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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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Kuro Custom Audio unleashes the magnificent 4-in-1 19 42 Fuzz + Filter + Envelope + FX Loop

Envelope Filter and Auto WahFuzzGated and Velcro FuzzKuro Custom AudioModulated Fuzz+-
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I do love interestingly textured and smartly shapable fuzzes - and this is one of the very best of its kind - beautifully calibrated, and smartly combining a square wave gated fuzz with 70’s synthesizer style variable bands resonant filter, an envelope follower, and FX Send and Return Loop.

 

The rather unusual name ’19 42’ is not a reference to a year or date, but rather signifies the immaculate interaction of two highly complementary elements - I suppose a reference to the principal Fuzz ...

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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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2022 Best New Distortion Pedals of the Year

Aleks K ProductionAura AmpsBeautiful Noise EffectsBest in ClassBlackhawk AmplifiersBossBrown Sound DistortionDistortionDriveDrive WorkstationDrunk BeaverDual-DriveFrost Giant ElectronicsGear AntKMA AudioKSR AmplificationKuro Custom AudioLeyland PedalsMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionMidValleyFXMissing Link AudioMooerMulti-DriveOld Blood Noise EndeavorsPreAmpRainger FXSinvertekSolar GuitarsSolar PedalsSoldanoTone InkVictory AmpsWamplerWampler CollectiveWestminster EffectsWren and CuffZander Circuitry+-
2022-GPX-Best-New-Distortion-Pdeals-Annual-700.jpg

Obviously the big Distortion story of the year for me was my recent Full Metal Racket High Gain Distortion roundup - and roughly one third of this selection was in service of that feature alone. Even then I didn’t get to everything I wanted to as a couple or so builders weren’t particularly responsive. This is often quite a thankless task of revolving and closing doors - in any case case I’m proud of what I managed to accomplish regardless - and some of the candidates are quite superb.

 

The ...

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2022 September Pedal-Chain Update - Episode IX - a Ramble Through History

All-PedalAmptweakerAnasoundsBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBrown Sound DistortionChorus and VibratoColortone PedalsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveDumble Style OverdriveEchoverbEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFjord FuzzFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionFX TeacherGermanium FuzzGoosoniqueworxGranular DelayKlone and Transparent OverdriveKuro Custom AudioLo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOCD Style OverdriveOddball DelayOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainRamble FXReverse DelayRitual DevicesSilicon FuzzSuproTape DelayTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
2022-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-September-700.jpg

What a hectic but great month September has been overall - still beset with all manner of challenges - pedals getting delayed, lost in the post and being held up in customs. In fact had everything landed that was due this month - it would have been the biggest bumper month of all time - while as things turned out - there were some really close shaves!

 

The Fjord Fuzz Berserk II literally just arrived yesterday afternoon - and I was able to fully test and write that up in record time - ...

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2022-GPX-Kuro-T120-Slimline-Main-700.jpg

My first introduction to the original Kuro T120 V1 was back in 2019 when I did my ’Best Matamp Style Pedals’ rundown. I didn’t feature the T120 in the main rundown as I considered it a little too large to be fully pedalboard practical in its 1590DD enclosure (188mm x 120mm x 37mm). I did note though in the ’Final Thoughts’ section - that the Kuro T120 was by far and away my favourite sounding Matamp style Preamp - it was just too large for my setup though! The very first V1 T120 materialised in...

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28 of the Best Enhanced and Extended Range Compact Tube Screamer Style Overdrives

AudiostormBecos FXBig Tone Music BreweryBoostBoost and OverdriveChellee EffectsChirality AudioCornerstone Music GearEarthQuaker DevicesFoxpedalJackson AudioJAM PedalsJHS PedalsKartakou AmplificationKHDKKing Tone EffectsKuro Custom AudioMI AudioNOC3 EffectsOrigin EffectsOverdrivePLBR EffectsPolarbear EffectsSeymour DuncanTate FXTone InkTubescreamer Style OverdriveVemuramVFE PedalsWalrus AudioWamplerWay Huge EffectsXotic Effects+-
2022-GPX-28-Best-Compact-Screamers-700-V2.jpg

So the recent launch of Origin Effects’ Halcyon enhanced TS808 type screamer prompted me to refresh my memory on what the competition to that was - and if the Halcyon was quite as appealing as it appeared to be. So I’ve trawled through all my usual resources, including my own memory banks - and come up with this list of 28 suitable candidates.

 

This list is specifically on enhanced / evolved Compact enclosure Tube Screamer types - so I exclude hybrids - such as Matthews Effects The Broker (...

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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+-
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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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End of Year Pedal-Chain Update - Final Formation - Class of 2021

Ambient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAmpliTubeBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBlackhawk AmplifiersBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChorus and VibratoCoppersoundDecibelicsDemedash EffectsDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDryBell EffectsDual-DriveEarthQuaker DevicesEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFjord FuzzFlangerFlower PedalsFoxpedalFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGuitar Synth and SequencerIK MultimediaKlirrton ManufakturKlone and Transparent OverdriveKuro Custom AudioMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXOCD Style OverdriveOctaverOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPete CornishPettyjohn ElectronicsPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbPreAmpRack Style ReverbRat Style FuzzRedbeard EffectsReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbRotary SpeakerShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSinvertekSpaceman EffectsSpacey ReverbSpiral Electric FXSpring ReverbStrymonTimmyTremoloTsakalis Audio WorksTubescreamer Style OverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityVox Style DistortionWah and Fixed Wah+-
2021GPXSKPedalChainUpdateDecemberFinal700V2.jpg

2021 was another very significant year for me - and one that signals that I probably need to slow down now - as I picked up well over 200 new pedals during the year - which really is excessive. Storage is starting to become an issue - and I will need to be a lot more prudent and strategic in my acquisitions next year!

 

So more than 200 new ones, and in fact 25 slots were switches up during the year - where only 12 were totally untouched and unchanged. A slew of new gain pedals as always - ...

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2021 Best of the Best New Pedals for the Year

All-PedalAmbient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAmpliTubeAnalog DelayBeat MachineBecos FXBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlack Arts ToneworksBlackhawk AmplifiersBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChorus and VibratoCompressorCooper FXDecibelicsDelayDemedash EffectsDigital ReverbDistortionDrunk BeaverDryBell EffectsDual-DriveEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFjord FuzzFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreuter AudioGuitar Synth and SequencerIK MultimediaJHS PedalsKlone and Transparent OverdriveKuro Custom AudioMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationNeunaberOctave FuzzOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePete CornishPhaserRainger FXRat Style FuzzRedbeard EffectsReverbReverb WorkstationSilicon FuzzSinvertekSpaceman EffectsSpun Loud EffectsStrymonSuhrThermionThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTsakalis Audio WorksTubescreamer Style OverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityWah and Fixed WahWalrus AudioWamplerWay Huge EffectsZander Circuitry+-
2021GPXBestOfTheBestPedals700V5.jpg

This Grand Finale has been through several iterations and some very advanced Tetris-style re-arrangements. Last year I had 25 finalists, while this year I’ve upped that quotient to 40! I still would have liked to have included a few more - including the EQD Hizumitas, but in the end felt this was about right on balance. 

 

As I’ve already covered all of these in the very recent end of year category rundowns - this article will just be listed mentions - bar the 3 sort of specially singled out ...

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