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2024-GPX-Walrus-Fundamentals-Ambient-700.jpg

I did a fairly substantive feature on the original set of 8 Fundamental Series - and how they stacked up against the other competing Budget Boutique Series. I love this format - while there are still questions about how long-term robust those sliders are - but so far so good! And then there’s the price - which sits mostly at the $129 which is quite significantly above the usual $99 price tag.

 

Overall though I feel Walrus have about got the formula right - while I feel that they may not have...

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2024-GPX-Chase-Bliss-Mood-II-Trifecta-700.jpg

I’m getting a little bit Beetronics syndrome here - as a warning to not necessarily acquire the first edition that comes along - as subsequent editions are typically prettier and more appealing.

 

It just so happens that I still quite like my sort of Original Lilac MKII, while it’s quite evident that the 10 Year Anniversary ’Birthday Cake’ and this recent ’Light Bright’ edition are somewhat more aesthetically pleasing!

 

I’m generally a huge fan of Chase Bliss designer Eric Nyffeler - and ...

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ALABS Audio's Cetus 9 Mode Stereo Compact Reverb is truly one of the finest of its kind - mixing up classic and unique Reverb Algorithms in superb fashion

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsDigital ReverbPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-ALABS-Cetus-Reverb-700.jpg

So I’ve kind of left the best to last! All 4 ALABS Audio Adam Adventures Series pedals are amazing, and particularly for the price. I note that the TimeSlip and Cetus have moved up $10 to the same price point as the Orbital - or $109.99 vs $99.99 - but they’re really worth it at twice the price even!

 

Someone commented the these were Walrus Audio levels of production and packaging - but with JHS 3 Series pricing. I feel they’re going to be very hard to beat at that price point - and for me ...

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The first GPX Deviation of 2024 is a speculative Concept Visual for a possible Boss RV-7 Reverb

Ambient EffectsBossDigital ReverbGPX DeviationGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2024-GPX-Deviation-RV-7-700.jpg

It’s been quiet a while since Boss completed its Digital Delay Range Revamp with the DD-3T and DD-8 - back in September of 2019 - that selection is fully rounded and up-up-to-date still - with each of the 4 pedals at the top of its respective game - DD-3T, DD-8, DD-200, and DD-500!

 

We had to wait an age for the RV-200 to arrive - where the DD-200  was part of the original June 2019 200-Series quartet. The current generation of compact Boss Reverb is the RV-6 - which was released as long ago...

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Horizon Devices releases its own special take on ultra transparent compression - The Clarity Compressor

Best of BrandsBoostBoost and OverdriveCompressorDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionEchoverbHorizon DevicesMetal DistortionOverdrivePreAmpReverbUtility+-
2024-GPX-Horizon-Devices-Quartet-700.jpg

Misha Mannsoor’s Horizon Devices has quietly made its way to 4 superior modern tone enhancers. It kind of set the mould with its specialist Metal tone enhancing Precision Drive, then came its Apex High Gain Preamp, then the Flux Echo/Reverb - and here we have a very unique take on a Compressor.

 

Horizon Devices’ slogan is "Sound great, and be easy to use" and that theme is very clearly carried through all 4 pedals which are about as straightforward a pedals as you might expect to encounter -...

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2024 January Pedal-Chain Update - Episode I - Blues-Driven

Ambient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveDigital ReverbDistortionDrunk BeaverEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFuzzGermanium FuzzKuro Custom AudioMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationMulti-DriveOneder EffectsOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPlate ReverbPoly EffectsPreAmpRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSinverteksmallsound/bigsoundSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbSubdecay EffectsTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTru-Fi Guitar EffectsVictory AmpsWinnipeg Electrical Co+-
2024-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-January-700.jpg

So 2024 is off to a pretty spirted start! I treaded myself to 2 pedals right at the tail end of the year - the Poly VERBS puts in an appearance in this month’s selection - while the Reeves Electro BHS-D is running a touch late and will be part of the February selection instead.

 

This time of the year has to be mostly about NAMM - while I feel that a lot of builders kind of took away from NAMM and launched / showcased their new release in advance!

 

I’ve still to make it to NAMM - timing’s ...

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Poly Effects VERBS Convolution Reverberator brings something genuinely new to the Reverb Workstation Genre

Ambient EffectsDigital ReverbPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbSpring Reverb+-
2023-GPX-Poly-Verbs-700.jpg

Like many I was entirely captivated by the Andertons demo of this pedal (as below) - and was fortunate to be quick enough off the mark to snag one of from the very first edition. My good friend Joe Halliday of Hello Sailor Effects obviously came across the demo just a little bit after me - as I surely snagged one of the last ones from that small initial Andertons batch. The fact that there is an Icelandic Space featured (my country of birth) on the VERBS - was also instrumental in my rapid ...

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2024-GPX-MXR-Joshua-Ambient-Echo-700.jpg

Colour me impressed! MXR has done an incredible job here of giving you the Edge’s Ambient Effects - as deployed on the 1987 Joshua Tree album - which I believe mostly means a smart take on the TC 2290 Rack Unit.

 

The compact form factor somewhat disguises the complexity and prowess of the pedal - which has full stereo ins and outs via TRS Cables, and no less than 18 parameters across 6 knobs and with a total 9 controls - with the Echo 2 and Trails buttons triggering secondary and tertiary ...

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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 Guitar Pedals of the Year - The Best of the Best

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAnalog DelayBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCollision DevicesDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGranular DelayHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneLo-Fi DelayMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMessiah GuitarsModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXOctave FuzzOddball DelayOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPickup ModellerPlate ReverbPoly EffectsRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleTark AudioTC ElectronicTremoloUtility+-
2023-GPX-Best-of-the-Best-Pedals-700.jpg

So we featured 120 pedals across the 5 Genre categories this year - as you’ve witnessed over the last 5 days, and those have been whittled and distilled down to these 27 Magnificent and Exceedingly Flavoursome candidates.

 

Picking out the very best of those is obviously a slightly subjective exercise while based on a series of exacting criteria - including innovation, versatility, practicality, variability, playability, quality of manufacture, quality of output and sheer enjoyment.

 

Here ...

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