Author Archive
Sometimes it feels like the world is giving birth to at least one drive pedal per day, but a quick glance at the new 
The 
Described by some as a (Chase Bliss) MOOD "killer," the Matthews Effect The Technician is a rather complex but intuitive dual channel stereo delay+reverb with added modulation effects, and looper functionality. Aka - as per the subtitle - an "Auditory Manipulator." The pedal was released without fanfare at the end of 2024, but it's sure a major accomplishment for this boutique US builder.... Click on the title for more
Hand built in Portland OR, the 
The Catalinbread Soft Focus Deluxe expands on the popular non-deluxe version of the pedal by adding delay and distortion to the modulated reverb + shimmer algorithms offered by the original version based on a recreation of a patch found on the Yamaha FX500, a digital rack effect of the late ’80s that was commonly used by shoegaze bands, mostly famously Slowdive.... Click on the title for more
It seems like amp and cab modelers have been getting better and more feature-rich by the day since the turn of the decade. The next challenge is to keep that quality and features and bring down the price, which is what the NUX Amp Academy, a $189 fully-featured device, is here to do.... Click on the title for more
The 
From one of the most buzzworthy American boutique amp makers comes a new overdrive with a wide tonal palette, some interesting features, but mostly, a tone likely to seduce many electric guitar connoisseurs. Enter the 
The LPD One20Threeis a dual channel overdrive that combines features of the company's Fifty5 (a Fender Tweed-style pedal) and Sixty8 (a Plexi-style drive) into one versatile unit. It includes a new soft-touch true bypass switching system, along with order switching, parallel routing, and three programmable bypass modes.... Click on the title for more
The 
Seattle via L.A. high-gain amp maker Soldano entered the pedal market not long ago with the SLO overdrive, a stompbox version of the Overdrive channel of their two-channel SLO amplifier. The SLO Plus pedal reintegrates in a slightly wider case also the other clean channel found in the original amp.... Click on the title for more
