I’ve known Holy Island Audio since the fabulous Stourbridge FX Expo back in 2022. And I’ve encountered Gwion a good 20 times throughout the intervening years - but somewhat embarrassingly still hadn’t landed some of those fantastic full-on sounding pedals.

It seemed that whenever I encountered Gwion at a show - he never had any stock of the very pedal I was after at the time. As for most small brands - Gwion operates on a Small Batch methodology - but more from an order-window perspective -...

I seemed to have missed the January Model Passes update - I believe I was on holiday at the time - those were the OD-2 Turbo OverDrive (1985-95), DM-2 Delay (1981-84), and DC-2 Dimension C (1985-89). I own 2 of those actual original pedals already, actually the DC-2W Waza variety, where I’ve still to get the DM-2/W - and I would really prefer that as a BBD type - but probably still also have that handy on my PX-1. It would actually be quite cool to get both DC-2 and DM-2 Models for my PX-1. ...

So we’re using the EHX terminology here - where ’Mini’ denotes Mid-Size enclosures. We’ve had something of a revival of those of late - with all the key Big Muff purveyors currently releasing mid-size special editions - including EHX, Wren and Cuff, and of course Stomp Under Foot as here!

I typically prefer the SUF 4-knob compact takes - with extra Mids control - these 5 here are all authentic takes with just the core 3 controls. Note that the Ace Tone FM-3 originally had both Boost and ...

This was the second pedal I picked up from JSA Effects at the recent Leeds Pedal Show - and it’s even better for me than the already exceptional LNS Overdrive Modded OD-1 that I rushed to the stand to secure!

On the day of the show I came away with just those two JSA pedals. I later secured one of Blue FX’s oddly shaped Pillux Fuzzes, and should really have picked up a Holy Island Spectral Fire at the same time - which I also sorted out post-haste - shortly after the show! Those two pedals ...

A slightly uneventful month in many ways - just the one event - the excellent sophomore Leeds Pedal Show - where I ended up picking up 3 pedals.

Some killer releases during the month, with a strong final flurry to make up the 10 notable article highlights. I’ve been very busy all month - and plenty of work has gone into this as usual, while there was somehow fewer large-scale rundowns and marquee features - more of that next month for sure.

HIGHLIGHTS for APRIL :

[Click on Images for ...

Thermion famously started off its affordable €125 PowerBolt Series back in May of last year - with two amazing Modulation pedals - The PowerTrem - in part based on JAM Pedals’ Harmonious Monk, and the PowerVibe - a superb compact take on a Shin-ei Uni-Vibe - not nearly as expansive as DryBell’s Vibe Machine - but near enough as flavourful. I was hugely impressed at the time and quickly acquired the pair of them.

This time around I’m a little behind the curve - as the pedals have already ...

So for the final session in this initial BFC sound-shaping series - I loaded in my Germanium 2N1308 Transistors - which are used to great effect in the 2007 EQD Hoof Fuzz Edition, and the circa 2022 Loe Sounds She Fuzz Edition. Both those used a combination of 2N3904 and 2N1308 transistors.

I started off with the exact same settings as last week’s V7C Green Russian profile - where I preferred the BC337-25 Transistors throughout. This time around I tried all transistors in various ...

For me - these Dealer special White Light editions - are some of the prettiest varieties Spaceman has released to-date - with the white-out / snow-blind livery and striking cyan / teal LED’s - just gorgeous. I was missing the Atlas IV and Apollo VIIb - and Cream City Music and Axe and You Shall Receive were enormously helpful in getting those shipped to me in short order. I then spotted that my friend Scott at Axe and You Shall Receive also had a White Light Rumblefuzz II remaining - and I just...

The 1994 Green Russian Sovtek V7C variant is one of the best loved - and recognised for its additional low-end heft - typically the bassiest of the Big Muff types. That variety used mostly KT3102EM / KT3102E Soviet transistors during its initial production. Where the 2017 EHX Nano Green Russian reissues had mostly BC547C’s onboard - indeed the same ones as the Violet Ram’s Head reissues.

The 2N5088 and 2N5089 are pretty solid alternatives for the BC547B and BC547C varieties - while they all...