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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+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-Class-of-2023-700.jpg

The final arrangement for the year - all the pedals that impressed the most!

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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+-
2023-GPX-Best-Time-Based-Effecst-V2-700.jpg

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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2023 Best New Boost & Overdrive Pedals of the Year

Acorn AmpsAnasoundsBeetronics FXBest in ClassBispell AudioBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCKK ElectronicsCrazy Tube CircuitsDecibelicsDriveDumble Style OverdriveElectric LoveFormula B PedalsGecko PedalsHello Sailor EffectsIntensive Care AudioJ RockettJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMuir Audio DesignNordland ElectronicsODR Style OverdriveOhmless PedalsOPFXSOrigin EffectsOverdrivePoly EffectsREVV AmplificationTark AudioThorpyFXTone For PunkTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveWalrus Audio+-
2023-GPX-Best-Boost-and-Overdrives-700.jpg

And so to my roundup of the best gear of the year - apologies of course if I’ve overlooked one of your favourites - and note again that this year I’ve split out Boost & Overdrive - and Distortion separately - as there are so many new pedals that it’s tough to fit them all into a single summary overview. Some of these pedals are incredibly extended range - and if I’ve used them more on the distortion side - you will find those listed in the very next Distortion Rundown article - like say the...

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2023-GPX-Anasounds-Dystopia-Utopia-700.jpg

So Anasounds first released their 3-knob analog-voiced delay pedal back in 2015. It rose quickly to become their best-selling pedal - and remains so to this day. One of the trickiest thing you can do - as vouched for by none other than Joshua Heath Scott - is to create a tap-tempo function for an analog style / or PT2399 delay. In fact it took Anasounds’ engineers 3 years to perfect - to the most exacting of standards. And the results of said exercise is not just the 6 control knobs, twin ...

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16 Secret Weapon Fuzzes

AnasoundsBardic Audio DevicesBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBlakemore EffectsDr ScientistDrunk BeaverEl Músico Loco FXFjord FuzzFree Fall DiverFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzKuro Custom AudioMaestro Style FuzzModulated FuzzOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzPaul Trombetta DesignProAnalog DevicesRainger FXRedbeard EffectsShift LineSilicon FuzzSuper-Fuzz StyleTone Bender Style FuzzToneczar+-
2023-GPX-Secret-Weapon-Fuzzes-700.jpg

A reader asked me to pick out some of my all-time favourite fuzzes - which are legion actually - just far too many to include in a single rundown. So we settled on doing somewhat less well known favourite fuzzes - under the guise of ’Secret Weapon Fuzzes’. These are mostly somewhat under the radar classics - several of which are discontinued, but all of which deliver distinct superior tones.

 

Beyond these being Secret Weapon Fuzzes there was no other specific theme - so we get a variety of ...

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2023 June Pedal-Chain Update - Episode VI - Just Vibin'

Analog DelayAnasoundsBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCKK ElectronicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDual-DriveFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzHiwattKeeleyKlone and Transparent OverdriveLoe SoundsModulationPedal ChainSilicon FuzzSinvertekTech 21 NYCThorpyFXTru-Fi Guitar EffectsTubescreamer Style OverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeWay Huge Effects+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-June-700.jpg

Most of you won’t have noticed that I was locked out of my Instagram recently - from circa Thursday afternoon to Monday morning  a week or two ago - you will note the date of some of the posts as to when that happened. Social media is so unreliable these days - Instagram last locked my out for a fortnight around 6-7 months ago - owing to some sort of 2-factor authentication glitch (SMS digits not being sent) - which apparently took them two weeks to solve. So never a dull moment at GPX HQ - in ...

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Anasounds combines a full-fat MKI Savage with Ego Driver in its potent new Sandman Dual Overdrive

AnasoundsBoostBoost and OverdriveDual-DriveKlone and Transparent OverdriveOverdriveTubescreamer Style Overdrive+-
2023-Anasounds-The-Sandaman-Dual-Overdrive-700.jpg

Not too long ago I did a feature on Anasounds’ Savage ’Klon’ Overdrives with 3 different Format / Enclosure Sizes - and touched on a further limited edition 4-knob compact Extended Savage. At the time I asked Anasounds’ Alex if there was ever a chance that the Extended Savage might be reissued - and he replied that he had something even better in mind!

 

And that even better pedal was evidently to combine the formerly limited edition MKI Savage - including all all the extras - with the ...

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Distinct, Memorable and Instantly Brand-Identifiable Compact Pedal Enclosures

AmptweakerAnasoundsAudiostormBeetronics FXBixonicBossCarl MartinChase Bliss AudioDanelectroDigiTechExpandora PedalsFjord FuzzFoxrox ElectronicsGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Pedal 101GuyatoneHardWire EffectsIbanezIconic GearJ RockettJRADKing Tone EffectsLine 6TC ElectronicThorpyFXVemuram+-
2023-GPX-Compact-Pedal-Shapes-700.jpg

This episode is a little more esoteric and preferential than most - and involves identifying the most notable and easily recognisable ’Pedal Shapes and Formats’ essentially. Of course there is some subjective preference here - while I will try to explain objectively how I came to this exact 25 pedal selection - some of these are very obvious - others are slightly more idiosyncratic choices - while there are obviously some brands that are particularly good at coming up with memorable enclosure ...

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2023 Birmingham Guitar Show Highlights

AnasoundsAndertonsAudio Distribution GroupCrimson GuitarsFace MIFredric EffectsFunny Little BoxesFX Pedal PlanetGoliath FXGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailGuitar NerdsHamstead SoundworksKernomMaking Waves EffectsOrigin EffectsPedal PatchRedbeard EffectsRitual DevicesSilverfox GuitarsThorpy FX+-
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The Top visual (above) this time is my favourite stand from the show - the super elegant and lifestyle-oriented Kernom stand - with really smart use of furniture - but with a somewhat eyesore tangle of cables! - overall it looked really striking and elegant compared to everything else at the show!

 

So another show is over - where I attended all day Saturday. Entrance was the same as before @ £15, while travel was slightly more expensive. I had an open-return train ticket @ £61, plus 2 tube ...

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2022 Best New Fuzz Pedals of the Year

AC NoisesAcorn AmpsAnasoundsBardic Audio DevicesBest in ClassBig Ear PedalsBig Muff Style FuzzBlack Mass ElectronicsCalico EffectsCatalinbreadCoffee Shop PedalsColortone PedalsDrunk BeaverElectro-HarmonixFjord FuzzFrost Giant ElectronicsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionFX TeacherGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzHeather Brown ElectronicalsKeeley EngineeringKing Tone EffectsKMA AudioLoe SoundsMaestro Style FuzzMastro ValvolaModulated FuzzOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzPigtronixRainger FXRed Noise PedalsReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzSilktoneSolidGoldFXStomp Under FootSuper-Fuzz StyleTampco PedalsThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTriungulo LabWalrus AudioZander Circuitry+-
2022-GPX-Best-of-New-Fuzzes-Annual-700.jpg

So for the end of year Fuzz selection the only pedal of note that came a little too late to be included in this roundup was the very recent Reeves Electro BlackHatSound Deluxe Wedge - of which only 15 units have been made so far. Markus has promised me I can get copper insides when the next batch comes around - so I can complete my set!

 

Other than that everything of note that I’m aware of is included here in this selection. Again I own most of these - while there are still some down on the ...

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