What Daredevil is known for
Daredevil's best known pedals fall into three camps: a no-controls boost, a delay with dirt in the repeats, and Rangemaster-style boost circuits627.
Daredevil's dirt pedals have roots in the Rangemaster: the company's take on that circuit, in one player's words, "kicks the shit out of any Rangemaster I've had"7. Not everything is a variation on an older design, though. The Almighty Bass Fuzz is an original design circuit, not a take on some other pedal8.
The Bootleg Dirty Delay is a digital delay that utilizes the Princeton 2399 IC25. What sets it apart, in the maker's words, is "the Dirt section of the circuit, adding gain to the repeats"2. A later version, the Bootleg Dirty Delay V2, uses the same Princeton 2399 IC chip to achieve the analog feel of old-school bucket-brigade delays9.
Rangemaster-style boosts are a recurring theme. The Silver Solo is a silicon boost, and Jimmy Vivino's review of it on the maker's reviews page reads: "I swear by this pedal... kicks the shit out of any Rangemaster I've had. Now I gotta get another one!"1011
The Bootleg Dirty Delay V2 carries the Princeton 2399 IC chip forward, using it to achieve the analog feel of old-school bucket-brigade delays12. On the fuzz side, the Almighty Bass Fuzz stands out as an original design circuit rather than a variation of some other pedal8.
| Pedal | Type | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Bootleg Dirty Delay | Digital delay | Princeton 2399 IC, dirt section adds gain to the repeats25 |
| Bootleg Dirty Delay V2 | Digital delay | Princeton 2399 IC chip for an analog bucket-brigade feel913 |
| Almighty Bass Fuzz | Fuzz | Original design circuit, not a variation of another pedal12 |
Johnny Wator, designer and builder
Johnny Wator founded Daredevil in 2012 and, per the company's bio, "has driven Daredevil as a true labor of love and obsession"1. He is the company's owner and designer, and the frontman of Chicago's hard rockers The Evictions14. A collaboration credit describes him as "Daredevil Pedals proprietor and pedal builder" and notes he is "himself a student of Wayne Kramer's work"15. The Deep Dish-tortion distortion, "born from the brain of Riot Fest artist Dan Wade," was "designed by Johnny @ Daredevil"16.
Artists: Jimmy Vivino
Jimmy Vivino, of the Fab Faux and the Conan show, is the company's best documented player. His review of the Silver Solo appears on Daredevil's reviews page1011:
"I swear by this pedal... kicks the shit out of any Rangemaster I've had. Now I gotta get another one! I keep pulling it"
Buying and support
Daredevil sells current pedals through its own website and a Reverb store; the Double Cocked is listed as available via the Reverb store17. The original Bootleg Dirty Delay and the Placebo Pedal are discontinued and sold out211.
For the Placebo Pedal's optional PCB fuzz kit, Daredevil states plainly: "Do NOT email us about technical support/ how-to type questions regarding the PCB kit"11.
The Placebo Pedal
The Placebo Pedal is sold out and has been discontinued1118.
The range (29)
News
Questions
Where are Daredevil pedals made?
Every Daredevil pedal is hand built in Chicago, Illinois. The company has been based there since it was established in 2012, and its product pages state that all Daredevil pedals are built in Chicago.
Who owns Daredevil Pedals?
Johnny Wator is the proprietor, designer and builder behind Daredevil Pedals. He founded the company in 2012 and has driven it, in the company's own words, as a true labor of love and obsession.
Does the Daredevil Hype have any knobs?
No. The Hype is a FET boost pedal with no external controls at all. It carries a single internal trim pot for setting the boost level, and it sold for $89 when it launched in April 2020.
What is the difference between Bootleg Dirty Delay and Volume 2?
Both are digital delays built on the Princeton 2399 IC with a Dirt section that adds gain to the repeats. Volume 2 keeps the same circuit but drops the external tap tempo input of the original, and it launched at $189 instead of the original's $199.
Was the Daredevil Placebo Pedal a joke?
Yes, it was a limited edition joke pedal made with Chibson USA, limited to 100 units. It does absolutely nothing to your signal, though it has working jacks, a footswitch, functioning Dosage and FX knobs, and a light that turns on when plugged in. An optional PCB kit could build vintage style fuzzes.
Where can I buy Daredevil pedals?
Daredevil sells its pedals through its own website and a Reverb store; the Double Cocked, for example, is listed as available via the Reverb store. Discontinued models such as the original Bootleg Dirty Delay and the Placebo Pedal are sold out.
Sources (18)
- Bio - Daredevil website, Daredevil Pedals
- BOOTLEG DIRTY DELAY, Daredevil Pedals
- HYPE - Boost - Daredevil website, Daredevil Pedals
- Almighty Bass by Daredevil Pedals, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Daredevil Releases the Bootleg Dirty Delay, Premier Guitar, 2019-01-10
- Daredevil's control-less Hype boost pedal is “big and nasty in the best possible way” | Guitar World, Guitar World, 2020-04-13
- Reviews 1, Daredevil Pedals
- Daredevil Almighty Bass Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2018-01-21
- Daredevil Pedals Bootleg Dirty Delay V2: A dirty repeater, gearnews.com, 2021-11-30
- SILVER SOLO, Daredevil Pedals
- PLACEBO Effect Pedal, Daredevil Pedals
- New Pedal: Daredevil Ten Tone Anniversary Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-06-01
- BOOTLEG DIRTY DELAY V2, Daredevil Pedals
- Dunlop Cry Baby DareDevil Fuzz Wah, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-30
- CRY BABY® DAREDEVIL™ FUZZ WAH, Jim Dunlop (www.jimdunlop.com)
- Deep Dish-tortion by Daredevil Pedals, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Double Cocked, Daredevil Pedals
- Chibson USA Placebo Pedal: Literally does nothing. Or does it?, gearnews.com, 2021-07-12