2026 July Pedal-Chain Update - Episode VII - Tremendous Tremulations

20 new devices landed in July!

This month it's all about Fuzzes and Distortions, the Brighton Guitar Show, and PastFX and Demiurge Instruments in particular - that's pretty much the whole story.

14 of these arrived relatively late in the month - and as a result I've been somewhat overloaded!

• 3 x Boosts and Overdrives
• 7 x Distortions
• 8 x Fuzzes
• 1 x Modulation
• 1 x Utility

3 really decent wide-ranging overdrives - both Earthburners sound particularly killer while all of these can go from a whisper to a scream, Indeed the Earthburners can get incredibly aggressive and fuzz--like. More on these coming up!

• Demiurge Earthburner Full Range Brit Stack Streamlined
• Demiurge Earthburner Full Range Brit Stack Expanded
• JHS Pedals NOTADUMBLE V2

A superb selection of Distortions - each of these are really impressive - they're all very distinct and superb potent. I'm still waiting on some demos to materialise for some of these - at least 3 reviews still to come here!

• DigiTech Hot Head Distortion
• iStingor MS-1 Metal Shredder
• iStingor SL-1 Super Lead
• Leyland Pedals Peace Lilly Distortion (Ibanez Soundtank PL5 Powerlead Distortion)
• NRG Effects 2026 5K Gnawer Distortion
• PastFX OG-2 Distortion (DS-1+)
• Spruce Effects Americana States Series Limekiln Edition

One of the best selections of fuzzes landed to date - each of these are totally killer - with richly harmonically textured searing tones onboard. Pretty much all of these are top-tier!

• Blue FX Devices Piluxx Mini 70's Switch Fuzz
• Demiurge Swamp Coffin Signature Cultist Doomy Swampy Sludge Fuzz Expanded
• Demiurge Swamp Coffin Signature Cultus Doomy Swampy Sludge Fuzz Streamlined
• Drunk Beaver Ivan Mazepa 2 Fuzz
• Farmer Factory Colombeta Ge/Si Fuzz
• PastFX I.C.Mufnstuf Evolved OpAmp Muff
• Talisman Audio Deluxe Face Blender Ge/Si Fuzz
• Talisman Audio GP7 Soviet Gas Mask Canister Fuzz

The PastFX Ring Modulator has been a genuine revelation for me - as I finally figured out how to get the best out of this modulation type. Something finally clicked into place for me - and I am now a RingMod convert - especially for one so great as this!

RhPf Electronics' Regista Amek Mozart MZ15-RN Neve Channel Strip Style Studio-Grade Parametric Mids EQ & Preamp - is a killer laser-honed high-precision studio-style mastering EQ - which allows you to pin-point very specific frequencies to enhance or entirely remove from the signal chain. A proper high quality singular balancing EQ!

PRIORITY targets up TOP in order and in BOLD A-Z below!

• AC Noises Continua Stereo Sample-Repeater / Glitch / Modifier / Multi-FX
• Aclam Go Rocky Go Vox Conqueror Amp Emulator White Album Edition
• Chase Bliss Bad Mood Ambient Mischief Micro-Looper / Modifier
• Darkglass Anagram Multi-FX Guitar Essentials Edition
• David Ross Summer Heat Dynamic EQ & Overdrive
• DOD Drag Multi-Mode Modulated Analog BBD Delay
• EarthQuaker Devices Mini 2-Transistor Bellows Fuzz
• Ebbe Design Magnetic Modular Pedalboard : _ma and o_ma snap-on modules
• Freqscene Effects Cleanless Expanded HM-2 Heavy Metal Distortion
• Fuzzlord Nazareth Doomy Octave Distortion
• Gamechanger Audio Plus II Real Piano Sustainer
• Gigagain Golden Legacy and Silver Legacy
• Greer Amps Mori Drive (Klon-Screamer)
• Hungry Robot Stargazer Spacey Ambient Dual Channel Reverb
• Mr Black Vintage Ensemble Stereo Chorus
• MXR Textures Granular / Glitchy Synth Texturiser Engine
• Native Audio In The Water Wave Reflector
• OFX Purple Ohm Fuzz
• R2R Electric x Waterslide Guitars Time-O-Lite 2-Transistor Ge Fuzz
• Seward Park Electric Maravilla Germanium Preamp
• Solar Guitar Chug Capo Low Latency Pitch-Shifter
• Strymon Timeline MX Stereo Dual Algorithm Multi Delay Workstation
• Venuram Las Lunas Classic Rock Distortion
• Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Fuzz
• Wyatt Audio Kozel (Muff) and Heiress (Fuzz Face) Fuzzes

21 Slots updated this month with 20 new incoming pedals and one re-up!

Updated Slots : #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #10, #11, #12, #13, #13b, #14, #15, #17, #18b, #20, #21, #24, #30, #31, #37, #39.

Mostly Fuzzes and Distortions, but something in every row, bar the final one.

And quite coincidentally - I now have effectively 5 Tremolos on the board - a couple as a primary pedal function, and the others with Tremolo as a secondary or tertiary function!

Talisman Deluxe Face Blender killer Ge/Si Transistor Switching Fuzz, one of two pedals I picked up from Talisman Audio : Tom at the Brighton Guitar Show - every way excellent!

Alas there are no demos out yet - not even an Instagram sound sample that I can find - will post something up as soon as it materialises!

Another killer Ge/Si Transistor Switching Fuzz - this time with a different Transistor in every slot - for some seriously wide-ranging tones - sounds superb - as does its neighbour.

In my article I referred to one of the Horny '66 All-Germanium Fuzzes - and will do so here again also - here below! The Horny '66 is essentially the Germanium half of the Colombeta!

Yet another small-batch fuzz without a proper YouTube demo - one is coming soon - this is the magnificent Talisman GP7 Soviety Gas Mask Canister All Soviet Ge/Si switching fuzz.

Please refer to instagram for sounds samples - per the below link! :

www.instagram.com/p/DNLTVbbMEeN/

Fantastic Blue FX Devices Pillux Fuzz - a 2-mode Fuzz Fields Redux circuit built into a 70's Greek electrical switch - sounds amazing!

My version is the original Batch Green Edition, while the demo is for the Brighton Show Silver-Grey Edition - same circuit inside - while the functional labels have been inverted!

The much improved and slimmed down Ivan Mazepa Dual Voice Fuzz - evolved from the Soviet Poltava Fuzz Wah - while I prefer it with the Big Muff Tone Stack engaged - sounds immense!

The 4 Demiurge Pedals I picked up at the Brighton Show are essentially 2 pairs  of 2 different roll-outs of the same circuit - the first more streamlined, and the second one more granular and expanded.

The first Cultus / Cultist pair is a Doomy Swampy Sludge Fuzz - actually the signature pedal for band Swamp Coffin. There are demos for the streamlined original Cultus - as above, but nothing yet for the more expansive Cultist that has just recently been released. I like the 2 footswitches on the original, but overall the Cultist is more potent and Doomier! I don't see why that one can't have 2 footswitches also - so that you can switch things up more fluidly - sound-wise though it's blisteringly good. I'm kind of waiting on demos before I can publish a review!

Both of these sound great - but the newer more expansive one sounds superior to me! Especially on the middle clipping option which I think is the Schottky one!

My second pair of Demiurge Pedals - this time the Earthburner Full-Range Brit Stack - Streamlined and recent Expanded model - both in compact editions. The only demos that exist are for the former 1590BB edition - as below - while Joseph has been able to shrink the circuit down considerably from the original - both larger and smaller editions have 6 knobs. The more expansive edition with Channel Split has 7 knobs and 2 switches. For me the newer more expansive variety is the preferred choice - but that brings further questions as to why the expanded Cultist didn't have dual footswitches also. All 4 of these Demiurges sounds great  - and there's significant overlap for each of the pairs - while I generally overall prefer the Expanded editions - neither of which has a demo yet! The Earthburner is incredibly versatile and I need to spend a little more time with this pair - as so far I've been spending most of my time on the Cultist!

The all conquering PastFX OG-2 DS-1 evolved take - sounds absolutely superb - and a massive improvement over the original. I have a number of evolved DS-1 types - while this one is the king of the hill currently! I seriously love everything about this pedal - including all the killer clipping options!

An intriguing Germanium Transitor + Opamp Distortion - with gorgeous 4-way Artwork Choice - I like my Limekiln the best - looks amazing - and sounds particularly great on LED Clipping Mode - which is more open and searing. The Schottky is slightly grittier and more compressed - darker sounder. I much prefer the LEDs!

The V2 is twice as much fun - I love piecing these together - such a clever design. It's better than the V1 - but still probably only B-Tier overall, I have a slew of better sounding Dumble Drives in the collection - but this one is still pretty decent- and there are some cool tones onboard - it's just that some of my other Dumbles are signficantly better sounding. While for just $119 this is surely about as good as it gets! The knobs are a little untidy - they're off the sort that come in a big bag - where these rub up against each other and have some minor surface blemishes. That's the only part which is a little either way on the quality - everything else is exemplary. Be very careful not to tighten the jacks up too much on one side - do them slightly loose on both sides - and then refine - otherwise the board is liable to shift too much over to one side! The build was a breeze - where getting the knobs on was the trickiest part - everything else was so simple and intuitive - you didn't need a manual!

So yes I picked up a DigiTech Hot Heat for my Evolved DS-1 piece - and it's surprisingly good actually. Noway near the 3 Top Tier ones, but interestingly far more potent than the Keeley Angry Orange - which came in a distant last in that head-to-head. There's a slew of DigiTech pedals in that series - including this Hot Head, the Bad Monkey, Grunge, Screaming Blues and Death Metal - all are pretty decent actually. I was pleasantly surprised by this Hot Head - it sounds great in my rig - warm and expressive - and a considerable improvement over the stock DS-1 - especially into a Clean Pedal Platform Rig!

I had to sub the Decibelics V2 Reverend back in again - as I was missing it! It's one of the most potent minis I own - and that ability to switch in the Forbidden Fuzz Mode on the fly is just brilliant - every one should have one!

The Leyland Pedals Peace Lily is a killer take on a long forgotten Ibanez PL5 plastic Soundtank Series 6-transistor distortion. It is super crunchy and vibrant - just as you would expect a 6-transistor Distortion to sound - can get quite grindy too - but is also capable of beautifully singing lead tones - you can dial the crunchy rasp in - or else you can smooth it out. A really dynamic sort of fuzz-distortion - but leaning more into the distortion side - very crisp! Full review still to come!

The superb expanded range PastFX I.C. Mufnstuf OpAmp Fuzz - sounds amazing - like all the PastFX stuff usually does. I'm still waiting on a demo for this one - not sure what's happening there. This pedal should be in high demand - it's surely one of the best OpAmp Muffs out there!

I will of course add a demo video - as soon as on materialises!

Another one of my Brighton Show pickups - Neil from NRG has unleashed the most incredibly Vintage Rat style distortion - warm, dynamic and beautifully textured - with unique soft clipping and 'Sizzle' boost - sound totally killer - definitely a top-tier / S-Tier Rat style pedal - well worth checking out! No demo yet - so I've referred to the previous model for below demo!

So many of this month's pedals are very 'hot off the press' and so don't yet have any demos - that alas includes this iStingor Super Lead SL-1 too - which is very Marshall-adjacent - kind of inspired by in some ways, but a distinct sounding circuit just in the overall same sort of ballpark - slightly lower gain than the Metal Shredder MS-1 - but equally great sounding. There are all kinds of familiar visual cues for these iStingor pedals - but they're all their own circuits really - not built or cloned from anything - and using mostly proprietary Mosfet-based gain circuits. As soon as we have a demo I will publish my review!

Excellent high octane / high gain Metal Distortion with a lot of range. Really punchy and tight with a modern edge, but a vast range - including more vintage style sounds too - but without the inherent sag. Tight, punchy and richly textured metal - sounds great!

The PastFX Ring Modulator has been a genuine revelation for me - I haven't always got on with this particular flavour of modulations - while this pedal really clicked for me - and I finally get why so many people love Ring Modulation. This PastFX variant is particularly expansive and delivers really classy classic modulations as well as more clangy / metallic otherworldly timbres and textures. As with all my PastFX pedals - I really love this one. If you're not yet convinced by Ring Modulation - try this one for size! I found it everyway excellent - got some fantastic sounds out of it!

The RhPf Regista is a fantastic high-precision Parametric Mids Mastering EQ which can pin-point clean up or enhance very specific frequencies or frequency clusters. It's a totally different animal to my Empress ParaEQ 2 - which does several things for me at the same time. This Regista is absolutely precision-honed and laser focused - for noiseless sound manipulation - really great looking pedal to with cool looking custom knobs and wide-ranging potentiometers!