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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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End of Year Pedal-Chain Update - Final Formation - Class of 2023

ALABS AudioAmbient EffectsAnasoundsBig Muff Style FuzzBispell AudioBitcrushing and Lo-FiBixonicBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCompressorCoppersoundDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDouble TrackingDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveEchoverbElectric LoveEmpress EffectsEnvelope Filter and Auto WahEQEventideFjord FuzzFlangerFortin AmpsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzGlitchGuitar Synth and SequencerHello Sailor EffectsHologram ElectronicsIntensive Care AudioJackson AudioJAM PedalsKernomKeyztoneKlone and Transparent OverdriveLo-Fi DelayLooperMaestro Style FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMessiah GuitarsMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXNoise GateOctave FuzzOctaverOddball DelayOddball FuzzOddball ModulationOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePalmer Custom FXPastFXPedal ChainPedalPalFXPickup ModellerPitch-ShiftingPlate ReverbPoly EffectsPreAmpRack Style ReverbRainger FXReverb WorkstationReverse DelayReverse ReverbRing ModulationRotary SpeakerShimmer ReverbSilicon FuzzSpacey ReverbSpring ReverbStrymonSuper-Fuzz StyleSwellTape DelayTark AudioTC ElectronicThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUtilityVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-Class-of-2023-700.jpg

The final arrangement for the year - all the pedals that impressed the most!

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Rob Chapman's All-Time Favourite Guitar Pedals

Amp and Cab IR SimAtomic AmpsBad Cat AmplifiersBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCryBabyDawner Prince EffectsDelayDelay WorkstationDigital DelayDigital ReverbDigiTechDistortionElectro-HarmonixEQFuzzG-Lab Guitar LaboratoryGuitar Synth and SequencerJim DunlopKlone and Transparent OverdriveKorgMarshall Style DistortionModulationMooerMXRMythos PedalsNeunaberOctave FuzzOddball ModulationODR Style OverdriveOverdrivePitchPitch-ShiftingPreAmpReverbReverb WorkstationRob ChapmanRockBoxSilicon FuzzThropyFXUAFXUniversal AudioUtilityVemuramVox Style DistortionWah and Fixed WahZvex+-
2023-GPX-Rob-Chapman-Favourite-Pedals-700.jpg

So right at the end of last month Rob Chapman posted up a YouTube video of a rundown of his all-time favourite guitar pedals. He initially states he’s going to name his 10 most favoured ones - but goes on to mention 20 - which I’ve fully included here.

 

Rob has a great ear for tone - as countless of his own and Anderton’s videos have proven time and time again. And I really love his everyman approach to guitar gear. I’ve encountered him in person 2 or 3 times now over the years - and he’s ...

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Vox's Valvenergy NuTube Mystic Edge AC30 style and Copperhead Drive JCM800 style Overdrive / Preamps are fairly decent budget options for those genres

Boost and OverdriveDistortionMarshall Style DistortionOverdrivePreAmpVox AmplifcationVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-Vox-Mystic-Copperhead-700.jpg

Vox’s Valvenergy pedals are just a handful of pedals that are currently using parent company Korg’s NuTube microtube technology - which first appeared in the now discontinued Ibanez NTS NU Tube Screamer. I always thought there was something slightly soft about the output of the NuTube - and I was never really taken by the NU Tube Screamer compared to the classic TS808 and TS9 varieties.

 

I went into this exercise with an open mind - following on from my recent ’Brian and Eddie’ article. ...

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16 of the Most Iconic Electric Guitar Amps

Amp HeadAmpsBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionCombo AmpDumbleDumble Style OverdriveFenderHiwattHoopla PedalsIconic GearMarshallMarshall Style DistortionMESA/BoogieMetal DistortionOrange AmplificationOverdrivePeaveyPreAmpRolandSoldanoSolid State AmpTrainWreck AmpsTube AmpTube OverdriveTweed Style OverdriveVox AmplifcationVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-16-Iocnic-Amps-700.jpg

So in my recent ’Guitar Elements’ series it’s finally come to Amps now - where I list out what I believe are the most historically significant and therefore Iconic amps. A lot of you are still conflating Iconic with Vintage, and discounting some of the more recent models - while Iconic does not necessarily infer a long term history and provenance - just that said item or element is a major marker or step forward in the evolution of that device - whatever it may be.

 

I’m not the first to do ...

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9 cool pairs of Vox-in-a-Box and Marshall Plexi style Pedals which have, or are about to fill slots #17 and #18

Bearfoot FXBispell AudioBoost and OverdriveBossCatalinbreadDistortionGreer AmpsMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMI EffectsPettyjohn ElectronicsVictory AmpsVox AmplifcationVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-9-x-Vox-Marshall-700.jpg

Readers of this blog will know that I’ve long and consistently had 2 key pedal types in my pedal-chain - namely a Brian May Vox style pedal, and an Eddie Van Halen Marshall Plexi style pedal - which for the last number of years have populated slots #17 and #18.

 

My very first pairing was the hybrid set of Bearfoot FX EGDM and MI Effects Super Crunch Box V2 - which overall probably served the longest innings on those two slots.

 

Since that first pairing we’ve had matched brand pairs - from...

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2023 February Pedal-Chain Update - Episode II - Random Ripples in Time

29 PedalsAmbient EffectsBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionColortone PedalsDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDSM & HumboldtDual-DriveFjord FuzzFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsJackson AudioLo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainReverbShimmer ReverbSpacey ReverbStymonSutton InstrumentsTremoloUni-Vibe and VibeVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-Pedal-Chain-Update-February-700.jpg

There’s never a dull moment, and rarely a span of time without a ripple or wrinkle. I don’t get many frustrating or disastrous days - while this last Friday was particularly eventful as I wrestled with 4 challenges simultaneously. One of my new pedals was detective and simply didn’t work - but I spent half a day trying to get something out of it - different positions on the board, different cabling, power-supply solutions and every tiny attempt to correct the obvious deficiency. At the same ...

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15 of the Best Compact Enclosure Vox in a Box style Overdrives

AMT EffectsAMT ElectronicsBearfoot FXBispell AudioBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCarl MartinCatalinbreadDriveGreer AmpsLovepedalM.A.D. EffectsMenatoneOverdrivePettyjohn ElectronicsVictory AmpsVox AmplifcationVox Style DistortionWestminster Effects+-
2023-GPX-Vox-Style-Pedals-700.jpg

It’s been a while since I last did a Vox-in-a-box roundup - in fact all the way back to my 2018 12 of the Best Vox Style Pedals feature - so it was about time I did an update. Readers will know that I always have a Vox pedal in my pedal-chain - occupying what is now slot #17.

 

It started with the Catalinbread Galileo way back when - and then following this rough sequence :

  1. Catalinbread Galileo
  2. Bearfoot FX Emerald Green Distortion Machine Silver (Silicon) - longest raining to-date
...
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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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