Dr No Effects Dr No Moon Canyon

The Dr No Moon Canyon is a handmade multi-effects pedal from Dr No Effects, built in collaboration with Sarah Lipstate, the ambient guitarist who records as Noveller. It packs three effects into one enclosure, in a fixed order: a transparent overdrive first in the chain, then an FX loop, then a single-knob digital reverb, and finally a digital delay with analog-sounding characteristics¹. Each section has its own footswitch, so the sections can be combined or used alone, and engaging them lights up a tiny model of the Moon in the center of the enclosure².

It was made in a strictly limited run: 350 handbuilt pedals, signed and numbered, released 50 at a time on every full moon until the limit was reached¹. The edition ended in 2025, and the pedal is now sold out³¹⁴.

Overdrive, reverb and delay in one box

The Moon Canyon's three effects sit in series, with an effects loop between the drive and the reverb so other pedals can be inserted into the chain². Dr No Effects describes the overdrive as very transparent and extremely suitable for dynamic playing, and Guitar.com called it "a transparent, articulate one that's meant to work beautifully with the reverb and delay"².

The delay is digital but built to have analog-sounding characteristics, and Guitar.com reported it is capable of self-oscillation, the runaway feedback effect players use with analog delays¹². The reverb is a single-knob digital circuit based on a high quality Belton reverb brick with a "Long" reverb; Dr No Effects says that with a nice amplifier or multiple amps it can sound like playing in a cathedral¹.

Guitar.com described the pedal in "full cycle" as the state when all four sub-units are activated, overdrive, loop, reverb and delay together².

Controls and switching

Guitar Pedal X's 2025 coverage listed the full control set⁵:

Dr No Effects describes the overdrive's mini toggle switch, on top of the effect, as adding more low end, and the reverb's single knob as adding more or less reverb¹⁸.

Outputs

At the end of the chain there are two mono outputs rather than a stereo pair. Dr No Effects suggests using two amps, as Noveller does, or running one output to an amp and the other into a new chain of effects and then to a second amp¹⁸. Guitar Pedal X calls the second jack Out II and notes it lets you connect the pedal to two amps, "like Sarah does"⁵.

The Sarah Lipstate limited edition

The Moon Canyon was designed in collaboration with Sarah Lipstate, whom Dr No Effects credits as a co-designer and whom MusicRadar called the pedal's signature artist¹⁷. MusicRadar reported the pedal was two years in the making, with each of the 350 units signed by Lipstate and shipped in a Moon Canyon book box with a numbered certificate of authenticity⁷. Guitar.com noted the pedal ships in an intricately illustrated box sharing the pedal's Art Deco-inspired graphics².

Dr No Effects built the pedals 100% by hand and released them in an unusual schedule: 50 units per moon cycle, released on every full moon, until the limit of 350 was reached¹. The pedal was sold only through Dr No Effects' own webshop¹.

The build series

The run was released in numbered batches, including a special Blood Moon edition with a darker colored moon⁸⁵:

All batches are sold out¹. The Blood Moon edition was a limited series of 50 builds within the overall edition of 350⁸.

The end of the run

Guitar Pedal X reported in June 2025 that the Moon Canyon was ending production after 104 Mooncycles, with a final flurry of 15 units, discounted from €753 to €552 EUR on the Dr No Effects webstore⁵. The last pedal, numbered 350 of 350, was a Blood Moon edition unit⁹. Dr No Effects later released a small number of new-old-stock archive units, describing it as the only opportunity to get one, and people continue to ask whether more are being made³⁴.

What reviewers said

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, writing as the run ended in 2025, was more measured on practicality while praising the build. He called it one of the most striking pedals made to date and said the circuit engineering is fantastic too⁵. He also noted that "even she doesn't particularly regularly gig with this pedal - possibly it's more of a home studio thing," and characterized it as a work of art with a luxurious price tag, best suited to players for whom money is no object⁵.

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