Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
12 Killer Affordable British Pedals from £95 to £125
So this article was inspired by the fairly recent Leeds Pedal Show attendance - where indeed I picked up a number of these. Namely - the Emmergy FX Slowdriver, Fredric Effect Demon Fuzz V2, Funny Little Booxes Caught By The Fuzz, and SoundLad Liverpool’s Hungry Beaver. I had also intended to pick up the Pyroglyphs and Flow Decoder from Tom @ Glowfly Pedals - while alas he had to cancel last minute as he had become quite ill.
The Buzzing Bugs BB02 and Demiurge Intsturments Chroma Drive I’ve had for quite a while, and could have picked up an ABL Pedals Toor Fuzz and Goliath FX D-05 at that same show also. I do intend to pick up all of these eventually - which means I’ve still to get the Gojira FX Mr Sparkle, Holy Island Audio Angel Teeth, And Raygun FX Super Fuzz Boy also. I’m prettu delighted that I have six of these already. The Chroma Drive is the most affordable here @ just £95, while at the other end of this still diminutive scale - we have the Fredric Effects Demon Fuzz and Holy Island Angel Teeth @ £125. Actually there was a special deal on at the Leeds Show - where the Demon Fuzz came with a same-themed T-Shirt for just £99 - so several of these will likely be lower cost if you buy them at a show / expo. I was overladen at Leeds and could not accommodate any more than the 8 I brought back with me!
I’m due to visit Angus at ABL Pedals in August - for his second Glasgow Pedal Social - where I hope to pick up his Toor and Szczur pedals at last. I’ve also already connected with Glofly’s Tom about the ones I missed at Leeds - and hopefully will have secured a Flow Decoder and Pyroglyphs before too long. These are typically the kinds of pedals I pick up the various guitar shows I attend - it’s always nice to come away with a souvenir or two of the show!
Here is my current selection of 12. By all means let me know of any further sub £125 quality pedal bargains - several of these are extraordinary creations - with no skimping on the quality or natural of components or construction - just superb value all-round! :
- ABL Pedals The Toor OpAmp Muff - £120
- Buzzing Bugs BB02 Percolator Fuzz (Harmonic Percolator) - £119
- Demiurge Chroma Drive - £95
- Emmergy FX Slowdriver Shoegaze Fuzz Distortion - £120
- Fredric FX Demon Fuzz (MXR One Knob Muff Fuzz) - £125
- Funny Little Boxes Caught By The Fuzz - £99
- Goliath FX D-05 Hard-Clipper Preamp Distortion (MXR Distortion+ / DOD250 - £99
- Glowfly Pyroglyphs Reverb / Shimmer / Glitch / Burn - £120
- Gojira FX Mr Sparkle Tubescreamer 808 Overdrive - £120
- Holy Island Audio Angel Teeth Distortion (DOD250) - £125
- Raygun FX Super Fuzz Boy - £119
- SoundLad Liverpool Hungry Beaver Multi-Muff - £99
As mentioned - the BB02 Percolator Fuzz, Chroma Drive, Slowdriver, Demon Fuzz, Caught By The Fuzz, and the Hungry Beaver are in the collection already, and the others will be added in fairly short order hopefully. Raygun FX doesn’t tend to turn up to those shows I attend - so I will need to go direct for the Super Fuzz Boy - while plans are already afoot for several of these!
Here below follow the usual individual references! :
ABL Pedals The Toor OpAmp Muff - £120
Controls - Volume, Sustain, Tone, Mids.
ABL's Angus is kind of the JAM Pedals of Scotland - building a series of fuller flavour pedals - including his current Toor Opamp Fuzz and Szczur Rat Distortion best sellers. Both sound incredibly vibrant and full-flavoured, and I will look to capture that pair at the forthcoming Glashow Pedal Social!
Buzzing Bugs BB02 Percolator Fuzz (Harmonic Percolator) - £119
Controls - Gain, Volume.
This was one of the 2 killer pedals that launched this brand - and even though I slightly prefer the BB01 Fuzz Preamp (which is £10 dearer), this Harmonic Percolator take is really smart and great sounding take on that well-loved circuit.
Demiurge Instruments Chroma Drive - £95
demiurgeinstruments.bigcartel.com
Controls - EQ, Grit (Gain 1), Push (Level 1), Gain (2), Level (2).
This the one of these that's been in the collection the longest. There was a time I did a lot of collaborating with Demiurge's Joseph Maxwell, and he specially came into see me at the Brighton Show a couple of years back. While he's not been much in contact recently. This Chroma Drive was one of the first 2 pedals I acquired from him - the other being his cutesy Doomy O))) - both excellent. The Chroma Drive starts off as an Electra circuit but then tweaks that and adds all manner of extras into the mix for a really versatile 2-stage multi-drive pedal.
Emmergy FX Slowdriver Shoegaze Fuzz Distortion - £120
Controls - Filter (Hi-Cut), Volume, Clipping Diodes : Silicon / None / Germanium, Gain, Pre-Gain.
This originally started as a take on the Catalinbread Katzenkönig, but has somewhat evolved along the way to this blistering Tone-Bender infused Fuzz-Distortion. Most everyone that comes across this is blown away by it - those 4 Transistors can get so full-on - in texture, volume and gain. A wonderful distinct distortion pedal.
Fredric Effects Demon Fuzz (MXR One Knob Muff Fuzz) - £125
Controls - Clip : Si / Ge, Leve, Doom (Scoop).
Tin's modified take on the EHX One Knob Muffler Fuzz. Where the latest innovation is the Doomy Scooped EQ Mode. A really simple but potent pedal - with Si/Ge clipping options also! Note that the demo is of the previous version - we're still awaiting one for this latest version featured.
Funny Little Boxes Caught By The Fuzz - £99
Controls - Fuzz, Volume.
I've done 2 articles on this so far - and incredibly versatile 2 knob fuzz - essentially using 2 typically tube screamer type OpAmps. It takes you from Overdrive to Fuzzy Drive - to full searing Fuzz - a wonderful everyday all-rounder therefore - a proper multi-gain pedal.
Goliath FX D-05 Hard-Clipper Preamp Distortion (MXR Distortion+ / DOD250 - £99
Controls - Volume, Gain, Warp (Clipping), Response (Bass Boost).
This is Matt's cool take on the classic 70's DOD250 / MXR Distortion+ Hard-Clipper. Available in both spatter and swirly styles of paint finish - and full of flavour of course.
Glowfly Pyroglyphs Reverb / Shimmer / Glitch / Burn - £120
Controls - Glitch, Verb, Mix, Burn, Octave, Bypass Footswitch, Momentary Runaway Reverb Swells Footswitch.
Tom somewhat specialises in these fluttery and glitchy styles of multi-fx, and this is one of his very best - which combines shimmery Reverb with octave, Glitch and Super Saturating effects - behaving somewhat like a rogue Sun which is burning up. I had hoped to snag this one at the Leeds Show - while it's still conspiring to evade me! It will surely happen soon!
Gojira FX Mr Sparkle Tubescreamer 808 Overdrive - £120
Controls - Volume, Tone, Gain, Clipping : Symmetrical / Asymmetrical, Bass Boost : On/Off.
Gojira FX is a supreme finishing house - and a lot of companies use it to print their enclosures, and carry out finishing effect. Gojira specialises in 3D-printed knobs also - where for this pedal - you have the option of Mr Sparkle or Duff Beer Can style Knobs or little tins of Steamed Ham! There are several version of classic effects - like this extended range Screamer - available in a rage of different iconic and stylised looks - including several 'The Simpsons' varieties - indeed like the one featured here!
Holy Island Audio Angel Teeth Distortion (DOD250) - £125
Controls - Volume, Gain, I - Fuzz Switch (additional gain stage), II - Clipping : LED + Germanium / None / Slilcon, III - Octave Up : On/Off.
I've been wanting to get my hands on this direct DOD250 take - ever since I first heard it at the second of the Witney Pedal Parties I think it was. This one is a seriously fierce take on that circuit - with numerous output shaping options courtesy of its 5 handy controls!
Raygun FX Super Fuzz Boy - £119
Controls - Volume (B), Fuzz (A).
This one is something of a novelty - in that it comes in a Nintendo Game Boy enclosure - where there are 2 different Raygun effects that use this style of enclosure - the Glitch Master, and the Super Fuzz Boy as is the case here. Just s 2-knob Fuzz - but a really decent sounding one - in that very memorable style of enclosure! It comes in various different colourways - per the original Nintendo Game Boy devices.
SoundLad Liverpool Hungry Beaver Multi-Muff - £99
Controls - Controls - GRAVY (Gain 1) : Mids Focused, MEAT (Gain 2) : Thick and Chunky , Mids sweep, Tone, Starve (Harmonic Octave @ 11 o’c), Volume, Internal Gain Boost Trimmer.
This was one of the ones I picked up at the Leeds Pedal Show - it's been on the cards for a while - it was just a matter of making a proper connection with SoundLad Marc! This is a quite superb Multi-Muff Fuzz - and one of my very favourites in compact enclosure - sounds totally blistering and wide-ranging - and has an additional internal Boost trimmer too - in order to make the most out of those super-staved tones - where at circa 11 o'c on that dial - you get the most exquisite harmonic octave fuzz voicing. Every way excellent - and now available at its new low price-point of just £99 - this is an absolute bargain! And obviously a must buy!
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