help you sound like one. This analog chorus pedal from budget guitar effects pedal maker Tomsline packs wide spectrum Depth and Speed pots for dialing in a multitude of chorus tones. The Chorus features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
Behringer Ultra Chorus
If you think you can only get rich tones from expensive pedals, the Behringer UC200 Ultimate Stereo Chorus guitar effects pedal is here to prove you wrong. With super-thick chorus tones, an unbelievably rich stereo effect, and a price tag that won’t require you to sell off a kidney, the UC200 is the perfect pedalboard addition for any guitar hero on a budget. Sculpt and shape your sound into perfection using the UC200’s dedicated Depth, Rate, and Level controls and fatten up your guitar’s sound with a single stomp.
Truetone V3H2O
Truetone’s H2O V3 still serves up the same warm, liquid chorus and echo tones of the original Visual Sound H2O, but in a completely redesigned enclosure that packs even more versatility and flexibility. The chorus section now has dedicated tone and chorus-vibrato pots plus a detune switch, while the echo section has been given the ability to go into controlled oscillation. This reboot is a full modernization of one of the finest Visual Sound dual pedals ever created.
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.
Joyo JF-05
Crisp and transparent chorus effects that won’t drown out your core tone’s unique characteristics. The JF-05 Classic Chorus guitar effects pedal is Joyo’s approximation of another true classic, the Boss CE-2. This rock-solid, compact, and budget-friendly stompbox features dedicated Rate and “Width” (the CE-2 has a “Depth” knob, get it?) control knobs for shaping your chorus tone from subtle embellishments to full-bodied, 12-string washes. Its clear, soft, and watery chorus effect makes the JF-05 Classic Chorus an absolute steal.
Eventide H9 Core
Eventide H9 Core
The H9 Core acts as the entry-level version of Eventide’s monstrous H9 MAX multi-effects pedal. It comes with 25 presets from the original glitch-heavy, pitch-shifting H910/H949 Harmonizers, plus for a fee, you can augment its effects arsenal via the H9 Control app. You can pick and choose the effects you purchase to make an H9 Core that’s truly unique to your needs, or just go all out and turn your H9 Core into an H9 MAX.
Rowin Slow Hand
No, the LEF-326 Slow Hand doesn’t magically turn you into Eric Clapton. This unique little creation from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin actually packs an arguably more interesting effect than that. The LEF-326 Slow Hand lets you cut off the attack of each note you play, producing a volume swell similar to rolling up your guitar’s volume knob from zero and making your sound seem like it’s been slowed down. Pair it with a delay and you can conjure up some interesting reverse-like sounds.
Emma Electronic Discumbobulator V2
The original EMMA DiscumBOBulator was arguably the world’s best auto-wah, making appearances at the feet of Ida Funkhouser, Richard Fortus, Warren Haynes, and Pino Palladino. When building the revamped version, Emma Electronic has improved the filter-triggering, extended the dynamic range, tripled the headroom signal, and added a 10dB independent boost. The DiscumBOBulator v2 features an extensive range of vintage auto-wah tones and new filter sweeps. It also boasts precise tracking, both on chords and single notes, and a wide frequency spectrum, making it perfect for virtually any instrument.
Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron Plus
Elevate your sound to the funkiest of heights. The Q-Tron Plus envelope filter guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix uses an innovative internal envelope follower to analyze your unique playing style and sweep the center of the envelope filter. You get auto-wahs that change dynamically depending on your pick attack. Plus, you can choose whether the sweeps go up or down. The Q-Tron Plus also features an effects loop and a Fast/Slow Attack Response dial.
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.
Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer
The Frequency Analyzer XO guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix is, at its most basic, a ring modulator, but the sounds it can produce go way beyond what your garden variety ring modulators are capable of. This updated stompbox adds moving harmonies to the notes you play while integrated high order filters enhance the variety of the harmonies and cut down on cross-distortions. Dedicated Blend, Fine, and Shift controls make it easy to dial in the perfect techno-tinged sound for your purposes.
Ibanez Paul Gilbert Signature AF2 Airplane Flanger
Get two pedals within a single package with the Ibanez Paul Gilbert Signature AF2 Airplane Flanger. It features two sections: one is an insane flange (Takeoff), while the other is a classic chorus flange (Taxi). The Airplane Flanger consists of Speed (modulation speed), Enhance (feedback), Range (depth of modulation), and Manual (delay time) knobs. It comes in a sturdy, die-cast chassis with a cool retro look. If you are in the market for an extreme modulation effect to include in your arsenal, look no further.
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.
CNZ Audio Flanger
The CNZ Audio Flanger pedal spices up your playing with a clean and crisp flanging sound while maintaining your distinctive guitar tone. It includes a Toggle switch that allows you to choose between two different settings for your electric guitar. It also carries three knobs—RANGE changes the depth of the flange effect, RATE controls the speed at which the flanger will modulate, while COLOR adjusts the signal amount that will be affected by the flange effect.
Source Audio Soundblox Tri-Mod Flanger
The Soundblox Tri-Mod Flanger by Source Audio is an evolutionary outgrowth of the classic Hot Hand Phaser/Flanger system within an accessible and portable format. It features eleven flanger effect variations each modifiable using an Envelope Follower, Hot Hand motion controller, or Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO). Each Soundblox effects pedal is compatible with the Hot Hand motion controller—available individually in wired or wireless configurations—or a broad arsenal of onboard controls. Soundblox pedals deliver various original sounding effects in a sturdy, ultra-versatile package.
Blackstar HT-Modulation
The Blackstar HT-MODULATION delivers all the musicality of standard vintage effects, from mild tremolo to roaring jet engine flange. For the convenience of use, the SLOW/FAST control allows you to set the modulation time of the eight modulation effects as you play. You may add harmonics and real tube compression through the SATURATION control. The SLOW/FAST mode footswitch allows seamless control. The eight modulation effects include Phaser 1, Phaser 2, Multi Chorus, Vintage Chorus 1, Vintage Chorus 2, Flanger, Rotary, and Tremolo.
TC Electronic Vortex Mini
Flanging has long been with music, utilized on anything from drums to vocals, but Edward Van Halen proved that the righteous place for flange is a guitar. The Vortex Mini Flanger from TC Electronic combines a vintage tape flange with the groundbreaking TonePrint technology, providing you with access to anything from customized rockstar sounds to through-zero flanges. It features everything exceptional about its big brother, the Vortex Flanger. Its ultra-compact chassis consumes hardly any space on your pedalboard.
JOYO VISUAL MODULATION
With modulation effects up the wazoo, the R-09 Vision guitar effects pedal from Joyo is bound to be an instant shoegazer favorite. It features two separate channels, each with its own set of highly tweakable modulation effects, that you can mix and match in parallel or series. Use a chorus on Channel A and an optical trem on Channel B. Phaser on A, Vibrato on B. It’s a giant sonic sandbox for you to play in. The R-09 Vision is an R Series pedal, meaning it also has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
MXR Phase 90
MXR’s Phase 90 has long been a staple on numerous pedalboards around the world. Regardless whether the instrument is bass, guitar, keys, strings, or vocals, or if the genre is metal, jazz, rock, worldbeat, or alternative, the Phase 90 is has been present through it all to inject its unique lush voice to a player’s tone palette. This little orange box boasts a rich warm analog tone. The Phase 90 can go from subtle, spatial shimmer to full-on high velocity swooshing. The classic phase shifter behind several Van Halen recordings.
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.
MXR ’74 Vintage Phase 90
The ’74 Vintage Phase 90 from MXR is a faithful reissue of the original with a hand-wired circuit board and hand-matched FETs. The MXR Phase 90 has set the standard for phasers, credits to its rich and thick tone. The in-house workhorse, acquired in the 70s, has been thoroughly spec’d and reproduced as the ’74 Vintage Phase 90. This reissue features a simple single knob operation. It comes dressed in a classic orange paint job and is embellished with the signature Script logo.
MOOER Mod Factory Pro
The award-winning Mod Factory Pro is a massive step up from the Mod Factory MKII. It comes loaded with 16 modulation effects ranging from essentials like a chorus and a phaser through to the more far-out effects such as ring modulators and lo-fi filters. Each of its two modulation engines has its own footswitch, letting you mix and match them to your liking. The Mod Factory Pro also features tap tempo, expression pedal support, and true stereo output.
EBS D-Phaser
The DPhaser from EBS provides three distinct phaser effects. Choose anything from vintage 70’s sounds to contemporary swirling phasing effects. DPhaser users include Jamareo Artis (Bruno Mars) and Pete Griffin (Dr. John, Zappa Plays Zappa, and others). The DPhaser features three distinct modes of phaser effects. Wide delivers swirling flanger-like effects, Long highlights the effect, while Short is the classic phaser effects known from the ’70s. Hi, Lo and Off set the effect’s resonance while the two knobs adjust the rate and width.
MOOER Triangolo
The tiny and affordable Triangolo packs a bigger and more diverse tremolo punch than its size and price would have you believe. This digital tremolo guitar effects pedal from budget stomp maker Mooer features three highly nuanced and musical modes: Triangular, Square, and Sawtooth. You can adjust the tremolo effect speed using the dedicated Speed knob or tap tempo, then engage the Subdivision knob’s five tremolo rhythm patterns for chopped up varying time subdivision tremolo craziness.
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.
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.
J. Rockett Mr. Moto
A highly musical tremolo with very rich spring reverb, the J. Rockett Mr. Moto is all you wish your amp had built-in. It is an excellent multitasker for crowded pedalboards. You can run both the reverb and the tremolo individually or in tandem. Depth, Speed, and an adjustable waveshaper grant the tremolo effect an incredible range of tone-sculpting potential, from subtle and smooth to stuttering and clipped. Similar to your seminal standalone, Mr. Moto’s Verb control enables rapidly punching up the ambiance for solos.
Seymour Duncan ShapeShifter
Get all the necessary tremolo control with the Shape Shifter Stereo Tremolo from Seymour Duncan. It is configured to deliver your favorite classic textures with the ability to render extreme effects like backward swells, helicopter chops, or piano stabs. It is arguably the most flexible tremolo pedal you will find, regardless if your style is a vintage textural vibe or experimental. The Shape Shifter consists of Speed, Shape, Depth, and Wave knobs. It is a true bypass, designed and built at Seymour Duncan’s Santa Barbara, California factory.
Donner Golden Tremolo
The Donner Golden Tremolo pedal lets you enjoy classic tremolo effects with a massive range of depths and speeds. You can use the Bias knob to adjust the color of the sound. The Golden Tremolo consists of dedicated Depth, Speed, and Bias knobs that enable you to dial in the sound you want. It comes in an all-metal housing that makes it compact and exquisite. Like other amazing effects pedals, it also includes true bypass as well as an LED indicator.
Electro-Harmonix Worm
All sorts of wriggling and writhing modulation madness have been packed into the sturdy, pedalboard-friendly chassis of Electro-Harmonix’s Worm pedal. This all-analog multi-effects stompbox features wah, phaser, tremolo, and vibrato effects. Pick a modulation effect with the four-way Mode dial then use the sweepable Range and Rate knobs to access a breadth of highly musical effect tones. The Worm also has a two-position toggle that lets you choose between auto modulation sweeping and manual or expression pedal control.
TC Electronic Viscous Vibe
The Viscous Vibe by TC Electronic is a marvelous vibe pedal that allows you to emulate the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe’s iconic sound in a contemporary, portable piece of kit. It features spot-on accurate reproduction of the unique tones and dramatic swirls of the Shin-Ei Uni-Vibe plus the ease of a modern pedal. It is TonePrint-powered so you can beam beautiful signature tones into your pedal using the free TonePrint App. The Viscous Vibe comes in a durable die-cast metal chassis built for life on the road.
T-Rex BetaVibe
Handcrafted in Denmark, the T-Rex BetaVibe faithfully simulates the distinctive hypnotizing Doppler effect of an authentic rotating speaker cabinet, reproducing the elusive late 60s to early 70s psychedelic swirl. The BetaVibe rotary modulator features a Slow/Fast switch that gradually accelerates or slows down the speed like an authentic Leslie unit. It also incorporates a midi socket for external control. This bucket brigade pedal features true bypass and is controllable using Speed, Depth, Volume, and Mix knobs.
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.
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.
Fulltone MDV3
The Fulltone Mini Vibe MDV-3 Mini DejaVibe 3 vintage rotary guitar effects pedal is the closest you can get to true Uni-Vibe sound without actually selling a kidney to buy a ‘60s-era Uni-Vibe. Fulltone already did the heavy lifting for you with the MDV-3, cloning original ‘60s photocells and using the exact same preamp transistor that old Uni-Vibes used. You get all of the Uni-Vibe’s legendary writhing, undulating pulsations plus more headroom and a wider dynamic range.
Caline Big Dipper
The Caline CP-36 Big Dipper Pitch Shifter guitar effects pedal combines the modulation effects of a pitch shifter and an octaver into one sturdy, affordable stompbox. A simple three-position toggle switch lets you choose between Pitch Up, Pitch Down, and Detune modes, while a selector knob gives you a wide range of shifting modes, including one- and two-octave modes. Dedicated Wet and Dry knobs give you full blending control over your signal. The Caline CP-36 Big Dipper Pitch Shifter comes with a true bypass feature.
MXR Sub Machine
First devised within the MXR Custom Shop, the Sub Machine unlocks the door to an unbridled and epic sonic exploration. This nasty tiny box combines the La Machine’s shaggy vintage tones with a growling sub-octave circuit, providing you with a one-way ticket to the sonic boundaries of heavy. It features the La Machine’s functions from its Tone, Fuzz, and Volume knobs to its exhilarating octave up mode. It also includes a vintage sub-octave circuit with level control so you can find the perfect blend of sub-octave and fuzz signals.
EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander V2
The Bit Commander is EarthQuaker Devices’ love letter to old-school 8-bit beeps and primitive synth sounds. It features four octaves of vintage square wave synth tones which you can sculpt to sonic perfection by adding or subtracting octaves. The Bit Commander lets you easily make your guitar sound like a whole squad of analog synths with a single stomp. The V2 release builds on the original by adding soft-touch relay-based switching for truly silent operation.
Caline Lucky 7
The Caline CP-38 Lucky 7 Seven Modes guitar effects pedal packs seven different modulation effects into a tiny, sturdy, and very affordable stompbox. You get high-quality Detune, Flange, Phase, and Vibe effects, plus custom effects including a bias tremolo effect, a classic Roland amp-style jazz chorus, and a U-Vibe effect that simulates an effect close to the classic tonal characteristics of the venerable Uni-Vibe chorus and vibrato pedal. The Caline CP-38 Lucky 7 comes with a true bypass feature.
Electro-Harmonix SOUL POG
The Soul Food’s super-transparent overdrive and the Nano POG’s hauntingly divine polyphinc octave generation capabilities mashed together and crammed into one versatile stompbox. The Soul Pog multi-effects pedal lets you use the Soul Food and the Nano POG together or individually; choose which one you want first in the chain or insert other pedals in between them in the effects loop. The Soul POG also features a Mode switch that lets you pick between two different octave-up sounds.
ZVex 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. You can create haunting chorus sounds, strange vibrato pulses, and otherworldly lo-fi warbles that push your arsenal of sonic textures to the next level. This hand painted version comes with a lifetime warranty.
Top Categories
Timing, Dynamics & EQ Pedals
NUX Tape Core Deluxe
The Tape Core is a portable stompbox that gives you vintage tape echo tone. Similar to the authentic tape echo, it features seven different combinations of delay sounds from three repro heads. The organic sound, decay, modulation are produced thanks to NUX’s cutting-edge TS/AC technology. Boasting killer sound quality, Tape Core is simple, inspiring, and professional. For the Top Tempo Function, just long-press the footswitch. Relay Bypass offers more silent switching. The Tape Core Deluxe carries a three-way toggle switch, as well as Repeat, Time, and Mix knobs.
Strymon Volante
With the Strymon Volante Magnetic Echo Machine, you enjoy the full gamut of analog-esque echoes—reel-to-reel studio echo, tape echo, and magnetic drum echo. It also serves as a multi-head delay with separate vintage spring reverb and onboard looper. The Volante pedal lets you dial in the vintage vibe, from the organic saturation and soft clipping of overdriven magnetic media to machine speed, head spacing, wear, mechanics, and more. You can get full control over each parameter through MIDI.
Death by Audio Echo Dream 2
The Echo Dream 2 from Death by Audio is a lo-fi modulating delay pedal capable of driving into fuzzed-out madness. The modulation can be programmed to provide warbling bounces or spacey chorus sounds. The Echo Dream 2 is a more affordable and updated version of the famed Death by Audio Echo Dream. It delivers lush modulating delay and features an “advanced echo modulation” courtesy of its inbuilt LFO and preamp fuzz circuit. The Echo Dream 2 is among the best lo-fi delay pedals.
Rowin Time Maker
Budget guitar effects manufacturer Rowin’s LTD-02 Time Maker is a heavy-duty workhorse delay pedal. This sturdy and affordable stompbox packs 11 distinct delay effects—Pure, Analog, Tape, Mod, Lofi, Reverse, Reverse Tap, pitch, Tremolo, Tube, and Pingpong—that you can control using a full complement of tone shaping pots. Of its two footswitches, one is dedicated to controlling the tap tempo, hold, and mute functions. It also features up to four seconds of delay time and USB connectivity.
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.
TC Electronic HOF Mini
Get the reverb sound you need while conserving precious pedalboard real estate with the marvelous Hall of Fame Mini Reverb from TC Electronic. Powered by groundbreaking TonePrint technology, the Hall of Fame Mini allows you to load up iconic reverb styles produced by several prominent guitarists. You will find Cathedral, Plate, Room, Hall, Spring, and several other exceptional reverb styles all available in the Hall of Fame Mini. The free TonePrint Editor software lets you craft your signature TonePrint voices for your pedal.
Keeley Super Mod Workstation
Pedalmeister Robert Keeley wasn’t kidding around when he named this modulation multi-effects pedal the Super Mod Workstation. It features two banks loaded with eight high-quality modulation effects each, from thick chorus and pristine digital delay to rotary emulation and wah. Mix ‘em, match ‘em, stack ‘em–you have the power. The Super Mod Workstation also comes with a dedicated tap tempo footswitch as well as expression pedal support for real-time parameter control. A truly super stompbox.
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Rever
Banking on Old Blood Noise Endeavors’ pedal building expertise and Datachoir’s sonic ideas, the Rever is a collaborative mix of modulated reverb, reverse, and delay. Featuring two toggles, two footswitches, and seven knobs, familiar effects join forces to produce several inspiring new textures. It features order switching—place reverse last for glitchy textures or first for an ambient wash. Initially launched in a limited quantity in 2018, the Rever is back to introduce its distinctive sound to more players seeking to stretch beyond.
Fender Marine Layer Reverb
The Marine Layer Reverb by Fender boasts an original circuit with Room, Hall, and Special types of reverb such as shimmer. This pedal sounds rich and full. Aside from level and reverb time controls, you can explore a broad range of reverberation with damping and pre-delay controls. Featuring an abundance of gig-focused functionalities, the Marine Layer Reverb does extremely well in virtually any live performance situation. It is capable of drenching your signal in bright reflections and giving dimension to your sound.
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.
Keeley Gold Star
The Gold Star is the classic “Wall of Sound” in compact stompbox form. This reverb guitar effects pedal from Keeley Electronics features three different reverb modes. The Compressed mode adds a layer of compression to make the reverb effect “duck out” when you play heavily. The Distorted mode layers on a thick, powerful distortion. Finally, the Flanged mode branches off into two options: a Flanger Reverb and a Sun-Drenched Vinyl Reverb that comes with a random pitch vibrato effect.
Mad Professor MAD-FGC
Low noise regardless of range, a high overload margin, and a wide dynamic range are all important aspects of a great compressor pedal. The Forest Green COmpressor from Mad Professor nails all of these essentials and then kicks things up a notch. It comes packed with a special Tone knob that lets you fine-tune the compressed signal even further for enhanced clarity and transparency. You can also switch between compressor and sustainer modes, with the latter mode serving up a dynamic, touch-sensitive tone with insane sustain.
EarthQuaker Devices The Warden V2
You can never go wrong with a good compressor pedal, and the Warden optical compressor guitar effects pedal from EarthQuaker Devices is a no-brainer. The Warden keeps your dynamics well in line, from barely-there compression to ultra-heavy squashing, but doesn’t sacrifice any of your tone’s original musicality when doing so. It rocks a feature set that you normally see only in studio-grade compressors, giving you complete control over your sound’s attack, release, sustain, and ratio.
Walrus Audio Deep Six Compressor
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. An internal voltage of 18v gives your signal the maximum amount of headroom, while dedicated Blend and Attack control pots let you use the Deep Six to wash away any unwanted distortions even when used with instruments that have high output active pickups and humbuckers.
Mad Professor Hand-Wired Forest Green Compressor
Low noise regardless of range, a high overload margin, and a wide dynamic range are all important aspects of a great compressor pedal. The hand-wired Forest Green Compressor from Mad Professor nails all of these essentials and then kicks things up a notch. It comes packed with a special Tone knob that lets you fine-tune the compressed signal even further for enhanced clarity and transparency. You can also switch between compressor and sustainer modes, with the latter mode serving up a dynamic, touch-sensitive tone with insane sustain.
Maxon CP101 Compressor
The Maxon Compressor gives you a clean, smooth compression with ridiculous transparency and ultra-low noise. Its 4:1 compression ratio is very subtle you can forget it is on until you turn it off. When on, you will see more consistent and smoother note-to-note levels, tighter and more focused arpeggios and chords, and when you utilize it with an overdriven amp, long-lasting sustain. Ultimately, you will notice slight guitar signal coloration and less of the note-attack alterations typical to most compressors.
Donner Ultimate Comp
Find your ideal sound with the Donner Ultimate Comp. It carries Level, Tone, and Comp (compression) knobs that allow you to adjust the output volume, tone of the sound, and intensity of the compression respectively. It also includes a toggle switch that lets you select between Treble and Normal modes. The compressed tone is smooth and round, filled with musicality, and keeps your original guitar tone. Donner’s circuit has been optimized based on the components of an electric guitar and works exceptionally over various playing styles.
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.
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.
Mooer Graphic G
Budget stompbox master Mooer is touting the Graphic G as the world’s smallest guitar EQ pedal. It does everything that the Graphic B does for bass, only this time for guitar signals. You get a level control range of up to +/- 18 dB across five EQ bands: 62.5 Hz, 125Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, and 4kHz. It also features an independent Level control knob for even more precise tone tuning. You can also make it pull double duty as a booster.
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.
JHS Pedals Haunting Mids
Find that scary good tone that haunts your imagination with the Haunting Mids from JHS Pedals. This simple yet frightfully effective sweepable-mids EQ preamp is capable of transforming just about any pedal or amp into a ghastly monster. It consists of Volume, Sweep, and Mids controls, as well as a Hi/Lo toggle. The Sweep and Mids knobs work in tandem to get the right frequencies to scoop or boost mid frequencies. The Haunting Mids is great for manipulating the midrange character of your drive pedal.
Tech 21 Q-Strip
All the vintage warmth, grit, and punch you recognize from legendary ‘60s and ‘70s sounds, laid right at your feet in the form of the Q\Strip direct input (DI) preamp and EQ box from Tech 21. This compact, road-tough DI gives you all the studio-grade tone shaping power of a 100% analog MOSFET circuit and four bands of EQ inspired by the most highly regarded of console recording modules. Whether you use it onstage or in the studio, the Q\Strip will make you sound good.
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Latest News
Minneapolis pedal company Chase Bliss Audio has unleashed an adventurous delay-based unit called the Habit. Advertised as a “freeform sampler and musical sketchpad,” the Habit yields traditional delays with the
KMA Machines has announced a revamped and slimmed down version of its Wurhm distortion pedal—the Wurm 2. When the Wurhm first came to the music realm in 2020, it was
Boss has lifted the veil on two new digital stompboxes spec’d from its legendary RE-201 Space Echo—the RE-2 and RE-202. Stripping the RE-201 sound down to its core essentials, the
Line 6 has updated its cult-favorite DL4 Delay Modeler to MkII, hauling the 1999-dated original into the present-day era by some tonal tweaks and pretty aesthetic. Under the hood, the new-and-improved
Metallica electric guitar star Kirk Hammett has taken to Instagram to announce that his second signature Dunlop Cry Baby Wah is in the works. Dressed in a striking purple colorway
Stone Heavy Sound has launched the Decade pedal, a “passive pickup response tripler” that vows to electronically alter the number of winds of wire in a pickup coil and get
Old Blood Noise Endeavors has unleashed the Fault V2 overdrive/distortion stompbox, which boasts more extensive EQ controls, gain range and clipping options. “Tweaking the platform of our Fault overdrive/distortion, we’ve
KMA Machines has unveiled the Tyler Deluxe, a sophisticated frequency splitter for sending your highs and lows to two different effect loops or even different amps. The Tyler Deluxe is
Wampler has announced the Plexi-Drive Mini, condensing a revamped variant of its classic British-esque gain box into a more compact chassis. The brand’s Plexi-Drive is a tried and tested stompbox
MXR has unveiled the FOD Drive pedal, which boasts a pair of independent drive circuits that perfectly complement one another. Per the brand, the basis of the FOD Drive was
Boss has unveiled the latest addition to its Waza Craft pedal roster—the FZ-1W, a fuzz stompbox delivering vintage and modern voicing using a pair of operating modes. Like other Waza
KMA Audio Machines has unveiled its first wholly digital effect pedal, the Cirrus Spatial-Temporal Modifier reverb and delay. This dual-effect unit features three distinct reverb and delay modes. The delay
MSL Pedals has unveiled their version of the Roland AP7 Jet Phaser, the Night Witch Fuzz + Ramping Phaser. Per the press release, the classic circuit has been revamped for
Carl Martin has unleashed an all-analog amp-in-a-box and speaker simulator pedal—the Ampster. Sporting a classic amp-esque control interface, the Ampster consists of knobs for Gain, Master, Presence, and a three-band
Tech 21 has revealed that the SansAmp Classic, discontinued in 2016, has been revived for 2021 due to popular demand. Loved by innumerable players for over three decades, the SansAmp
Utility Pedals
Caline Tuner Power
The Caline CP-09 Tuner-Power may not serve up any bizarre, mind bending guitar effects, but it can serve as the literal heart of any pedalboard rig by acting as both a tuner and a power supply device. In Tuner mode, you get a sensitive and stable chromatic tuner with am easy-to-see LED display. Switch it to Power mode and you can power up to six standard 100mA effects pedals and up to two 500ma power guzzlers.
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.
Lehle Dual
The Lehle Dual amp switcher features three sets of outputs. It routes your instrument signal to three amplifiers or two amps and one tuner simultaneously and enables switching all at once or of whatever combination. The patented LHTZ high-end transformer electronically isolates each signal path avoiding any hum or noise. Crafted in Germany, the Dual features full stereo functionality as well as gold-plated relays and switches. It can be controlled and synced with other Lehle SGoS switchers through MIDI.
Carl Martin Buff Deluxe
The Buff Deluxe is built to run alongside huge multiple effects boards with plenty of true bypass effects. The drawback of utilizing true bypass effects is that your guitar signal stays high impedance, leading to the loss of high note because of the several feet of cables running at the pedalboard, and not the slightest from board to amp. The Buff Deluxe features a Mute switch that directs your signal to the Tuner Out. That enables the removal of even the tuner from the signal chain as well as convenient and silent guitar tuning.
Korg Pitchblack Custom (Red)
Add a readable and precise tuner to your pedalboard with the Pitchblack Custom by Korg. It features a limited edition vivid red finish and sturdy, compact design that makes it convenient to incorporate into your setup. The Pitchblack Custom’s three-dimensional display is bright enough for daylight use, but its detail and spacing is also suitable for dim stages. It boasts extreme 0.1-cent precision that guarantees you get the closest tuning achievable. It also features four display modes: Regular A, Regular B, Strobe, and Half Strobe.
Joyo Irontune
Your pedalboard may have the best-sounding and most expensive effects, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t even have a reliable guitar tuner. The Joyo JF-326 Irontune is a tiny, budget-friendly pedal that does the very important job of making sure your guitar is in tune. It’s fast, too, plus an easy to read LED display lets you know how in-tune or how far off you are. As one of Joyo’s Ironman pedals, the JF-326 Irontune is small enough to fit in your front pocket and features a flip cover for keeping your control dial settings safe.
ammoon Looper
The ammoon AP-09 Nano Loop Electric Guitar is a great budget clone of the venerable TC Electronics Ditto Looper Pedal, but with twice the maximum recording time. The AP-09 Nano Loop lets you record up to 10 minutes and comes with unlimited overdubs, undo, redo, and delete functions. Using it is as simple as stepping on a switch and turning a knob, of which it only has one to control the volume. You can also download and upload loops to the AP-09 Nano Loop via its integrated USB port.
TC Electronic Alter Ego X4
If you are into tap delays, you are perhaps a frustrated guitarist due to the bulk, maintenance, and reliability issues associated with those units. The Alter Ego X4 by TC Electronic gets you the iconic sound of several well-loved vintage tape delay units less the headaches. It provides you with the power of TC’s TonePrint tech to record and download presets from your iPhone straight to your pedal. Try the Alter Ego X4 and experience the sound of the most drool-inducing vintage delays.
MOOER Ocean Machine
The Ocean Machine is the stompbox equivalent of a Swiss army knife. You get a 60-second looper, nine distinct reverb types, and two independent delays with a total of 17 different delay effects. This multi-effects monster is the brainchild of budget stompbox maker Mooer and self-confessed multitrack aficionado/metal maestro Devin Townsend, so you’ll definitely find some of the spaciest and craziest delay tones you’ve ever come across on the Ocean Machine. It’s a knob-twiddler’s dream instrument.
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.
Boss RC-3 Loop Station
The grown-up version of the RC-1, the Boss RC-3 Loop Station retains the former’s easy to use stompbox configuration while enhancing its powerful looping features. The RC-3’s massive internal memory means you can now record up to three hours of high-def stereo audio and store up to 99 loops. The RC-3 also comes with a real drums rhythm guide with real drums and USB 2.0 compatibility for importing and exporting WAV audio to a computer.
Electro-Harmonix 22500
The Electro-Harmonix 22500 Dual Stereo Looper packs powerful looping capabilities in a compact, pedalboard-friendly chassis. Affordable and easy to use, the 22500 features dual stereo loops with selectable independent or locked loop lengths, sequential and parallel looping modes, Reverse and Octave functions, 16 built-in drum loops, and more. The 22500 can record up to 100 individual high-quality, uncompressed audio to a removable SDHC card. It comes with a free 8GB card and can support up to 32GB cards.
Caline Pure Sky Overdrive
The Caline CP-12 Pure Sky Overdrive guitar effects pedal is a modded version of the Paul Cochrane Timmy Overdrive stompbox. Eschewing the toggle switch of the pedal it’s based on, the CP-12 provides great higher end with excellent tonal clarity. It can be used as a versatile four-knob overdrive or as an EQ pedal with surprising levels of precision in cutting and boosting your guitar signal. The Caline CP-12 Pure Sky Overdrive comes with a true bypass feature.
Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler
Experience your ideal pedalboard within an ultra-compact package with the Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler. It gives you all the vintage and modern pedal effects you want. It includes an inbuilt 28-second looper for tremendous creative possibilities. The M9 offers over 75 outstanding effects, and you may utilize as much as three simultaneously. This robust yet compact unit carries convenient control knobs, seven footswitches, and a bright backlit display readable on even dim stages. Get old-school simplicity and stunning stompbox tones with the M9.
Source Audio Soundblox 2 MANTA Bass Filter
The Soundblox 2 Manta Bass Filter from Source Audio boasts 12 meticulously tailored filter effects along with eight distortion variations, a feature never available before in the Soundblox line of filter effects. These styles of distortion are not only crunch or amp simulation; they are configured to work alongside the filter effect selections. The Manta’s filters are controllable by two envelope followers, square, sine, and saw tooth LFO. Similar to its fellow Soundblox 2 pedals, the Manta is compatible with the Hot Hand 3 Wireless Effects Controller, Source Audio Dual Expression Pedal, and MIDI control signals through the Soundblox HUB.
Alexander Pedals Quadrant
As its name suggests, the Quadrant Audio Mirror combines four unique delay effects—magnetic, analog, digital, and lo-fi—into a sonic space-time stompbox. Complementing the rate (up to 915ms), feedback, mod, and mix controls is a new Glide knob that controls changes in the delay time; set it to low for a seamless shift and crank it up for pitch shifts. The Quadrant Audio mirror comes with expression pedal and MIDI compatibility, tap tempo, and an Auto-Trail setting that lets you control how long your delays ring out when you turn the pedal off.
Source Audio Soundblox2 Multiwave Bass Distortion
The Source Audio Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion repackages all the Soundblox Multiwave Bass Distortion’s low-end retaining fuzz and distortion tones into a portable, cast-aluminum chassis. It gives you 23 non-traditional and traditional synth-esque effects plus two user presets, a Clean Boost mode, individual Clean and Distortion Mix knobs, three-band tone control, three-level noise gate, universal bypass, and a multifunction input compatible with MIDI, Hot Hand, or the Source Audio Dual Expression Pedal. The Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion includes both single- and multi-band processing.
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.
Lehle Dual
The Lehle Dual amp switcher features three sets of outputs. It routes your instrument signal to three amplifiers or two amps and one tuner simultaneously and enables switching all at once or of whatever combination. The patented LHTZ high-end transformer electronically isolates each signal path avoiding any hum or noise. Crafted in Germany, the Dual features full stereo functionality as well as gold-plated relays and switches. It can be controlled and synced with other Lehle SGoS switchers through MIDI.
Boss ES-8 Switching System
For pedal-obsessed musicians, the Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System is a straight-up gamechanger. You can create elaborate pedal chains and route them however you want with its eight separate loops. You can customize and store up to 800 patches in its onboard memory and add specific control parameters such as patch delay times. You can customize the pedal function assignments. All that plus LCD and seven-segment LED displays, switchable buffers, and an analog circuit that keeps your tone crystal clear.
Mission Engineering SP1-L6 Helix
Mission Engineering has partnered with Line 6 engineers to build a pedal suitable for the Helix Rack, the SP1-L6H. The pedal connects to your Helix Rack and allows expressive control over volume, wah, and rotary effects. The SP1-L6H also incorporates a convenient toe switch for seamless, hands-free switching between your effects. You can connect it to inputs on the Helix Rack, HX Stomp, and Rack floor controller. With the SP1-L6H switching expression pedal in your arsenal, you can maximize your Line 6 Helix.
JHS Pedals Switchback
The Switchback from JHS Pedals is a little unassuming box boasting an extensive feature set. It started as a tool designed by JHS Pedals for themselves to examine and compare pedals in their workshop but later on recognized that it was incredibly handy for anyone’s rig in the studio or on stage. The Switchback includes two separate selectable effects loops (Return/Send), an input, output, as well as an A/B toggle controllable using the Red Remote switching system.
Lehle Little Dual
Conquering two tasks simultaneously, the Little Dual from Lehle serves as both your hum eliminator and amp switcher. It lets you feed two different amplifiers at once. Additionally, you may operate the Little Dual in either a stereo capacity or as an A/B switcher, providing you with versatility in the studio or on stage. If you are seeking a spectacular performance from a switcher that will not color your sound, the Little Dual is the way to go.
Sabbadius Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz Modulator
A significant fuzz pedal created using top-grade materials and silicon transistors. The Sabbadius Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz Modulator was designed and inspired by Dante Spinetta, who asked Nico if he could devise a pedal for his band, IKV, and said he wanted one that is capable of delivering an explosive fuzz sound yet very deformed. The Mostro Synthesizer Fuzz consists of Wah Wah Trick, Bias, Fuzz, and Synth Controller knobs, as well as a toggle switch that lets you select from Normal or Deform settings.
Vertex Dynamic Distortion
The Dynamic Distortion by Vertex is a sonic mix of rock ’n’ roll’s two most legendary distortion pedals: the 80s TS Overdrive and 60s Germanium Fuzz. This iconic combination gives you unrivaled touch sensitivity and clean-up with your guitar volume control from sparkly clean to fuzz to overdrive while delivering the full-bodied woolliness of an old-school fuzz and the midrange cut of a vintage TS pedal. The Dynamic Distortion boasts all the benefits of mixing the tonal DNA of these iconic pedals without the drawbacks.
Orange Amp Detonator
Running two amps is an accepted way of capturing bigger tones in the studio and on stage. No matter if it is changing between two amps for their characteristics or employing them simultaneously for vast walls of sounds, professionals have been using this setup for years. The Amp Detonator by Orange is arguably the tiniest active, wholly functional, buffered ABY pedal available. The transformer output was painstakingly engineered to become as transparent as possible, while the two outputs are buffered with a low-noise, linear circuit. Drive lengthy cable to your amplifiers without clarity loss and change quietly between them.
Empress Effects Buffer
The Buffer from Empress Effects has been built to serve as the complete I/O interface for your pedalboard while preserving the highest fidelity of your guitar signal. For decades, guitarists have been struggling with signal loss resulting from long, unbuffered cable runs. The Buffer aims to erase that signal loss, making sure that your cables will never affect your tone. Moreover, it consolidates all your pedalboard’s connectivity to make the set up convenient and fast.
JHS Pedals Buffered Splitter
Add the JHS Pedals Buffered Splitter to your pedalboard for a simple yet efficient signal-splitting tool that keeps your tone pristine, clear, and powerful. It is capable of perfectly driving your pedalboard chains and long cable runs. It preserves your guitar’s natural tone without coloration from the other gears within your signal chain. The Buffered Splitter comes in a compact enclosure that makes it handy for any rig. It works well with keyboards, bass, guitar, and more.
Mosky Dec Mini
The Dec Buffer Booster from budget guitar effects pedal brand takes its circuit design and tonal cues from the Wampler Decibel+ buffer and boost pedal. It packs two essential pedalboard problem solvers into one compact pedal: excellent, stable signal buffering and a pristine clean boost. Controls are dead simple; you get one knob that controls the gain level and one footswitch. THe Dec Buffer Booster knows what it’s supposed to do and does it well.
Fender Level Set Buffer
Whether you utilize several guitars in a set or a single guitar through a large pedalboard, your signal strength can be negatively affected. That’s why the Level Set Buffer from Fender is a must-have for any pedalboard. It allows you to change guitars sans disrupting your tone. Fender consulted with several guitarists on the design, producing a stompbox equipped with stage-ready functionalities. The Level Set Buffer consists of a Mute footswitch, Load toggle switch, as well as Hi-Freq and Level knobs.
Electro-Harmonix The Silencer
Give unwanted signal noise a double-tap to the head with Electro-Harmonix’s The Silencer. This sophisticated noise gate pedal gives you Threshold, Reduction, and Release controls for precise fine-tuning that takes your gear and playing style into account. It doesn’t just help eliminate annoying buzzes and hums, either; the Silencer also expands your pedal routing options. You can use it as an inline noise gate or add it to an effects loop to kill noise from specific pedals.
ZVex Loop Gate
Noise gates are infinitely useful, but gating becomes a lot more challenging when you’re facing a pedalboard full of sonically complex effects such as fuzz boxes and delay stomps. The Loop Gate is boutique guitar effects company Zvex’s answer to that conundrum. It acts as a loop switch with an excellent built-in high headroom noise gate with zero distortion and hiss. You can switch effects loops in and out at will, plus you can even crossfade them using the Mix knob and deliver tremolo-style effects in Chop mode.
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.
Mooer Noise Killer
Pop the Noise Killer at the end of your pedal chain and say goodbye to annoying buzzes, hisses, and hums. This noise gate pedal from budget stompbox maker Mooer ticks all of the important boxes: it’s tonally transparent, has a wide threshold range that goes from -70dB to +10dB, and has silky smooth gating. You can also set the gating to Hard or Soft with a two-way toggle switch. Set it, forget it, and enjoy a noiseless signal.
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.
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
Noisy signals are the bane of musicians the world over. That’s why noise suppressor pedals have become pedalboard mainstays, and the Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor is one of the best options available. It uses a unique noise detection circuit that identifies and separates your instrument’s signal from the noise and hum components, eliminating the latter while letting the former shine through with its natural attack and sonic envelope perfectly preserved. You can dial in the precise amount of noise elimination and suppression via dedicated Threshold and Decay knobs.
Rowin Beat Loop
The LBL-01 Beat Loop is a versatile and affordable combination drum machine and looper pedal from budget-priced guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin. The looper section can record for up to five minutes in each of 30 separate storage locations. The drum machine has two drum groups with 40 drum types, half of which are standard while the other half is electronic. The LBL-01 Beat Looper also has a separate dual footswitch controller that lets you control the drum section.
BOSS DB-90 Talking Dr. Beat
Practicing alone becomes a whole new experience with the Boss DB-90 Dr. Beat, the flagship product of Boss’s Dr. Beat Metronome line. This monstrous metronome packs four great metronome sounds—including human voice!— as well as dozens of drum patterns in its tiny, lightweight frame. The Boss DB-90 Dr. Beat also comes with a Rhythm Coach function, a reference-tone tuning function, instrument and MIDI input, and other useful tools for making solo practice less mundane.
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 O.M.B
Joyo’s OMB Looper and Drum Machine turns you into a one-man band with a single stomp. This single pedal can act as a looper, a drum machine, or a combo looper plus drum machine. The looper function lets you record up to 40 minutes of audio and features unlimited overdubs, auto-align, and count-in. You get seven drum patterns and seven drumbeats in drum machine mode, plus you can add fills to the patterns and use a tap tempo function. The OMB is an R Series pedal, meaning it has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
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.
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.
Other Pedals
MOOER Free Step
The Free Step is an innovative little guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox masters Mooer that pulls double duty as a vintage analog wah and a versatile volume pedal while being less than half the size of a regular expression pedal. You can shape the wah tone to you liking via the side-mounted Q dial. In volume mode, you can set the minimum volume from 0% to 50% using the Min. Vol. dial located on the pedal’s side.
Friedman No More Tears Gold-72 Wah
Every musician has unique wah tone requirements, and Friedman wants to make cooking up that perfect and personal wah tone easier with the No More Tears Gold-72 Wah pedal. A ton of customization options lies hidden under the Gold-72’s unassuming facade. A three-way switch located under the treadle lets you easily change the sweep to get unique vintage-style voicings for different situations. Inside the pedal is another switch that lets you choose between buffered and true bypass mode.
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.
Dunlop 95Q Cry Baby
The 95Q Cry Baby Wah Wah is Dunlop’s iconic Cry Baby with three of its most popular and highly-requested upgrades: the Auto-Return function which instantly engages the effect when you step on the pedal, Volume Boost for up to +15dB of added gain, and the renowned “Q” Control to vary the wah effect’s intensity. All that adds up to a flexible, incredible sounding tone monster that keeps the original Cry Baby’s fast-reacting properties. The 95Q is powered by 9V battery or Dunlop ECB-003 AC adapter.
MOOER The Wahter
Finally, a great sounding wah that’s literally small enough to carry in your back pocket on the way to a gig. The Wahter guitar effects pedal from budget stomp maestro Mooer is an inversion of the classic wah pedal design; it’s about a fourth the size of a typical wah pedal but still serves up a classic wah tone. The Wahter uses pressure sensors instead of a switch, plus it has built-in foot rings that unfold to give you a larger surface area with which to work your wah magic.
Morley Mini Classic Switchless Wah
A classic Morley wah sound in a small and affordable package. The Mini Classic Switchless Wah boasts all of Morley’s signature features: a classic wah tone powered by an MQ2 inductor, Electro-Optical circuitry so you don’t have to worry about worn out pots, silky smooth switchless operation, and True-Tone Bypass Buffer. If you’re looking for your first wah effects pedal—or even your first Morley wah—you won’t go wrong with the Morley Mini Classic Switchless Wah
Tom’sline Acoustic
The aptly named Acoustic budget guitar effects pedal from Tomsline is a workhorse acoustic simulator pedal that gets the job done. Plug in an electric guitar and you can give it the body and natural woody sound of an acoustic. You can adjust the gain with the Top knob, the resonance of the simulated acoustic body with the Body dial, and the overall volume with the Volume pot. The Acoustic also features a three-way toggle that lets you switch between three voicing modes: Piezo, Standard, and Jumbo.
JOYO Classic Flanger
The JF-07 Classic Flanger guitar effects pedal from Joyo makes great use of its bucket brigade device circuit to create high-quality analog flange effects that won’t lose out to the more expensive boutique pedals. Since it’s analog, the JF-07 Classic Flanger’s flange tones don’t have the harsh, metallic edge of digital flanges. For precise tone-shaping, this budget-friendly stompbox features dedicated Regen, Delay Time, Width, and Speed controls for creating wavy choruses, rapid-fire tremolos, and screaming jet flanges.
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.
MOOER Slow Engine
Mooer has done all musicians a big favor by faithfully recreating the incredibly expensive Boss Slow Gear SG-1 guitar effects pedal and turning it into the Slow Engine, a budget-friendly pedal barely bigger than a roll of quarters. The Slow Engine silences the attack of your guitar signal to give you a classic volume swell effect that you don’t have to execute using your hands. The Slow Engine’s simple control layout features sensitivity and attack knobs, plus it comes with true bypass.
MOOER Lofi Machine
The LoFi Machine guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox masters Mooer takes your guitar signal and reduces its sample rate to create everything from subtle grunge with a sprinkling of glitch to full-on digital squawk effects. The sample rate and wet/dry signal mix are controlled via dedicated mini-knobs while the big Bit knob dictates the sampling depth. The LoFi Machine also has a three-way toggle switch for optimizing the effect for guitar, bass, and synth inputs.
NUX Stageman Floor
The Stageman Floor Acoustic Preamp + DI by NUX is an analog acoustic preamp boasting digital effects and looper function. Preamp featured with an extremely sensitive three-band EQ with input gain control, adjustable notch filter, and MID scoop toggle switch. It also offers a massive headroom that gives you the sound all-natural. The notch filter helps you cut the resonating frequency. The Stageman Floor consists of Treble, Middle, and Bass knobs, depending on the speaker/amp characteristic, acoustic guitar’s body type, and playing style, you may tune your sound to your liking.
EBS D-Phaser
The DPhaser from EBS provides three distinct phaser effects. Choose anything from vintage 70’s sounds to contemporary swirling phasing effects. DPhaser users include Jamareo Artis (Bruno Mars) and Pete Griffin (Dr. John, Zappa Plays Zappa, and others). The DPhaser features three distinct modes of phaser effects. Wide delivers swirling flanger-like effects, Long highlights the effect, while Short is the classic phaser effects known from the ’70s. Hi, Lo and Off set the effect’s resonance while the two knobs adjust the rate and width.
Rowin Trill
An optical tremolo stomp that can literally fit in the palm of your hand. The LN-327 Trill nano pedal from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin serves up a vintage Fender Twin-inspired pulsating tremolo tone that will add more dimension to your guitar tone. The LN-327 Trill is all undulating waves, whether you’re going for a classic surf rock tone or a more intense and mind bending photoelectric tremolo effect. The LN-327 Trill also comes with an EQ circuit for additional tone shaping options.
Aguilar Tone Hammer
The Aguilar Tone Hammer preamp/direct box allows you to take full control of your tone. It is an invaluable addition to every bassist’s toolbox. Built on the OBP-3 preamp, the sturdy Tone Hammer boasts wholly sweepable midrange frequencies, treble, and bass controls. This powerful combination places multiple sculpting capabilities at your fingertips, and you may directly connect it to a live sound system or your recording rig. The Tone Hammer is rocking the Adaptive Gain Shaping circuitry, allowing you to dial in anything from serious overdrive to vintage tones.
EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe
The EBS Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe is the extended variant of the earlier signature model. It is an all-analog design boasting innovative features to transform it into your signature pedal. Built in collaboration with Billy, this signature pedal provides relatively more gain compared to the original purple version. The Billy Sheehan Signature Drive Deluxe carries Clean, Level, Tone, and Drive knobs, a phase inverter switch, boost drive footswitch, as well as three compressor modes—Mid, High, Off.
Source Audio Soundblox2 OFD Guitar microModeler
The Soundblox 2 OFD Guitar microModeler by Source Audio gives you an extensive range of vintage and modern overdrive, distortion, and fuzz tones in a portable, stage-ready enclosure suitable for guitarists of any genre. Every effect was meticulously created to deliver naturally responsive and precise tones, from chunky, warm tube overdrive to exaggerated fuzz. The Guitar OFD serves up twelve noticeably natural tones modeled after favorites, including Mesa Boogie preamp overdrive, Big Muff Pi, Fuzz Face, Octavia, Pro Co Rat, Tube Screamer, and Marshall Amplifiers.
Mooer Fog
Yes, the color scheme that budget stompbox maker Mooer used for the Fog fuzz pedal can make your eyes hurt, but don’t let that put you off. It’s the sound that’s most important when it comes to stompboxes and the Fog punches way above its weight, packing a classic hairy fuzz tone that works great with both bass and guitar. Tone shaping tools include dedicated Volume, Tone, Fuzz, and Squeeze knobs, with the latter letting you adjust the pulse waveform shape for a wider range of sonic possibilities.
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.
DOD Mini Volume
The passive DOD Mini Volume pedal provides you with a complete range of volume control, without taking up a lot of pedalboard real estate. Despite its extremely compact package, its rugged steel construction, non-slip rubber base, and gear drive mean there are no strings to break. The Mini Volume boasts the same footprint as most pedals that are double its size and price. It also has a high-quality 500k potentiometer that makes it suitable for all volume pedal applications.
Dunlop Volume X Mini
With the DVP4 Mini Volume (X) Pedal, conserving space does not mean sacrificing functionality or durability. It lets you manage volume and FX parameters without congesting your pedalboard. It is capable of anything the larger DVP3 does. For ultimate precision and convenience, the DVP4’s rocker tension is adjustable. The AUX output merges tuner and expression functionality into a single jack which can be toggled with a switch on the pedal. You no longer need to give up control of your volume level and FX pedals when employing a travel-sized board, thanks to the DVP4 Volume X Mini.
Caline Hot Spice
As two pedals in one, the Caline CP-31 Hot Spice Wah/VOL guitar effect pedal is even more budget-friendly compared to Caline’s other, very reasonably priced stompbox offerings. On the wah side, you get a funky, full-sounding wah effect based on the classic Jim Dunlop Cry Baby Wah’s sound. Flick a switch from Wah to Volume mode and you get a smooth action volume pedal that takes up way less space on your pedalboard compared to other expression pedals.
Boss FV-500H
The FV-500 series takes Boss’s industry-standard volume pedal designs into the future. Tank-tough with a stylishly designed high-grade aluminum body and packing silky smooth action, the FV-500 line of volume pedals were created to go above and beyond the needs of even the most hard-touring and demanding musician. The FV-500H is the line’s mono high-impedance model with inst. level input, a tuner-output jack, and an expression output for use with expression pedal-compatible amps, effects, and synthesizers.
Morley Power Wah Volume
The Morley PWO Power Wah cranked up to 11 by the addition of a new volume control circuit. The PWO Power Wah Volume comes equipped with a custom HQ2 inductor that brings the classic funk and a volume control section with a silky smooth audio taper. Morley’s innovative electro-optical circuit design makes worn out pots a thing of the distant past while True-Tone Bypass Buffer technology keeps your tone pure and pristine in both wah and volume mode.
Korg XVP-20
A smoother, more powerful, and compact keyboard volume pedal, the XVP-20 from Korg gives you a must-have tool for broad-ranging control over their feel, routing, and levels. It is built with a sturdy aluminum enclosure and non-slip rubber on the bottom and treadle of the pedal. Stereo inputs and outputs provide you with various routing options. The XVP-20 also features a minimum volume control for preselecting your levels. Get all the functionality you want from a volume/expression pedal with the XVP-20.
Mission Engineering EP-25K (White)
Sporting an immaculate white finish, the EP-25K by Mission Engineering is a professional quality, pure metal expression pedal built for utilization with equipment that prefers a 25K potentiometer instead of the 10K potentiometer in a regular EP-1. Thanks to the 25K pot, the EP-25K is useful with several iconic pedals in the market with an expression jack such as many from Moog, Strymon, Eventide, and TC Electronic. The EP25K carries two outputs that you can use to control two expression pedal devices at once.
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.
Mission Engineering EP-25-Pro Aero Expression
Featuring the Mission Aero design, the EP-25 PRO expression pedal is perfect not only for guitar, but also acoustic instruments, keyboards, and both studio and live use. At only 1.7 lb, the pure aluminum Aero is half the weight of a regular Mission pedal, suitable for fly rigs and weight-sensitive applications. The EP-25 PRO includes individual polarity switches for every channel. That enables compatibility with a wide variety of pedals, modeling amps, MIDI controllers, keyboards, rack effects, and other expression controlled devices.
Electro Harmonix Dual Expression
So many wonderful stompboxes now come with expression pedal support, so choosing which one to use with your lone expression pedal can be a headache. The Dual Expression Pedal from Electro-Harmonix eases that headache a bit by letting you control two individual functions or two separate devices using one expression pedal. Both EXP outputs have independent range and reverse, plus they each have their own polarity switch for enhanced compatibility with a wider range of pedals.
Mission Engineering EP-25K (Black)
Housed in a sleek black chassis, the EP-25K by Mission Engineering is a professional quality, dual-channel pedal intended for utilization with equipment that favors a 25K expression pedal such as Moog, Strymon, TC Electronic, and Eventide. It features a 25K Ohm potentiometer instead of the 10K potentiometer found in the Mission EP-1. It incorporates two outputs that you may utilize to control two expression pedal devices at the same time. The EP-25K is also compatible as an input for the Expressionator.
Fender The Pinwheel
Stomp on Fender’s The Pinwheel to inject vintage organ speaker and amp effects to your performance. You can create astonishing sounds with three distinct rotary speaker voices, including Fender’s Vibratone effect. Switchable fast and slow speeds allow you to spin up the perfect effect, while the onboard overdrive gives your tone some texture. You may also adjust the modulation rate based on your playing dynamics with the Sensitivity control. The Pinwheel boasts unparalleled sonic textures, thanks to Fender’s all-original circuit.
Danelectro BK-1 Big Spender Spinning Speaker
The Danelectro BK-1 Big Spender Spinning Speaker guitar effect pedal is the perfect rotary speaker stompbox for musicians working with a very tight budget. Separate Volume and Treble knobs keep the simulated rotary speaker effect from becoming just another mishmash of phaser, chorus, and vibrato effects. A dedicated Speed knob and a Ramp switch separate from the main Effect switch simulate the speeding up / slowing down sounds of a real Leslie speaker for a greasy, gritty, shimmering rotary speaker effect.
Joyo JF-307
The JF-307 Clean Glass guitar effects pedal from Joyo brings the classic tone of blackface-era Fender amps straight to your feet. As its name suggests, this tiny stompbox does justice to Fender’s classic twangy and clear clean channel sound. There’s also a dedicated Drive knob for when you want to add saturated, sustain-friendly dirt. The JF-306 Night Train is an Ironman pedal, so it’s small enough to fit in your front pocket and features a flip cover to keep your control dial settings safe.
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.
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.
Two Notes Torpedo Captor 8
The 8 Ohm Torpedo Captor from boutique guitar effects pedal maker Two Notes is the minified version of the award winning Torpedo Reload reactive loadbox. Using Two Notes’ reactive technology, the Captor can mimic the impedance of a speaker perfectly, making you sound like you’re connected to a real amp cabinet even when you’re plugged straight into a PA, a mixer, a recording station, or even a pair of headphones. Use it with the Torpedo C.A.B.’s virtual cabinet collection for an even wider array of ampless tonal possibilities.
ZVex Super Ringtone II
The Super Ringtone II is boutique guitar effects company Zvex’s juiced up 16 step version of the original Ringtone sequencer. This insanely versatile ring modulator can deliver everything from subtle, hypnotic detunes through to otherworldly laser battle sounds and all points between. You can use it no matter the time signature you’re playing in by choosing between 16 steps in the sequence. The Super Ringtone II also features tap tempo control, MIDI sync, a hold feature, eight programmable memory banks, and delta speed control.
DigiTech Dirty Robot
The Dirty Robot Stereo Mini-Synth from DigiTech empowers you to transform your bass or guitar into an industrial-strength booty-shaking device. It presents a broad array of controls to reshape and mangle your sound into something new. This metallic monster consists of seven controls, two distinct voices, and a new Drift knob which lets you morph and combine Octave, Sub, and Square waveforms instantly. By merely spinning a knob, an extensive range of cyborg sounds can already come to life.
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.
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.
Dr. Scientist Bitquest
Dr. Scientist’s BitQuest is equipped with eight digital effects that work even sans an inbuilt digital fuzz. This innovative pedal has got you covered wherever the future takes you. It is arguably among the most exciting multi-headed beasts within the boutique world. The BitQuest packs Flanger, Infinite Reverb, Bit Crusher, High Pass and Low Pass Filters, Ring Mod, Notch Filter, Glitch Delay, and Pitch Shift into a single pedal. A simple interface enables seamless control of each parameter, paving the way to a previously undiscovered sonic territory.
EarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine V2
Lose yourself in the mesmerizing, mind-altering sounds conjured up by the Rainbow Machine from EarthQuaker Devices. Every sound you can dish out with the Rainbow Machine is frankly unnatural, making this polyphonic pitch mesmerizer the perfect tool for musicians who want to experiment and push the sonic envelope. V2 sports double the output level, longer delay times, and deeper chorus compared to the original. Both the Activate and Magic footswitches have also been upgraded to Flexi-Switches, so you can use them as both latching and momentary-type footswitches.
