Tonebox Recommended Pedals
Electro-Harmonix Op-amp Big Muff Pi
Op-Amp Big Muffs from the late ‘70s may be selling for about half a kidney right now, but you can still get that massive, crushing Big Muff sound for way less via the Op-Amp Big Muff Pi. This compact and affordable reissue uses op-amps rather than transistors to create that signature crunch popularized by Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and James Iha on the Siamese Dream album. Control the fuzz texture via dedicated Volume, Tone, and Sustain knobs and use the tone bypass toggle for maximum aggression.
Xotic EP Booster
Eric Johnson, Jimmy Page, and Eddie Van Halen are just some of the legendary guitarists who used the classic EP-3 echo effects processor’s preamp stage to create their signature tone. Thanks to boutique guitar effects pedal company Xotic, you can use that preamp too via the EP Booster, a boost pedal based on that very same preamp. The EP Booster can dish out up to 20dB of extra juice that you can use to hit your amp harder and make your signal soar above the mix.
Electro-Harmonix Micro Q-Tron
Elevate your sound to the funkiest of heights. The Micro Q-Tron Envelope Filter guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix dishes out some of the grooviest wah effects known to man. Its internal envelope follower analyzes your unique picking dynamics playing to sweep the center of the envelope filter, giving you wahs that change dynamically depending on your pick attack. Controls are simple and intuitive, with three dials to set the filter mode, filter bandwidth, and drive amount.
Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. M
Two Notes’ Torpedo C.A.B. M is a true cabinet in a box, giving you a direct line from your guitar rig to a PA system, mixer, or recording interface. A lot of things may change between each gig, from your backline to the room quality, but with the Torpedo C.A.B. M you can be sure your preferred tone will stay the same. The Torpedo C.A.B. M comes with a carefully curated selection of 32 of the most highly prized amp tones, plus you can load it with your own IR files.
Boss BD-2W Blues Driver Waza Craft
The Boss BD-2W Blues Driver Waza Craft Special takes the venerable Boss BD-2 Blues Driver guitar effects pedal to a whole new level via a newly revised, all-analog discrete amp circuit and a new two-position mode toggle. All of the original Blues Driver’s warm and bluesy overdriven tones are faithfully recreated in Classic mode while switching to Custom mode enhances your sound with more body and sustain. The Boss BD-2W Blues Driver Waza Craft Special remains highly responsive to your unique picking dynamics and volume changes in either mode.
Korg Miku
Inspired by Japanese animation star Hatsune Miku, the Miku Stomp from Korg lets you change your guitar tone into vocal phrases, voiced by the iconic character. It features a Hatsune Miku graphic and eleven distinct phrases that are conveniently selectable using the one rotary control. It leverages an eVocaloid effect, built on Yamaha’s NSX-1 sound engine. With such a distinctive sound, you will either find yourself enjoying the Miku Stomp’s often humorous character or discover infinite inspiration as you conjure new sounds.
Drive Pedals
EBS Multi Drive
Spice up your sustain with the MultiDrive pedal by EBS. This Class A overdrive pedal is capable of yielding overdrive, sustain, and several other valuable tube amp distortion sounds. It carries a Mode switch that lets you choose from standard, tube-simulation, or flat overdrive sounds, as well as Volume and Drive knobs for controlling the output level and amount of effect. EBS bass effect pedals are crafted to maintain the whole frequency range of your bass signal, leverage silent FET switching, and are perfect both for live and studio use.
Tom’sline Bluesy
The natural warmth and harmonic saturation of a Bluesbreaker packed into a small, affordable pedal that you can carry around in your pocket. The Bluesy drive stomp from budget guitar effects pedal maker Tomsline is a must-have for dirty blues musicians. You can dial in everything from a soft, subtle drive to a scorching-hot lead tone perfect for spitting out one blues lick after another. The Bluesy features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
Electro-Harmonix Nano Muff Overdrive
From its design to its sound, the Muff Overdrive pedal from Electro-Harmonix is a complete throwback to the golden years of classic rock. This reissue of the 1969 Muff Fuzz drive stomp fully replicates that classic overdrive pedal’s warm, “worn-out speaker” sound. Unlike more contemporary overdrive pedals with knobs and switches up the wazoo, EHX keeps the Muff Overdrive simple and straightforward. Just plug in, set the volume, and hit the footswitch and you’re well on your way to overdrive heaven.
Xvive O2 Sweet Leo
The Sweet Leo mini pedal, named after Fender founder Leo Fender and designed by German guitarist Thomas Blug, packs quite a similar punch to that of early Fender tweed and blackface amps. It delivers everything from a crystal clear clean boost and subtle grit through to a cranked combo crunch. The Tone knob is a star here, as it gives you a wide range of useable tones that bring your guitar’s upper-mid frequencies to the forefront. The Growl knob, however, steals the show by giving your drive tone more harmonic complexity.
Diamond Nine Zero Two
The Diamond Nine Zero Two is an uncomplicated yet versatile distortion/overdrive built on several distinct transistor gain stages put in series. Every stage leverages a different gain circuit, causing a complex, nonlinear amplification response which approximates the lush harmonics of overdriven tube gain stages. Diamond added an amp-like tone stack to create a familiar overdrive package. The Nine Zero Two features top-mounted jacks to conserve space, full harmonic capacity for tube amp emulation, and true bypass switching.
Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive
Bassists already excel at putting out chest-pounding rhythms and lines, but if you want to push the envelope even further then the Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive pedal is the right stompbox for the job. Designed specifically for bass guitar signals, the ODB-3 gives you all the bone-shattering distortion you need for your aggressive hard rock, thrash, and punk riffs. You can control your dry and overdriven sounds with the Balance knob, while an onboard two-band equalizer lets you sculpt your tone even further.
Dunlop FFM1
Dunlop’s FFM1 Silicon Fuzz Face Mini distortion pedal loads that iconic Fuzz Face tone into a compact, more pedalboard-friendly housing for modern convenience. Spec’d from a 1970 Fuzz Face with BC108 silicon transistors, it lets you obtain an aggressive and bright fuzz tone. It also features a bright status LED, true bypass switching, convenient battery door, and AC power jack. The FFM1 Silicon Fuzz Face Mini Distortion is an excellent choice if you want a vintage fuzz tone.
Electro-Harmonix Tone Tattoo
The Tone Tattoo has the versatility, power, and amazing sound to match its awesome looks. This analog multi-effects pedal combines three of Electro-Harmonix’s most popular analog stompboxes—the Memory Toy delay, the Neo Clone chorus, and the Metal Muff distortion—into one compact and easy-to-use unit. Each effect gets its own dedicated footswitch and control knobs for maximum tone-sculpting pleasure, plus there’s a new built-in noise gate for cutting down on the unwanted buzzes, hisses, and hums.
Animals Pedal Tioga Road Cycling Distortion
Built in collaboration with master pedal builder Matthew Holl from Wren and Cuff, Animals Pedal’s Tioga Road Cycling Distortion introduces fatter lows to the classic “rodent-style” distortion tone from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. With knobs controlling Volume, Distortion, and Tone as well as a toggle switch that lets you cycle through three gain modes, the Tioga Road Distortion is an extraordinarily versatile and dirty distortion pedal. The Tioga Road Distortion features artwork by Jonas Claesson and comes with true-bypass switching.
Joyo Dr.J BLADEMASTER
Crisp, steady, and massive distortion tones are the stocks in trade of Joyo’s Dr. J D-58 Blademaster guitar effects pedal. With dedicated High, Mid, and Low knobs, the D-58 Blademaster comes packed with a ton of EQ controls. There’s also a two-way WOW switch that supercharges your signal with a fat low-end boost; perfect for cutting through the mix. Whether you play old school or new school metal, the D-58 Blademaster will be a powerful weapon in your arsenal.
Seymour Duncan 805
Whether you want a harmonically lush heavy gain with a warm tube character or are looking to add some boost to your sound, the Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive delivers the flexibility necessary for any genre— metal, rock, country, blues, and anything in between. The three-band active EQ gives you unparalleled control. You can get a crushing contemporary metal crunch or a smooth, lyrical bluesy tone. The 805 Overdrive is a classic overdrive that provides a fat crunch, mild boost, or searing tone to your solos.
Mad Professor Stone Grey Distortion
The Stone Grey Distortion guitar effects pedal from Mad Professor is a high-gain distortion unit with a huge helping of tonal clarity and definition. It works extremely well with the louder and heavier genres; plug in a drop-tuned guitar or a seven-string and go to town. The Stone Grey Distortion’s high-gain dirt output has more than enough dynamics and definition to keep chords and notes from turning to mush. Each note of your chunky riff or your blistering solo stays distinct.
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.
Mojo Hand FX Crosstown
The Crosstown Fuzz by Mojo Hand FX is a germanium and silicon hybrid Fuzz Face circuit delivering incredibly low noise operation, more flexibility, tonal control, and stability. The hand-picked combination of silicon and germanium transistors plus an internal bias control lets you sculpt the gain structure to your liking without stability concerns like overheating. You can hear every note loud and clear even at extreme settings, and when paired with your guitar’s volume control, the Crosstown Fuzz can yield pristine thick clean tones at virtually any setting.
Mojo Hand FX Colossus
Handcrafted in the USA using only top-grade components, the Colossus Fuzz pedal by Mojo Hand FX serves up that classic Muff-esque fuzz you have been wanting. Armed with volume, gain, tone, and full range mids knobs, plus a three-position toggle with different EQ voicings, the ultra-versatile and tweakable Colossus Fuzz lets you dial in and sculpt your sound for various styles and genres. It comes in a sturdy, roadworthy die-cast chassis built to endure years of touring and gigging.
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.
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.
Black Cat Bee Buzz
The Bee Buzz started as a Custom Shop project to grant the request of its Japanese distributor, who preordered twenty pedals. It is Black Cat’s version of the highly sought after vintage Roland Bee Baa. The first prototype has turned out very well, Black Cat decided to continue the run and has manufactured fifty Black Cat Custom Bee Buzz pedals in total. The Bee Buzz fuzz pedal is hardwired in the USA, featuring elegant top-grade hardware and knobs.
Creation Audio Labs MK 4.23
Creation Audio Labs touts the MK.4.23 Clean Boost as the purest, most transparent clean boost pedal on Earth–and this rugged little stompbox has the sonic muscle to back that claim. You can use the MK.4.23 as a simple clean boost to push your solos above the mix or crank your tube amp up to high saturation overdrive levels. The MK.4.23 can also act as a Direct Inject (DI) box that keeps your signal fidelity together when you plug it straight into a mixer’s line input or DAW interface.
Walrus Audio Plainsman
When it comes to boost pedals, tonal transparency is perhaps the most important requirement. With the Plainsman, boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio has created a dual stage clean boost that doesn’t color your tone with unwanted overdrive overtones when engaged. A Tone toggle lets you bypass the Plainsman’s tone circuit and use it as a clean boost in the purest sense, while a Boost toggle lets you switch between a maximum level boost of +8dB or +15dB.
Carl Martin Hydra Boost
Flaunting a classic, pedalboard-friendly design, the Carl Martin Hydra Boost delivers a clean, 15dB low noise boost. It will give you some extra clean dB’s to boost your input on your amp for more sustain and bite. You can also utilize it to drive your distortion pedals for extraordinary results. The Carl Martin Hydra Boost features a 9V battery adapter, high bright blue LED indicator, rugged housing, vintage style pointer knob, and low noise design.
Rowin Booster
The RW-LEF-318 Booster from budget guitar effects brand Rowin is a solid boost pedal choice, especially if your wallet is hurting and your pedalboard is getting a little too crowded. It serves up a high headroom signal boost that’s surprisingly transparent. If any coloration still creeps into your tone, the Booster comes with dedicated Bass and Treble EQ knobs for fine-tuning your sound. This reliable clean boost will do well straight in front of an amp or behind another drive or dirt stomp.
JHS Pedals Milkman
The Milkman is a convenient two-in-one pedal with a tiny footprint that easily fits into your rig. It is a collaborative concept between JHS Pedals’ Josh Scott and Milkman Sound’s Tim Marcus, aiming to build a pedal that serves up an echo/slap delay and boost which can double as an always-on enhancer. If you play rockabilly, surf, country, swing, or just about any other style of good old American twang, then you need to get your hands on the Milkman.
Laney Black Country Customs Tony Iommi
The Black Country Customs Tony Iommi boost pedal is meticulously handcrafted and designed to satisfy your craving for that coveted extra scream. The TI-Boost has been created in the sonic image of Tony Iommi’s Range Master boost pedal. It will deliver a significant mid boost and a bass cut, injecting a crisp edge to your fuzzed-up or overdriven sound. You are also equipped with additional gain and EQ options, so you are not restricted to one signature sound.
Two Notes Le Lead 2-channel Tube Preamp
The Le Lead dual channel preamp pedal from Two Notes is a tube-powered beast, capable of unleashing everything from a subtle drive crunch to in your face metal and over the top fuzz. Use channel A for the crunch, then switch to channel B for a modern high gain sound. These channels can be used independently, in parallel, or cascaded for extreme tonal versatility. Each channel also features its own dedicated control knobs and EQ sections for iron fisted tone tweaking.
MOOER 006 Classic Deluxe
Mooer Audio’s Micro Preamp line of guitar effects pedals is all about giving shoestring budget shoegazers easy and affordable access to the legendary tones served up by classic and boutique amp models. The Mooer 006 Classic Deluxe gives you the sound of a true legend: the classic Fender Blues Deluxe amp. It comes with two switchable channels as well as volume, gain, bass, mid, and treble controls. It also features a cab sim on and off switch.
MOOER 013 Matchbox
Mooer Audio’s Micro Preamp line of guitar effects pedals is all about giving shoestring budget shoegazers easy and affordable access to the legendary tones served up by classic and boutique amp models. The Mooer 013 Matchbox is based on a Matchless C30, an amp known for its legendary clean channel and highly-refined gain channel. It comes with two switchable channels as well as volume, gain, bass, mid, and treble controls. It also features a cab sim on and off switch.
MOOER 011 Cali-Dual
Mooer Audio’s Micro Preamp line of guitar effects pedals is all about giving shoestring budget shoegazers easy and affordable access to the legendary tones served up by classic and boutique amp models. The Mooer 011 Cali Dual earns its name by replicating the very versatile Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp from the ‘90s. It comes with two switchable channels as well as volume, gain, bass, mid, and treble controls. It also features a cab sim on and off switch.
Tom’sline Tube Pusher
The Tube Pusher drive stomp from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Tomsline serves up a warm, natural tube valve powered overdrive that rivals the tone of more expensive pedals. You can dial in everything from a subtle drive to an aggressive growl with the Volume, Gain, and Tone pots, then kick things up a notch by switching to Boost mode. The Tube Pusher features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
Tom’sline Dumbler
Dumble amps are among the rarest and most expensive boutique amps ever made. Fortunately for musicians who don’t have the cash to blow on a boutique amp, budget guitar effects pedal maker Tomsline has the Dumbler, a cab simulator that perfectly mimics the signature tone of a vintage Dumble amp. No matter your backline, you’ll be able to dial in your favorite Dumble sound with ease. The Dumble features Tomsline’s patented stop bar design to keep your foot from messing up the pedal’s settings when you stomp on it.
J. Rockett Archer IKON
The Archer Ikon by J. Rockett is an exceptionally transparent overdrive that lends a special magic to anything you plug into it. It features a simple three-knob layout—Treble, Gain, and Output. It allows you to dial in gain without drastically changing your guitar’s tone. You may utilize it as a clean boost by turning down the Gain control or crank it for a beautiful, tube-like distortion. If you feel discontented with the overdrive pedals you have tried, plug into an Archer Ikon.
Radial Regency
Compact yet powerful, the Regency by Radial is a dual-function pedal that gives you the perfect mix of drive, boost, and grit for any amp and guitar combo. You can use both of its channels individually or in tandem to add harmonics, punch, and sustain without compromising articulation. The Regency incorporates a class-A boost circuit that delivers up to +23dB of clean gain and simultaneously activates the inbuilt effects loop to serve up effects for soloing. Its overdrive circuit is rich and thick with the perfect amount of gain to make your amp a soul-crushing tone machine.
T-Rex Shafter Wah
A sturdy, ultra-versatile wah-wah effect that lets you take control of your pedal not the other way around. The Shafter Wah is T-Rex Engineering’s best shot at an authentic next-generation wah-wah pedal. With plenty of adjustability, a more extensive frequency sweep, greater durability, quieter operation, and three entirely different wah characters, it addresses all the drawbacks of a classic wah. T-Rex Engineering believes it is the best wah-wah ever existed. The Shafter Wah is highly tuneable via Slope and Boost knobs.
Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz
Hairy fuzz and massive boost for your bass in a single stompbox. The Boost Bass Fuzz from Tech 21 serves up the classic, creamy germanium fuzz tone you need, plus up to 21bD of punchy crystal clear boost via a separate boost section. Dedicated Drive and +Clean pots give you complete control over the wet and dry signal mix, while the Tone control knob lets you sculpt your fuzzed out sound even further. Plug into a Bass Boost Fuzz and go massive.
Tech 21 Boost Distortion
Looking for big, tight, aggressive distortion? That’s exactly what you get with Tech 21’s Boost Distortion guitar effects pedal. Dial in your perfect dirt tone with the dedicated Level, Tone, and Drive knobs then use the unique Sag pot to control the distortion effect’s dynamic pick attack response. The Boost Distortion doesn’t just add dirt to your signal, though; a separate Boost section gives you up to 21dB of punchy, crystal clear signal juice to take your signal over the edge.
Tech 21 Boost RVB
Looking for that something extra to push your sound over the edge and into new sonic landscapes? Tech 21 gives musicians a high quality reverb and clean boost in one analog road-tough stompbox with the Tech 21 Boost RVB guitar effects pedal. The Boost RVB’s reverb section serves up a plethora of spacey, vintage voiced reverb effects that decay naturally, even when you abruptly switch the pedal off. On the boost side, the Boost RVB gives you a shot of up to 9dB of boost to help you cut through the mix.
Modulation Pedals
Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus
When you’re all about that bass, you need a chorus pedal that can keep up with your bottom end. The Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus is specially designed to handle the strictest demands of a professional bass player, applying rich chorus effects to higher frequencies while minimizing muddiness on the low end with a Low Filter knob. The Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus is the perfect stompbox for bassists who want a greater range of expression and a resonating, more compelling sound.
T-Rex ToneBug Chorus + Flanger
With the ToneBug Chorus + Flanger from T-Rex Engineering, you get two essential effects in one: a freaked-out flanger and cool 80s-sounding chorus. Both classic effects are easily recognizable as you bask in the gorgeous vintage tone that has made T-Rex a favorite of some guitar heroes. The Chorus + Flanger is part of the ToneBug series of effect pedals that feature premium retro design, beautiful-sounding T-Rex tone, and budget-friendly pricing. It also consists of controls for Depth and Rate.
TWA SC-04
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-04 chorus is all about layering your sound in a classic analog chorus tone brimming with warmth and an organic appeal. Dedicated Rate, Depth, and Blend controls let you dial in the sublimely sculpted chorus tone of your dreams, while a true bypass function keeps the FB-04 from interfering with your pedal chain when it’s disengaged.
Mooer Ensemble Queen Bass
The Ensemble Queen from budget guitar effects company Mooer handles the signature low end rumble of a bass guitar like a total boss. It delivers lush, ambient washes of stereo chorus that enhance your bass tone for a more vivid and dynamic sound. Dedicated Level, Tone, Depth, and Rate pots combine to create a versatile bass chorus pedal that can dish out everything from subtle shimmers to watery choral waves. The Ensemble Queen features true bypass switching.
Ibanez Chorus Mini
It is difficult to match the sound of a true analog chorus for giving vibrant lushness to your guitar tone, and the Chorus Mini pedal from Ibanez provides it in a tiny package that can go on any pedalboard. Speed, Level, and Depth knobs let you dial anything from subtle shimmering clean tones to intense warbles. The all-analog signal path keeps the tonal essence of your guitar, while true bypass switching eliminates the effect from your signal path. The Chorus Mini is perfect for adding real analog chorus to your rig.
Electro-Harmonix Bass Clone
Packing core circuitry that’s nearly identical to the legendary Small Clone chorus pedal but optimized specifically to handle bass guitar signals, the Bass Clone chorus effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix is among the very best stompboxes for fattening up your tone. The Bass Clone can serve up a tight, wee-defined low end punctuated by a shimmering top layer of chorus. Turn the X-Over switch on to cut low end from the modulated signal for a excellent bottom end articulation and note definition.
Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge
We don’t know who pissed Randy off, but his revenge is pretty darn sweet. The Randy’s Revenge effects pedal from Fairfield Circuitry is a tonally rich, all-analog ring modulator with that patented Fairfield edge. This pedal takes the whole ring modulation concept—multiplying the guitar signal with a sine wave or another simple waveform—by using not one but two simple waveforms in the mix, in this case, a sine wave and a square wave. This gives you a very wide range of highly musical tremolo and vibe effects.
Mojo Hand FX Wonder Filter
Inspired by a vintage envelope filter, the Wonder Filter by Mojo Hand FX was engineered to deliver versatile and exceptional modulation. It incorporates Gain and Peak controls as well as Drive and Range switches. Original features include a Mode selector switch, and besides the Low Pass, High Pass, and Band Pass settings, it has a Notch Filter and a No Filter setting delivering preamp standalone boost ability. With a full range Attack control, the Wonder Filter lets you fine-tune a more extensive variety of sounds and sensitivity by adjusting response along with the Gain control.
Alexander Pedals Syntax Error
Send your sound back in time to the 8-bit era and beyond with the Syntax Error, Alexander Pedals’ time and pitch modulating pedal that comes packed with a cubic distortion algorithm. As part of Alexander Pedals’ NEO line, the Syntax Error can hold up to four presets by itself and up to 16 with a compatible MIDI controller and lets you precisely sweep through two different effects settings with an expression pedal or a momentary foot switch.
Eventide H9 MAX
With 51 effect algorithms that include literally everything Eventide’s TimeFactor, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and Space pedals can do, the H9 MAX Harmonizer is basically an entire pedalboard in compact effects pedal form. It features reverb, chorus, delay, modulation, pitch-shifting, distortion effects, all of which can be tweaked and edited via an intuitive single-knob interface. The H9 MAX comes preloaded with 99 presets, plus you can get over 500 more for free via the H9 Control app.
Fairfield Circuitry Shallow Water
Fairfield Circuitry took simulation mathematics—or K-field math—theory and used it to create a stompbox capable of generating familiar but still unique tone modulation effects. The Shallow Water effects pedal creates a short time delay then randomly modulates the delayed signal to give it a sprinkling of unexpected pitch shifts. The Shallow Water might look like some simple aluminum box, but this versatile stomp gives you a wide range of chorus, vibrato, pitch-shifting, and other vintage tape-style effects with which to wash your signal.
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Poly-Mod Filter
The Source Audio Soundblox Pro Poly-Mod Filter gives you all the functionality and power of the iconic Soundblox Pro Bass Envelope Filter with specially voiced effects, suitable for keyboard and guitar. This carefully engineered “stompbox supreme” delivers unparalleled control, sonic diversity, and versatility, catering to all your wah-wah, envelope filter, and dubstep needs. The Poly-Mod Filter features 23 filter effects, including 2- and 4-Pole Low Pass, Peak & Notch, Single Peak, Triple Peak, and Phasers. It consists of a Wet/Dry Mix control featuring Source Audio’s low-end preserving algorithm Lo-Retain.
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.
Empress Effects Nebulus
The Empress Effects Nebulus lets you enjoy exceptional flanger, chorus, and vibrato effects within a compact pedal. Each effect has three variations to expand the tone range further. You can conveniently access such flexibility through a preset system capable of recording as much as eight presets. The flanger setting features a 70’s negative feedback type flanger, classic tape flange, and thru-zero flange. The chorus mode gives you a rich and warm sounding chorus, unique tremolo’ed chorus, or dreamy and fluid multi-chorus. The vibrato sub-modes include a rotating speaker effect, classic vibe sound, and standard vibrato.
NUX Flanger Core
The Flanger Core by NUX lets you pick between two kinds of flanger effect: Tape and Normal. It features a true bypass design, tone lock function for preventing incorrect operation and a preset save or recall. Effects like chilling vibrato, resonance modification, rotating speakers, jet sounds, and intensified studio flanging with two modes. The Flanger Core comes in an aluminum alloy enclosure, boasting solid construction. It consists of four control knobs: Feedback, Width, Depth, and Rate.
MXR EVH Flanger
It is common knowledge that the MXR Flanger was behind the timeless Van Halen tunes “And The Cradle Will Rock” and “Unchained.” You can already grab a piece of that iconic tone with the Eddie Van Halen Flanger from MXR. It boasts the exact bucket-brigade technology that gave the original’s sweeping, whooshing magic. It also carries an EVH Switch that immediately calls up Eddie’s Unchained sound with the similar Speed, Width, Manual, and Regeneration settings he utilized to achieve an iconic guitar tone.
Koogo Mod Digital
The Mod Digital pedal from Koogo allows you to enjoy eleven distinct modulation effects—A.FILTER, B.TREMOLO, O.TREMOLO, PHASER, VIBRATO, U.VIBRATO, JET, S.CHORUS, T.CHORUS, P.FLANGER, and N.FLANGER. It is a fantastic pedal, leveraging a 32-bit high-performance DSP chip. Every tone is comparable. A range of modulation effects imparts musical color to your sound. The Mod Digital also consists of three function knobs labeled as Depth, Speed, and Level for setting the depth, speed, and level of the effect respectively.
Marshall Regenerator
Give your pedalboard an extra dose of ambiance with the RG-1 Regenerator, a two-in-one chorus and phaser guitar effects pedal from tone masters Marshall. Think of it as the ‘80s sound crammed into a sturdy, compact stompbox. You get six easily customizable modes: chorus, M chorus, flanger, phaser, step phaser, and V vibe, with the latter two being particular standouts. Separate speed and depth dials let you tailor the RG-1 Regenerator’s sound to your exact tonal tastes, plus there’s a dedicated knob for controlling the effect’s intensity.
Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
The Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter guitar effect pedal packs a wealth of vintage and contemporary phasing effects, including some classic multi-stage phasers that feature selectable stages, and comes with fresh new Rise and Fall modes for a unique unidirectional phasing effect. Syncing the PH-3’s phasing effects is as simple as tapping out a desired tempo on the pedal. You can also connect a compatible expressional pedal to the Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter for more precise phasing control.
Chase Bliss Audio Wombtone mkII
The Wombtone mkII from Chase Bliss Audio is a highly versatile pedal, and as with other Chase Bliss pedals, it delivers exceptional control and fine tuning. This pedal allows you to determine the waveform of the modulation, has several DIP switches for a maximum in control of the unit, and a tap tempo with a small toggle for setting the time value. The Wombtone mkII also includes a tap/midi output jack and expression/CV input jack.
Koogo Mod Digital
The Mod Digital pedal from Koogo allows you to enjoy eleven distinct modulation effects—A.FILTER, B.TREMOLO, O.TREMOLO, PHASER, VIBRATO, U.VIBRATO, JET, S.CHORUS, T.CHORUS, P.FLANGER, and N.FLANGER. It is a fantastic pedal, leveraging a 32-bit high-performance DSP chip. Every tone is comparable. A range of modulation effects imparts musical color to your sound. The Mod Digital also consists of three function knobs labeled as Depth, Speed, and Level for setting the depth, speed, and level of the effect respectively.
JAM Pedals Custom Ripple
A sweet, transparent, and smooth classic-sounding phaser pedal with a sleek look. The custom Ripple pedal from Jam Pedals comes in a design by The Simpsons animator John Achenbach. It boasts two-phase stages giving you a subtle and unique phaser pedal with an exceptional vibey sound, which Jam Pedals is super proud of. The custom Ripple pedal includes speed control, true bypass, and runs on a nine-volt battery or 9V boss-type DC adaptor (negative tip).
Donner Mod Square
The Donner Mod Square is a modulation pedal that lets you have seven modulation effects, including Flanger, Vibrato, Rotary, Tremolo, Phaser, Chorus A, and Chorus B, to add musical color to your tone. It comes in an aluminium-alloy chassis consists of three function knobs (Rate, Depth, and E.Level) for setting the effect level. Use the E.Level control to adjust the effect level, Depth for the effect depth, and Rate to set the effect speed. Mod Square also features a true bypass switch and an LED indicator that displays the working state.
Electro Harmonix Nano Small Stone
The Small Stone made waves when it Electro-Harmonix released it in the ‘70s, and now the 21st century has its own full-bodied, three-dimensional phaser pedal in the form of the Small Stone Nano Analog Phase Shifter. A simple two-knob interface lets you add a dash of swirl to your sound or crank it up for jet plane wooshes. The Small Stone Nano perfectly captures the sound of its bigger predecessor in a small, extremely pedalboard-friendly body.
Catalinbread Valcoder
The Catalinbread Valcoder takes ’60s Valco-style tremolo in a pedalboard-friendly package. Catalinbread has revamped its 2008 Valcoder pedal to include separate Output and Input knobs that provide greater creative flexibility and allow you to produce more sounds. The Valcoder features an all-discrete analog circuitry that reacts to your picking style. You can now enjoy the real-feel ’60s amp experience without needing to lug around a vintage heavy tube amp. All you need is some cables, your guitar, and the Valcoder!
ZVex Vexter Sonar
Calling the Sonar tremolo pedal from boutique guitar effects pedal company Zvex “versatile” is an understatement. It does everything a more traditional tremolo pedal can do, but it also has some unique tricks up its sleeves. The Sonar can sound amazingly transparent but it can also chop your signal into absolute silence, slow down or speed up the tempo, and even duty cycle. Zvex’s Vexter line of silk screened pedals feature the exact same tone, feature set, and internal parts and circuits as their hand-painted counterparts. The only differences are the painting process and the price.
EBS TremoLo
The TremoLo from EBS is a welcomed addition to the famed Black Label Pedals collection. It is a stereo vintage-style tremolo or sweeping filter effect for keyboard, guitar, and bass. It features full-bodied thick sound within a compact yet durable tiny box that fits well on your pedalboard, providing you with all the astounding tremolo effects you desire. Best known as a guitar effect, the tremolo is also capable of imparting a beautiful character to bass.
Joyo Molo-Trem
Yes, the Joyo Ironman JF-325 Molo-Trem guitar effects pedal is cheap, but that only applies to its price tag. The rich, highly musical tremolo effects this tiny pedal dishes out can compare to that produced by pedals twice its price and size. Tone shaping is a breeze thanks to its highly intuitive controls, plus there’s a Wave knob that lets you dial in everything from a smooth, undulating tremolo effect to a sharp, choppy wave.
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.
Danelectro Wasabi AC-1
The Danelectro Wasabi AC-1 Chorus-Trem guitar effect pedal is all about creamy chorus effects and tube-amp style tremolo. With four EQ presets and an independent Tone control knob, you can dial in a wide range of chorus effects, plus a Hard/Soft toggle lets you pick a wave for the tremolo effect. The AC-1 also features a Wet/Dry mix control, a pickup selector that lets you better match your guitar setup, and a a dry output jack for a stereo effect.
EarthQuaker Devices The Depths V2
EarthQuaker Devices’ The Depths optical vibe guitar effects pedal is more than you see on the surface. Lush, pulsating swirls that sound like they were born in the deep, dark ocean are made more versatile and flexible with five dedicated control knobs, a 100& pure analog dry signal path, and true bypass capability. For the V2 upgrade, EarthQuaker introduces a new Flexi-Switch feature, which lets you use The Depths’ footswitch as both a latching and a momentary-type switch.
Behringer Ultra Vibrato
Add everything from smooth, subtle detuning to mind-bending psychedelic high-speed modulation to your sound with the Behringer Ultra Vibrato UV300 Classic Vibrato guitar effects pedal. Sculpt and shape the UV300’s overall effect using the dedicated Depth and Rate knobs, then control how fast the full detuning effect kicks in with the Rise dial. You can also use the UV300 as an unlatched pedal, letting you activate the vibrato effect anytime you want without having to step on the pedal again to turn it off.
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.
JOYO VISUAL MODULATION
With modulation effects up the wazoo, the R-09 Vision guitar effects pedal from Joyo is bound to be an instant shoegazer favorite. It features two separate channels, each with its own set of highly tweakable modulation effects, that you can mix and match in parallel or series. Use a chorus on Channel A and an optical trem on Channel B. Phaser on A, Vibrato on B. It’s a giant sonic sandbox for you to play in. The R-09 Vision is an R Series pedal, meaning it also has cool ambient LED effects built into it.
Electro-Harmonix Good Vibes
The Good Vibes analog modulator guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix combines selectable iconic chorus and vibrato effects ripped straight from the ‘60s with 21st-century conveniences. Taking a page from the original Uni-Vibe, the Good Vibes creates rippling, undulating chorus and vibrato effects by way of photocells. The Good Vibes also features boosted power rails for extra definition, an always-on speed indicator, and expression pedal support for more precise control over the Speed and Intensity settings.
Walrus Audio Julia
Boutique guitar effects pedal maker Walrus Audio’s Julia pedal is a feature-rich and extremely flexible analog chorus and vibrato box that can dish out everything from a calm, smooth and recognizable chorus and vibe mix to a wildly thrashing, seasickness inducing vibrato with a splash of unique chorus notes. Switchable analog LFO wave shapes add extra tonal versatility to the Julia’s arsenal of sound, while a special Lag pot further extends the Julia’s sonic boundaries.
TC Electronic Quintessence Harmony
The Quintessence Harmony pedal by TC Electronic produces smart two-voice harmonies over your playing, featuring complete creative control provided by the TonePrint app for crafting your custom settings. Armed with a MASH expressive footswitch, the Quintessence Harmony lets you bend the harmony voices down or up instantly for extreme or subtle effects. The analog-dry-through signal path guarantees your core tone preserves its sonic integrity. Whether you are after the possibility of crafting something different or want classic harmonized guitar tones, check out the Quintessence Harmony.
Orange Fur Coat
Inspired by the iconic 70s Foxx Tone Machine, the Fur Coat from Orange provides you with a wholly controllable octave fuzz pedal. Individual switches indicate you can select between octave fuzz and fuzz. With controllable octave up fuzz, you can bring in the fuzz to any level you want, and the EQ lets you boost your Bass or Treble. The Fur Coat is Orange’s sole true bypass pedal. That is because fuzz is better at the start of your chain where it interacts directly with your instrument.
Electro-Harmonix Octavix
Fuzz and octave effects go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Octavix octave fuzz guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix gives you both in a tiny Nano-form enclosure. Dedicated Volume, Boost, and Octave control knobs let you dial in the exact torn-speaker, self-destructing amp vintage fuzz and octave sound you want. The Octavix also has an interesting switchable 9V/24V power feature; it sounds like a vintage fuzz pedal when you use 9V, while switching to 24V gives you tighter, fatter effects.
Voodoo Lab Proctavia
Octavia is a fuzz that produces the octave doubling effect (an octave up) popularized by Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. The Proctavia from Voodoo Lab is an exacting clone of an iconic Octave pedal, the unit utilized by SRV, and regarded as the most desirable by vintage collectors. It features the same transformer-coupled output stage, germanium diodes, and transistors as the real circuit to create the intense distortion and high octave sound heard on several famous recordings.
MXR Slash Octave Fuzz
Two timeless and iconic rock music icons—MXR and Slash—have joined forces to build the Slash Octave Fuzz. It boasts a searing Fuzz tone combined with an independent Sub Octave voice and Octave Up Fuzz for beefing up your sound with a sinister growl. It includes an arsenal of internal and external controls. The Slash Octave Fuzz comes with a distressed hot-rod paint job and special Slash artwork. It features true hardwire bypass, pure analog circuitry, and solid construction.
Electro-Harmonix SLAMMI
Electro-Harmonix’s Slammi is a completely revolutionary new polyphonic pitch shifter. Its 11-way Max Bend control switch lets you get everything from a slight chorus shimmer to a three-octave up or down bend. You can rock it up and down like your typical expression pedal for smooth pitch shifts or leave it in the heel-down position to keep the effect engaged. And perhaps best of all, the Slammi tracks notes as fast as you play them. Polyphonic divebombs, harmony, and chorus effects have never been easier.
Top Categories
Timing, Dynamics & EQ Pedals
Pigtronix Echolution 2 Ultra Pro
The Pigtronix Echolution 2 Ultra Pro blends sophisticated digital and analog processing intended to provide you with a superb delay pedal experience. It is capable of capturing the ambient lushness of the best studio delay processors. It can very well handle instrument and line level sound sources. The Echolution 2 Ultra Pro offers low-noise, high-headroom delay processing with virtually any rig. It boasts stereo inputs/outputs, sporting a pure analog dry signal path plus an extensive analog tone sculpting and filtering before and after delay line.
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.
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.
Donner Alpha Cruncher
The Donner Alpha Cruncher is an effects chain that features three types of effects, including a dreamy chorus, analog distortion, and analog-voiced delay. The Delay model gives you a warm, analog-voiced delay with rich echo feedback and 1000ms max delay time. The Chorus model delivers a warm and pure sound to form a dream chorus world. With the Distortion model, you get a high-gain British amp distortion within a stompbox. It is the ideal option for various vintage rock music styles.
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail
Designed using the revolutionary Bucket Brigade circuitry, the Vapor Trail Analog Delay pedal from Seymour Duncan is capable of delivering authentic vintage tone with clarity, presence, and warmth. It features responsive modulation controls that add movement and shimmer to your tone—with Depth and Rate controls positioned on the top panel for convenient access in live settings. With the Vapor Trail, you get an abundance of brilliant sounds. It also incorporates a TRS insert which can send the wet signal to other pedals or effects, like chorus or flanger.
T-Rex Duck Tail
Ducking is an intricate effect that can give a lift to your musical expression. While that might be the highlight of the Duck Tail Dynamic Delay show, the unit also comes equipped with other amazing functions. Similar to the original T-Rex Replica and T-Rex Reptile 2, the Duck Tail delivers full Tap Tempo functionality, allowing you to match your delay repetitions’ tempo to the beat of any song you are playing. The Duck Tail consists of controls for Time, Feedback, Level, and Delay.
TC Helicon Harmony Singer
Elevate your sound with several backup singers, plenty of gear, and an expert engineer, all with a straightforward stompbox. Whether you are electro-acoustic, electric, pro or practicing, the TC Helicon Harmony Singer indicates your vocal presentation would rock as hard as your instrument. You no longer need to brush up on your vocal arranging prowess—the Harmony Singer will do it for you. It quickly analyzes your guitar chords so once you hit the footswitch, your harmony backup group is on time and in tune.
Electro Harmonix Grand Canyon
Twelve different effect types and a robust looper function put the Grand Canyon Delay and Looper Pedal from Electro-Harmonix in the upper echelon of similar multifunction delays and loopers. Comprehensive tone-sculpting controls let you create effects ranging from vibrant echos to animated reverbs. The Grand Canyon’s looper can hold up to 16 minutes of recorded audio that won’t disappear until you clear it, even if you turn the pedal off. The Grand Canyon is a delay and looping aficionado’s wet dream come true.
Keeley Hooke Reverb
Vintage, tube-amp style spring reverb and tremolo effects in a box. The Keeley Hooke Neo-Vintage Spring Reverberator guitar effects pedal has enough reverb-shaping tools to drown in. It features a three-position toggle that lets you engage three different reverb modes: classic Spring reverb, a trippy Trem-Verb, and a church organ-like Fugue effect. Open the Hooke up and you can access an internal switch that enables three more reverb modes: a Trem-Verb with longer decay, spring-plate reverb, and a vibro-spring effect.
EarthQuaker Devices Transmisser
There’s nothing garden variety about the reverb effects conjured up by the Transmisser resonant reverberator guitar effects pedal from EarthQuaker Devices. This is a stompbox for the truly adventurous shoegazer. Extra-long decay times plugged into a highly resonant filter lets you create a load of staccato tails and spacey oscillations, all tinged with a healthy dose of mindbending sonic craziness. Plug in an external expression pedal and you can generate mesmerizing frequency sweeps on the fly.
Tom’sline Digital Reverb
Tomsline doesn’t seem to have put much thought into naming their Reverb pedal, but at least the same doesn’t hold true for its capabilities. The Reverb packs three very usable and versatile reverb modes into its tiny chassis: Room, Spring, and Shimmer. For tone sculpting, it features three highly sensitive and wide ranging control pots. Tone controls the reverb effect’s brightness, Mix adjusts the blend of the dry and wet signals, and Decay lets you set the length of the reverb’s decay.
Supro SF2
Featuring the dual footswitch Reverb and Tremolo on/off remote for just about any Supro combo amp—the Supro SF2. It requires a TRS cable (not included) to connect to an amp. It boasts a rugged metal construction and a two-button format that turns Reverb and Tremolo on or off remotely. It is compatible with Rhythm Master, Tremo-verb, Royal Reverb, Titan, Saturn, and Jupiter guitar amps. With the SF2, you get full control over your Supro tube combo electric guitar amp’s reverb and tremolo effects.
Caline Hot Mushroom
Built on the classic Dyna Comp compressor pedal design from MXR and enhanced with Caline’s own unique twist, the Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor guitar effects pedal gives budget-conscious musicians a reliable compressor pedal that doesn’t break the bank. Its simple two-knob interface lets you go from a soft, subtle compression effect to full-on heavy compression. Boost quiet parts and even out loud spikes for rock-solid tone. The Caline CP-10 Hot Mushroom Compressor comes with a true bypass feature.
TC Electronic Spectra Comp
The SpectraComp Bass Compression by TC Electronic is a portable multi-band compressor specifically voiced for bass guitar. Spec’d from the famed MD3 engine from TC Electronic’s System 6000 processor, the pedal delivers transparent and musical compression to tame low-end woof and midrange bark without affecting your dynamics. One-knob compression will have your mind on the music as you perform. An arsenal of signature TonePrint algorithms will keep your creative juices flowing and tones fresh. The SpectraComp boasts studio-quality sounds and a True Bypass output for keeping your input signal clean.
Diamond Bass Comp
The Bass Comp is the first Diamond pedal specially designed for bassists. It was launched in response to the interest of bassists in its famed Compressor. With higher headroom and low-frequency response extending down to 20Hz, the Bass Compressor is perfect for active and passive 4/5/6 string basses. The Tilt EQ control has been revoiced, letting you select between the original 900Hz and new 250Hz setting using the mini toggle. The Bass Comp boasts premium audio components, smooth optical compression/limiting, and true bypass signal path.
Xvive V9 Lemon Squeezer
The Lemon Squeezer all analog compressor from budget guitar effects pedal maker Xvive delivers low distortion compression with excellent tonal quality and enhanced sustains. Long story short, it makes your clean tone sound even better than ever and your single notes ring out longer. A simple control structure consisting of Volume, Threshold, and Compression Blend pots make dialing in your personal compression settings easy peasy lemon squeezy. Its small size makes it ideal for crowded and go-bag style pedalboards, but that also means you need a compatible DC power supply to get this pedal going.
MOSKY Compressor
Budget guitar effects pedal brand Mosky Audio’s Dynamic Compressor is a bit of an upgrade to its red-painted cousin, the Dyna Compressor. Instead of a single Comp knob, its control layout hews closer to the classic MXR Dyna Comp with the paired Output and Sensitivity knobs. The way it tightens up your guitar signal and enriches your sustain is also reminiscent of a classic Ross Compressor from the ‘70s. What all this means is the Dynamic Compressor is one hell of a workhorse compressor that’s not only small but also budget friendly.
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.
Death by Audio Apocalypse
The Apocalypse is touted as Death by Audio’s jack-of-all-trades fuzz pedal. Once greatly overdriven, the signal is routed to your chosen post-amp. You may toggle through its five signal paths and select the apocalyptic sound you desire. To make it more refined, adjust the sweepable frequency equalizer and craft your tone to your liking. Utilize the Apocalypse as your main sound, an amp simulated recording DI, bass blitzer, boost for solos, or run into it anything you want to supercharge, beef up, or blast out.
Amptweaker Curveball Jr
The Amptweaker Curveball Jr 3-Band EQ boasts dual Boost functions and can be utilized as a clean channel preamp. The Curveball Jr is a convenient but potent tool for tweaking your pedalboard, boosting your amp, or shaping your tone. This 3-band active EQ is flat when set halfway and can emulate different classic passive guitar amp EQs. The Mid switch allows you to select the mid frequency for Thrash, UK, or US style of midrange. You can use the Curveball in front of distortion to increase the gain while tailoring the thickness and attack of your distortion.
EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job V2
It’s not easy to cram the tone-sculpting capabilities of an audiophile-grade stereo preamp into a compact stompbox, but EarthQuaker Devices did exactly that with the Tone Job EQ and boost guitar effects pedal. The Treble, Bass, and Mid control knobs each have up to 20db of cut or boost, so you get a wide range of frequency responses from your signal. And speaking of your signal, the Level knob can kick it up by up to five times its original input level, letting you soar through the mix when you need a boost.
Fulltone Secret Freq
Serving up everything from clean boost to overdrive and through to full-on distorted rock tones, the Fulltone Secret Freq Overdrive guitar effects pedal is one versatile stompbox. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic overdrive stomp; it’s highly dynamic, has a natural tube-style overdrive tone, and is very responsive to picking attack. The Secret Freq also has a secret weapon: a Freq control knob that lets you dial in up to 20db of active, narrow-band midrange for more tone-shaping possibilities.
Joyo 6-Band EQ
The JF-11 6-Band EQ from budget guitar effects pedal company Joyo is a true workhorse graphic equalizer: versatile, unobtrusive, and essential to getting the exact tone you want. With six EQ sliders, each of which can cut or boost by 18dB, the JF-11 6-Band EQ can supercharge your high end with more harmonic articulation, keep your mids firmly in the mix, or let you dial in earth shakingly subterranean lows. Use it as an always-on pedal or engage the EQ for precise and specific frequency boosts.
Alexander Pedals Equilibrium DLX
The Equilibrium DLX is Alexander Pedals’ newer vintage modulation pedal—evoking the wobbly, sputtery, buttery sounds of yesteryear. The vintage sounding Equilibrium DLX packs all the “mod cons” into a pedalboard-friendly unit. The Equilibrium DLX draws inspiration from vintage tremolos. Painted in a unique ‘50s style finish and featuring three different modes, it boasts a tremendous appeal in both its tone and look. The Mix, Depth, Rate, and Shape knobs give you better tonal control. The Equilibrium DLX offers only the finest in authentic retro trem/vibe tones.
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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
Hughes & Kettner has unveiled the new AmpMan series of compact pedalboard amplifiers, equipped with comprehensive I/O and tone-sculpting possibilities. The AmpMan is available in Classic and Modern flavors. The
TC Electronic has brought back its first-ever effects pedal, the 1976 Stereo Chorus Flanger. Designed in the 70s as a lower-noise alternative to other stompboxes, the reissue introduces a couple
Benson Amps has launched the Germanium Boost, a booster that self-regulates its bias for consistency. Building on the ideas behind Benson’s Germanium Fuzz, the Germanium Boost operates like the former
Poland-headquartered Sitek Guitar Electronics has revamped its Caffeine Booster pedal to add tone upgrades, more switching options, and a new chassis color. Touted as the brand’s “specialty Muse,” the Caffeine
Darkglass Electronics has unveiled a limited-edition custom art version of its Microtubes B7K Ultra V2 called “The Squid,” sporting exclusive artwork by Ignacio Bazan Lazcano. The custom art is evocative
Hudson Electronics has teamed up with Canadian guitarist Ariel Posen to build the new Broadcast-AP preamp. “At the heart of the Broadcast-AP – as the name may suggest – is
JHS Pedals pays homage to “the most important fuzz circuits ever made” with its Legends Of Fuzz series. The Legends Of Fuzz lineup consists of four fuzz stompboxes—Supreme, Bender, Crimson,
Portland-headquartered pedal manufacturer Catalinbread has unveiled its newest fuzz masterpiece, the Giygas. Drawing inspiration from the antagonist of the Super Nintendo classic, Earthbound (Mother 2: Giygas Strikes Back), the Giygas
California-headquartered stompbox manufacturer Vertex Effects has released a new and improved variant of its Ultraphonix Overdrive. Housed in a relatively slimmer enclosure, the Ultraphonix Special Overdrive MKII does the same
Electro-Harmonix has announced the Intelligent Harmony Machine, an intelligent harmonizer boasting up to two pitch-shifted voices on tap. Featuring some of the same technologies as the Electro-Harmonix POG and Pitch
Utility Pedals
Xvive PT-05 Pedal Tuner
Xvive’s PT05 chromatic tuner pedal is built to be unobtrusive but easy to see when you do need to use it. Its small chassis makes it easy to find space for it on any pedalboard, while its color display lets you tune your guitar without having to bend over and squint. Whether you’re playing on a dark stage, outdoors on the street, or in the comfort of a studio, you’ll be able to tune your instrument quickly and painlessly. It’s small, speedy, and straightforward—the three S’s that make for a great chromatic tuner pedal.
Korg Pitchblack Mini (White)
The limited-edition white Korg Pitchblack mini features a large, easily readable LED meter with a light-emitting surface for exceptional visibility at whatever setting from stage light to daylight to entirely no light. The incredibly smooth eleven-segment LED meter enables precise visual tuning from different angles. The Pitchblack mini lets you select from four display modes. Thanks to its large note name display, red LED that displays the on/off status, and a tuning guide that shows whether your instrument is flat or sharp, you can always tune precisely and immediately in any situation.
Ammoon Pockmon
The Pockmon is a highly portable multi-effects processor from budget guitar effects pedal maker Ammoon. It has three effects sections. First up is a digital delay that comes in three flavors: Tape, Echo, and Analog. It also has a biting wide-range high-gain distortion section and a natural, mid-humped overdrive. The Pockmon also has a tuner, tap tempo control, a parallel FX loop, and a built-in cab sim for when you want to plug in headphones or connect straight to a PA or mixer.
Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner
Compact yet tough, the Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner serves as your one-stomp ticket to staying in tune. This gig-bag essential loads exceptional functionality and accurate tuning into a sleek, portable floor unit that is convenient to use anywhere. An innovative chromatic floor tuner with a large LED screen makes it an indispensable tool for bassists and guitarists. When performing live, you will appreciate the Pitchblack’s clear, well-lit display and the large footswitch allows for convenient access. The Pitchblack’s sturdy aluminum enclosure makes it roadworthy.
Boss TU3 Tuner
The Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner is the upgraded next-gen version of the TU-2, the gold standard of chromatic tuners. This pedalboard essential is accurate to +/- 1 cent and comes with a new Accu-Pitch Sign function and a 21-segment LED meter that give you visual verification when you hit the perfect tuning. The Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner also features Chromatic and Guitar/Bass tuning modes that support 7-string guitars and 6-string basses as well as a Guitar Flat mode for quick drop tunings up to six semitones below the standard pitch.
Donner DT Deluxe
The DT Deluxe from Donner is an exceptional chromatic tuner that comes in a classic design and compact size so it will not hog your pedalboard space. It includes true bypass, which is fundamental for this type of pedal, and a new strobe mode with +/- 1 cent accuracy. This guitar tuner pedal has a huge LCD that shows you what is going on. The footswitch lets you turn the tuner on/off, and will instantly mute your signal once the pedal is activated. The DT Deluxe is convenient to use and makes for a great entry-level tuner.
Electro Harmonix Grand Canyon
Twelve different effect types and a robust looper function put the Grand Canyon Delay and Looper Pedal from Electro-Harmonix in the upper echelon of similar multifunction delays and loopers. Comprehensive tone-sculpting controls let you create effects ranging from vibrant echos to animated reverbs. The Grand Canyon’s looper can hold up to 16 minutes of recorded audio that won’t disappear until you clear it, even if you turn the pedal off. The Grand Canyon is a delay and looping aficionado’s wet dream come true.
Nux Loop Core
The NUX Loop Core is a turbocharged variant of the original and already the most versatile Looper in the market. NUX covered all the essentials in a Looper that lets you record and play back several layers, but now it incorporated a different level of goodies. Boasting 99 personal-user memories, 40 inbuilt drum patterns and now, a new range of well-thought-out user assists. Whether you compose, rehearse, or play live gigs, you will appreciate the innovative features of the Loop Core.
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.
Chase Bliss Audio MOOD
The MOOD from Chase Bliss Audio is a dual-channel granular micro-looper/delay. Built to be immediate and playful, it is a study of interaction, and is designed to be “internally collaborative.” The MOOD enables audio to freely pass back and forth between its two sides—wet channel and loop channel, which were developed by Old Blood Noise Endeavors and Drolo FX respectively. The MOOD’s heart is a clock control that accelerates or slows both sides in harmonized steps.
Digitech Jamman Solo XT
After inventing looping many years back, the DigiTech JamMan Solo XT gives you the ultimate stereo looping experience. Increase the energy in your performance and gain new inspiration with almost infinite loops. Smooth transitions between looped phrases make the Solo XT an indispensable device for performing and composing. It features ten pre-loaded drum loops from Pat Mastelotto. Enjoy the stereo looping experience you desire from simple backing loops to complex loop layers with your band or by yourself. Polish your performance with Auto-Quantize, Auto-Record, three Stop modes, and adjustable BPMs.
Mission Engineering EP-25-Pro Aero Gold Carbon
Donning a beautiful gold carbon fiber graphic finish, the EP-25-Pro Aero Gold Carbon expression pedal is perfect for guitar, acoustic instruments, keyboards, and both studio and live use. It incorporates individual polarity switches for every channel. That enables compatibility with a broad range of pedals, modeling amps, MIDI controllers, keyboards, rack effects, and other expression controlled devices. The EP-25-Pro features a fully sealed 25K Ohm linear taper potentiometer for durability and smooth action. The all-aluminum Aero is half the weight of a regular Mission pedal.
Joyo American Sound
Looking for that classic American amp sound but don’t want to waste money on a boutique pedal’s sky-high price? Joyo has your back. The aptly-named JF-14 American Sound guitar effects pedal perfectly simulates the sound of a Fender ‘57 Deluxe tube amp, from its trademark pristine clean sound to its smooth and creamy overdrive. Shape your tone to your exact taste using the JF-14 American Sound’s three-band EQ plus dedicated Level, Voice, and Drive knobs.
Donner Blues Drive
The Donner Blues Drive allows you to switch between Hot and Warm modes. Hot gives you a powerful full tone, while Warm sounds sweeter and smooth, making your tone performance more distinctive and dynamic. It comes in a classic and sturdy enclosure made of aluminium alloy. The Blues Drive includes an LED indicator that displays the working state as well as a true bypass that delivers a transparent tone. This simple pedal has loads of versatility in its three knobs: Level, Gain, and Tone.
Electro-Harmonix MEL9
If vintage tape-based keyboard sounds get you hot and bothered, then the MEL9 Tape Replay Machine from Electro-Harmonix deserves a prime spot on your pedalboard. The MEL9 comes packed with authentic recreations of nine of the coolest Mellotron sounds ever: Orchestra, Cello, Strings, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Brass, Low Choir, and High Choir. The MEL9 features dedicated Attack and Sustain controls for full sound-shaping freedom as well as separate Dry and Effect outputs, each of which has its own volume dial.
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.
Mission Engineering SP25L Pro Aero Gold Carbon
The SP-25L-PRO has two expression outputs with separate polarity switches for every channel. That enables compatibility with an extensive range of devices. A third output connects the latching toe switch to compatible MIDI controllers as well as digital effects permitting effects like pitch and wah to be turned on/off from the expression pedal. This SP-25L-PRO unit comes in a classy gold carbon fiber graphic finish and features an illuminated base. When utilized with compatible digital devices and MIDI controllers, the illuminated base may indicate a remote effect’s status.
Morley Mini Maverick Switchless Wah
The Mini Maverick Switchless Wah pedal, now updated with Morley’s iconic trapezoid treadle! The Mini Maverick is all about bringing you big sound and expansive features in a tough, compact chassis ideal for crowded pedalboards. It packs a hybrid punch of vintage and modern wah tones powered by a custom MQ2 inductor. The Mini Maverick features Morley’s whole slate of modern wah innovations: it’s electro-optical, it has True-Tone Bypass Buffer circuitry, and it has a switchless operation.
Radial Tonebone Headbone SS
The Headbone by Radial is a sophisticated head switching tool that enables you to use two guitar amp heads with one speaker cabinet. Boasting an entirely discreet class-A circuitry and choice between unbuffered and buffered inputs, players who want the ultimate in tonal performance will appreciate the Headbone. Its internal switching consists of a sequence of relays, load resistors, and photocells, all are controlled using a digitally programmed chip. The Headbone features models for solid-state (SS), tube amps (VT), or both (TS).
JHS Pedals Active A/B/Y
Thanks to the JHS Pedals Active A/B/Y, you can now split your signal sans dropping your tone. Utilize it to route your bass or guitar signal two distinct ways, and easily switch between them. The Active A/B/Y features an output transformer for supreme signal quality and FET transistors that allow for completely silent switching. It is the perfect solution when you have to send one signal to two outputs with the capability to select one or both outputs simultaneously.
Radial Bigshot PB1
When you need more muscle to drive long cable runs or punch for your solos, the BigShot PB1 by Radial Engineering provides the clean, Class A gain you want. Adding the BigShot PB1 buffer into your loop lets you drive as many pedals as you wish without producing unwanted noise. If you like silent tuning, you may utilize the second loop as tuner out, and the Radial BigShot EFX will mute your signal with one stomp. The BigShot PB1is constructed with the same sturdiness as other Radial DI boxes.
Xvive B1 Bass Squeezer
High quality compressors are essential tools for any musician. The problem is that most of them are pretty complicated and quite expensive. Enter the Bass Squeezer, a dead simple compressor mini pedal that won’t require three masters’ degrees and a whole stack of user manuals to dial in the perfect compression settings for your tone. Xvive and designer Jamie Mallender crafted the Bass Squeezer to be practically idiot proof, so whether or not you’ve used compressors before you’ll be able to plug in, tweak, and play quickly.
JHS Pedals Stutter Switch
A simple yet powerful momentary kill-switch, the Stutter Switch from JHS Pedals provides you with a no-frills way to temporarily silence your instrument’s signal whenever necessary. This compact pedal enables a convenient means for a kill switch which can be incorporated within virtually any setup. It is handy for feedback control. Its seamless, clickless footswitch blocks the sound passage when stepped on, and instantly passes sound when depressed. You can creatively use the Stutter Switch before or after effects.
Dophix Buffer
Use the Dophix Buffer to prevent signal loss when employing long cables or multiple effects connected in cascade. It may also be utilized as impedance matching for several pedal connections. The Dophix Buffer is extremely useful for thwarting and improving the background noise, increasing the noise/signal ratio. Each Dophix product is different and handcrafted in its Florence laboratory. The Dophix team oversees every stage of production and testing to ensure the best quality. Dophix manufactures high-quality products based on the universally recognized philosophy of “Made in Italy.”
J. Rockett SOS
Your pedalboard needs a reliable buffer that will balance out your impedance to get high tones losses back on track, especially with long cable runs and multiple pedals. The quality of guitar cables differs so if you have ever plugged directly into your amp then back into your board, you understand what this means. J. Rockett’s SOS is precisely that—a pedal designed to save your tone. It lets you bypass any insane interaction with wah and fuzz pedals. The SOS features a single knob layout for slightly varying the focus of your high end to dial it where necessary.
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.
MOSKY PURE BUFFER
Buffer pedals are indispensable weapons in the constant struggle against tone suck. Budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Mosky Audio’s Pure Buffer is a tiny one, which makes it the ideal candidate for inclusion in compact and crowded pedalboards. The Pure Buffer helps eliminate the inherent issues of multiple daisy chained pedals and long cables, making your guitar signal’s core tone sound like you’ve plugged your instrument straight into an amp with a short cord.
T-Rex Nitros Hypergain
The Nitros Hypergain by T-Rex Engineering is capable of capturing a very punchy and scooped high gain distortion. As a highly tweakable dirt pedal, the Nitros Hypergain will make the “80s hair rock” sound to a T as well. Lower gain settings are perfect if you want Texas boogie-rock. By featuring an active three-band EQ, the distortion’s color is adjustable, and the EQ knobs’ range is extensive. The Nitros Hypergain features an aggressive and bold clipping circuitry.
MOSKY Clean Buffer Tone Saver
Buffer pedals play an important part in any musician’s ongoing battle against one suck. Budget guitar effects brand Mosky Audio gives you a compact and affordable alternative to boutique buffer models in the form of the Clean Buffer. It helps keep your guitar signal strong and steady even when you have over a dozen pedals daisy chained together on your pedalboard. The Clean Buffer has an input impedance of 1M Ω and an output impedance of 150 Ω.
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.
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.
TC Electronic Iron Curtain
Presenting the no-nonsense way to get rid of your sound gremlins, the Iron Curtain Noise Gate by TC Electronic. It is an ultra-fast and efficient noise gate that minimizes unwanted noise from your instrument signal. Its convenient two-knob interface controls decay and threshold. The toggle switch allows you to select between reducing unwanted noise or muting signal entirely. Designed and engineered in Denmark, the Iron Curtain Noise Gate comes in a durable metal chassis. It features a true bypass for supreme signal integrity.
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.
Behringer Noise Reducer
Cut all those annoying hums, buzzes, and unwanted noises out of your guitar signal entirely with the Behringer Noise Reducer NR300. You can dial in your perfect response using the Threshold and Decay knobs, use the send and return loop to reduce noise from your other pedals, or even cut out your signal entirely with a single stomp. If you love using guitars with single-coil pickups and high-gain amps but hate all those extra noises that clutter up your signal, this is the pedal for you.
TC Electronic Sentry
Enjoy a dynamic, noise-free performance with the Sentry Noise Gate pedal from TC Electronic. Leveraging the groundbreaking multi-band System 6000 algorithms, it provides you with smooth, natural-sounding noise reduction. The Sentry Noise Gate comes packed with a classic hard-gate mode sporting a Return/Send loop for dealing with noisy pedals or utilizing it for creative sidechaining. It consists of controls for Decay, Threshold, and Damp. Keep your rig’s noise in check with the Sentry Noise Gate pedal.
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 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.
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,
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.
NUX JTC
When the NUX Mini Core pedals hit the market, NUX has received requests to include a loop pedal in the collection, so here comes the Jam Track Creator (JTC) Drum & Loop pedal. It is the tiniest 24-bit loop pedal featuring an auto-detection drum machine. The JTC Drum & Loop Mini allows you to select from 11 inbuilt drum rhythms. It gives you unlimited overdubs and up to six minutes recording in 24-bit high-resolution audio quality. Loop and Drum volumes are adjustable individually.
Joyo JAM BUDDY (Black)
There are a lot of guitar multi-effects processor units that have headphone jacks now. The Jam Buddy from Joyo one-ups them all by having both a headphone jack and built-in speakers. The Jam Buddy’s two 2” 4W speakers have enough power for a quick practice session without bothering the neighbors, and its rechargeable battery will let you extend the jam session to up to three hours. The Jam Buddy also features footswitchable clean and OD channels, a built-in delay, and Bluetooth connectivity for playing along to an audio track.
Other Pedals
Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah
Based on the hugely influential Clyde McCoy wahs Vox put out in the late ‘60s, the Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah is an express train to Hendrix-style wah-wah bliss. The Clyde Standard’s circuitry is almost entirely identical to the “Signature” Clyde McCoy wah Jimi Hendrix used on “Electric Ladyland”, down to the ‘60s Vox-type inductor. The only big change is the addition of an internal hand-adjustable bass and gain knob for additional tonal control. The sturdy and versatile Clyde Standard has all the makings of a classic wah pedal with a truly classic sound.
Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby
Dunlop’s limited-edition Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby Wah features a distressed black finish, special treadle design inspired by Jerry’s tribal orca tattoo made by Coast Salish artist Joe Wilson, and lyrics for Rainier Fog by Alice in Chains on the bottom plate. The distressed black coating is reminiscent of the Rainier Fog’s visual vibes. Limited to only 500 pieces, the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby is a must-have for Alice in Chains fanatics and musicians who are looking for that uniquely vocal wah tone.
MOOER Free Step
The Free Step is an innovative little guitar effects pedal from budget stompbox masters Mooer that pulls double duty as a vintage analog wah and a versatile volume pedal while being less than half the size of a regular expression pedal. You can shape the wah tone to you liking via the side-mounted Q dial. In volume mode, you can set the minimum volume from 0% to 50% using the Min. Vol. dial located on the pedal’s side.
Mooer WPH1
Budget stompbox company Mooer gives the classic phaser pedal a unique spin with the Phaser Player guitar effects pedal. It features three different phaser sounds: a classic phaser effect; a repeating, sample and hold type of phaser; and a phaser with manual wah-like sweeping. Yeah, the Phaser Player, tiny as it is, can be used as a sort of expression pedal. It actually has three activation modes: normal latching footswitch, momentary footswitch, and a hybrid mode combining the first two. Not bad for a stompbox you can put in your pocket.
Morley Mini Bad Horsie 2
Guitar god Steve Vai’s signature wah tone and sweep, packed into a compact cold rolled steel chassis that’s both tank-tough and pedalboard friendly. It comes with all of the Bad Horsie 2’s features, from the Vai-approved Bad Horsie and versatile Contour Wah dual modes to the electro-optical circuit design. This limited edition version of the Mini Bad Horsie 2 is covered in artwork created by Vai himself and is limited to only 700 pieces worldwide.
Morley Power Fuzz Wah
Any pedal that pays tribute to thrash metal god Cliff Burton should come with a snarl and a growl, and the Cliff Burton PowerFuzz Wah pedal from Morley is no different. This wah/fuzz hybrid bass effects pedal packs a lot of hairy aggression but is also versatile enough to be used effectively in styles other than metal. This 500-piece limited edition run of the PowerFuzz Wah comes with a premium chrome finish and a cleaning cloth.
Koogo Acoustic
The Koogo Acoustic pedal makes your electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar. It also boasts the ability to transform an intermediate level electronic or acoustic guitar into an incredible sounding professional guitar. The beautiful sounds produced by each knob and switch make it suitable for virtually any style or player. The Acoustic pedal carries a toggle switch that lets you select between Jumbo, Standard, and Piezo modes. All three modes work well for various genres and effects.
Mooer Woodverb
The Woodverb from budget stompbox maker Mooer is a reverb guitar effects pedal tuned specifically for expanding the tonal palettes of acoustic guitars. The Woodverb comes with three reverb modes, all selectable via a three-position toggle switch. First is the classic, lush space of the pedal’s magnificent plate reverb. The second mode adds a subtle chorus effect to the reverb. The third and final mode adds mild filtering into the mix for a snappier attack.
Rowin Auto Wah
Boutique level auto wah sound at a price that won’t flatten your wallet. The LEF=3804 Auto Wah from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin can serve up a wide range of classic wah tones, from a soft, slow wah to a faster, more watery Cry Baby-esque attack. You can dial these in using the dedicated Cutoff, Shape, Reso, and Speed control knobs. The LEF-3804’s Auto Wah’s footswitch also has a secondary function: hold it down to store a parameter to create some interesting layered tones.
Rowin Ocean Verb
The LEF-3800 Ocean Verb earns its name thanks to the watery reverberations it conjures up. This compact and extremely affordable stompbox from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin is a versatile workhorse. It features a full complement of Mix, Tone, and Decay pots for shaping the reverb effect, of which there are three selectable via a three-way toggle switch: Room, Spring, and Shimmer. If you want to add depth and dimension to your tone, you won;t go wrong with the LEF-3800 Ocean Verb.
Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator
Want to dive into a soft and sweet acoustic ballad in the middle of a set but don’t have the slightest inclination to bring along a big and bulky acoustic guitar? The Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator lets you travel light. With its powerful Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) technology and four different acoustic simulation modes, you can turn any electric guitar into a variety of warm and bright acoustics using the Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator.
TC Electronic Body-Rez
Capture studio-grade acoustic tones at live gigs with the BodyRez Acoustic Pickup Enhancer from TC Electronic. This invaluable tool serves up tweaked and sweetened tones that give your piezo pickup realistic and natural acoustic guitar tones. It features intuitive single-knob control that takes the guesswork out of achieving exceptional tone. The BodyRez merges pre-configured filters with just the right amount of compression to stir your plugged-in acoustic tone. An inbuilt feedback suppression keeps the pesky low-end howl at bay.
Two Notes Le Bass
The tube-powered Le Bass dual channel preamp is Two Notes’ gift for bass players who want to create their own ampless rigs. The Le Bass preamp pedal features two separate channels—the clean, vintage voiced low gain A and the high gain B with its own post EQ—that 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.
Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig
The Bass Fly Rig from Tech 21 is a complete bass guitar setup that you can carry around in your backpack. It features four independent effects sections, giving you boost, chorus, compression, and an octafilter in one handy floor unit. The main feature, however, is Tech 21’s renowned SansAmp amp sim system, which means you don’t even have to bring an amp with you to gigs. Just use the Bass Fly Rig’s XLR output to connect directly to a mixer or PA system and you’re good to go.
Koogo Holy War
Fully gaining and boosting the metal’s distortion degree. The Holy War pedal by Koogo possesses a distinct and powerful distortion effect. It consists of Dist, Tone, and Volume knobs, as well as a toggle switch that allows you to choose from Lo Boost, Boost Off, or Hi Boost mode. It boasts a well-built quality. Whole metal shell, durable and stable. The Holy War also includes an LED indicator that shows you the working state and true bypass that gives transparent tone.
Xvive W2 Overdrive Fuzz
The Fuzz Overdrive from Xvive delivers a tube-style drive that goes from subtle dirt to a screaming, highly compressed edge of breakup tube amp sound. It packs an insanely long sustain fuzz while giving you plenty of iron fisted tonal control. The Fuzz Overdrive also features impressively enhanced picking dynamics that you don’t usually hear in normally compressed fuzz and drive boxes. You can mix and match the Fuzz Overdrive’s effects any way you want.
Aguilar AGRO
Aguilar’s AGRO is based on the saturation channel of its famed AG 500 bass head. It can produce anything from warm, tube-like overdrive to extreme distortion, delivering the grind you want without sucking out your low end. The AGRO provides various overdriven sounds within a user-friendly, 4-knob layout. It includes CONTOUR control that lets you dial in a scooped or more powerful boosted midrange sound, SATURATION control which introduces a tremendous range of distortion, output LEVEL control to ensure that you get your desired distortion, and PRESENCE knob for adding the perfect amount of “attack.”
Maxon Hybrid Bass Driver
The first Maxon overdrive intended for bass guitar, the Hybrid Bass Driver provides you with an articulate distortion blendable with clean signal for a range of saturated tones. It works equally great with a guitar to produce clean/dirty amp simulations and full-bodied overdrive. The Hybrid Bass Driver takes Maxon’s more than four decades of expertise in overdrive design into the bass guitar world. Aggressive yet dynamic, it is capable of articulating rapid playing techniques like the multi-finger picking and two-handed tapping Masaki is known for.
Mission Engineering VM-PRO Carbon Print
Featuring a beautiful carbon print, the VM-PRO from Mission Engineering is the most sophisticated volume pedal available. It resolves typical volume pedal issues, which result in mismatching and tone sucking problems. The VM-PRO works with your baritone, bass, electric, or electro-acoustic guitars. It is also great with other electric and acoustic instruments, including steel guitars, electronic keyboards, and instrument microphones. It incorporates a sparkle control, isolated tuner out, onboard buffers, and compatibility switches for use with fuzz pedals and active/passive pickups.
Mission Engineering VM-1 Aero
Packaged within a gorgeous sea green chassis, the VM-1 Aero is designed for utilization first in your signal chain with passive electric guitar pickups alone. The Aero design’s extended sweep, as well as the switchable tuner mute, make the VM-1 Aero an outstanding, versatile guitar volume pedal. Featuring a passive “no tone suck” circuit, the pedal incorporates an integrated mode switch and an isolated tuner output. Each VM-1 Aero unit comes with Mission’s illuminated base.
Big Joe Volume
The Big Joe B-602 Volume guitar effects pedal is a uniquely-buffered active design volume pedal featuring true bypass. A three-way switch lets you choose between three operation modes: the normal classic buffered volume mode, a -12db cut mode that gives you finer volume control, or a customizable Program mode that lets you dial in the precise dB parameters you want, from 6db to 18db of gain and -6bd to max signal off cut. The Big Joe B-602 Volume can handle both high and low impedance signal loads.
T-Rex Replay Box
The Replay Box Delay from T-Rex Engineering boasts sophisticated technology that yields an extremely studio-esque delay. It carries stereo in- and outputs, so you can maximize those stereo modulation boxes you occasionally step on. It also consists of a tap tempo footswitch, subdivision switch, and controls for Volume, Mix, Repeat, and Tempo. The Replay Box Delay comes in a relatively small form factor. It features up to three seconds of delay and analog dry signal. It yields a clear and pristine sound.
Boss FV-500L
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 stereo low-impedance model with a convenient tuner-output jack and an Expression output for use with expression pedal-compatible amps, synthesizers, and other effects pedals.
Donner Vowel Mini
The Donner Vowel Mini is a two-in-one Wah/Volume pedal that delivers an exceptional Wah response based on the original Crybaby response along with a Volume function. Donner gives you all that within a footprint smaller than a standard Volume or Wah pedal. Press the footswitch to shift between Volume mode and Wah mode. The Vowel Mini includes two LED lights that show you the current mode: red for Wah and green for Volume. As a Volume pedal, the Vowel is capable of fulfilling the strict demands of each guitarist.
Mission Engineering SP-25L-Pro Aero (Black)
The Aero design’s extended sweep makes it an outstanding, versatile expression pedal for volume and effects parameter controls. The rear cut away as well as extended length curved surface have been ergonomically designed for ease of use whether you are sitting or standing. The SP-25L-PRO includes dual 25K outputs with polarity selection and a latching toe switch that works with various devices for acoustic instruments, keyboards, and guitar both in the studio and live. The SP-25L-PRO comes in a black stealth style powder coat finish.
Mission Engineering SP-HR
The SP-HR by Mission Engineering is a switching expression pedal purpose-built for your Headrush Gigboard. It allows you seamless, expressive control over whammy, wah, volume, and any number of assignable parameters. The SP-HR features an ergonomic design that combats foot fatigue while giving an expressive throw, which will be intuitive for all guitarists to utilize. It also incorporates a toe switch toggle that enables you to change pedal assignments on the fly. The SP-HR delivers everything you need to take charge of your HeadRush Gigboard.
Zoom FP02M
Get a pitch bender, a wah pedal, and a volume pedal in one with the FP02M expression pedal from Zoom. Plug it into your bass effects device or guitar to add real-time command over the pitch, wah, or volume, as well as effect parameters like distortion gain, modulation rate, and reverb or delay level. Sturdy enough for the road, the FP02M comes in a metal enclosure and includes a ¼” to ¼” connection cable. It works with various Zoom effects processors.
Tapestry Audio Bloomery Active Volume Pedal (Black)
The Bloomery active volume pedal by Tapestry Audio boasts some distinctive differences from a standard volume control pedal. At a size of only 7.8″ x 2.25″, it consumes less space while staying comfortable for your foot. The Bloomery is machined out of steel, providing it with a durable solid feel. A slide potentiometer plus a direct shaft drive eradicates the need for pesky strings, delivering a distinct smooth volume curve. The active model helps you prevent tone loss at high-end frequencies and keep your guitar tone clean.
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-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.
Joyo Golden Face
It’s tiny, it’s tuney, but the British-flavored crunch Joyo packed into the Ironman JF-308 Golden Face guitar effects pedal is anything but loony. This extremely small pedal that you can literally carry in your front pocket serves up massive Marshall stack sounds for rocking any audience to their knees. One issue that really small pedals usually face is the control knobs getting accidentally stepped on and mangled. The JF-308 Golden Face fixes that by using a flip cover to keep them safe.
Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator
Want to dive into a soft and sweet acoustic ballad in the middle of a set but don’t have the slightest inclination to bring along a big and bulky acoustic guitar? The Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator lets you travel light. With its powerful Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) technology and four different acoustic simulation modes, you can turn any electric guitar into a variety of warm and bright acoustics using the Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator.
MOOER Audiofile
The Audiofile guitar effects pedal from budget stomp maker Mooer is an all-analog hi-fi headphone amplifier for your pedalboard. It’s basically a tiny amp that you can use to practice in peace while having complete access to every single pedal on your chain. Put it as the last pedal on your pedalboard, plug in a pair of headphones, activate the analog cab sim, and you’re good to go. You can even leave it connected when you’re playing live; you can either bypass the Audiofile or turn the cab sim off and use it as an always-on signal buffer/booster.
Joyo British Sound
The JF-16 British Sound rounds out Joyo’s early series of compact and affordable amp simulator pedals. It comes packed full of a Marshall amp’s Brit-flavored crunch, from the warm, vintage overdrive of early ‘60s Marshall amps to the high-gain tube scream of the JCM800 and JCM900 amp heads. The JF-16 British Sound features a three-band EQ for flexible tone sculpting, plus it has a unique Voice dial that opens your tone up to more exciting sonic possibilities.
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.
Electro-Harmonix Lester G Deluxe
The Lester G is a full-featured Leslie-style rotary speaker emulator enhanced with a specially designed compression circuit that can further boost the rotating speaker effect when you use it with a guitar. This guitar effects pedal from Electro-Harmonix also features Fast and Slow modes controllable via footswitch, an Acceleration dial that lets you control the transition rates between the different speeds, and a tweakable tube-style overdrive section for giving your tone extra grit and hair.
Rowin Cursh Bit
Forget the typo in the name; the LEF-3810 Cursh Bit (or Crush Bit, in keeping with what it does) is a powerful bit crusher pedal from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin. Bit crushers reduce the sample quality of your guitar signal to make it sound all kinds of lo-fi. Blend your dry and wet signals with the Mix knob and control the reduction of the sample’s rate and depth using the Bit and Crush pots, respectively. It also comes with a three-way toggle that lets you switch between low-pass, high-pass, and normal modes.
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.
WMD Geiger Counter Civilian Issue
This is the future of digital dirt. WMD’s Geiger Counter boutique distortion guitar effects pedal delivers a cornucopia of dirt tones, from the classic and recognizable to some insanely twisted, octave folded lo fi fuzz that brings to mind the irradiated wind that follows in the wake of a mushroom cloud. The Geiger Counter Civilian Issue is a stripped down version of the original, featuring 32 preset sounds and a far less complicated control layout.
Tom’sline Mario Bit Crusher
The aptly named Mario stompbox is a powerful bit crusher pedal from budget guitar effects pedal maker Tomsline that lets you reduce the sample quality of your guitar signal to make it lo-fi and degraded. Blend your dry and wet signals with the Mix knob and control the reduction of the sample’s rate and depth using the Bit and Crush pots, respectively. It also comes with a three-way toggle that lets you switch between low-pass, high-pass, and normal modes.
Emma Electronic OKTO-NOJS
The Okto-Nøjs from Emma Electronic gives you two pedals in one! It combines dead-on, fast-tracking Octave down (the Okto) with a dynamically sensitive, synth-like Octave-Fuzz (the Nøjs). Both circuit sides are all-analog and boast true bypass switching and high-quality buffers to give you the best sound quality possible. The Okto Nøjs transforms your signal into pure subsonic fire. It allows you to enter a world of never-heard-before tones. You may use the Octaver and Fuzz together or individually.
Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer
Getting fatter and funkier bass sounds has never been easier than with the Boss SYB-5 Bass Synthesizer stompbox. Based on the classic SYB-3, the SYB-5 takes synth pedals to a whole new level by using the latest in Boss’s Digital Signal Procession (DSP) technology to recreate the SYB-3’s classic analog synth tones and giving it more punch and sonic power. You can even use the stompbox’s pedal to hold a note and jam to it.
