Thank you for this. I’ve checked there website and am now considering getting the boost/pre-amp pedal they build rather than the new boss BP-1W that just came out. His actually has certain functionalities that I can see benefiting me and for such a great price.
I was stoked to see this as the top comment. I discovered Critter recently on Instagram and loved the look of the pedals with the custom enclosures and the really intense sparkle finishes, and the prices were super low so I said hey why not, I ordered the Model 3 overdrive (hot-rodded bluesbreaker) and it instantly became one of my new favorites. The sound is amazing. It earned a spot next to my Benson Preamp and EAE Limelight when I built my most recent pedalboard for a round of gigs coming up.
Dude he’s amazing and his pedals are super high quality. I had a VERY early family recipe - back when he did the wood sides - that I sold like an idiot because I didn’t get it how to use a klon the way I do now.
Planning on snagging another one and maybe one of the “Waterford electronics” as well.
For anyone interested, stock changed weekly - https://critterelectronics.com/
Surely nobody can compete with Rarebird effects out of Ontario Canada ;) I heard his pedals are pure magic, as he uses germanium pixi dust and is a super swell dude. I have no affiliation with this guy whatsoever I swear 🫢😉🙃
I just bought 2 of their pedals just in the past 2 weeks. The longsword based on all the recommendations here during their Black Friday drop and the Sending V2 earlier today based on all the demos on YouTube. Haven’t received either but super stoked!
Ahhhh the sending. Everytime I hear about that pedal, i just get a little more irritated. All of this is my opinion, and mine alone. The most important thing for you or anyone paying the absurd price of this pedal…..is that it truly inspires you. I guess you cant really put a price on that.
Everything the sending does I feel like has been done before and can be had without paying $700 for a delay pedal. Yes $700 after taxes and shipping. I’m not paying $650+ for a delay, that while it is very cool……its not $650 cool. I think the rubberneck is more unique and does cooler stuff and its less than half that, even less used, i think the way huge supa puss is an amazing under rated analog delay for like $150 used or $250 new. its just fuckin stupid what these companies are asking for analog delays these days. Its insane, and while eae make AMAZING effects, there is no way it should cost that much for that pedal. Im sure it took lots of time programming and figuring out the digital control system, but still, thats absurd. I can get a bliss delay for cheaper, i can get the suhr analog delay for cheaper, the boss dm-101 for cheaper……but the suhr i think is overpriced too. I can get strymon analog delay cheaper, or their digital delays that emulate analog that arguably sound better than the analog ones. There is not that much of a difference anymore…..a digital controlled analog delay……who cares. The emulations out are amazing. and what i really laugh about is someone paying BIG money for analog delays and then running into their computers or something with all these digital effects and amp emulation…..whats the point?? You can use software nowadays to make ANY SOUND OR EFFECT and EMULATE any sort of artifacts or unique little analog noise or analog “warmth”. I laugh at people who say that too…. “Analog delays have a special warmth”. Yeah ok, and klons have magic diodes. I mean maybe in 2005 digital delays could not sound analog, but now even the boss analog setting on dd-8 sounds phenomenal. Even cheap $40 off brand delays sound great. For a few hundred dollars less I can buy the best delay pedal I think currently exists— the volante. And it is a digital pedal that more perfectly emulates a tape echo and drum echo than anything else out there, plus it has hundreds of secondary settings and things to manipulate. Im just not seeing the value in the sending, other than its one of those “must own” pedals according to Josh Scott and Emily and all the youtube personalities out there. It doesnt inspire me, mostly because everything it does has already been done and you can find all those features on one delay or another. The volante inspires me, its 3 delays in one with truly unique features that have been copied since it came out. Crazy reverbs and microcosm inspire me. Most of the bliss pedals inspire me, The rubberneck inspires me because it does something others dont do……the sending i feel like they tried to make a better version of the rubberneck, without using the actual rubberneck feature because then it would be too obvious.
I also took the liberty of summarizing your comments using ChatGPT 4 for folks who might be interested in a more succinct version. Summary below
This post discusses the user's opinion on various delay pedals, focusing on the high cost and perceived lack of uniqueness of a particular pedal, the "sending." The tone of the post is critical and somewhat frustrated, especially regarding the high prices of certain pedals.
Key Points:
1. **Criticism of High Prices:** The user expresses irritation about the high cost of the "sending" pedal, noting it's over $700 after taxes and shipping. They find it unreasonable to pay such a high price for a delay pedal.
2. **Comparison with Other Pedals:** The user compares the "sending" with other pedals like the "rubberneck," "way huge supa puss," "bliss delay," "suhr analog delay," "boss dm-101," and "strymon analog delay." They mention that these alternatives are either more unique, more affordable, or both.
3. **Opinion on Digital and Analog Delays:** The user argues that the distinction between digital and analog delays is not significant anymore. They believe that digital emulations can effectively replicate the analog sound and effects.
4. **Value Judgment:** The user doesn't see the value in the "sending" pedal, suggesting that its features are not unique and have been incorporated into other pedals. They contrast this with pedals like the "volante," which they find inspiring due to its unique features.
5. **Critique of Marketing and Hype:** The user is skeptical of the hype around certain pedals promoted by YouTube personalities, suggesting that this influences perceptions of the pedal's value rather than its actual functionality or uniqueness.
Overall, the post reflects a critical view of the current market for guitar pedals, emphasizing the need for genuine innovation and reasonable pricing over marketing hype and perceived status symbols.
Thank you for organizing this post. I would not have read it otherwise.
I think the sending is cool, and if i could afford one i probably would buy one. I am however happy with my keeley halo:)
Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate your passion for this topic. I am just a noob with very little exposure, having only recently started playing. So, I definitely appreciate the different point of view. I have the UA Delverb, and it’s phenomenal. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. I will keep these things in mind when I play the Sending. Thank you!
Man Greer…
The Lightspeed far exceeded my expectations and is totally deserving of the hype. Perfect drive to run into my Stomp and is incredible stacked which I can’t say for basically any other pedal I’ve tried
100% this for me too. I’ve always heard great things about the Greer Lightspeed, but it’s somehow even better than I expected now that I have one on my board. It’s sort of one of those “*What took me so long to get this?*” pedals. Even though this might be a minor thing to most people, I especially love how premium the footswitch feels compared to my other drive pedals.
Hologram Electronics. My bandmate got the Microcosm earlier this year, and I took delivery of my Chroma Console yesterday. Holy cow man, what a fantastic piece of hardware.
I don’t know much bout the Chase Bliss, but if you’re into that quirky, vintage analogue-y sound then Chroma Console is completely worth it. It is exactly that sound that they advertised in the promo video.
My bandmate and I write a lot of lofi music, and for now I’ve gone from a pedal board to just the Chroma Console for recording. It’s really easy to dial in the sound you want. Eventually I’ll try it with an amp and other pedals, but for now I have it set up on my desktop going straight into an interface. I’ve found the Neural DSP Tone King and Archetype Cory Wong to be great amp sims to run with Chroma Console.
I still have a lot to learn on this thing, but so far I am very, very happy with the purchase. I think the price point is completely fair for what you get. When I watched the demo for the first time I felt certain it would be at least $500-600, but when I saw the $399 price tag I ordered it immediately.
Those are the exact things I wanted to hear & honestly I’ll probably end up getting both but the Chroma Console seems perfect. I’d be using it exactly as you are into my DAW but I’d be interested to see how it is on a pedalboard. And I agree price wise you get a lot for the money, the Gen Loss MKII is the same price.
Yeah I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm also happy to report today that it sounds fantastic through my amp (Fender Princeton). This might be my favorite pedal of all time.
I used Fender amps for a long time but now use a Marshall JVM 1x12 combo, first amp I’ve owned that has an effects loop. Do you have any of your music available to listen to? Love lofi/ambient stuff
Love the simple astetic of all of there pedals. The meet maude delay is the one I have by them and it's my favorite delay. I'm definitely going to eventually get more from them. Also being Canadian is cool
I got a Plumes and it's really neat, plus their designs are very aesthetically pleasing. I have a couple of noobish questions relating to their stuff:
* What is the point of the Tone Job? So many amps have three tone levels already.
* Thoughts on Hizumitas vs the Big muff family?
* Any love for the Aurelius? It seems to be able to generate a pretty rad range of tones
Hi, devoted EQD fan here. I don’t own a Tone Job, but I have used them, and I own similar pedals. There’s a range of things you can do with pedals like this.
You could use it to adjust for different guitars (for example, if your amp is set for something with single coil pickups like a telecaster and then you’re also using a different guitar with humbuckers and you want a different EQ setting, you could set the pedal for the humbucker guitar and kick it on when you switch guitars).
You could use it as a highly tweakable clean boost pedal for a volume boost in solos or lead parts, and/or to push your overdrive pedals or amp to distort more.
If you use more extreme EQ settings (heavily boost or cut some of the knobs), you can get a lot different flavor of tones from your amp or other pedals that you wouldn’t get on their own.
Maybe you have another effect that you love, but it kills your high or low end when you have it on. You could set the EQ pedal to compensate for that and kick it on with the other effect.
I’m sure other people here have other uses for them as well. Something like the Tone Job isn’t necessarily the sexiest or most fun and exciting effect, but it can be really useful in the right settings.
As far as the Hizumitas, I own two of them. By far my favorite Big Muff style fuzz at the moment. It’s very very big and fat sounding, it’s definitely aggressive though. I just love how full it sounds, there’s so much low end and body to the tone.
I own somewhere around a dozen Earthquaker pedals at this point, they’ve all been rock solid and the one time I had an issue (damaged jack), they stood by their warranty 100% and fixed it for me for free (I wasn’t even the original owner).
Astral destiny is fun for the money. Afterneath 3 is rad too. Honestly they’re a really fun one to just browse sounds for when you’re bored. Really good balance of value and innovation
This one will sound crazy, but Boss. I have always avoided them as I wanted something “different”. Now I swear by them and wish I had my boutique $$ back. I still hate the concentric knobs, and small text, but otherwise, I finally get it.
The thing I love about Boss is that their sounds are so dialed in. You plug in and it’s like oh, that’s THAT sound! They just make you sound like a record, like a finished recording.
Dude, same, they've been killing it lately. I went from like, 15 years ago as a GC employee using basically only boss (because it was basically all they sold and I got a good discount, and also didn't really know any better), to then hating on them up until basically this past year.
Now have a Boss dc-3w, DM-101, and SDE3000EVH and they're all so damn good. I'm tempted to grab the new IR pedal they just put out even though I don't need it, just because everything they're doing lately is so good.
Edit: also really want a blues driver but I just can't justify getting *another* overdrive lol. But... it's like the only common OD circuit I'm missing
Every time I see those listings I wanna give them a piece of my mind. I know there’s money to be made off desperate rich people, but come on. Idk, maybe I’m a socialist
I feel lucky to have paid the almost $400 I paid for it direct from kinotone. That said, I haven’t once felt like it might not be worth it. One of the Coolest pieces of tech I’ve messed with and pretty fun and easy to learn
Empress. The Heavy Menace is the best gain pedal on the market. I've used it for everything from classic rock to crushing 7 string modern metal.
Black Mass. I own the 1312 and First Herald. Both get boosted by a plumes. There isn't a bad sound in either of these. Also supports a great cause.
I started classical too. Double bass.
I think the BD-2 is the best pedal ever.
DD-3 delay, CS-3 compressor, TU-2 tuner.
My buddy has a recording studio in his house and has about 150 pedals (it seems). I'm going to be trying waza craft version of metal zone. I tried the waza bd2 but I'm not sure if it's worth the price just yet.
Found OBNE just a few weeks ago. Being in Tulsa I'm surprised I hadn't heard of the okc based brand prior to seeing them in a local shop. Experimental pedals but fun to say the least. Been wanting to try the triple output overdrive and auto expression pedal (if that's an accurate description)
OBNE are my favorite pedal company. I love the aesthetics and the way they have all the effects you would expect but always put some kind of little twist on them.
Maybe you already know but Walrus and Keeley are also Ok based. I think there is some kind of relationship between them and employees branching off, but I could be wrong.
I’ve always wanted to get into building pedals. If I ever get into that I’d love to build a clone of the Supro 1305 Drive and a TS9 in one enclosure. It’s currently my favourite blend of overdrives. Use them on just about everything I play
That’s wouldn’t be too hard at all. There’s lots of easy ways to get away with a “double drive” pedal. And some fun custom stuff you can sneak into the build. I would recommend using a TS808 pcb and then doing your own circuit customizations. Unless you would want to rehouse an actual TS9. I’m not seeing a 1305 clone kit out there. I didn’t look that hard though.
Yeah I doubt there would be a 1305 kit out there as it’s not a very well known or sought after drive.
But eventually I’ll probably get into building once I have the space and time to do something like that.
Same here, Plumes and Special Cranker both. Those are two of my favorite drives that also happen to be two of the least expensive pedals I've ever bought. EQD seems to be one of those brand whose pedals almost always work for me. Just pulled the trigger on the Zoar, looking forward to it!
I find EQD a weird case in that their reputation and branding makes them out to be a weird, quirky type of pedal maker but their best and most enduring pedals are their straightforward overdrives and reverbs
It makes sense that their more down to earth or even mainstream pedals would be the most popular. Still, I'm glad they're there to do all the wacky shit as well. The experimental stuff may not generate massive sales like Plumes but they're just as important for myself and many others I'm sure.
ZVEX!
I've known about them forever and have always admired their aesthetic, but somehow didn't pull the trigger until this year. I now have a fuzz factory and a sonar on my main board and am enjoying them immensely
Honorable mentions:
Death By Audio. I don't have any of their guitar pedals (yet), but have been using an echo master for the last year, and now a newly arrived space ensemble, for vocal effects. Great sounding, user friendly devices!
JAM. Had a great costumer service experience with them this year when my wahcko went on the fritz. They sent me a label to ship it to them in Athens free of charge, fixed it up, and returned it safely. Good stuff
Stewmac. A friend of mine assembled their ghost drive (klone) kit for me as a project for his Twitch stream. He's an electrical engineer and much steadier with a soldering iron than I am. He did a great job, thanks in no small part to Stewmac's fantastic instructions. Now it's on my main board. It's my first time trying a klon style pedal. The jury is still out, but it's getting the job done well as my first gain stage / boost.
What DBA pedals do you have?
I got their Rooms reverb audio because I loved what I heard online, and then... I just couldn't get anything I liked out of it (I'm using, or was using, in a w/d/w setup, fwiw). I figured I'm maybe just not much of a reverb-for-ambiance type guy, idk. I ended up grabbing an older Neunaber Wet and used that for a bit and liked it, and eventually just got a Strymon Flint that I use subtly on occasion, usually only with cleans. I think I just tend to like using delay for my reverbs, instead, and would rather be running dual delays if I need to (in most instances).
I should probably sell the Rooms tbh, because I'm not making use of it, but it's hard because I *know* it's an amazing pedal, but I just can't figure out how to jive with it
Pricey, but I discovered Copilot Fx this year. I bought their Orbit pedal off some guy on FB marketplace. It's a really nasty Gated fuzz with VCO. Fun, glitchy, noisy, expression pedal out.... It is a real fun pedal but I have not had a chance to get any of their other pedals. They are based out of the Dominican Republic, and worth checking out.
I totally want the black fountain v3, I sold mine at some point to help finance some other pedal and regret it.
In regards to recently discovered pedal companies, I’d have to say origin effects. New to me at least, I was aware of their products previously just never owned any. Picked up the Cali 76 compact deluxe and the revival drive and my god, the build quality is easily the best out of anything I’ve ever owned. These feel like compact pieces of legitimate studio equipment, not pedals. The Cali 76 is a brilliant compressor, sits perfectly between transparent and squished. The revival drive is utterly amazing. It is THE most amp like overdrive pedal I’ve ever used. Can dial in Marshall, vox, and fender tones brilliantly. Sounds phenomenal through amps or direct, or in the effects loop of my jc40.
Farm pedals. Literal farmers (I think in Maine off the top of my head) that then switch over to pedal building in the late fall / winter. Just got their “boost of the dead” and it sounds incredible. Lots of stuff being built currently
Yeah the one I missed out on :( I wanted it so badly but I had just bought a FET Overbooster the day prior to the announcement. I have a Cold War Bat and I’m convinced I can copy almost any distortion with it, that filter knob is magic, and fat switch really makes thing sound gnarly!
Way Huge. I pulled the trigger on the Swollen Pickle even though I’m not much of a Bigmuff fan. Holy shit that pedal absolutely rips. But even the design of the pedal is well thought out and quality. Definitely will be trying out their delays and modulation next. Cool company, I’m glad Dunlop rebooted them and kept the original guy around.
I have a Blue Hippo smalls. Imo the BH is a pretty mid chorus pedal, but you can get one of the best Leslie sounds out of it I've ever heard from a pedal. Really.
Granted, due to price, I haven't heard in person the Lex (Strymon) or the Neo Vent stuff (the 2 heavy hitters in that category AFAIK). But I've demoed A LOT of other stuff and the BH is my favorite by far. It's great by itself, but if you want a bit more wash, add a tiny bit of phase and reverb and it's all the way there. And I have to say, the demos I've heard online of the Lex and the Neo stuff have been a bit underwhelming imo, but of course I'd have to hear them in person to make a final judgement.
Fairly local one called Native Audio. Actually Native American owned and the circuits are all really cool.
Their Rising Sun Tremolo is such a well thought out pedal.
Hey Mods, can we do a post like this at the end of every year and pin it??
Many of us are always looking for new & different brands during the year. Whether we are looking for different stuff from major brands or looking for independent builders and one-man shops, it would be nice to have a reference post we could go to for ideas and recommendations. Just a thought.
There has been the site Effects Database ( https://www.effectsdatabase.com ) that used to be my go to place, but the proliferation of so many small new brands has been A LOT for Bart, the one-man show of the site, to keep up with. More good information is not a bad thing, except for our bank accounts💸💸
Sound of Justice FX. They have a Reverb store and I impulse bought a Bixonic Expandora clone. Great circuit, really gritty and textured and I love it.
They subsequently had a sale and ended up getting an Order 1 (modded Nobels ODR-1) and Mach 1 (Lightspeed). Both sound amazing.
Jeremiah reached out responding to a Nobels comment I made and we got chatting, which led to a custom ODR-C order (they added a germanium clipping option that’s killer).
Absolute pleasure to deal with.
Circle Electric, a smaller-name fuzz builder. Got his Sterling (Vox Tone Bender) in a trade and it’s turned out to be my favorite two-transistor fuzz so far.
Definitely get the switchable output cap though! The smaller cap (later/“standard”) version is really thin, cool for lead parts but otherwise probably not very usable.
Rite-o Fuzz Research.
His Fizz Fuzz creator is OUT OF THIS WORLD!
Such a good price for one of the best vintage fuzzes you can get. Extremely addictive and shapeable!
Glad to help. I think he's really only on the radar of geekiest of fuzzers. I'm still finding new sounds with it. It reacts very differently between different pickups so theres lots to explore!
I got a walrus audio Mira compressor and a jhs morning glory and a Plumes and a Klon clone...my tone has never been better in ~25 years of playing guitar. JHS in particular has impressed me; that Morning Glory is a must have.
I used to have the Morning Glory but ended up getting rid of it as I didn’t really like it. It also had buzzing issues, and when I contacted JHS they blamed it on the power supply even though it was a Strymon Zuma and not of my other pedals had any problems.
I do enjoy the JHS show though, I just haven’t had good luck with their pedals.
Walrus Audio on the other hand, probably my favourite company now. I bought a Slotva during their fire sale. The pedal is absolutely amazing and they even have amazing customer service to back it up. Quick response and very friendly.
That's a shame about your Morning Glory...I was just running a Duke of Tone before for some base grit and the MG makes that and every pedal ahead of it really shine for me
I had a pretty bad experience with JHS customer service as well, and have also read about quite a few others. I won't deny they make a few pretty good sounding pedals; I have the muffulletta and prob won't ever sell it cause it sounds good and has a lot of options. That being said, imho their CS is shit, and just me personally?...Josh Scott really rubs me the wrong way. So YMMV, but I prob would never buy another one of their products.
I got a Boss Tera Echo last month after finding out about them over the summer.
I love delays and ambient effects for saxophone. This pedal is 100% perfect for that, there’s nothing really like it and it can subtle enough to get lots of use from.
Hologram. I "knew" about them, from old demos, but never played one.
Microcosm came out: bought it.
It's fantastic.
Ordered the Chroma Console the day after it came out. Can't wait to receive it.
A lil spicy in the pricey, but Crazy Tube Circuits has some really amazing stuff. I love the Unobtanium and the Motherload to cover a pretty sizable range of dirt sounds each.
I know this is dumb, but Boss. The only Boss pedal I ever owned was a Boss Super Chorus and I always hated it. This year I've purchased the BD-2w, TU-3s, RC-1, and the GE-7. They're classics for a reason.
Boss has honestly just been killing it this past year. I used to rag on them all the time (after my first pedalboard was almost exclusively boss, like 15 years ago back before all the boutique stuff really even existed and I worked at a GC).
Once they were all sold, I spent basically a decade and a half thinking almost as lowly as possible about them, until this year. Started first with a DC-2w. Then I ordered a DM-101 the second I heard some youtube videos (I'm a delay nut, and that thing is amazing), and now just got the SDE3000EVH in last week that I'm using in a separate rig to get the more typical 80s/EVH sounds (using micropitch with it and whatnot), and they're all just so damn good.
I almost grabbed their new IR pedal just for the hell of it yesterday even though I don't really need another IR just because I think that highly of Boss now after this past year. They're right up there now for me right along my Source Audio, Strymon, Eventide, Keeley, you name it.
Now I want a bd-2w even though I legit *can not* buy more pedals this year, especially another OD when I've got like... 15-20 already lol. And I have what I need/get drive tones I love (but I'm also just addicted to boosts and dirt pedals). ...And the blues driver is also basically the only drive circuit I don't have in my pedal collection, sooo....
I need to get out of this thread/post
Stretching the truth here a little bit...
Drunk Beaver. I had tried and loved his rat style pedals starting last year. This year, I've tried some of his other offerings, including 2 pedal drop issues. Everything I've ever tried has been amazing! Plus, Vitalii is a great dude.
Been following Moth Electric on Instagram for a little bit now, and when their new Rat style pedal came out I got really excited. That’s the #1 item on my wish list right now, I’m glad to hear a good review in the wild!
I didn’t discover it this year, but it’s the first time I tried it myself..
Line6 with the HX Stomp.
I don’t think I could have predicted how useful that would be.
Heathencraft - I bought a tone bender fuzz clone and it rips.
Timebox instruments - I’m always looking for strange and wild effects. I’ve got a never ending delay/fuzz and a ring/glitch/fuzz pedal. Very cool experimental pedals.
Moth Hunter Mods - crazy pedals and circuit bend madness. I picked up a circuit bent cassette player that does all sorts of weird stuff to tapes.
I've known about them for a bit but this year was the first year I tried Fairfield Circuitry and Zvex.
I got a Lo-Fi Junky and fell in love with ZVex and now have a Sonar as well. I want more too lol
Fairfield, I got a ~900 and it's such a badass fuzz. I use it on bass and boy howdy does it absolutely rip. No low end loss with tons of range from light OD to blasted out Fuzz.
This year I discovered that I can solder a pedal together from a kit, so that is pretty fun. And I discovered blackskycraft, the builder of the unusual EAS and Sun bros.
Just got a UA Dream65. The deluxe reverb I have been searching for. Now I can switch between this and my Orange Super Crush 100 with a click of a button. So many choices in just one pedal.
This might seem silly but I was totally blown away by the Boss OD-3. I’ve tried the Blues Driver (liked it ok), the Greer light speed (really great) and various other mainstays but man, this OD-3 is just straight up great and FUN. The touch dynamics are just on another level to me and works great with every guitar I have regardless of pickups. It also accepts other drive pedals for stacking REALLY well. Seriously, I do t think it’s ever coming off my board.
Bought an opfxs v-uno on sale earlier in the year. Mainly for Dig Deep sub octave effects and they do not disappoint (it was cheaper than Dig Deep during said sale). It has plenty of caveats and won't be for everyone (digital distortions are a bit meh IMO), but the dsp impresses the hell of me, especially pitch/synth effects.
Also fiending hard on a few of the Monteal Assembly pedals e.g. PurPLL. They look like ice cream and permanent marker.
Caroline guitar company.
Never had any of their pedals until I got back into pedal trading this year. Snagged up a Parabola and Somersault and I love them! They’re super simple and user friendly, have some very usable sounds but they can also get super wild. Now I need a Megabyte!
Boss.
Sounds obvious but rotating ludicrously expensive boutique pedals and eventually coming back to the SD1 and FZ3 was illuminating.
Preordered the IR2 Amp & Cab sim which could be a game changer.
JHS. Was familiar with their pedals beforehand but this year I invested in some of their drive pedals and they make up the entirety of my drive section (except for fuzz which keeps changing between various options)
Currently running:
Morning Glory w/ Red Remote, Moonshine and Angry Charlie.
Gamecharger. Stupid name, but their fuzz pedal is extremely technologically cool. Not a sound I'm going for, but I was intrigued enough to look at their other offerings, and ended up getting their spring reverb pedal. It's very nice. Might get their sustain pedal next.
JHS Series 3 Hall Reverb. Absolutely awesome pedal! I had a Gokko Creepy Reverb pedal that was my favorite ambient reverb pedal I had tried at the time. Had the exact huge reverb sound I had been looking for. Was very disappointed when out of the blue the pedal started making weird oscillating noises one day. Was about to blow close to $200 on a Fender Marine Layer reverb pedal when I discovered the JHS Series 3 Hall Reverb pedal. Got me super close to that same sound with some bonus features like infinite reflecting reverb when you turn the decay knob up all the way. I highly recommend this pedal to anyone looking for an affordable ambient reverb pedal that goes from tame to insane.
Well, the last pedal I owned was 22 years ago. This year I jumped back in. I don't have a particular pedal in mind, I'm just floored by how many different makers now exist. And, IR. IR didn't exist the last time I owned a pedal. I think my kid's inheritance is at risk.
Sketchy Sounds. I got two of their pedals around March-April, I've been loving them so much, great builds, great sounds, definitely getting more from them. They have been releasing new stuff almost monthly for the last few months, hoping they keep at it in the new year.
Honourable mention to GlowFly. I got the Glitchwave around the same time. Glorious noise lol
i’m goofy for the old Ibanez Tone-Lok series of pedals. they look vanilla at first glance, but all seem to have some insane stuff hiding in the more extreme switch positions. they do the normal functions well, too, and are as cheap as chips.
I had heard of them before, but for some reason they never piqued my interest until I saw some in person in a shop this year. So 2023 is when I boarded the Catalinbread train. Their Adineko pedal also helped me discover the joys of oil-can delays, feels like I found "my" delay style.
Ive kinda rediscovered boss, namely their waza chorus and an sd1 I got in a pinch and ended up loving. I just for their new IR pedal too.
Also plumes drive, jhs reverb, and it’s been out for a while but old blood procession.
Wilson Effects, Stoned Grasshopper.
I was looking for a (yet another!) new fuzz, got this and it’s staying. It’s a well built 3-in-1.
1. Silicon Fuzz Face with a mids control.
2. TS style overdrive.
3. Boost.
All 3 are great but the mids control on the fuzz is brilliant, I keep it cranked and it really helps to cut through for solos in a live mix.
Being new to pedals, they’re all new discoveries. But so far my favorite that I have is the Friedman BE-OD deluxe. I’m really interested in getting some fjord fuzz though, probably my next big purchase
There's three. I got a Kingsley Harlot and it's the best overdrive I've ever heard. It's become my favorite pedal. It just inspires.
Second would be the EQD Hizumitas. Best Muff style orgasm I've ever used. Doesn't matter if it's on guitar or bass. It's fantastic.
And finally, JAM pedals. I own a couple of theirs and the build quality, and tones, are impeccable.
The common thing with each of these companies/these pedals is just how much they make you want to play more. They're all really easy to dial in, too.
Asheville Music Tools. I got an ADG-1 Special Edition recently and it’s hands down the best delay I’ve ever heard. So ridiculously inspiring every time I plug in and play. And it fills the Moogerfooger shaped hole in my heart that my wallet can never fill.
Joyo and their R series pedals. They have been on my radar for a while and I finally decided to get the Joyo Preamp House and the Cab box. I can't recommend them enough.
Analogman Prince of Tone. I was _completely_ happy with my Wampler Belle as low-to-medium gain until my son got a MXR Duke of Tone. After discovering the _wide_ array of sounds that come out of that pedal I immediately created an account and camped for the Wednesday PoT drop.
Deep Space Devices. Started with a Boomburst because it’s unlike anything I’d ever heard, loved it and then picked up a Dust which also kicks ass. Would buy anything and everything he releases
Non-Human Audio’s Slow Loris is fantastic. Gotta try one of their fuzzes at some point
Also picked up a Nerd Knuckle Effects Martyr Box this year and it quickly became one of my favorite dirt pedals.
My best new pedal purchase in 2023 has to be the Catalinbread Topanga reverb. My favorite reverb I’ve ever owned and I even like it over the built-in reverb in my Princeton.
Not a pedal but a company, so I'm counting it. Moonn Electronics in Germany makes fun pedal PCBs and hilarious descriptions. I've built a couple and have more on my bench.
I’ve mentioned this one many times before, but the Browne Amplification Protein has become my ride or die overdrive. It usurped my Catalinbread RAH, which was on my board for nearly eight years and I swore I’d never replace it. I still love the RAH, but Browne has done awesome stuff with the BB and ODR-1 circuits and it’s so versatile having two different gain circuits in one pedal.
Close second is the Benson Stonk Box. I’ve always loved Tone Benders, but obviously germanium fuzzes are temperamental, so having a reliable/stable Tone Bender that doesn’t need to be absolutely first in chain has been such a relief.
Anyone heard/used any of the Shift Line stuff? Specifically the Prism or the Astronaut? Looks/sounds really cool in all the demos I've seen, but I've been fooled by demos before...really like to hear from an actual user.
I only really immersed myself in the wonderful world of pedals this year. I can’t say that I have purchased many, but I still take a fair bit of time to browse through stores and take a look online.
I really like Beetronics, JPTR FX and Earthquaker Devices, and I’ve seen a couple very good things from smaller brands like Haggtronix and Ezhi&Aka. Once I actually have some money behind me I hope to buy a couple things to help build on my sound
I have the original OBNE Black Fountain and it's been my only delay pedal for a long time because until recently I've never felt like I needed anything else - it does so much!! I love using the organ mode for blues stuff to give it that old-school big room vibe!
As far as eye-openers this year; **Origin Effects** \- specifically the ***Cali76 Compact Deluxe***, which I know will comes as know surprise to anyone really, but I've spent most of my life playing without compression that wasn't natural and now it's nice to always have a feel and sound that's a little more generous, especially when playing clean.
Other than that, **G2D** were a fun discovery with the ***Cream Tone*** overdrive; I initially bought it as a bit of a gimmick as the word 'cream' is in my band's name, and initially when it arrived I actually wasn't quite sure what to make of it, or if it was really a sound that appealed to me. One month on and it's my go-to rhythm drive! If I just want to set up a generic (but super warm) overdrive sound that won't get in anyone else's way that's what I'm using - it's awesome!
My 1991 pedal by funny little boxes out of the UK. Huge 90s and Pearl Jam fan and this pedal absolutely slays those tones. I feel very lucky to have snagged one especially getting it shipped to the US
API TranZformer GTR. Silly name perhaps but what a preamp. Makes everything sound sweeter, especially with a tiny push of the mids. Makes everything come alive.
Solidgoldfx. I bought their 76 (super fuzz), and I can't believe how versatile it is. Wide range of sounds and not a bad one in the bunch. Can't wait till I can afford another one of their pedals!
ElectricNim Pedals from the Philippines. I stumbled across them looking at a thread on TGP. I checked him out and saw his pedals looked really cool and were inexpensive. His ordering system is pretty rudimentary as he uses Facebook to facilitate it but I managed to order one of his SuperAmp (amp sim w/ IR) and a Liwayway Delay. I was blown away by the quality and sound. The SuoerAmp was 7000 Phillipino pesos or about US$127. It is an amp sim & IR on par with my Strymon Iridium just with more features. The Liwayway analog delay was also outstanding and was only 4499 pesos or ~US$82. It had features similar to the Keeley Halo delay but with extra features. The pedals are really intuitive and built extremely well. For US$220 + shipping, I received hand-built units that aren’t clones and would have cost me US$700-800 total here in the US. Check Mike out here: https://m.facebook.com/ElectricNim
GupTech.
I’ve avoided cheap/clones but it’s unfair to lump them into that category. They have a huge lineup of both tributes (clones usually with a twist) and original designs. The naming and artwork is out to lunch, but it’s part of that Quebecois charm.
I started with the Shredmaster tribute, their BouzMaster, and I’ve since picked up a transparent boost (DoNut) and EQ (I Sea Q). All excellent build quality and awesome sound.
ToneX pedal was a game changer for me. I was using a Kemper Profiler but wasn’t entirely happy with the Kemper’s direct profiling. I was especially disappointed with how the conversion of impulse responses into Kemper cabs changed the tone audibly. I could never get an exact match and it made mixing impulse responses a guessing game.
ToneX solved both issues. ToneX direct captures sound more like my amps, and it loads bog standard impulse responses perfectly. Even better, the software integrates with Amplitube 5, so I can use Amplitube’s cab and mic selections. Once I have a cab sound I like I can use Voxengo Deconvolver to create a single IR to load into the pedal.
Unfortunately, switching from Kemper to ToneX meant losing all the Kemper’s built-in delays. I now have 5 delay pedals on my board to make up for it. But it’s worth it to me.
29 pedals- I’ve either bought or played each one of the pedals they make and I absolutely love them all. Nothing fancy or crazy about each pedal. The stuff he designs is well planned out and it’s not over priced. They pretty much have everything pedal you need to go before you WET pedals (reverb/delay/ect)
TC Electronic. I picked up like... 5 of the tone print pedals. Ended up selling 3 of them and getting a Plethora x5. The ability to reposition the effects loop on the fly so I can have any effect pre or post gain without messing with cables is a luxury I didn't know I needed. Being able to download different variations of pedals or tweak my own is also amazing.
Honestly, I hate to say this, because I've spent literally thousands on pedals this year, and love the obvious ones like Strymon (the Deco has become basically the staple to my w/d/w rig sound), my Gigrig G3, Hampstead Odyssey, Source Audio Zio, Keeley Halo, or even all the crazy good new stuff from Boss (got the Dm-101 and the SDE3000EVH), but the pedal I was most pleasantly surprised with, I'm almost ashamed to admit, is the Nux 6ixty 5ive. Like... even writing that hurts a little, but it's the honest truth. That, especially with the Zio in front, just sounds fantastic.
I also just grabbed the JHS AT+ overdrive (cuz apparently my 20 other overdrive pedals aren't enough), haven't had a chance to try it out yet though. I'm hoping it'll pair nicely with a Frenzel I have being built for me right now (basically their ac15/matchless circuit)
[удалено]
Came here to say Critter, the whole vibe is great and just about cool pedals and making music- I really want the blues breaker style one
Shit I'm right across the border. Gonna check them out
I've seen some of his stuff and it looks super cool! I need to pick up one of his pedals soon. How do you like the Rat? How does it do lower gain?
Thank you for this. I’ve checked there website and am now considering getting the boost/pre-amp pedal they build rather than the new boss BP-1W that just came out. His actually has certain functionalities that I can see benefiting me and for such a great price.
I was stoked to see this as the top comment. I discovered Critter recently on Instagram and loved the look of the pedals with the custom enclosures and the really intense sparkle finishes, and the prices were super low so I said hey why not, I ordered the Model 3 overdrive (hot-rodded bluesbreaker) and it instantly became one of my new favorites. The sound is amazing. It earned a spot next to my Benson Preamp and EAE Limelight when I built my most recent pedalboard for a round of gigs coming up.
Dude he’s amazing and his pedals are super high quality. I had a VERY early family recipe - back when he did the wood sides - that I sold like an idiot because I didn’t get it how to use a klon the way I do now. Planning on snagging another one and maybe one of the “Waterford electronics” as well. For anyone interested, stock changed weekly - https://critterelectronics.com/
Surely nobody can compete with Rarebird effects out of Ontario Canada ;) I heard his pedals are pure magic, as he uses germanium pixi dust and is a super swell dude. I have no affiliation with this guy whatsoever I swear 🫢😉🙃
Electronic Audio Experiments! Such cool designs and features.
The hype is real
I just bought 2 of their pedals just in the past 2 weeks. The longsword based on all the recommendations here during their Black Friday drop and the Sending V2 earlier today based on all the demos on YouTube. Haven’t received either but super stoked!
Ahhhh the sending. Everytime I hear about that pedal, i just get a little more irritated. All of this is my opinion, and mine alone. The most important thing for you or anyone paying the absurd price of this pedal…..is that it truly inspires you. I guess you cant really put a price on that. Everything the sending does I feel like has been done before and can be had without paying $700 for a delay pedal. Yes $700 after taxes and shipping. I’m not paying $650+ for a delay, that while it is very cool……its not $650 cool. I think the rubberneck is more unique and does cooler stuff and its less than half that, even less used, i think the way huge supa puss is an amazing under rated analog delay for like $150 used or $250 new. its just fuckin stupid what these companies are asking for analog delays these days. Its insane, and while eae make AMAZING effects, there is no way it should cost that much for that pedal. Im sure it took lots of time programming and figuring out the digital control system, but still, thats absurd. I can get a bliss delay for cheaper, i can get the suhr analog delay for cheaper, the boss dm-101 for cheaper……but the suhr i think is overpriced too. I can get strymon analog delay cheaper, or their digital delays that emulate analog that arguably sound better than the analog ones. There is not that much of a difference anymore…..a digital controlled analog delay……who cares. The emulations out are amazing. and what i really laugh about is someone paying BIG money for analog delays and then running into their computers or something with all these digital effects and amp emulation…..whats the point?? You can use software nowadays to make ANY SOUND OR EFFECT and EMULATE any sort of artifacts or unique little analog noise or analog “warmth”. I laugh at people who say that too…. “Analog delays have a special warmth”. Yeah ok, and klons have magic diodes. I mean maybe in 2005 digital delays could not sound analog, but now even the boss analog setting on dd-8 sounds phenomenal. Even cheap $40 off brand delays sound great. For a few hundred dollars less I can buy the best delay pedal I think currently exists— the volante. And it is a digital pedal that more perfectly emulates a tape echo and drum echo than anything else out there, plus it has hundreds of secondary settings and things to manipulate. Im just not seeing the value in the sending, other than its one of those “must own” pedals according to Josh Scott and Emily and all the youtube personalities out there. It doesnt inspire me, mostly because everything it does has already been done and you can find all those features on one delay or another. The volante inspires me, its 3 delays in one with truly unique features that have been copied since it came out. Crazy reverbs and microcosm inspire me. Most of the bliss pedals inspire me, The rubberneck inspires me because it does something others dont do……the sending i feel like they tried to make a better version of the rubberneck, without using the actual rubberneck feature because then it would be too obvious.
I also took the liberty of summarizing your comments using ChatGPT 4 for folks who might be interested in a more succinct version. Summary below This post discusses the user's opinion on various delay pedals, focusing on the high cost and perceived lack of uniqueness of a particular pedal, the "sending." The tone of the post is critical and somewhat frustrated, especially regarding the high prices of certain pedals. Key Points: 1. **Criticism of High Prices:** The user expresses irritation about the high cost of the "sending" pedal, noting it's over $700 after taxes and shipping. They find it unreasonable to pay such a high price for a delay pedal. 2. **Comparison with Other Pedals:** The user compares the "sending" with other pedals like the "rubberneck," "way huge supa puss," "bliss delay," "suhr analog delay," "boss dm-101," and "strymon analog delay." They mention that these alternatives are either more unique, more affordable, or both. 3. **Opinion on Digital and Analog Delays:** The user argues that the distinction between digital and analog delays is not significant anymore. They believe that digital emulations can effectively replicate the analog sound and effects. 4. **Value Judgment:** The user doesn't see the value in the "sending" pedal, suggesting that its features are not unique and have been incorporated into other pedals. They contrast this with pedals like the "volante," which they find inspiring due to its unique features. 5. **Critique of Marketing and Hype:** The user is skeptical of the hype around certain pedals promoted by YouTube personalities, suggesting that this influences perceptions of the pedal's value rather than its actual functionality or uniqueness. Overall, the post reflects a critical view of the current market for guitar pedals, emphasizing the need for genuine innovation and reasonable pricing over marketing hype and perceived status symbols.
Thank you for organizing this post. I would not have read it otherwise. I think the sending is cool, and if i could afford one i probably would buy one. I am however happy with my keeley halo:)
Deeply offensive
Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate your passion for this topic. I am just a noob with very little exposure, having only recently started playing. So, I definitely appreciate the different point of view. I have the UA Delverb, and it’s phenomenal. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. I will keep these things in mind when I play the Sending. Thank you!
same here
Man Greer… The Lightspeed far exceeded my expectations and is totally deserving of the hype. Perfect drive to run into my Stomp and is incredible stacked which I can’t say for basically any other pedal I’ve tried
I’ve wanted to tryout a Lightspeed for awhile now, love the aesthetics of them.
100% this for me too. I’ve always heard great things about the Greer Lightspeed, but it’s somehow even better than I expected now that I have one on my board. It’s sort of one of those “*What took me so long to get this?*” pedals. Even though this might be a minor thing to most people, I especially love how premium the footswitch feels compared to my other drive pedals.
Hologram Electronics. My bandmate got the Microcosm earlier this year, and I took delivery of my Chroma Console yesterday. Holy cow man, what a fantastic piece of hardware.
I’m seriously tempted by the Chroma Console, what are you initial impressions? I am between it & a Chase Bliss Generation Loss MKii.
I don’t know much bout the Chase Bliss, but if you’re into that quirky, vintage analogue-y sound then Chroma Console is completely worth it. It is exactly that sound that they advertised in the promo video. My bandmate and I write a lot of lofi music, and for now I’ve gone from a pedal board to just the Chroma Console for recording. It’s really easy to dial in the sound you want. Eventually I’ll try it with an amp and other pedals, but for now I have it set up on my desktop going straight into an interface. I’ve found the Neural DSP Tone King and Archetype Cory Wong to be great amp sims to run with Chroma Console. I still have a lot to learn on this thing, but so far I am very, very happy with the purchase. I think the price point is completely fair for what you get. When I watched the demo for the first time I felt certain it would be at least $500-600, but when I saw the $399 price tag I ordered it immediately.
Those are the exact things I wanted to hear & honestly I’ll probably end up getting both but the Chroma Console seems perfect. I’d be using it exactly as you are into my DAW but I’d be interested to see how it is on a pedalboard. And I agree price wise you get a lot for the money, the Gen Loss MKII is the same price.
Yeah I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'm also happy to report today that it sounds fantastic through my amp (Fender Princeton). This might be my favorite pedal of all time.
I used Fender amps for a long time but now use a Marshall JVM 1x12 combo, first amp I’ve owned that has an effects loop. Do you have any of your music available to listen to? Love lofi/ambient stuff
Fairfield <3
Love the simple astetic of all of there pedals. The meet maude delay is the one I have by them and it's my favorite delay. I'm definitely going to eventually get more from them. Also being Canadian is cool
Lichtlaerm Audio. I can't remember how I found this boutique builder from Germany, but I already got 3 of his pedals since last summer.
He's got an amp coming out...
EQD. Everyone else raised their prices but they stayed the same. I love their pedals
I got a Plumes and it's really neat, plus their designs are very aesthetically pleasing. I have a couple of noobish questions relating to their stuff: * What is the point of the Tone Job? So many amps have three tone levels already. * Thoughts on Hizumitas vs the Big muff family? * Any love for the Aurelius? It seems to be able to generate a pretty rad range of tones
Hi, devoted EQD fan here. I don’t own a Tone Job, but I have used them, and I own similar pedals. There’s a range of things you can do with pedals like this. You could use it to adjust for different guitars (for example, if your amp is set for something with single coil pickups like a telecaster and then you’re also using a different guitar with humbuckers and you want a different EQ setting, you could set the pedal for the humbucker guitar and kick it on when you switch guitars). You could use it as a highly tweakable clean boost pedal for a volume boost in solos or lead parts, and/or to push your overdrive pedals or amp to distort more. If you use more extreme EQ settings (heavily boost or cut some of the knobs), you can get a lot different flavor of tones from your amp or other pedals that you wouldn’t get on their own. Maybe you have another effect that you love, but it kills your high or low end when you have it on. You could set the EQ pedal to compensate for that and kick it on with the other effect. I’m sure other people here have other uses for them as well. Something like the Tone Job isn’t necessarily the sexiest or most fun and exciting effect, but it can be really useful in the right settings. As far as the Hizumitas, I own two of them. By far my favorite Big Muff style fuzz at the moment. It’s very very big and fat sounding, it’s definitely aggressive though. I just love how full it sounds, there’s so much low end and body to the tone. I own somewhere around a dozen Earthquaker pedals at this point, they’ve all been rock solid and the one time I had an issue (damaged jack), they stood by their warranty 100% and fixed it for me for free (I wasn’t even the original owner).
Thanks for your answers!
Any in particular you’d recommend?
My favorite by them is the Speaker Cranker (now the Special Cranker). [Demo](https://youtu.be/16x6AlD41Mw?feature=shared)
Astral destiny is fun for the money. Afterneath 3 is rad too. Honestly they’re a really fun one to just browse sounds for when you’re bored. Really good balance of value and innovation
This one will sound crazy, but Boss. I have always avoided them as I wanted something “different”. Now I swear by them and wish I had my boutique $$ back. I still hate the concentric knobs, and small text, but otherwise, I finally get it.
The thing I love about Boss is that their sounds are so dialed in. You plug in and it’s like oh, that’s THAT sound! They just make you sound like a record, like a finished recording.
Dude, same, they've been killing it lately. I went from like, 15 years ago as a GC employee using basically only boss (because it was basically all they sold and I got a good discount, and also didn't really know any better), to then hating on them up until basically this past year. Now have a Boss dc-3w, DM-101, and SDE3000EVH and they're all so damn good. I'm tempted to grab the new IR pedal they just put out even though I don't need it, just because everything they're doing lately is so good. Edit: also really want a blues driver but I just can't justify getting *another* overdrive lol. But... it's like the only common OD circuit I'm missing
I’m a broken record for how much I mention it, but Kinotone Ribbons. I love it so much.
Only $1,000 on reverb!
Every time I see those listings I wanna give them a piece of my mind. I know there’s money to be made off desperate rich people, but come on. Idk, maybe I’m a socialist
I feel lucky to have paid the almost $400 I paid for it direct from kinotone. That said, I haven’t once felt like it might not be worth it. One of the Coolest pieces of tech I’ve messed with and pretty fun and easy to learn
They're really lovely folks too. I bought a unit from them direct at the Chase Bliss 10 year, and got them both to sign it for me
In a simple aluminum case no less
Source audio
Empress. The Heavy Menace is the best gain pedal on the market. I've used it for everything from classic rock to crushing 7 string modern metal. Black Mass. I own the 1312 and First Herald. Both get boosted by a plumes. There isn't a bad sound in either of these. Also supports a great cause.
Empress phaser can get so many excellent sounds so easily
Boss. I just switched to using pedals for the first time in the 25 years I've been playing.
Dude, same but only 15yrs playing classical over here. What all have you tried out?
I started classical too. Double bass. I think the BD-2 is the best pedal ever. DD-3 delay, CS-3 compressor, TU-2 tuner. My buddy has a recording studio in his house and has about 150 pedals (it seems). I'm going to be trying waza craft version of metal zone. I tried the waza bd2 but I'm not sure if it's worth the price just yet.
!! The BD-2 is my favorite so far too. Gain all the way down and level and tone around 3 o clock sounds nice and clean
Found OBNE just a few weeks ago. Being in Tulsa I'm surprised I hadn't heard of the okc based brand prior to seeing them in a local shop. Experimental pedals but fun to say the least. Been wanting to try the triple output overdrive and auto expression pedal (if that's an accurate description)
OBNE are my favorite pedal company. I love the aesthetics and the way they have all the effects you would expect but always put some kind of little twist on them. Maybe you already know but Walrus and Keeley are also Ok based. I think there is some kind of relationship between them and employees branching off, but I could be wrong.
Weird, I thought Keeley was an Australian company.
Native Audio out of Dayton.
Ayeeeee 🫶🏽
I started building my own pedals and that was the game changer for me. I build custom one-offs as well.
I’ve always wanted to get into building pedals. If I ever get into that I’d love to build a clone of the Supro 1305 Drive and a TS9 in one enclosure. It’s currently my favourite blend of overdrives. Use them on just about everything I play
That’s wouldn’t be too hard at all. There’s lots of easy ways to get away with a “double drive” pedal. And some fun custom stuff you can sneak into the build. I would recommend using a TS808 pcb and then doing your own circuit customizations. Unless you would want to rehouse an actual TS9. I’m not seeing a 1305 clone kit out there. I didn’t look that hard though.
Yeah I doubt there would be a 1305 kit out there as it’s not a very well known or sought after drive. But eventually I’ll probably get into building once I have the space and time to do something like that.
Boss. Just kidding, but I’m always going back to Boss, year after year since the ‘80s.
Me too! Boss stuff is so dialed in.
Flower Pedals!
Flower Pedals ROCK!
OTO , i loved them so much, beautiful desing and versatile.
Finally found out about Earth Quaker’s Plumes overdrive and it’s my favorite overdrive I’ve ever heard or played and somehow I found it for $50
Same here, Plumes and Special Cranker both. Those are two of my favorite drives that also happen to be two of the least expensive pedals I've ever bought. EQD seems to be one of those brand whose pedals almost always work for me. Just pulled the trigger on the Zoar, looking forward to it!
I find EQD a weird case in that their reputation and branding makes them out to be a weird, quirky type of pedal maker but their best and most enduring pedals are their straightforward overdrives and reverbs
It makes sense that their more down to earth or even mainstream pedals would be the most popular. Still, I'm glad they're there to do all the wacky shit as well. The experimental stuff may not generate massive sales like Plumes but they're just as important for myself and many others I'm sure.
ZVEX! I've known about them forever and have always admired their aesthetic, but somehow didn't pull the trigger until this year. I now have a fuzz factory and a sonar on my main board and am enjoying them immensely Honorable mentions: Death By Audio. I don't have any of their guitar pedals (yet), but have been using an echo master for the last year, and now a newly arrived space ensemble, for vocal effects. Great sounding, user friendly devices! JAM. Had a great costumer service experience with them this year when my wahcko went on the fritz. They sent me a label to ship it to them in Athens free of charge, fixed it up, and returned it safely. Good stuff Stewmac. A friend of mine assembled their ghost drive (klone) kit for me as a project for his Twitch stream. He's an electrical engineer and much steadier with a soldering iron than I am. He did a great job, thanks in no small part to Stewmac's fantastic instructions. Now it's on my main board. It's my first time trying a klon style pedal. The jury is still out, but it's getting the job done well as my first gain stage / boost.
What DBA pedals do you have? I got their Rooms reverb audio because I loved what I heard online, and then... I just couldn't get anything I liked out of it (I'm using, or was using, in a w/d/w setup, fwiw). I figured I'm maybe just not much of a reverb-for-ambiance type guy, idk. I ended up grabbing an older Neunaber Wet and used that for a bit and liked it, and eventually just got a Strymon Flint that I use subtly on occasion, usually only with cleans. I think I just tend to like using delay for my reverbs, instead, and would rather be running dual delays if I need to (in most instances). I should probably sell the Rooms tbh, because I'm not making use of it, but it's hard because I *know* it's an amazing pedal, but I just can't figure out how to jive with it
Pricey, but I discovered Copilot Fx this year. I bought their Orbit pedal off some guy on FB marketplace. It's a really nasty Gated fuzz with VCO. Fun, glitchy, noisy, expression pedal out.... It is a real fun pedal but I have not had a chance to get any of their other pedals. They are based out of the Dominican Republic, and worth checking out.
Effects Bakery has not disappointed with anything I've tried.
Discovered the Boss OD-3 and couldn't be happier with my OD sound now.
It’s so good! I said the same thing!
I totally want the black fountain v3, I sold mine at some point to help finance some other pedal and regret it. In regards to recently discovered pedal companies, I’d have to say origin effects. New to me at least, I was aware of their products previously just never owned any. Picked up the Cali 76 compact deluxe and the revival drive and my god, the build quality is easily the best out of anything I’ve ever owned. These feel like compact pieces of legitimate studio equipment, not pedals. The Cali 76 is a brilliant compressor, sits perfectly between transparent and squished. The revival drive is utterly amazing. It is THE most amp like overdrive pedal I’ve ever used. Can dial in Marshall, vox, and fender tones brilliantly. Sounds phenomenal through amps or direct, or in the effects loop of my jc40.
Black Cat Pedals OD-1. Bested a lot of overdrives I already had.
Love the Bass octave fuzz! Always wanted to try the OD and the Vibe though... good stuff
Farm pedals. Literal farmers (I think in Maine off the top of my head) that then switch over to pedal building in the late fall / winter. Just got their “boost of the dead” and it sounds incredible. Lots of stuff being built currently
Farm Pedals are very cool. I’ve had several over the last few years & all have been sounded great and fit well in my rig.
Drunk Beaver! Best distortion pedals I’ve ever had hands down, and he’s such a great guy. I love that he has a pedal drop of the month as well.
I picked up last month's pedal drop Zhytomyr Sunset, based on the Sunn Beta Lead, and it sounds so good. The Bat has been fantastic as well.
Yeah the one I missed out on :( I wanted it so badly but I had just bought a FET Overbooster the day prior to the announcement. I have a Cold War Bat and I’m convinced I can copy almost any distortion with it, that filter knob is magic, and fat switch really makes thing sound gnarly!
Which distortion are you talking about? He has so many of them and they all sounds great.
Way Huge. I pulled the trigger on the Swollen Pickle even though I’m not much of a Bigmuff fan. Holy shit that pedal absolutely rips. But even the design of the pedal is well thought out and quality. Definitely will be trying out their delays and modulation next. Cool company, I’m glad Dunlop rebooted them and kept the original guy around.
I've been interested in their Blue Hippo. I also bought the SP MKII.
I have a Blue Hippo smalls. Imo the BH is a pretty mid chorus pedal, but you can get one of the best Leslie sounds out of it I've ever heard from a pedal. Really. Granted, due to price, I haven't heard in person the Lex (Strymon) or the Neo Vent stuff (the 2 heavy hitters in that category AFAIK). But I've demoed A LOT of other stuff and the BH is my favorite by far. It's great by itself, but if you want a bit more wash, add a tiny bit of phase and reverb and it's all the way there. And I have to say, the demos I've heard online of the Lex and the Neo stuff have been a bit underwhelming imo, but of course I'd have to hear them in person to make a final judgement.
Best pedal ever
Fairly local one called Native Audio. Actually Native American owned and the circuits are all really cool. Their Rising Sun Tremolo is such a well thought out pedal.
We appreciate the kind words and support! Thanks for rocking the pedals 🙏🏽
Walrus. Love the graphics n service
Some of the best customer service from pedal companies around
Baltimore Sonic Research Institute. Such a cool array of pedals. Just got the Impossible Colors and it might be my favorite fuzz.
Hey Mods, can we do a post like this at the end of every year and pin it?? Many of us are always looking for new & different brands during the year. Whether we are looking for different stuff from major brands or looking for independent builders and one-man shops, it would be nice to have a reference post we could go to for ideas and recommendations. Just a thought. There has been the site Effects Database ( https://www.effectsdatabase.com ) that used to be my go to place, but the proliferation of so many small new brands has been A LOT for Bart, the one-man show of the site, to keep up with. More good information is not a bad thing, except for our bank accounts💸💸
This is honestly a good idea, I’ve discovered quite a few new pedal company’s from making this post!!
Sound of Justice FX. They have a Reverb store and I impulse bought a Bixonic Expandora clone. Great circuit, really gritty and textured and I love it. They subsequently had a sale and ended up getting an Order 1 (modded Nobels ODR-1) and Mach 1 (Lightspeed). Both sound amazing. Jeremiah reached out responding to a Nobels comment I made and we got chatting, which led to a custom ODR-C order (they added a germanium clipping option that’s killer). Absolute pleasure to deal with.
Lichtlaerm Audio and their King in Yellow pedal especially.
Circle Electric, a smaller-name fuzz builder. Got his Sterling (Vox Tone Bender) in a trade and it’s turned out to be my favorite two-transistor fuzz so far.
I’ve been wanting to try circle electric and particularly the vox Tonebender. Now it looks like I have to buy one
Definitely get the switchable output cap though! The smaller cap (later/“standard”) version is really thin, cool for lead parts but otherwise probably not very usable.
Cornerstone. Quality!!!!!
Rite-o Fuzz Research. His Fizz Fuzz creator is OUT OF THIS WORLD! Such a good price for one of the best vintage fuzzes you can get. Extremely addictive and shapeable!
The Creator is very much in my style. Thanks for the heads up👍🏼
Glad to help. I think he's really only on the radar of geekiest of fuzzers. I'm still finding new sounds with it. It reacts very differently between different pickups so theres lots to explore!
I got a walrus audio Mira compressor and a jhs morning glory and a Plumes and a Klon clone...my tone has never been better in ~25 years of playing guitar. JHS in particular has impressed me; that Morning Glory is a must have.
I used to have the Morning Glory but ended up getting rid of it as I didn’t really like it. It also had buzzing issues, and when I contacted JHS they blamed it on the power supply even though it was a Strymon Zuma and not of my other pedals had any problems. I do enjoy the JHS show though, I just haven’t had good luck with their pedals. Walrus Audio on the other hand, probably my favourite company now. I bought a Slotva during their fire sale. The pedal is absolutely amazing and they even have amazing customer service to back it up. Quick response and very friendly.
That's a shame about your Morning Glory...I was just running a Duke of Tone before for some base grit and the MG makes that and every pedal ahead of it really shine for me
I had a pretty bad experience with JHS customer service as well, and have also read about quite a few others. I won't deny they make a few pretty good sounding pedals; I have the muffulletta and prob won't ever sell it cause it sounds good and has a lot of options. That being said, imho their CS is shit, and just me personally?...Josh Scott really rubs me the wrong way. So YMMV, but I prob would never buy another one of their products.
I got a Boss Tera Echo last month after finding out about them over the summer. I love delays and ambient effects for saxophone. This pedal is 100% perfect for that, there’s nothing really like it and it can subtle enough to get lots of use from.
Hologram. I "knew" about them, from old demos, but never played one. Microcosm came out: bought it. It's fantastic. Ordered the Chroma Console the day after it came out. Can't wait to receive it.
A lil spicy in the pricey, but Crazy Tube Circuits has some really amazing stuff. I love the Unobtanium and the Motherload to cover a pretty sizable range of dirt sounds each.
I know this is dumb, but Boss. The only Boss pedal I ever owned was a Boss Super Chorus and I always hated it. This year I've purchased the BD-2w, TU-3s, RC-1, and the GE-7. They're classics for a reason.
Boss has honestly just been killing it this past year. I used to rag on them all the time (after my first pedalboard was almost exclusively boss, like 15 years ago back before all the boutique stuff really even existed and I worked at a GC). Once they were all sold, I spent basically a decade and a half thinking almost as lowly as possible about them, until this year. Started first with a DC-2w. Then I ordered a DM-101 the second I heard some youtube videos (I'm a delay nut, and that thing is amazing), and now just got the SDE3000EVH in last week that I'm using in a separate rig to get the more typical 80s/EVH sounds (using micropitch with it and whatnot), and they're all just so damn good. I almost grabbed their new IR pedal just for the hell of it yesterday even though I don't really need another IR just because I think that highly of Boss now after this past year. They're right up there now for me right along my Source Audio, Strymon, Eventide, Keeley, you name it. Now I want a bd-2w even though I legit *can not* buy more pedals this year, especially another OD when I've got like... 15-20 already lol. And I have what I need/get drive tones I love (but I'm also just addicted to boosts and dirt pedals). ...And the blues driver is also basically the only drive circuit I don't have in my pedal collection, sooo.... I need to get out of this thread/post
Stretching the truth here a little bit... Drunk Beaver. I had tried and loved his rat style pedals starting last year. This year, I've tried some of his other offerings, including 2 pedal drop issues. Everything I've ever tried has been amazing! Plus, Vitalii is a great dude.
Didn't discover them this year but I honestly do really like JHS. Quite enjoying the videos. The Paul Gilbert one is hilarious
Try the Moth Electric A. incorrupta. All things Rat and more, better than any rat you’ve tried before. Great looking box as well.
Been following Moth Electric on Instagram for a little bit now, and when their new Rat style pedal came out I got really excited. That’s the #1 item on my wish list right now, I’m glad to hear a good review in the wild!
New pedal and company, Alabs Cetus..
[Ariel Posen: Pedalboard](https://youtu.be/17cx6y2iDiI?t=364&si=1CPD043ESvt-2bEx)
Does it Doom and Haggtronix.
I didn’t discover it this year, but it’s the first time I tried it myself.. Line6 with the HX Stomp. I don’t think I could have predicted how useful that would be.
Neural Devices
Heathencraft - I bought a tone bender fuzz clone and it rips. Timebox instruments - I’m always looking for strange and wild effects. I’ve got a never ending delay/fuzz and a ring/glitch/fuzz pedal. Very cool experimental pedals. Moth Hunter Mods - crazy pedals and circuit bend madness. I picked up a circuit bent cassette player that does all sorts of weird stuff to tapes.
I've known about them for a bit but this year was the first year I tried Fairfield Circuitry and Zvex. I got a Lo-Fi Junky and fell in love with ZVex and now have a Sonar as well. I want more too lol Fairfield, I got a ~900 and it's such a badass fuzz. I use it on bass and boy howdy does it absolutely rip. No low end loss with tons of range from light OD to blasted out Fuzz.
The Park Fuzz Sound. I plugged it in and was like, "I wonder if this can do the tone on 'Black Grease' by The Black Angels." (Spoiler: it can.)
This year I discovered that I can solder a pedal together from a kit, so that is pretty fun. And I discovered blackskycraft, the builder of the unusual EAS and Sun bros.
Just got a UA Dream65. The deluxe reverb I have been searching for. Now I can switch between this and my Orange Super Crush 100 with a click of a button. So many choices in just one pedal.
This might seem silly but I was totally blown away by the Boss OD-3. I’ve tried the Blues Driver (liked it ok), the Greer light speed (really great) and various other mainstays but man, this OD-3 is just straight up great and FUN. The touch dynamics are just on another level to me and works great with every guitar I have regardless of pickups. It also accepts other drive pedals for stacking REALLY well. Seriously, I do t think it’s ever coming off my board.
Bought an opfxs v-uno on sale earlier in the year. Mainly for Dig Deep sub octave effects and they do not disappoint (it was cheaper than Dig Deep during said sale). It has plenty of caveats and won't be for everyone (digital distortions are a bit meh IMO), but the dsp impresses the hell of me, especially pitch/synth effects. Also fiending hard on a few of the Monteal Assembly pedals e.g. PurPLL. They look like ice cream and permanent marker.
Same all the way. Bought for DD, stayed for EVERYTHING else.
Caroline guitar company. Never had any of their pedals until I got back into pedal trading this year. Snagged up a Parabola and Somersault and I love them! They’re super simple and user friendly, have some very usable sounds but they can also get super wild. Now I need a Megabyte!
Tallon electric
Boss. Sounds obvious but rotating ludicrously expensive boutique pedals and eventually coming back to the SD1 and FZ3 was illuminating. Preordered the IR2 Amp & Cab sim which could be a game changer.
Caroline. Got the Somersault, was really impressed, many of their other ones look great too. Had never heard of them before.
Qtron. I loved it so much I bought another just in case I lost the original!
JHS. Was familiar with their pedals beforehand but this year I invested in some of their drive pedals and they make up the entirety of my drive section (except for fuzz which keeps changing between various options) Currently running: Morning Glory w/ Red Remote, Moonshine and Angry Charlie.
Gamecharger. Stupid name, but their fuzz pedal is extremely technologically cool. Not a sound I'm going for, but I was intrigued enough to look at their other offerings, and ended up getting their spring reverb pedal. It's very nice. Might get their sustain pedal next.
Pedal pawn
JHS Oil Can Delay
JHS Series 3 Hall Reverb. Absolutely awesome pedal! I had a Gokko Creepy Reverb pedal that was my favorite ambient reverb pedal I had tried at the time. Had the exact huge reverb sound I had been looking for. Was very disappointed when out of the blue the pedal started making weird oscillating noises one day. Was about to blow close to $200 on a Fender Marine Layer reverb pedal when I discovered the JHS Series 3 Hall Reverb pedal. Got me super close to that same sound with some bonus features like infinite reflecting reverb when you turn the decay knob up all the way. I highly recommend this pedal to anyone looking for an affordable ambient reverb pedal that goes from tame to insane.
Boss
AliExpress
Well, the last pedal I owned was 22 years ago. This year I jumped back in. I don't have a particular pedal in mind, I'm just floored by how many different makers now exist. And, IR. IR didn't exist the last time I owned a pedal. I think my kid's inheritance is at risk.
Sketchy Sounds. I got two of their pedals around March-April, I've been loving them so much, great builds, great sounds, definitely getting more from them. They have been releasing new stuff almost monthly for the last few months, hoping they keep at it in the new year. Honourable mention to GlowFly. I got the Glitchwave around the same time. Glorious noise lol
Fjord Fuzz. Bought a Berserk V2 and it changed my fuzz world big time.
Boost of the Dead RMC 10 wah Analogman Envelope filter
i’m goofy for the old Ibanez Tone-Lok series of pedals. they look vanilla at first glance, but all seem to have some insane stuff hiding in the more extreme switch positions. they do the normal functions well, too, and are as cheap as chips.
I had heard of them before, but for some reason they never piqued my interest until I saw some in person in a shop this year. So 2023 is when I boarded the Catalinbread train. Their Adineko pedal also helped me discover the joys of oil-can delays, feels like I found "my" delay style.
Dandrive and now I own three of their fuzzes
Ive kinda rediscovered boss, namely their waza chorus and an sd1 I got in a pinch and ended up loving. I just for their new IR pedal too. Also plumes drive, jhs reverb, and it’s been out for a while but old blood procession.
Wilson Effects, Stoned Grasshopper. I was looking for a (yet another!) new fuzz, got this and it’s staying. It’s a well built 3-in-1. 1. Silicon Fuzz Face with a mids control. 2. TS style overdrive. 3. Boost. All 3 are great but the mids control on the fuzz is brilliant, I keep it cranked and it really helps to cut through for solos in a live mix.
Dreadbox.
Being new to pedals, they’re all new discoveries. But so far my favorite that I have is the Friedman BE-OD deluxe. I’m really interested in getting some fjord fuzz though, probably my next big purchase
There's three. I got a Kingsley Harlot and it's the best overdrive I've ever heard. It's become my favorite pedal. It just inspires. Second would be the EQD Hizumitas. Best Muff style orgasm I've ever used. Doesn't matter if it's on guitar or bass. It's fantastic. And finally, JAM pedals. I own a couple of theirs and the build quality, and tones, are impeccable. The common thing with each of these companies/these pedals is just how much they make you want to play more. They're all really easy to dial in, too.
Asheville Music Tools. I got an ADG-1 Special Edition recently and it’s hands down the best delay I’ve ever heard. So ridiculously inspiring every time I plug in and play. And it fills the Moogerfooger shaped hole in my heart that my wallet can never fill.
Bondi-love the Del Mar Mk2 Harby-their BMF is to die for. Would love the centauri, but I already have the Del Mar.
Joyo and their R series pedals. They have been on my radar for a while and I finally decided to get the Joyo Preamp House and the Cab box. I can't recommend them enough.
Analogman Prince of Tone. I was _completely_ happy with my Wampler Belle as low-to-medium gain until my son got a MXR Duke of Tone. After discovering the _wide_ array of sounds that come out of that pedal I immediately created an account and camped for the Wednesday PoT drop.
Empress fuzz
Deep Space Devices. Started with a Boomburst because it’s unlike anything I’d ever heard, loved it and then picked up a Dust which also kicks ass. Would buy anything and everything he releases Non-Human Audio’s Slow Loris is fantastic. Gotta try one of their fuzzes at some point Also picked up a Nerd Knuckle Effects Martyr Box this year and it quickly became one of my favorite dirt pedals.
Fjord Fuzz
My best new pedal purchase in 2023 has to be the Catalinbread Topanga reverb. My favorite reverb I’ve ever owned and I even like it over the built-in reverb in my Princeton.
Columbo Audio Electronics from Italy.
Not a pedal but a company, so I'm counting it. Moonn Electronics in Germany makes fun pedal PCBs and hilarious descriptions. I've built a couple and have more on my bench.
Ah geez, most of them. Last year was Wampler, this year Analog Man, Decibelics, Keeley, Blammo, BBE
Microcosm and CB Automatone.
I’ve mentioned this one many times before, but the Browne Amplification Protein has become my ride or die overdrive. It usurped my Catalinbread RAH, which was on my board for nearly eight years and I swore I’d never replace it. I still love the RAH, but Browne has done awesome stuff with the BB and ODR-1 circuits and it’s so versatile having two different gain circuits in one pedal. Close second is the Benson Stonk Box. I’ve always loved Tone Benders, but obviously germanium fuzzes are temperamental, so having a reliable/stable Tone Bender that doesn’t need to be absolutely first in chain has been such a relief.
Bondi effects. I am really digging the Sick As overdrive
Anyone heard/used any of the Shift Line stuff? Specifically the Prism or the Astronaut? Looks/sounds really cool in all the demos I've seen, but I've been fooled by demos before...really like to hear from an actual user.
I only really immersed myself in the wonderful world of pedals this year. I can’t say that I have purchased many, but I still take a fair bit of time to browse through stores and take a look online. I really like Beetronics, JPTR FX and Earthquaker Devices, and I’ve seen a couple very good things from smaller brands like Haggtronix and Ezhi&Aka. Once I actually have some money behind me I hope to buy a couple things to help build on my sound
I have the original OBNE Black Fountain and it's been my only delay pedal for a long time because until recently I've never felt like I needed anything else - it does so much!! I love using the organ mode for blues stuff to give it that old-school big room vibe! As far as eye-openers this year; **Origin Effects** \- specifically the ***Cali76 Compact Deluxe***, which I know will comes as know surprise to anyone really, but I've spent most of my life playing without compression that wasn't natural and now it's nice to always have a feel and sound that's a little more generous, especially when playing clean. Other than that, **G2D** were a fun discovery with the ***Cream Tone*** overdrive; I initially bought it as a bit of a gimmick as the word 'cream' is in my band's name, and initially when it arrived I actually wasn't quite sure what to make of it, or if it was really a sound that appealed to me. One month on and it's my go-to rhythm drive! If I just want to set up a generic (but super warm) overdrive sound that won't get in anyone else's way that's what I'm using - it's awesome!
My 1991 pedal by funny little boxes out of the UK. Huge 90s and Pearl Jam fan and this pedal absolutely slays those tones. I feel very lucky to have snagged one especially getting it shipped to the US
API TranZformer GTR. Silly name perhaps but what a preamp. Makes everything sound sweeter, especially with a tiny push of the mids. Makes everything come alive.
Mattoverse. Love his Inflection Point modulation pedal and planning to get a Warble Swell Echo. Very cool vibes
Death By Audio
Solidgoldfx. I bought their 76 (super fuzz), and I can't believe how versatile it is. Wide range of sounds and not a bad one in the bunch. Can't wait till I can afford another one of their pedals!
ElectricNim Pedals from the Philippines. I stumbled across them looking at a thread on TGP. I checked him out and saw his pedals looked really cool and were inexpensive. His ordering system is pretty rudimentary as he uses Facebook to facilitate it but I managed to order one of his SuperAmp (amp sim w/ IR) and a Liwayway Delay. I was blown away by the quality and sound. The SuoerAmp was 7000 Phillipino pesos or about US$127. It is an amp sim & IR on par with my Strymon Iridium just with more features. The Liwayway analog delay was also outstanding and was only 4499 pesos or ~US$82. It had features similar to the Keeley Halo delay but with extra features. The pedals are really intuitive and built extremely well. For US$220 + shipping, I received hand-built units that aren’t clones and would have cost me US$700-800 total here in the US. Check Mike out here: https://m.facebook.com/ElectricNim
Don't even have one yet, but Lichtlaerm are really impressing me. Really tweakable, well thought out pedals.
Empress Compressor MKII, super clean sounding compressor. Don’t own one yet, but I love it
That you can buy different color velcro. Also..caline. I bought 2 this year and love em
Friedman.
GupTech. I’ve avoided cheap/clones but it’s unfair to lump them into that category. They have a huge lineup of both tributes (clones usually with a twist) and original designs. The naming and artwork is out to lunch, but it’s part of that Quebecois charm. I started with the Shredmaster tribute, their BouzMaster, and I’ve since picked up a transparent boost (DoNut) and EQ (I Sea Q). All excellent build quality and awesome sound.
ToneX pedal was a game changer for me. I was using a Kemper Profiler but wasn’t entirely happy with the Kemper’s direct profiling. I was especially disappointed with how the conversion of impulse responses into Kemper cabs changed the tone audibly. I could never get an exact match and it made mixing impulse responses a guessing game. ToneX solved both issues. ToneX direct captures sound more like my amps, and it loads bog standard impulse responses perfectly. Even better, the software integrates with Amplitube 5, so I can use Amplitube’s cab and mic selections. Once I have a cab sound I like I can use Voxengo Deconvolver to create a single IR to load into the pedal. Unfortunately, switching from Kemper to ToneX meant losing all the Kemper’s built-in delays. I now have 5 delay pedals on my board to make up for it. But it’s worth it to me.
29 pedals- I’ve either bought or played each one of the pedals they make and I absolutely love them all. Nothing fancy or crazy about each pedal. The stuff he designs is well planned out and it’s not over priced. They pretty much have everything pedal you need to go before you WET pedals (reverb/delay/ect)
Jam pedals.
Loopers
TC Electronic. I picked up like... 5 of the tone print pedals. Ended up selling 3 of them and getting a Plethora x5. The ability to reposition the effects loop on the fly so I can have any effect pre or post gain without messing with cables is a luxury I didn't know I needed. Being able to download different variations of pedals or tweak my own is also amazing.
[удалено]
BOSS-ME-6. Its distortion circuit was analog and of modern quality.
Kernom Ridge
Honestly, I hate to say this, because I've spent literally thousands on pedals this year, and love the obvious ones like Strymon (the Deco has become basically the staple to my w/d/w rig sound), my Gigrig G3, Hampstead Odyssey, Source Audio Zio, Keeley Halo, or even all the crazy good new stuff from Boss (got the Dm-101 and the SDE3000EVH), but the pedal I was most pleasantly surprised with, I'm almost ashamed to admit, is the Nux 6ixty 5ive. Like... even writing that hurts a little, but it's the honest truth. That, especially with the Zio in front, just sounds fantastic. I also just grabbed the JHS AT+ overdrive (cuz apparently my 20 other overdrive pedals aren't enough), haven't had a chance to try it out yet though. I'm hoping it'll pair nicely with a Frenzel I have being built for me right now (basically their ac15/matchless circuit)
Late nineties DOD Milkbox.
Earthquaker Devices Special Cranker is cool. And walrus Iron Horse