2026 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Steady Progress

13 [*] pedals added to the reference collection and board in February.

Including one that previewed in January, and one that is a preview for March!

Good mix of effects - particularly on the gain side - with several standouts for the month - including the Sinvertek MGAT-1 EVO, Wampler Golden Jubilee, and Klowra Gnash. All 3 new Klowra pedals are excellent - with that really smart expanded features functionality!

• 4 x Overdrive Pedals
• 4 x Distortion Pedals
• 3 x Fuzz Pedals [*]
• 1 x Spatial Effects
• 1 x Modulation, Pitch and Utility Effects [*]

Great selection of overdrives for the month - all distinct and different - all sound great!

• Brelliott TODP Mutartis Cell Structure Edition
• Horrothia Triage Deluxe Germanium Edition Transistor Preamp
• iStingor OD-1 Dual-Mode MOSFET Overdrive
• RhPf Electronics Shodhana Balanced Overdrive

Killer Distortion Selection - each one of these is top tier for sure!

• Drunk Beaver Chernihiv Sonic Distortion PD #36
• Klowra Gnash Dual-Channel Analog Distortion Multi-Gain Pedal
• Sinvertek SRAA MGAT-1 EVO/T+ Great Era Edition
• Wampler Golden Jubilee Dual-Channel 80's inspired Overdrive + Distortion [Plexi + Mark IIC/+

2 more great Octave Fuzzes, and a preview of the forthcoming Noise Maker Market Show Pedal

• Diamond Pedals F-Octave Fuzz
• KMA Machines Mandrake Octo-Shrieker Octave Fuzz
• [Noise Maker Market B1 Rat-Bender]*

Klowra Rilum Multi-head Tape-style Delay - super sounding digital tape-style delay with hugely varied output - both Hi-Fidelity and Lo-Fidelity / Vintage sounding!

[Klowra Verdict Poly Octaver]* - sort of featured last month, but only fully on the board this month - loving my 'Brassy' setting in particular!

February Longlist :

[Priority Pedals in BOLD]

• Browne Amplification Alkene updated and enhanced ODR-1 Overdrive take
• Coffee Shop Cold Brew Chorus + Vibrato + LoFi Modulator
• DanDrive Vocooder Ry Cooder style Fuzzy-Drive
• Decades MultiJam Distortion
• Does it Doom? Sabbathi One-Knob Boosted Octave Fuzz
• Dr Scientist Reverberator Reissue
• Electronic Audio Experiments Greathammer Low-End Preamp
• Expresso FX OC141 Germanium Boost / RangeMaster
• Funny Little Boxes Treasure Chest Dual Modded Overdrive Klone-Screamer
• Gervana Wuyin Multi-Muff Fuzz
• HTJ-Works HWS-100AS Sustainor Preamp
• Hungry Robot V3 Moby Dick Multi-Head Tape-style Delay
• JHS Pedals Morning Glory 'Clean' Low Gain Edition
• LPD Pedals SIXTY8X Limited 10 Year Anniversary Plexi
• Twilight Pulse Audio Works Konstante Evolved Lightspeed - Anniversary Edition
• Xotic Effects EP-Pro Preamp Boost & Volume
• Zorg Effects Glue Fuzz MKII Classic and Octave Fuzz

13 new pedals onto the board for February, key updated slots : #1, #2, #3, #4, #10, #11, #12, #14, #20, #21, #25, #33, #43.

Overall a fairly subtle update - as is expected for February really - while some proper killer editions here - including the Sinvertek MGAT-1 EVO, Klowra Gnash, and Wampler Silver Jubilee!

The Klowra Verdict Poly Octaver actually came onto the board late January - I've been particularly having fun with my 'Brassy' preset - works well across a number of gain pedals!

I'm still on my Octave Fuzz mission and added 2 more of that type this month - the KMA Machines Mandrake Octo-Shrieker Octave Fuzz is slightly thicker and warmer than the typical octave fuzz - it sounds great. I wasn't that keen on the colourway for this fuzz - which I always felt should be purple! I've kind of warmed to it in any case.

The second of my octave fuzzes this month - the Diamond Pedals F-Octave Fuzz - is your typical searing octave fuzz - really high octane!

This is just a quick preview of the Noise Maker Market B1 Rat-Bender - released to celebrate the upcoming March 29th new Pedal show in Birmingham. I will be publishing an official feature on Tuesday - by which time there should be a demo out also. This is an evolved take of the Katzenkönig with extra 3-way clipping. It sounds particularly spectacular on the LED Mode!

A really cool surprise of a pedal - the RhPf Electronics Shodhana Balanced Overdrive - sort of like a combination of a Clean Boost and a Dirty Boost - which gets progressively brighter when you dial it up. Has a really cool crisp sound, and an excellent clean voice!

One of the very best Multi-Gain pedals around currently - the Klowra Gnash Dual-Channel Analog Distortion Multi-Gain Pedal - particularly since the Tavysh HARM has been discontinued. The Gnash delivers killer Overdrive, Fuzz and Distortion voiding - a really clever pedal!

The iStingor OD-1 Dual-Mode MOSFET Overdrive looks like is should be Boss-adjacent, but is actually its own MOSFET Circuit - with more bite, aggression, and gain than the classic Boss OD-1 and SD-1. A really cool versatile and expanded range Overdrive pedal!

The initially fairly unique Horrothia Triage Deluxe Germanium Edition Transistor Preamp. I got the 3rd of the original batch of 3. While Tom since decided to make this a general release - so everyone can get their hands on this beautiful Germanium Diodes, Transistor Preamp. Demo is of previous model!

The Wampler Golden Jubilee Dual-Channel 80's inspired Overdrive + Distortion [Plexi + Mark IIC/+ was leaked a little prematurely - back during NAMM, while we didn't expect it to be quite this good. Has an amazing output profile - which matches its gorgeous looks!

The Drunk Beaver Chernihiv Sonic Distortion PD #36 is a superb expanded take on the Maxon / Ibanez SD-9 Sonic Distortion favoured by Scott Henderson and Michael Landau, This slot is also shared by the supreme Olbia Super-Klone! No demo yet for the Chernihiv - using source model and alternatives instead!

I so liked my Brelliott TODP Toxic Green Edition - that I was determined to get a second edition to accommodate another set of modular boards - the TODP Mutartis Blue Cell Structure Edition hosts the Blue Mixer Triode board alongside the Single Schottky set Clipping Board - excellent for a killer Plexi sound. Needs slightly different settings to the Green Fetzer Board!

A Sinvertek release is always a big event for me - and this Sinvertek SRAA MGAT-1 EVO/T+ Great Era Edition is the best one yet! I really don't understand how Mr. Wu continues to improve this circuit. I was convince he had hit peak prowess a couple of versions ago - but he's still managing to improve the output - with even better feel and reaction speed - and even more amp-like proper tube-style analog gooeyness! Sounds every-way super - this is so the very best MIAB ever created! Only a fairly basic demo to-date - as above!

Klowra's excellent tape-style Rilum Multi-head Digital Delay - delivers exceptional pristine and vintage / lo-fi sounds! Incredibly expansive feature set!

As expected - February was a relatively quiet month, while I've already got 15 targets for March, with some landed already, some others ordered, and some still to be secured!

I'm looking to pick up at least a couple at tomorrow's Birmingham Guitar Show! :

These will be part of March's selection - with a few more possibly!

A couple of those should have landed in February - but are now overdue!

• Dazatronyx Big Fuzz Console Multi-Muff
• Decades Pedals MultiJam Overdrive / Distortion
• Fredric Effects Petite Super Unpleasant Companion
• Funny Little Boxes Treasure Chest Dual-Modded Overdrive : Klone-Screamer
• Fulltone Ultimate Octave Fuzz
• Gamechanger Audio Recoder - Sampler / Modifier / Vocoder / Looper
• Hagerman Gamma Radiatiøn 7-Transistor Distortion
• Hungry Robot Wallflower Shoegazer - Dual Reverb - Chorus - Distortion
• Noise Maker Market B1 Rat-Bender Fuzz
• Past FX OG-1 Overdrive
• Past FX Retiklon Overdrive
• Red Seven NGR-1 Programmable Analog Noise Gate
• RhPf Electronics Mosphoros – The MOSFET Bringer Overdrive
• Vahlbruch Octavia V2 Octave Fuzz
• Zorg Effects Glue Fuzz MKII Classic & Octave Fuzz

The Mentha Works Monk Echo is also on my priority list - and they will be attending the London Synth & Pedal Expo in the 3rd week of March - so I may cut a deal then!

There are 3 grand shows coming up within the next month or so, including tomorrow's Birmingham Guitar & Bass Show, the London Synth & Pedal Expo on March 21st/22nd, and Birmingham's Noise Maker Market on March 29th. Some details for each below!

Dates :  28th Feb / 1st March [28th is Sold Out!]

Location : Cranmore Park, Shirley, B90 4LE

Brands I'm hoping to get to on the day :

• Audio Distribution Group - Cioks, Death By Audio, Diamond, Dreadbox, Fulltone, Jackson Audio, Keeley, KMA Machines, Maxon, Meris, Nobels, Old Blood Noise, Peterson Strobe Tuners, Source Audio, Tsakalis Audioworks : Bruce, Tom, Rasmus
• Boss - Matt, Mark, Nico, Matt
• Crimson School of Luthiery - Ben
• Digitech / DOD
• DryBell Guitar Effects - Tom Cundall's Guitar Shed
• Empress Effects - Steve?
• Eventide
• Face MI - Beetronics FX, Crazy Tube Circuits, J Rockett, Walrus Audio : Niels Löffler
• Fidelity Guitars - Matt
• Flattley Guitar Pedals - Paul and Jan
• Fredric Effects - Tim
• Funny Little Boxes - Andy
• Hamstead Soundworks - Peter & Brian
• Hello Sailor Effects - Joe & Glyn
• Lehle 
• Mad Professor Pedals - Jussa & Mikko
• Making Waves - Matthew & Wilkinson
• Manson Guitar Works - Adrian 
• Maybury Guitars - Jason
• Neural DSP with Guitar Guitar
• NUX
• Origin Effects - John, Jacob, Chris
• Pedal Pawn - Chris
• PRS Guitars - Jake
• Redbeard Effects - Mikey
• Ritual Devices - Wub
• Thermion - José
• ThorpyFX - Adrian & Georgia
• Timber Tones - Rob
• T-Rex Effects
• Wampler - Brian?
• Warm Audio 
• Zona Guitars - Wayne

Possibly a few more! It's always a struggle to hit every stand - and this promises to be the busiest show ever - so I will need to circle around even more than usual to get in a word sideways with my many friends!

Every year there are some stands that are so busy - that every time I approach them they are rammed solid! Sometime no gap materialises for me for the whole duration of the show - so I need to be somewhat strategic in what order I try to approach each of those stands. The Crazy period is normally between noon and 3 - it's worth taking a late lunch to skip some of that chaos!

Last year's show was the one I enjoyed the most - it just had the right vibe!

Dates : 21st / 22nd March

Location : Studio 9294, Hackney Wick, London, E9 5LN

There are several more brands to confirm - including some rarely seen in the UK, so roster is not complete yet.

Provisional Roster as follows (will change!) :

• Acorn Amps
  
• Audio Distribution Group
  
• Beetronics
  
• BOSS
  
• Chase Bliss Audio
  
• Crazy Tube Circuits
  
• Death By Audio
  
• Diamond Pedals
  
• Dreadbox
  
• Emma Electronics
  
• Empty Head Effects
  
• Erica Synths
  
• Eventide
  
• Face MI Distribution
  
• J. Rockett Audio Designs
  
• Jackson Audio
  
• Jam Pedals
  
• Keeley
  
• Kernom
  
• MC Sound Lab
  
• Mentha Works
  
• Meris
  
• MXR
  
• Nobels
  
• Old Blood Noise Endeavors
  
• Origin Effects
  
• Peavey
  
• Peterson Tuners
  
• Rainger FX
  
• Red Panda
  
• SoundGoldFX
  
• Source Audio
  
• Strymon
  
• Thorn Pedals
  
• Voodoo Lab
  
• Warm Audio
  
• Walrus Audio
  
• Way Huge
  
• West Side Distribution