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2024-GPX-TWA-Octoverdrive-Updated-700.jpg

I first featured this pedal in the run-up to Halloween 2023 - where it most definitely has a suitably seasonal pumpkin theme to the artwork. So it’s taken a while to land - thanks once more to Kevin Bolembach and Trevor Shaikin for the assist.

 

Obviously the first thing you notice is the excellently themed appearance of the pedal, while it’s not without its idiosyncrasies. Bypass state delivers an all-green lit-up pumpkin - which then becomes orange, with green stem when engaged. While there...

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The Tanabe Zenkudo Dumble Drive is truly an inspiration machine full of verve and vibrancy

BoostBoost and OverdriveDumble Style OverdriveOverdriveTanabe+-
2024-GPX-Tanabe-Zenkudo-700.jpg

So I’ve finally hit the trigger on a Tanabe Zenkudo - Tanabe-San’s humbucker-optimised Dumble Drive variant (Dumkudo is the one for Single Coils). I thought I had snagged one of these on Ebay a few weeks back, but the seller had gotten mixed up between Dumkudo and Zenkudo - and the one he had in stock was actually the former - which is generally much more available out there in the wild than the Zenkudo variety.

 

I had kind of been putting this off, as I knew that this would likely be the ...

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2024-GPX-JHS-SuperBolt-TacoBolt-700.jpg

JHS’s SuperBolt first materialised in 2012 as a Preamp / Overdrive take on the 1960’s Valco Supro Thunderbolt amp. It’s been through a few iterations throughout its 12 year history - where the original 3-part Thunderbolt symbol needed to be extended to 4 parts to avoid trademark copyright issues.

 

The pedal also picked up a Red Remote socket and Gain boost switch along the way. But evidently the pedal had not been selling particularly well - and Josh decided that it should be discontinued - ...

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Keeley Electronics rolls out 3 more killer combos in its 4-in-1 Series - the Blues Disorder, Angry Orange, and Super Rodent

Big Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionDriveFuzzKeeley EngineeringOCD Style OverdriveRat Style FuzzTubescreamer Style Overdrive+-
2024-GPX-Keeley-4-in-1-Blue-Orange-Yellow-700.jpg

Following in the wake of the very well received Noble Screamer (ODR-1 + TS808), and Muse Driver (AT / RK Modded BD-2), we now get 3 more in the same series - all at once.

 

The Blues Order covers Marshall Blues Breaker and Fulltone OCD voicings, the Angry Orange has EHX Civil War Muff and Boss DS-1 Distortion flavours, and the Super Rodent mixes up the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive with ProCo Rat Distortion.

 

As before you get to mix or match the Tone Stack and Clipping Character of each ...

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Line 6 releases ingenious 'My First Fisher-Price' style Beginners All-in-1 Multi-FX Box - the POD Express

Amp and Cab IR SimBoost and OverdriveDistortionEQFuzzLine 6LooperModulationMulti-FXNoise GatePreAmpUtility+-
2024-GPX-Line-6-POD-Express-V2-700.jpg

I was a touch critical about the HX One - possibly overly so - as it’s really decent for what it delivers and how. While I could not be more effusively positive about this new POD Express!

 

For anyone starting out in guitar effects - you get everything you need in one smart little box - with intuitive and mostly surfaced control (vs Noise Gate).

 

If I was thinking of buying in my very first guitar effect pedal - then I don’t think I could do better than this. It contains 7 Amp & Cab ...

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Buzzing Bugs' beautifully versatile BB04 Dual-Voiced Full Range Drive has a foot in each of the major 'Blues' Overdrive genres

Blues Breaker Style OverdriveBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBuzzing Bugs Audio DevicesOverdrive+-
2024-GPX-Buzzing-Bugs-BB04-700.jpg

Coming hot on the heels of my recent Blues Driver rundown we have here another superb candidate for the ’Adjacent’ category. Of course ’Adjacent’ meaning in the ballpark of - not exact replication - often just synergetic happenstance. And the Buzzing Bugs BB04 is actually a unique overdrive circuit which did not really set out to replicate those dual genres - but whose profile just happens to fall into Blues Breaker and Blues Driver territory!

 

Controls - Volume, Gain, Tone, Body (Phat).

 ...

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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+-
2024-GPX-UK-GitShow-Collision-Devices-700.jpg

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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2024-GPX-Drunk-Beaver-Khelnytskyi-OD-700.jpg

I’m so excited to get my hands on this new Pedal Drop pedal. Readers will long have read on this blog that I was desperate to get my hand on an original 14-Leg Opamp-loaded OD-1 style overdrive, but with some additional tone-shaping mods also.

 

And that is exactly what Vitalli has done here. He’s been able to source NOS Motorola MC3403 14-Leg Opamp chips which are the exact equivalent specs of the original 14-Leg Raytheon Opamps - which have the same core designation number - while rather ...

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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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It's the turn of the excellent Victory V1 The Copper and The Sheriff Preamp pairing to take on the Brian and Eddie slots of the board

BoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionMarshall Style DistortionOverdrivePreAmpThorpyFXVictory AmpsVox Style Distortion+-
2024-GPX-Victory-V1-Copper-Sheriff-700.jpg

It seems a long while ago now since I reviewed the V1 The Jack and The Kraken - respectively November 14th, and 21st of 2022. I had intended to tackle the remaining 3 Victory V1 pedals - The Copper, The Sheriff and The Duchess - not too long after that - but all kinds of other happenstances and priorities got in the way. So it seems a timely exercise to revisit the Victory V1 Series - which was / is a close collaboration between my good friend Adrian Thorpe and Victory Amps’ Martin Kidd.

 

It...

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