gear giveaway

Author Archive

Catalinbread Germanium Fuzzrite

Together with a handful of other circuits, the Mosrite Fuzzrite is one of the "second" most popular historical fuzzes, after the holy fuzz trinity comprised by Tone Bender, Fuzz Face and Big Muff. The Catalinbread Germanium Fuzzrite is a variation on what's already the most popular Fuzzrite clone, also built…Click on the title for more

Catalinbread Germanium Fuzzrite

Volta 1987 V2 Dual Plexi Overdrive

The 1987 v2 is a two-channel overdrive designed to sound like a Plexi hot-rod pushed to the max. Hand-made in Italy by a company that recently changed its name from Nabla to Volta Custom, this is, in essence, an overdrive with a foot-switchable boost appropriately called "11," whose gain can…Click on the title for more

Volta 1987 V2 Dual Plexi Overdrive

Acorn Amps Solid State

Peavey's solid-state amps have been subject to many sarcastic jokes by tube amps snobs, little matters that they were the sonic centerpiece of the groundbreaking power rock sound of bands like Pixies and Queens of the Stone Age. Acorn Amps Solid State is here to fix this with a pedal…Click on the title for more

Acorn Amps Solid State

Best New Pedal Releases | August 2022

Our appointment with the best pedals released in August 2022 is a little late this month due to the Labor Day festivities, but it's here nonetheless! Pedal releases by major builders picked up a little bit last month after a very slow July. The supply chain issues still affecting the…Click on the title for more

Best New Pedal Releases | August 2022

29 Pedals OAMP Output Amp / Boost

29 Pedals makes utility stompboxes that help guitarists preserve and condition their tone. The EUNA was their first "hit," a unity amplifier with an input driver that replaces a conventional buffer and that solves problems related to extra long cables or incompatibility between your wah and fuzz pedals (through an…Click on the title for more

29 Pedals OAMP Output Amp / Boost

Walrus Audio Mira Optical Compressor

The Walrus Audio Mira is the latest pedal by what is undeniable the most prolific - and diversified in its releases - pedal company of the '20s. It's a studio-grade optical compressor with all the controls found in classic analog studio units - such as the revered Urei 1176 -…Click on the title for more

Walrus Audio Mira Optical Compressor

Berry Pedals PHAT Distortion

For those who just can't get enough RAT in their system, the Berry Pedals PHAT might be exactly what their inner doctor ordered: a dual RAT with a 3-way EQ section instead of the Filter knob. Needless to say, the EQ provides a wider sonic palette than the original, while…Click on the title for more

Berry Pedals PHAT Distortion

NativeAudio War Party Distortion

The NativeAudio War Party is a hand-made, 3-knob distortion pedal developed from the company's Kiaayo dynamic distortion, but with a definite RAT-style tone and lo- to high-gain flexibility. The filtering and clipping characteristics of the Kiaayo, combined with the 9-18DVC operation, make this a RAT-style pedal with remarkable dynamics and…Click on the title for more

NativeAudio War Party Distortion

Flamma FC05 Mod Mini Multi-Modulation

Chinese pedal builder Flamma is a rather new player in the stompbox realm who is offering clean but sharp-looking stompboxes at incredible prices. The mini Multi-Modulation FC05 MOD is their latest release, sporting a good-mood-inducing bright green case. The FC05 offers a total 11 effects from your all-time classics (Chorus, Vibrato,…Click on the title for more

Flamma FC05 Mod Mini Multi-Modulation

Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe

After dropping pictures and videos of it in advance, British pedal builder Horrothia is finally shipping their Uni-Vibe clone, the Berkeley. This is a classic, 3-knob take on the beloved effect found in many immortal records from the '60s, with a signal path almost identical to the original; Carbon film…Click on the title for more

Horrothia Berkeley Uni-Vibe

New Pedal: Tubesteader Magnezium Dual Tube Preamp

Voiced after the legendary Magnatone Super 59 M80 amp, the Tubesteader Magnezium is the latest dirt box by a Montreal-based small builder who specializes in gain pedals with real tubes in them. Equipped with a pair of 12X7 tubes operating at full 250VDC, this pedal offers two separate gain channels:…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Tubesteader Magnezium Dual Tube Preamp

New Pedal: Daredevil Aces Hybrid Amp

The Daredevil Aces Hybrid Amp is a pedal for those who like simple things: it's a two-gain stages preamp with just one knob and one on/off footswitch. Inspired by an RCA data sheet from the '50s, the Aces' circuit uses both Germanium and Silicon components to deliver a saturated tone…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Daredevil Aces Hybrid Amp