ao link
Filter content by area of interest
Amps
Boost and Overdrive
Delay
Distortion
Fuzz
Guitars
Modulation
Pitch
Reverb
Utility
All
All

2023 Best New Boost & Overdrive Pedals of the Year

Acorn AmpsAnasoundsBeetronics FXBest in ClassBispell AudioBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCKK ElectronicsCrazy Tube CircuitsDecibelicsDriveDumble Style OverdriveElectric LoveFormula B PedalsGecko PedalsHello Sailor EffectsIntensive Care AudioJ RockettJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMuir Audio DesignNordland ElectronicsODR Style OverdriveOhmless PedalsOPFXSOrigin EffectsOverdrivePoly EffectsREVV AmplificationTark AudioThorpyFXTone For PunkTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveWalrus Audio+-
2023-GPX-Best-Boost-and-Overdrives-700.jpg

And so to my roundup of the best gear of the year - apologies of course if I’ve overlooked one of your favourites - and note again that this year I’ve split out Boost & Overdrive - and Distortion separately - as there are so many new pedals that it’s tough to fit them all into a single summary overview. Some of these pedals are incredibly extended range - and if I’ve used them more on the distortion side - you will find those listed in the very next Distortion Rundown article - like say the...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

JHS takes a leaf out of IKEA's playbook with its $99 Notaklön solderless simple-assembly kit

BoostBoost and OverdriveJHS PedalsKlone and Transparent OverdriveOverdrive+-
2023-GPX-JHS-Notaklon-700.jpg

JHS certainly have next level marketing panache - and this is another beautifully packaged project all-round.

 

A truly easy assembly solderless kit consisting of just 25 parts all told - plus a tube of goop, and an underside sticker. It’s your classic 3-knob Klon - with JHS Shamrock Mod - i.e. the -/+ switch which adds a +4dB Gain Boost.

 

The Circuit Board/s are fully pre-populated with all the essential components - while like an Airfix / Revell model kit you need to separate the 2 ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

7 Limited Blackout Black Friday Pedals for 2023 - 6 part of Reverb.com's Blacked Out Series, 5 of which are brand new, plus Beetronics Blackout Nectar!

Analog DelayBeetronics FXBlender and MixerBoost and OverdriveChorus and VibratoDeath By AudioDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionEarthQuaker DevicesFuzzJHS PedalsLine 6LooperOddball DelayOld Blood Noise EndeavorsPhaserReverbReverb WorkstationTalk Box and VocoderWalrus Audio+-
2023-GPX-Reverb-Black-Friday-Blackour-Editions-700.jpg

So back in 2019 - Reverb.com coordinated Black Friday Limited Blacked Out Editions across 17 Brands and 19 Pedals - and by and large it was a resounding success - a lot of those sold out very quickly - and overall pretty much every special pedal maid was sold in fairly short order.

 

I always thought it a little surprising that this exercise wasn’t repeated more often as I kind of expected it to be an annual or biennial thing following on from the 2019 event. While we’ve had to wait 4 years ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

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+-
2023-12-Degrees-Compact-Edition-700.jpg

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 ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

Josh Scott's JHS Pedals ushers in the 5th Era of Ross Electronics

Chorus and VibratoCompressorDistortionFuzzJHS PedalsModulationPhaserRoss ElectronicsSilicon FuzzUtility+-
2023-GPX-Ross-Pedals-Revival-700.jpg

So this past year or so (in fact back to September of last year) has seen a slew of classic pedal ’Revivals’ starting with the Orange Amps 1977 ’inspired by’ revivals, then the Marshall 1998 / 1992 square box series - very exacting nigh identical reproductions, then the SGFX Diamond Pedals Revival, and now another 1977 ’original’ series revival.

 

Only the Marshall ones are proper and exacting reproductions, the Orange trio was a modern range in that same sort of original enclosure - but with...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

Personal Uni-Vibe Capsule Collection is up to 14

Colortone PedalsDigiTechDryBell EffectsEarthQuaker DevicesFjord FuzzFlower PedalsFormula B PedalsHorrothia EffectsJHS PedalsModulationMXRRitual DevicesThorpyFXTru-Fi Guitar EffectsUni-Vibe and Vibe+-
2923-GPX-Uni-Vibe-Capsule-Collection-700.jpg

This year has seen a number of additions to my Uni-Vibe roster - where 9 of the 14 featured here are proper bulb / photocell varieties - indicated by the bulb icon. Some of these have Uni-Vibe as secondary voices, and some are very slightly adjacent or produce Uni-Vibe tones via other means.

 

New additions this year have been the Colortone Roundhouse, EQD The Depths, Fjord Fuzz Njord, Formula B Vintage-Vibe, ThorpyFX ER-2, and and Tru-Fi Ghost Vibe. For the longest time I just had 2 Uni-...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

16 of the most notable 'Bread & Butter' Pedals!

Analog DelayAnalog.ManBehringerBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCompressorDelayDistortionDriveDual-DriveEarthQuaker DevicesElectro-HarmonixFulltone EffectsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreer AmpsGuitar Pedal 101IbanezIconic GearJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveLooperMXROCD Style OverdriveOrigin EffectsOverdriveSilicon FuzzSuper-Fuzz StyleTC ElectronicThorpyFXTubescreamer Style OverdriveUtilityXotic EffectsZvex+-
2023-GPX-Bread-n-Butter-Pedals-700.jpg

I’m expecting this post to attract a lot of ’whataboutisms’ as many of my rundowns seem to do. While every single choice / selection here is well considered, pondered upon on and properly weighted up against pertinent criteria and then further rationalised, whittled and distilled down into a top 9 or 16 or 25 - as I always favour symmetrical grids.

 

If I find 18 or 19 suitable candidates - then only 16 can be featured on the grid etc. - you need to draw the line somewhere. And you can also ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

Distinct, Memorable and Instantly Brand-Identifiable Compact Pedal Enclosures Part 2 - Trade Dress Edition

Alexander PedalsAnimals PedalBJFEBlackhawk AmplifiersColortone PedalsDeath By AudioDemedash EffectsDiamond PedalsEarthQuaker DevicesFlower PedalsGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Pedal 101GuitarSystemsIconic GearJackson AudioJAM PedalsJHS PedalsMu-TronOrigin EffectsPettyjohn ElectronicsSitek Guitar ElectronicsSpaceman EffectsTanabeTru-Fi Guitar EffectsVFE PedalsWalrus AudioZander CircuitryZvex+-
2023-GPX-Compact-Pedal-Shapes-PT2-700.jpg

So this is the second of this series - where the first was more about the uniqueness of the enclosure shape - more structural really - covering the overall form factor. While this edition is more about ’Trade Dress’ or the Memorability of the Aesthetics - style of graphics, consistency of theme, and consistency of control topology - doing something in a consistently measurable way that makes that pedal instantly recognisable from afar as belonging to a certain single brand.

 

So this one is ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

12 Compact Gain Pedals with Fully Variable Sweepable Parametric Mids

Abominable ElectronicsBig Muff Style FuzzBig Tone Music BreweryBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChase Bliss AudioDistortionDOD EffectsDriveEmpress EffectsFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionHardWire EffectsJHS PedalsKMA AudioMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionOverdriveRat Style FuzzSilicon Fuzz+-
2023-GPX-12-Parametric-Mids-Compacts-700-V2.jpg

So a follower on Instagram asked me to do a piece on which pedals had Sweepable mids - meaning really semi-parametric mids - with one control for Mids Frequency, and another to Cut/Boost that Frequency.

 

I thought there were a lot more than those that I finally uncovered. It’s mostly distortion pedals that have 3-Band EQs, and so it stands to reason - that it’s mostly distortion pedals that have parametric mids too.

 

While there is also a now long discontinued series - by Big Tone Music ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions

2023 May Pedal-Chain Update - Episode V - Team Timmons

Big Muff Style FuzzBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossChampion LeccyCKK ElectronicsDelayDigital DelayDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrunk BeaverEchoverbElectro-HarmonixEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQFjord FuzzFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsHoopla PedalsJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKeyztoneKlone and Transparent OverdriveMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPickup ModellerRed Panda LabSinvertekSubdecay EffectsTape DelayTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUtilityXotic EffectsZvex+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-May-Timmons-700.jpg

So May started with my posting the last of the NAMM Show stragglers, followed by an initial eclectic mix of different pedal types - while gradually leaning into ’Andy Timmons’ Month. I’ve always thought Andy to be a wonderful human being and a particularly fine journeyman guitarist. While it’s only in fairly recent years that he’s become somewhat more elevated in my affections as one of my all-time favourite guitar heroes. You will note that he did not feature in my last article on personal ...

Stefan KarlssonPopularCommentsRSS FeedContent Subscriptions
News Navigation






















































Paul Smith
9 of the Best Mid-Size Fuzz Face+ Pedals
"Don't know if you would count this, but I "...
7 days ago
Richard kupisz
Oneder Effects' Onederbolt is a beautifully textured distortion with 4 gears of operation
"Stefano, have you considered signing up to one of "...
12 days ago
Paul Smith
Expandora extracts the Forbidden Fuzz Mode for a standalone extended-range Fuzz
"Bit of a bump here, but having just attended to "...
15 days ago
Jet Hasie
Robert Keeley Boss Mods Trifecta
"Hey Stefan, that freak fuzz seems so cool thank "...
17 days ago
Cyril Demaegd
2024 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Triple Tremolo Flutter
"As usual very inspiring. I'd be curious to "...
18 days ago
Waiting