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The Birmingham Guitar Show 2024 Highlights

Aim AudioAmp and Cab IR SimAudio Distribution GroupBirmingham Guitar ShowBoost and OverdriveBossBuzzing Bugs Audio DevicesCollision DevicesDistortionFace MIFlattley Guitar PedalsFredric EffectsFunny Little BoxesFuzzFX Pedal PlanetGoliath FXGuitar Gear RetailGuitar HeroesHamstead SoundsworksHello Sailor EffectsKMA AudioMulti-FXOrigin EffectsPedal PatchRedbeard EffectsRitual DevicesThorpyFXUK Guitar Show+-
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Wow, The Guitar Show was certainly a rollercoaster of an event with the busiest crowd I’ve witnessed to-date. At times it was quite a struggle to make your way through the packed waves of attendees, which did though start to peter out just a little after 3 o’c. For me it was fast and furious from the start - and I found it a little awkward navigating around the hall - as the stand layout seemed to have all kinds of little nooks and crannies - which made some booths incredibly easy to overlook ...

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2023 Best of New Fuzz Pedals of the Year

Best in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBixonicCollision DevicesCrazy Tube CircuitsFarmer Factory EffectsFenderFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGreat Eastern FX Co.Hello Sailor EffectsJAM PedalsKernomKMA AudioLife Is Unfair AudioLoe SoundsMaestro Style FuzzModulated FuzzOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzPalmer Custom FXPedal PartnersRainger FXRat Style FuzzRedbeard EffectsReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzSpaceman EffectsStone Deaf EffectsSuper-Fuzz StyleTark AudioThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTru-Fi Guitar EffectsTWA EffectsUnsound Circuitry+-
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And so to what is often my favourite category - the many wonderful flavours of fuzz - and we have some hugely innovative pedals in the selection this year - one of these may even be my pedal of the year!

 

So there are 24 in this year’s selection - where I’m just missing the Collision Devices TARS, Fender Shields Blender, JAM Pedals Octaurus, KMA Machines Mandrake, Reeves Electro Facet IZ, and Unsound Circuitry Kato Glitch Fuzz - where I will attempt to add most of those to the reference ...

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2023 September Pedal-Chain Update - Episode IX - Transformative Wireless Audio

Bispell AudioBoostBoost and OverdriveBossColortone PedalsDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverFarmer Factory EffectsFlattley Guitar PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGreat Eastern FX Co.Marshall Style DistortionNoise GateOctave FuzzOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainRedbeard EffectsSilicon FuzzSuper-Fuzz StyleTWA EffectsUtilityWay Huge Effects+-
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Another busy month - doubly busy as I was working on the new website and commercial plans for the most part on top of the normal hectic schedule. Inevitably there are a few pedals that get moved into October - as I just ran out of time - still plenty of coverage. October is going to be incredibly hectic as I’m expecting a lot of incoming pedals - so a lot of review work to complete and a couple more sizeable projects.

 

I feel the website launch went mostly very well and was universally well ...

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Sub-Octave Fuzz-Off : Redbeard Effects Honey Badger vs Way Huge Stone Burner

FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionOctave FuzzRedbeard EffectsThorpyFXWay Huge Effects+-
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So I recently featured the Way Huge Stone Burner Sub Atomic Fuzz on this site - which immediately reminded me of my similarly featured much-loved Redbeard Honey Badger. Of course I had to get the Stone Burner in and see how it compares.

 

You pretty much know from the start that the Stone Burner is going to have a challenge as the Honey Badger is a Thorpy production - who cannot put a foot wrong as far as I’m concerned!

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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+-
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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 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+-
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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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Best of British Pedal Builders Roundup - an A-Z Overview in 105 parts!

Bispell AudioBlack Country CustomsBleak District ElectricColorsoundD*A*M EffectsEffects Pedal MakersEffektrodeEmanating Fist ElectronicsFlattley Guitar PedalsFredric EffectsGreat Eastern FX Co.Hamstead SoundworksHello Sailor EffectsHorrothia EffectsHudson ElectronicsIntensive Care AudioNRG EffectsOrigin EffectsPedal PlanetPete CornishPigDog PedalsRainger FXRedbeard EffectsReeves Electro Guitar PedalsRitual DevicesStone Deaf EffectsTate FXTheGigRigThorpyFXZander Circuitry+-
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WARNING! This post is massive, and will probably crash your mobile device! Best accessed via Desktop or Laptop!

 

Last time I did this exercise I featured just 9 companies in my cover shot, and covered 57 overall - with just videos for the top 9.

 

While this time around I’ve doubled down - where there are 27 companies in the cover shot and 105 overall! And circa half of those are accompanied by a video - which is a lot! I first cover the 27 Leading Lights group, and then the 78 brands in ...

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The Brighton Guitar Show & FX Expo Highlights

AudiostormBispell AudioBleak District ElectricBright Onion PedalsBrighton Guitar ShowBuzzing Bugs Audio DevicesDemiurge InstrumentsFlattley Guitar PedalsFunny Little BoxesFX ExpoGoliath FXGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailGuitar NerdsHamstead SoundworksIndifferent EngineIntensive Care AudioNRG EffectsPedal PatchRainger FXRedbeard EffectsRitual DevicesRotoSoundStrings and ThingsTate FXThorpyFXTimber Tones PicksTwo Notes Audio EngineeringWaterbear College of MusicZander Circuitry+-
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Like most I believe - I had a wonderful time at the recent Brighton Guitar Show and Pedal Expo - where I spent 97% of my time in the Pedal Room, with just brief excursions out to the Hamstead Soundworks and Timber Tones stands in the main Guitars Room.

 

I pretty much managed to get to the vast majority of stands I intended to - but there are always some casualties as time is a finite commodity! And I was there actually from just after eight until gone 17:30 - one of the very last to leave - ...

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The Brighton Guitar Show & FX Expo takes place TOMORROW, 15th of July at Brighton Racecourse

AudiostormBispell AudioBleak District ElectricBright Onion PedalsBrighton Guitar ShowBuzzing Bugs Audio DevicesDemiurge InstrumentsEmmergy FXFlattley Guitar PedalsFunny Little BoxesFX ExpoGoliath FXGreat Eastern FX Co.Guitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailGuitar NerdsHamstead SoundworksHorrothia EffectsIndifferent EngineIntensive Care AudioLatent Lemon AudioMaking Waves EffectsMooerNRG EffectsPedal PatchRainger FXRedbeard EffectsRitual DevicesRotoSoundStrings and ThingsTate FXThorpyFXTimber Tones PicksTwo Notes Audio EngineeringWaterbear College of MusicZander Circuitry+-
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So we’re just one day away from the Brighton Guitar Show and FX Expo - where Mr PedalPatch - Phil Steere takes up the reins alongside show partners and sponsors Zander Circuitry (Alex Millar), RotoSound (Jack Dunwoody), Strings & Things (Marc Snelling), and WaterBear College of Music (Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson). All those brands are listed in the middle of the above visual! With further details below.

 

The show is in a handy location at the Brighton Racecourse - just a 10 ...

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2023 March Pedal-Chain Update - Episode III - ChoraKlonik Flux

Beetronics FXBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBondi EffectsBoostBoost and OverdriveChorus and VibratoDecibelicsDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverFarmer Factory EffectsFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreat Eastern FX Co.HarmonizerJ RockettJackson AudioJRADKlone and Transparent OverdriveKMA AudioLeqtiqueMaestro Style FuzzModulationMulti-DriveOverdrivePedal ChainPitchRainger FXRat Style FuzzRedbeard EffectsRotary SpeakerSilicon FuzzTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
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The title here is just an odd confection to represent that the most significant additions to the chain this month were Choruses, Clones and Fuzzes. All-in-all a really special month - with my properly hooking up with hitherto correspondent pal Paulo De Gregorio - of Delicious Audio and Stompbox Exhibit fame. He was in London coordinating his first ever London Synth and Pedal Expo - and I was proud to be a Media Partner for that event. I feel Paulo and I are 2 of the biggest parts of the pedal ...

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