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2024 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Triple Tremolo Flutter

Blues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDumble Style OverdriveFuzzGreer AmpsHotone EffectsKeeley EngineeringLoop-SwitcherMad Professor EffectsMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationOctave FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPreAmpReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzStone Deaf EffectsTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderVictory AmpsVox Style DistortionWinnipeg Electrical Co+-
2024-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-February-700.jpg

February can often seem a rather odd month after the hustle and bustle of NAMM Show January - where a lot of new stuff always gets announced - while increasingly outside the NAMM schedule - but certainly in and around it! Projects delayed from the previous year often get released in January, but this year those kind of seem to be more spaced out - with some not feted to happen until March / April. February always seems slow compared to January, and that sometimes extends into March too before ...

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My 9 favourite Greer Amps Compact Gain Pedals Capsule Collection is complete

Best of BrandsBoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionDriveGreer AmpsKlone and Transparent OverdriveOverdriveTimmyTweed Style Overdrive+-
2024-GPX-9-Best-Greer-Amp-Compacts-700.jpg

This is a project that has been going on for a while. I was just missing the Soma ’63 Vintage Preamp and the Sucker Punch High Gain Distortion - both of which I managed to source recently at relatively reasonable prices.

 

Out of this collection of 9 - quite a number are now discontinued - the Supa Cobra Overdrive and the entire bottom row - Hammer Distortion, Little Samson Overdrive / Distortion, and Sucker Punch High Gain Distortion.

 

I’ve always considered Nick Greer to be the King of ...

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12 Degrees of Saturation 2023 Compact Edition

12 Degrees of SaturationAll-PedalAudiostormBardic Audio DevicesBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBixonicBlackhawk AmplifiersBogner AmplificationBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioCKK ElectronicsCustom TonesDemon PedalsDistortionDr ScientistDriveDrive WorkstationDrunk BeaverDryBell EffectsDual-DriveEmpress EffectsFeaturedFoxpedalFriedman EffectsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreer AmpsHamstead SoundworksJ RockettJackson AudioJHS PedalsJRADKMA AudioMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMessiah GuitarsMetal DistortionMI EffectsMidValleyFXMulti-DriveNordland ElectronicsOhmless PedalsOpAmp FuzzOrigin EffectsOverdrivePettyjohn ElectronicsRedbeard EffectsREVV AmplificationSilicon FuzzSinvertekSnouse Electric CompanySpaceman EffectsSuhrThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTone InkTsakalis Audio WorksVictory Amps+-
2023-12-Degrees-Compact-Edition-700.jpg

This article has been a long time coming - where I originally started this ahead of the Mini Edition - which went live on January 24th. I was waiting for a couple of new pedals to be released - while the article has been iterated around 20 times now with a number of recent additions.

 

And the pedal I was waiting to launch still hasn’t quite happened, while the builder has authorised me to tease it in advance of its official release. And if I were to do the same exercise tomorrow - no doubt ...

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16 of the most notable 'Bread & Butter' Pedals!

Analog DelayAnalog.ManBehringerBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCompressorDelayDistortionDriveDual-DriveEarthQuaker DevicesElectro-HarmonixFulltone EffectsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreer AmpsGuitar Pedal 101IbanezIconic GearJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveLooperMXROCD Style OverdriveOrigin EffectsOverdriveSilicon FuzzSuper-Fuzz StyleTC ElectronicThorpyFXTubescreamer Style OverdriveUtilityXotic EffectsZvex+-
2023-GPX-Bread-n-Butter-Pedals-700.jpg

I’m expecting this post to attract a lot of ’whataboutisms’ as many of my rundowns seem to do. While every single choice / selection here is well considered, pondered upon on and properly weighted up against pertinent criteria and then further rationalised, whittled and distilled down into a top 9 or 16 or 25 - as I always favour symmetrical grids.

 

If I find 18 or 19 suitable candidates - then only 16 can be featured on the grid etc. - you need to draw the line somewhere. And you can also ...

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2023 May Pedal-Chain Update - Episode V - Team Timmons

Big Muff Style FuzzBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChampion LeccyCKK ElectronicsDelayDigital DelayDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrunk BeaverEchoverbElectro-HarmonixEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQFjord FuzzFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsHoopla PedalsJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKeyztoneKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPickup ModellerRed Panda LabSinvertekSubdecay EffectsTape DelayTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUtilityXotic EffectsZvex+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-May-Timmons-700.jpg

So May started with my posting the last of the NAMM Show stragglers, followed by an initial eclectic mix of different pedal types - while gradually leaning into ’Andy Timmons’ Month. I’ve always thought Andy to be a wonderful human being and a particularly fine journeyman guitarist. While it’s only in fairly recent years that he’s become somewhat more elevated in my affections as one of my all-time favourite guitar heroes. You will note that he did not feature in my last article on personal ...

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9 cool pairs of Vox-in-a-Box and Marshall Plexi style Pedals which have, or are about to fill slots #17 and #18

Bearfoot FXBispell AudioBoost and OverdriveBossCatalinbreadDistortionGreer AmpsMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMI EffectsPettyjohn ElectronicsVictory AmpsVox AmplifcationVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-9-x-Vox-Marshall-700.jpg

Readers of this blog will know that I’ve long and consistently had 2 key pedal types in my pedal-chain - namely a Brian May Vox style pedal, and an Eddie Van Halen Marshall Plexi style pedal - which for the last number of years have populated slots #17 and #18.

 

My very first pairing was the hybrid set of Bearfoot FX EGDM and MI Effects Super Crunch Box V2 - which overall probably served the longest innings on those two slots.

 

Since that first pairing we’ve had matched brand pairs - from...

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2023 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Random Ripples in Time

29 PedalsAmbient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionColortone PedalsDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDSM & HumboldtDual-DriveFjord FuzzFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsJackson AudioLo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbStymonSutton InstrumentsTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-February-700.jpg

There’s never a dull moment, and rarely a span of time without a ripple or wrinkle. I don’t get many frustrating or disastrous days - while this last Friday was particularly eventful as I wrestled with 4 challenges simultaneously. One of my new pedals was detective and simply didn’t work - but I spent half a day trying to get something out of it - different positions on the board, different cabling, power-supply solutions and every tiny attempt to correct the obvious deficiency. At the same ...

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15 of the Best Compact Enclosure Vox in a Box style Overdrives

AMT EffectsAMT ElectronicsBearfoot FXBispell AudioBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCarl MartinCatalinbreadDriveGreer AmpsLovepedalM.A.D. EffectsMenatoneOverdrivePettyjohn ElectronicsVictory AmpsVox AmplifcationVox Style DistortionWestminster Effects+-
2023-GPX-Vox-Style-Pedals-700.jpg

It’s been a while since I last did a Vox-in-a-box roundup - in fact all the way back to my 2018 12 of the Best Vox Style Pedals feature - so it was about time I did an update. Readers will know that I always have a Vox pedal in my pedal-chain - occupying what is now slot #17.

 

It started with the Catalinbread Galileo way back when - and then following this rough sequence :

  1. Catalinbread Galileo
  2. Bearfoot FX Emerald Green Distortion Machine Silver (Silicon) - longest raining to-date
...
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Greer Amps unleashes the Crispiest and Crunchiest of Marshall-Inspired Overdrives - The Black Mountain Crunch Drive

Boost and OverdriveDistortionDriveGreer AmpsMarshall Style DistortionOverdrive+-
2023-GPX-Greer-Black-Mountain-700.jpg

It’s both slightly serendipitous and amusing that I’ve just released my latest 12 Degrees of Saturation feature (Mini Edition) - which of course has ’Crunch’ as the sixth category in that selection.

 

I really love crunchy overdrives - so this is a nigh perfect pedal for me. Nick has really hit a home run with this one - which produces the crispiest and snarliest of tones courtesy of two cleverly selected imbalanced / mismatched clipping diodes.

 

Controls - Volume, Gain, Tone.

 

...

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32 of the Best Compact Overdrive Pedals - 2022 Ultimate Selection

Barber ElectronicsBest in ClassBJFEBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCKK ElectronicsCrowther AudioCustom TonesDemon PedalsDumble Style OverdriveFairfield CircuitryFeaturedFoxpedalFulltone EffectsGreer AmpsGreuter AudioHamstead SoundworksHot Cake Style OverdriveJ RockettJHS PedalsJRADKlone and Transparent OverdriveKuro Custom AudioMenatoneMissing Link AudioNeunaberNordland ElectronicsOCD Style OverdriveODR Style OverdriveOverdrivePaul CochranePettyjohn ElectronicsRedbeard EffectsSnouse Electric CompanySpaceman EffectsThorpyFXTimmyTrue North PedalsTsakalis Audio WorksTubescreamer Style OverdriveTweed Style OverdriveWampler+-
2022GPX32CompactOverdrives700V2.jpg

So I last did one of these back in 2020 - meaning that these ’Best of Overdrive’ run-downs seem to be a circa biennial affair. We’ve upped the numbers to 32 this year, while they represent barely a quarter of the overdrives I have in my reference collection - so there are obviously a lot of honourable mentions listed below - before the Final Thoughts section.

 

These types of exercises are incredibly tricky to strike the right balance of generally considered classic overdrive pedals and ...

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