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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+-
2023-GPX-Best-of-Fuzz-700.jpg

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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4 Cool Germanium + Silicon Hybrid 2 and 3 Transistor Fuzzes acquired over the last couple of months

FuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGermanium FuzzHello Sailor EffectsLoe SoundsMXRSilicon FuzzSpaceman Effects+-
2023-GPX-4-GeSi-Hybrid-Fuzzes-700.jpg

So pedals are often like buses - in that you don’t get a certain type for a while but then all of a sudden you get a cluster of pedals appearing in sequence - all with notable similarities, as happened with this selection.

 

It’s occasionally difficult to remember in exactly what order they landed, but I’m pretty sure the MXR Custom Shop Hybrid Fuzz came first, followed by the Spaceman Charon, then Loe Sounds BLow, and finally the Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Hybrid Fuzz.

 

Unlike where ...

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2023 October Pedal-Chain Update - Episode X - Transformation Multipliers

All-PedalBardic Audio DevicesBoostBoost and OverdriveBossDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDual-DriveElectric Eye AudioEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFlattley Guitar PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzHello Sailor EffectsIntensive Care AudioLoe SoundsMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationMuir Audio DesignMulti-DriveOscillating FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPhaserRainger FXSilicon FuzzSpaceman EffectsTark AudioTone For Punk+-
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Wow what a wild ride of a month - one of the busiest to date - bookmarked with two superb events. You really need to read my event round-ups - they’re so full of little details - and of course personalities - the bigger friendship network and sort of family that makes up this magnificent sector in many ways. For sure everyone is in hard competition with each other for the same customer money - but there’s genuine warmth of spirit - a friendliness and willingness to cooperate and get along. Both...

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2023-GPX-AllPedal-Microdose-Phaser-700.jpg

I’m a big fan of the forerunner to this pedal - the marvellously colourful and potent Microdose Filter pedal - based on an evolution of Subdecay’s Prometheus DLX. And while this new one is a collaboration with Spaceman Effects - and evolved from its former Explorer Deluxe 6 Stage Optical Phaser - looks-wise in terms of overall format and topology is still looks to me closer to a Subdecay variant - especially in having those 2 larger lower dials.

 

The Explorer Deluxe was released back in ...

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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+-
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 ...

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Spaceman Effects delights with its new versatile Charon Ge/Si Hybrid Fuzz

FuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGermanium FuzzSilicon FuzzSpaceman Effects+-
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It’s funny how we often get two similar sorts of pedals emerging around the same time, and in the wake of MXR releasing a 2-knob Ge/Si Hybrid Fuzz we now get a slightly more evolved variety from Spaceman - with 3 controls.

 

Controls - Level, Gain, Tone.

 

The description mentions that the Tone control reduces Bass as you dial it up - so it sounds somewhat like a Tilt-EQ. While the fuzz output the pedal generates has some beautiful harmonic content to it and delivers some cool crunch ...

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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 ...

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Spaceman Effects' new Meridian Time Modulator is a Super Short and Versatile Analog BBD Delay-Line Modulator

Chorus and VibratoDelayDigital DelayDouble TrackingFlangerModulationPhaserRotary SpeakerSpaceman Effects+-
2023-GPX-Spaceman-Meridian-Time-Modulator-700.jpg

It’s funny that I feel I’ve already reviewed this pedal - courtesy of the recent Fjord Fuzz Loke - as both those pedals overlap considerably on function. The main difference here is that this MN3007 1024-stage BBD Device is fully analog, while the Loke is powered by a Spin FV-1 Chip.

 

There are for sure differences in control parameters, and in particular - the Meridian has a 3-way Waveform selector with Sine, Triangle and Flux options - the last mentioned being a somewhat unique semi-...

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2023-Spaceman-Ixion-Compressor-700.jpg

I’ve always said that every Spacman Effects Release is something of an occasion - with the Launch Pad Countdown etc. and speculation of which colorways we’re going to get.

 

That doesn’t mean I necessarily gel with every release - while each one is eminently worth, typically offers something new, and is well matched to certain users’ preferences and Criteria. The recent Equinox EQ was a touch over-sized for me - particularly when compared to Empress’s new ParaEQ Deluxe. And however special ...

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End of Year Pedal-Chain Update - Final Formation - Class of 2022

Ambient EffectsBardic Audio DevicesBeetronics FXBest in ClassBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChorus and VibratoColortone PedalsCompressorCoppersoundDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDrunk BeaverDSM & HumboldtDual-DriveEchoverbEmpress EffectsEQEventideFlangerFrost Giant ElectronicsFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGoosoniqueworxHamstead SoundworksHorrothia EffectsJackson AudioKeyztoneLooperMarshall Style DistortionMeris EffectsMetal DistortionModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-FXMXRNoise GateNordland ElectronicsOCD Style OverdriveOctaverOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainPettyjohn ElectronicsPhaserPickup ModellerPitchPlate ReverbPreAmpRack Style ReverbReverbReverb WorkstationReverse ReverbRitual DevicesShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSinvertekSlicer and StutterSoldanoSpaceman EffectsSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonTape DelayTC ElectronicThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTone InkUni-Vibe and VibeUtilityVictory AmpsVox Style DistortionWah and Fixed WahWalrus AudioWampler+-
2022-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-Class-of-2022-700.jpg

^ 2022 Final Arrangement - December

 

So the time has come again to to the final reckoning of the layout and composition of this year’s ultimate pedal chain arrangement. I’ve introduced a new ’’ symbol into the visual - which indicates those Slots / Pedals that are unchanged from last year’s Class of 2021 arrangement. That element really is testament to how much has changed between years. It’s also indicative of how much I love those particular pedals - and pretty much find them ...

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