The blurb says something about the Pillbug being inspired by both the Boss CS-2 Compressions Sustainer, as well as the Ross Compressor - while those are 2 slightly different technologies - the first being a FET type, and the latter an OTA type. I’m guessing they mean that they have captured the warmth of the Boss CS-2 along with the added brightness of the Ross Compressor - which in turn was just 2 pars away from the MXR Dynacomp Compressor

• Pillbug Controls - Level, Attack, Sustain.
• CS-2

This has turned out to be the largest category for 2025 with 38 pedals in this selection. As I favour those pedals that I own first, and then the more pedalboard-friendly editions - inevitably there would be some casualties for the year. With the most significant of those being the larger format Meris Enzo X, and the Polyend MESS Multi-Effect Step Sequencer. I know there are some who favour each of those - but they just aren’t targets for me personally.

 I always talk about having a lane - ...

I’m not sure most are aware, but I’m a huge fan of Jamaica derived Dub Music - Osbourne ’King Tubby’ Ruddock, Hopeton ’Scientist’ Brown, and of course Lee ’Scratch’ Perry, Neil ’Mad Professor’ Fraser, Adrian Sherwood and more. I own and favour dozens of Dub Recordings - classic and modern - and touching on all the different varieties of speaker shaking dub - proper Dub Sound System fare.

So this Riddim & Ting device is right up my street - what a superb idea, and as is usual for Teenage ...

This release came in very quick and hard! It’s happening more and more that pedal brands release limited special editions just for Black Friday. Originally those were just unique artwork variants - while latterly we’re getting entirely new and unique secret project circuits / pedals.

I love most everything Gamechanger does - while not every pedal necessarily fits in practically within my own usage requirements and preferences. Traditionally Gamechanger devices have all been rather oversized...

Another super busy month for me - particularly towards the end - with numerous large scale articles out this week. That also coincided with my busiest week of the year for my other day job. Meaning that I was up until 4-5 in the morning every day - just to keep up with my commitments.

I was already somewhat shattered and burned out before I even got to this super busy period - and it’s a relief that all that work has now been completed on schedule.

I’m especially proud of my work on the Bucket ...

I’ve been following this project for a while - and it’s great to see that this is live and out in the world now. Such a clever solution for Midi - as well as to help you decipher what’s going on with your pedal!

So many pedals have poor interfaces - and insufficient signage / pilot lights etc. to fully represent every state, preferences, or parameter changes!

The ’Scribble’ doesn’t just help you decipher what’s going on - it’s a really smart MIDI switcher - that can control 128 Presets ...

My close association with Thorpy started back in late September of 2018 - at the now defunct Olympia UK Guitar Show. He was the first pedal maker I reached out to, and the first I connected with.

Since then ThorpyFX Pedals have become my 3rd most populous selection after Boss and Drunk Beaver. Those 3 brands alone contribute over 200 pedals to my reference collection!

The fact that I’m now at 31 ThorpyFX Pedals is a major milestone - and features every mainline MKII pedal Thorpy has made. ...

The Mood is Chase Bliss’s most perennially popular and celebrated bestseller - by far and away the most sold Chase Bliss pedal to date.

It also happens to have had the most different special and limited edition artworks - and I’ve selected 4 each of those for the Mood I and Mood II - I’m sure I’ve probably overlooked 1 or 2 variants - while hopefully I’ve covered all he best looking ones!

Up until now the Light Bright edition was my favourite - while I feel that may have been pipped by the new ...

I first feature KMA Machines Utility Pedals back in 2023 - the AB/Y and Stereo AB/Y - which are also in this presumably honed and improved in these 2025 editions.

We have the almost identical looking AB/Y and Stereo AB/Y pedals, here joined by a new Dual Loop Switcher.

You can guarantee high fidelity and superior electronics from the Berlin-based outfit.

I know Utility Pedals aren’t a particularly exciting category - but these brightly lit examples are most definitely the droids you ...