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End of Year Pedal-Chain Update - Final Formation - Class of 2023

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAnasoundsBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBitcrushing and Lo-FiBixonicBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCompressorCoppersoundDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQEventideFjord FuzzFlangerFortin AmpsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGlitchGuitar Synth and SequencerHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsIntensive Care AudioJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneKlone and Transparent OverdriveLo-Fi DelayLooperMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMessiah GuitarsMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXNoise GateOctave FuzzOctaverOddball DelayOddball FuzzOddball ModulationOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPedal ChainPedalPalFXPickup ModellerPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbPoly EffectsPreAmpRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbRing ModulationRotary SpeakerShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleSwellTape DelayTark AudioTC ElectronicThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUtilityVox Style Distortion+-
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The final arrangement for the year - all the pedals that impressed the most!

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2023 Guitar Pedals of the Year - The Best of the Best

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAnalog DelayBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCollision DevicesDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGranular DelayHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneLo-Fi DelayMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMessiah GuitarsModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXOctave FuzzOddball DelayOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPickup ModellerPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleTark AudioTC ElectronicTremoloUtility+-
2023-GPX-Best-of-the-Best-Pedals-700.jpg

So we featured 120 pedals across the 5 Genre categories this year - as you’ve witnessed over the last 5 days, and those have been whittled and distilled down to these 27 Magnificent and Exceedingly Flavoursome candidates.

 

Picking out the very best of those is obviously a slightly subjective exercise while based on a series of exacting criteria - including innovation, versatility, practicality, variability, playability, quality of manufacture, quality of output and sheer enjoyment.

 

Here ...

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2023 Best New Time-Based Effects Pedals of the Year

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAnalog DelayAnasoundsBenson AmpsBest in ClassBleak District ElectricBossChase Bliss AudioCoffee Shop PedalsColortone PedalsDelayDelay WorkstationDiamond PedalsDigital DelayDigital ReverbDouble TrackingEchoverbFjord FuzzFlower PedalsGranular DelayJet PedalsLo-Fi DelayMeris EffectsOddball DelayPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonTape DelayTC ElectronicT-Rex EffectsWalrus Audio+-
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And so to the final category - where competition is extremely fierce this year. No doubt some of your favourites will have missed the cut here - but hopefully this selection is fully representative of the best of the year. Obvious I lean more towards immersive stereo effects - mono doesn’t really do it for me so much - while there is a smattering of mono pedals in here too. Price, format, versatility and practicality - everything counts!

 

Of the 23 featured in the selection - I own around ...

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The Brand New ALABS Audio Adam Adventures Series pedal range takes budget pedals into entirely new realms of quality and innovation

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsBest of BrandsChorus and VibratoDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFlangerGranular DelayLo-Fi DelayModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-FXOctaverOddball DelayPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayRing ModulationRotary SpeakerSpacey ReverbTape DelayTremoloUni-Vibe and Vibe+-
2023-GPX-ALABS-Range-700.jpg

I’m really proud to be supporting a small fledgling audio products brand based in Singapore - which has only been around for a couple of years or so, and was originally known for making studio quality Microphones, Wooden Earcup Headphones and Mixing Consoles. ALABS Audio’s Jinbo Hui reached out to me back in September - to ask if I would want to support the launch of their new Adam Adventures Series pedal range - and I of course said I needed to be properly impressed by those pedals for me to ...

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Witney Pedal Party 2 Highlights

Big Muff Style FuzzBleak District ElectricBlind Panic DevicesBoostBoost and OverdriveChase Bliss AudioDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveEnvelope Filter and Auto WahExpressionFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailHoly Island AudioLife Is Unfair AudioLo-Fi DelayLooperModulated FuzzModulationOctave FuzzOverdrivePhaserReeves Electro Guitar PedalsReverbSilicon FuzzThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloUtilityWitney Pedal Party+-
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So Doug Tolley’s / Chase Bliss’s 2nd Witney Pedal Party took place yesterday on Guy Fawkes / Bonfire day - in Witney’s Corn Street Fat Lil’s Venue.

 

I attended the inaugural event at Witney’s Truck Music Store back on July 1st, and I will surely be at the 3rd one too - around spring of next year!

 

Thanks to Doug Tolley for organising this all again - on this occasion we had 7 participating brands (in order of stand arrangement - clockwise) :

  • Reeves Electro
  • Blind Panic Devices
  • Holy
...
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2023-GPX-Colortone-Lo-Fi-Delay-Main-V3-700.jpg

Readers will know that I’m not typically a fan of Mono Delay pedals, so there has to be something really special about one for me to want to feature it on the site.

 

There’s very much kind of 4 different sides to this pedal. It’s of course principally a Lo-Fi Delay - with 2 different High Pass and Low Pass Filtered Lo-Fi voicings, while you also have a really pristine Hi-Fi voicing too.

 

You also have 2 different Modes of Action / Playback - the ’Wet’ Mode which is a Latching, always-on ...

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2023-GPX-Bleak-District-Tapescape-V2-700.jpg

Utilising the same beautifully lo-fi texture PT2399 Tape style core as before - Phil has now managed to eke out every ounce of magnetic effect character - where the formerly 5-control delay unit has evolved to 7-knobs and 4 switches - with still those same dual-footswitches - but differently labelled and improved in every department.

 

Most of the new advances are in the area of tape-style degeneration and mechanical failure artefacts - that make vintage tape units sound so interesting. All ...

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2023 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Random Ripples in Time

29 PedalsAmbient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionColortone PedalsDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDSM & HumboldtDual-DriveFjord FuzzFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsJackson AudioLo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbStymonSutton InstrumentsTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeVox Style Distortion+-
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There’s never a dull moment, and rarely a span of time without a ripple or wrinkle. I don’t get many frustrating or disastrous days - while this last Friday was particularly eventful as I wrestled with 4 challenges simultaneously. One of my new pedals was detective and simply didn’t work - but I spent half a day trying to get something out of it - different positions on the board, different cabling, power-supply solutions and every tiny attempt to correct the obvious deficiency. At the same ...

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2022 Best of the Best Guitar Pedals of the Year

Alexander PedalsBardic Audio DevicesBeetronics FXBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoColortone PedalsDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDrunk BeaverDSM & HumboldtDual-DriveDumble Style OverdriveEchoverbEmpress EffectsEQEventideFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsFrost Giant ElectronicsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGranular DelayHamstead SoundworksHorrothia EffectsKeeley EngineeringKernomKinotoneKMA AudioLine 6Lo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMetal DistortionModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXMXRNordland ElectronicsOctaverOddball DelayOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePastFXPitchReverb WorkstationReverse DelaySilicon FuzzSinvertekSlicer and StutterTape DelayThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTone InkTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityVictory AmpsWalrus Audio+-
2022-GPX-Best-of-the-Best-Pedals-Annual-700.jpg

As I’ve just done all the category overviews / best of genre rundowns - you can refer to those for all the individual pedal details - most have full reviews on this site too - here I will simply lay down the longlist - and explain why I picked those top 3 here - so just the details for the 3 overall winners!

 

I normally try to single out around 40 each year in the final overview - but it also depends on how many can fit the ’jigsaw’ of the visual.

 

There were 4 pedals in the full longlist...

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2022 Best New Time-Based Effects Pedals of the Year

Alexander PedalsAmbient EffectsAnalog DelayBest in ClassBlack Country CustomsBossCatalinbreadChase Bliss AudioColortone PedalsDeath By AudioDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDouble TrackingDr ScientistEchoverbFree The ToneJAM PedalsKeeley EngineeringKinotoneLaney AmplificationLine 6Lo-Fi DelayMerisMojo Hand FXOddball DelayOld Blood Noise EndeavorsPigtronixPlate ReverbPLBR EffectsPolarbear EffectsRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSolidGoldFXSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonTape DelayWalrus AudioWamplerZander Circuitry+-
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So this is the first selection here where I only own a handful of the candidates - it’s easier to say what is in the reference collection than out :

  • Boss RE-2 Space Echo Compact - $249
  • Boss RE-202 Space Echo Deluxe - $399
  • Chase Bliss Generation Loss MKII Stereo Magnetiser - $399
  • Chase Bliss Habit The Echo Collector - $399
  • Meris LVX True Stereo Modular Delay System - $599
  • Old Blood Noise Endeavors Screen Violence Stereo Saturated Modulated Reverb Pedal - $279

Of those the Gen Loss II ...

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