gear giveaway

Author Archive

JHS Overdrive Preamp

The JHS Overdrive Preamp is a simple two-knob circuit inspired by the DOD 250 and featuring both gray and yellow versions, accessible through a switch. The builder's notes say its primary voice is based on a prototype of the DOD 250 from the '70s found by JHS owner Josh Scott,…Click on the title for more

JHS Overdrive Preamp

Colombo Utopia Overdrive

The Colombo Utopia is a 3-voice, hand-made, analog overdrive hailing from Italy. The 3-knob configuration gives access to the classic Volume, Tone and Gain (Overdrive) parameter, but it's the central toggle switch that opens up some interesting options: The Vintage mode delivers a tone in the style of a TS808,…Click on the title for more

Colombo Utopia Overdrive

Sonicake VolWah Wah + Volume Pedal

The Sonicake VolWah is an affordable, Chinese mini wah/volume that does the job and that’s very popular on Amazon or eBay. Its active circuit prevents Impedance incompatibility issues with other finicky pedals like fuzzes. The case is made of plastic but doesn't feel flimsy. For such an affordable pedal, it's…Click on the title for more

Sonicake VolWah Wah + Volume Pedal

Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord Fuzz

A variant of the Electro Harmonix V2 Big Muff Pi “Ram’s Head” (1973-1977), the Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord is a pedal that can deliver a wide variety of dirty tones, beyond fuzz. Sporting the same carbon resistors and four selected NOS BC239C transistors found in the original, the Swamp…Click on the title for more

Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord Fuzz

Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive

Those looking for a pedal that encapsulates the essence of traditional Texan music may find what they need in the Texan Twang, a pedal by a company based in Cambridgeshire, UK. Inspired by a steady aural diet of Steve Ray Vaughan, this combo boost/overdrive pedal is a two-knob, treble booster-inspired…Click on the title for more

Pedal Pawn Texan Twang Overdrive

TWA Triskelion Mk III Harmonic Energizer

New Jersey's TWA (an acronym for Totally Wicked Audio) unveiled the Triskelion Mk III Harmonic Energizer, a midrange booster with adjustable gain based on the vintage Systech Harmonic Energizer used by the likes of Frank Zappa, Greg Lake, Joe Walsh and other 70’s icons. Acting as a cocked wah pedal with…Click on the title for more

TWA Triskelion Mk III Harmonic Energizer

New Pedal: BSM Black Box

Designed by veteran stompbox engineer Bernd Meiser of BSM pedals, the Black Box is a treble booster variant inspired by the device used by AC/DC's Angus Young as a wireless system in front of his JTM amps: the Schaffer Vega Diversity System. The Schaffer Vega wasn't a transparent box, but…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: BSM Black Box

Pigtronix Gamma Drive

In the pedal world, overdrives are a niche that is for the most part based on technology that's not particularly innovative, but the folks at Pigtronix have gotten us used to devices the push the technological envelope: their Gamma Drive does just that, through a circuit that features a unique…Click on the title for more

Pigtronix Gamma Drive

New Pedal: Zander Circuitry Cafetiere V4 Distrofuzz

UK's Zander Circuitry is one of the few truly boutique builders who is churning out pedals that can compete in advanced functionality with the more established builders like JHS or Walrus Audio, and the Cafetiere Distrofuzz V4 is here to prove it: it's an 8 mode, analog fuzz/distortion pedal with…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Zander Circuitry Cafetiere V4 Distrofuzz

Mojo Hand FX Sericon K-Style Overdrive

The Sericon, by Mojo Hand FX, is a device that inserts itself in the Klone saga with a very peculiar story. This pedal's circuit is identical to the very well-regarded ProAnalog Devices Manticore V2. The company commissioned Cusack Music (who owns Mojo Hand FX) to produce it but then went…Click on the title for more

Mojo Hand FX Sericon K-Style Overdrive

New Pedal: Intensive Care Audio Recovery Phase/Tremolo

The Intensive Care Audio Recovery Phase is a new dual phaser/tremolo pedal by one of the coolest new British boutique pedal builder, weaned by what's one of the quirkiest and out of the box stompbox manufacturers to date, Rainger FX. Boasting a set of 8 different waveforms per channel, selectable…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Intensive Care Audio Recovery Phase/Tremolo

JHS Muffaletta Muff-Style Fuzz

One of the oldest and most beloved guitar pedals of all time is the Big Muff, a fuzz pedal introduced by Electro-Harmonix decades ago. This revered stompbox has certainly stood the test of time, and has seen a number of variations on the original design. If you love all those different versions, you…Click on the title for more

JHS Muffaletta Muff-Style Fuzz