Acoustic SimulatorAmbient EffectsAmp and Cab IR SimAnalog DelayBeat MachineBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionBufferChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCompressorCrazy Tube CircuitsCryBabyDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDr ScientistDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveDumble Style OverdriveDunlop EffectsEchoverbElectro-HarmonixEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQFeaturedFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGlitchGranular DelayGuitar Synth and SequencerJackson AudioJAM PedalsJHS PedalsKlone and Transparent OverdriveLo-Fi DelayLooperMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXNoise GateOCD Style OverdriveOctave FuzzOctaverOddball DelayOddball FuzzODR Style OverdriveOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePeterson TunersPhaserPitchPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbRat Style FuzzReverbReverb WorkstationRotary SpeakerShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSinvertekSource AudioSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbSuper-Fuzz StyleTape DelayTC ElectronicTimmyTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTunersTweed Style OverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityVolumeVox Style DistortionVS AudioWah and Fixed WahWalrus Audio+-

It was only natural that the Compact Format Preferred Versions feature should follow the Mini examples. Again largely inspired by the recent ’12 Degrees’ projects.
Once more I’ve had a change of mind on some of the candidates and the preferred examples are slightly different to those previous references. Obviously new pedals have arisen, and priorities and preferences can shift fairly regularly based on prevailing mood.
That said, most of these are long-term...
BossFuzzGermanium FuzzSola SoundTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
In something of a departure from the norm, and for this particular feature - I’ve decided to use largely Boss’s excellent original words for today’s announcement.
The key points being that as of 8am today - Thursday 4th of February - the much anticipated TB-2W essentially goes on sale as of the moment - in terms of Preorders. Most of the big Boss dealers will have stock allocations that you can preorder against - undoubtedly including Andertons, Sweetwater and Thomann...
Abominable ElectronicsBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionCoppersoundDecibelicsDistortionFriedman EffectsFulltone EffectsFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionJAM PedalsKlirrton ManufakturKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePushking PedalsRat Style FuzzReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzSinvertekThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzToneTuga EffecctsTremoloWalrus AudioWay Huge EffectsZander Circuitry+-

And so it begins again! This time punctuated by Virtual NAMM / Believe in Music Week and some certain JA incident.
I will include a mini NAMM roundup here of what some of my favourites were. In the past I’ve done a separate highlights article on the subject - but there really weren’t that many releases this time around to warrant such - in fact I would estimate only around 10% of the volume released in 2020 and 2019.
I will also indicate where I think I’m ...
Big Muff Style FuzzFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzJackson AudioOctave FuzzSilicon FuzzTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
It is with a heavy heart I report that this will be the last Jackson Audio feature I include on this site. I had intended doing a full in-depth review of the unit and all 6 Plugin Modules. And in pursuit of such I tried to request some degree of accommodation / discount to help make this happen. After all $480 / £480 all in is a very significant outlay, and Guitar Pedal X is entirely self-funded. It’s quite normal in this industry to engage in a fair and equitable value exchange - ...
FuzzGated and Velcro FuzzReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
My first encounter with Markus’s Reeves Electro Pedals was courtesy of Brian Wampler’s Instagram repost on May 4th last year. This is a great example of serendipity where legions of fuzz fans were introduced to something genuinely new and innovative by a leading taste-maker.
Brian’s Insta-share was of the immaculate point-to-point interior wiring of a 2N2FACE Fuzz - Markus’s take on the Silicon Fuzz Face - utilising 2n2222a Transistors. This is a rare occasion ...
Ambient EffectsBig Ear PedalsBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCooper FXCoppersoundDelayDemedash EffectsDigital ReverbDistortionDr ScientistDual-DriveEarthQuaker DevicesElectro-HarmonixEnvelope Filter and Auto WahExpresso FXFlangerFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGermanium FuzzGlitchGranular DelayGuitar Synth and SequencerHologram ElectronicsHot Cake Style OverdriveJackson AudioJAM PedalsKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveNeural DSPNordland ElectronicsOCD Style OverdriveOctave FuzzOctaverOddball FuzzOddball ModulationODR Style OverdriveOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePhaserPitchPlate ReverbRack Style ReverbRat Style FuzzRed Witch EffectsRedbeard EffectsReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbShnobel ToneSilicon FuzzSpaceman EffectsSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonTimmyTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTweed Style OverdriveUtilityVox Style DistortionVS Audio+-

So I’ve now completed 5 preliminary shortlists type articles featuring between 9 and 30 or so of the best pedals released in 2020 - in each of the following categories :
I sincerely apologise if I’ve overlooked any here, while I’m not sure they would have necessarily ...
Big Muff Style FuzzBlammo ElectronicsCatalinbreadChase Bliss AudioDanDrive PedalDanelectroDemedash EffectsDusky ElectronicsEarthQuaker DevicesExpresso FXFjord FuzzFulltone EffectsFunction F(X)FuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionFuzzrociousGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzJHS PedalsKuro Custom AudioMad ProfessorMidValleyFXModulated FuzzOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzPettyjohn ElectronicsRat Style FuzzRed Witch EffectsRedbeard EffectsReeves Electro Guitar PedalsSilicon FuzzSitek Guitar ElectronicsSpaceman EffectsSuper-Fuzz StyleThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzToneTuga EffecctsVemuramWren and CuffZander Circuitry+-

It is fairly evident that my favourite pedal genre is Fuzz - seeing as that of all the pedals I added to the collection this year - 80 of those were Fuzz varieties.
This particular selection consists of 31 pedals across different sizes and sub-genres. And of those 31, I personally own 22 of them. All the remainder are of course on my wishlist, these are :
- DanDrive Secret Machine (I own Secret Weapon edition)
- Dusky Electronics Augustus Octave Fuzz
- Fjord Fuzz Fenris Super-Fuzz
...
Effects Pedal MakersFunction F(X)FuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzPickdropperSilicon FuzzTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
You may recall that back in April I reported how I had received delivery of 3 fantastic Mini Fuzz Pedals from Dave ’Pickdropper’ Friesema, and I shared some of the highlights from that burgeoning Mini Pedal Range. With my first order I took delivery of a Clusterfuzz Mini, Professional MKIII and Hive Mind Fuzz (Baldwin Burns Buzzaround). I then spotted a new custom 2-knob MKI variety on the Pickdropper Insta, and asked Dave if he couldn’t oblige me with a 3-knob version thereof...
Chorus and VibratoCrazy Tube CircuitsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGermanium FuzzModulationTone Bender Style Fuzz+-
CTC seems to have a habit of releasing pedals really late in the year - typically just after your budget for the year has been blown. Last year it was the turn of the Killer V Magnatone-inspired Vibra-Drive, while this year we have the modulation-only ’Memphis’ version of that, alongside a new version of the Constellation Multi-Mode Fuzz - this time sporting military spec CV7003 Germanium Transistors (equivalent to OC44) which are the same sort of Transistors originally deployed in ...
Ambient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBoostBoost and OverdriveChase Bliss AudioDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbEarthQuaker DevicesElectro-HarmonixFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGlitchGranular DelayHologram ElectronicsJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveLine 6LooperModulationModulation WorkstationMXROCD Style OverdriveOctave FuzzOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePlate ReverbRack Style ReverbRat Style FuzzReverbReverb WorkstationShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleTape DelayTimmyTone Bender Style FuzzTubescreamer Style OverdriveTweed Style OverdriveUtilityWalrus Audio+-

Reverb.com has revealed the best-selling pedals of 2020 on that particular platform. And while there are plenty of other big retailers on the Interweb - Reverb is likely the largest single entity - so some heed should be paid to these stats, while they don’t necessarily give you the full global picture. Plenty of manufacturers sell direct - and you have all those major stores - with Andertons, Sweetwater and Thomann leading the charge - which play into things too. Nevertheless it always ...