Updated Feb. 7, 2023 | by Paolo De Gregorio

Best New Pedal Releases 2023

In January we were too busy compiling our Best Pedals of 2022 List that we didn’t have the time to post our monthly article about the best December pedals, therefore we are aggregating the releases from that month to the ones of January 2023. They were two rather slow months anyway, although both featured some highlights.

The most fun/creative pedals were released by Poly and Walrus Audio, while we’d be hard-pressed not to be ecstatic whenever Faifield Circuits unveils a new creation – in this case a “different” fuzz. Keeley dropped a new variation of the Caverns, which should make shoegaze and ambient guitarists very happy. Other noteworthy releases were Wampler’s double entry in the sub-$100 overdrive and a bunch of uber-tweakable gain pedals by Electronic Audio Experiments, Crazy Tube Circuits, and Cornerstone Gear.

Here are our interactive galleries with all the pedals, if you buy, please use the link with the blue icon, because…

Please use the links with the blue icon when ready to buy

As usual, a mouseover or first tap will open a description of the pedal, while a click or second tap will open a video.

Best Non-Gain Releases in Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2023

2123524267
Walrus Audio Melee
$299 | A routable distortion + reverb pedal with a hidden modulation effect added at the end of the chain. The joystick controls the blending of distortion and reverb. The 3-way Tone and Decay toggles have low, medium, and high settings, while the Sustain footswitch increases the reverb to maximum settings.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
2058696148
Keeley Parallax
$219 | A new version of the popular delay + reverb pedal Caverns (see below) squarely built with the shoegaze crowd in mind, since it features the reverb section of the Realizer, a pedal built specifically for shoegaze rock. The reverb types are Hall (which is actually a Hall with shimmer effect), Reverse and Soft Focus.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
851437372
Mr Black Heaven's Gate
$199 | A gated reverb for guitar with super easy controls. Wet/Dry blends clean and reverb tones, Trigger sets the gate’s threshold (i.e. how long the reverb will last before it gets gated) and Decay tweaks the speed of the closing gate, from gradual to abrupt.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3344901193
Way Huge Attack Vector Sound
$199 | A straightforard 2-mode envelope phaser and filter pedal. The two modes can be toggled through a switch. Both effects can follow the LFO and the player's dynamics (envelope), parameters that can be set through the Speed and Sens knob. Range and Feedback knobs control the width of the oscillation and the intensity of the effect.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
517444089
Laney Black Country The Difference Engine Delay
$479 | Although it only has three modes (tape, digital and dynamic), this ingenious DSP-powered delay lets you mix and match features from them via the LCD screen to create a variety of echo possibilities, offering extra effects including modulation, analog artifacts, multi-tap, dynamics and internal routing options. It also features Tap Tempo and Freeze.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
954706431
Bardic Audio Devices & Dirty Haggard Audio The Thing
$200 | an op-amp/LED fuzz with a dual phaser (a 2- and a 4-stage) that lets you route the three circuits in different ways with a variety of (mostly psych) sonic results. There’s also a simple two-way EQ section that’s always after both effects. A toggle switch changes the phaser’s position in the circuit – pre or post-fuzz. The Dry/Fuzz switch on the left, when in the up position, changes how the signals are mixed.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2869045215
Glowfly Hymnosis
~$150 | A handmade circuit that integrates octave up/down, forward/reverse delay and freeze, to allow the creation of inspiring sounds and textures. All the effects can be played simultaneously, with the toggle switch in the middle selecting between forward or reversed delay. The second footswitch triggers the freeze function.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2356429140
OPFXS Electric Vibe
~$214 | a four-stage phaser that can do both LFO and Envelope-controlled phasing at once (or separately). It can also remove the dry signal for Uni-Vibe tones. The LFO can follow 3 waves (Sine, Triangle, and Pulse) with Depth and Rate controls, while the envelope phasing is activated through alt function accessible by pushing the small FNCT button. The Speed and Depth switches on, the envelop will affect the LFO's rate/amplitude.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
4162173453
krozz Airborn Flanger
$229 | a clever flanger design with an Oxidation high-frequency filter that acts only on the modulated signal and interacts with the effect’s Feedback, for a more subtle flanging at lower settings. The “+/-” toggle selects the feedback’s direction. A Filter-Flanger switch inside the pedal that lets you lock the oscillator so that the Range knob will select a static frequency range for the flanging.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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Best Gain Releases in Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2023

2950730932
MXR/Third Man Record Double Down
$169 | a stereo take on MXR Micro Amp preamp. useful for guitarists who, like White, are splitting their guitar signal to feed separate effects and amps. The Micro Amp has been his boost of choice since the beginning of his career and having a two-channel version was a small dream that’s now coming true with the Double Down pedal.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
647942580
Fairfield Circuitry Roger That
$299 | uses an “FM modulation and demodulation scheme,” to generate tones ranging from a regular overdrive to a noisy lo-fi fuzz. Drive delivers straight overdriven tone when the Wet knob is turned down. Turn the latter up to blend in FM-modulated signal, with the Tune and Shift knob adding mysterious FM effects. The Tune control can produce tunpredictable tones, from useable to wild.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
3651534702
Wampler Collective Series
$99 each | a new affordable series of gain pedal by a US builder with a record of best-selling dirt boxes. The Triumph is voiced after the DigiTech Bad Monkey and the BOSS SD-1, while the Phantom is inspired by the MXR 5150.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
511134233
greer Black Mountain
$199 | a British-style crunch overdrive by a Georgia-based boutique builder with a growing following. Delivers the classic mid-range emphasis and crunchy saturation, inspired at least in part by the post-Plexi era Marshall amps (also known for their metal panel) and the guitar sound of The Darkness’ 2003 album Permission to Land,
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
4109995828
catalinbread Formula 51
$247 | It recreates the tone of a Tweed Champ, a one-knob, 4-watt combo "rehearsal" amp released way back in 1948, the predecessor of the Fender Blackface. It sports a Sag knob, which loads down the transformer to your taste, giving you some real-deal blown-out leads. The Tone knob emulates a popular mod, incorporating the mid scoop control of the Framus Cobra amp.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
3006587386
Poly Effects Flat V Drive
$399 | An innovative 2-channel stackable overdrive with controls for HPF (Treble), Volume, Gain and LPF (Bass) for each channel. A is transistor based with selectable clipping diodes, while B is an amp-style gain circuit with synth-style resonant parametric filters. Each channel has two presets, for a total of 4 that can interact through a tremolo-style LFO that fades each tone in and out.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
2088717258
Electronic Audio Experiments Citadel
$249 | a Plexi-style preamp overdrive that emulates both the preamp and the tube power amp stage of the venerable Marshall series, offering the classic sonic character on the entire gain spectrum, from piano-like cleans, bright overdrive, and sizzling lead tones, always delivering the Plexi's signature sparkly midrange.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
2602267439
Crazy Tube Circuits Unobtanium
$269 | marries a Klon-style overdrive (on the right) and a D-style amp in a box (on the left), featuring voicings for Special Overdrive and Steel String Singer. The Emphasis knob affects the presence and the low end of the signal before the drive stage, while the Tone knob sets the post-overdrive high-end. The Klon side has two voices: the stock clipping/compression or a modified one for extra gain and headroom.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
526134229
cornerstone imperivm
~$359 | A super-tweakable dual overdrive with a D-Style on one side and a Tube Screamer clone on the other. The two channels can be routed either way and have separate footswitches. They both have plenty of sculpting options and a Compressor switch for more or less dynamics.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
2786338097
Korg Nu:Tekt Power Tube Reactor
$299 | An amp character simulator employing a KORG mini-tube to deliver "sag," the compression/saturation typical of tube amps. This character can be added to taste through the Power Sag knob and blended in with the clean signal through the Mix knob. First in chain, the Tube Gain knob adds saturation, while the final Volume knob pushes extra dbs into your amp. Three trimpots let you fine-tune Tone, Sustain and Threshold.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
530896837
Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp
$349 | the most tweakable compact pedal in this list, also featuring an FX Loop. Through a dazzling number of (hand-wired!) controls, this preamp pedal puts at your toe tips the tone of 5 of the most popular Marshall amps: JTM45, JMC800, 1959 SLP, 1987 X, and JVM. Two gain and 4 EQ knobs are integrated by switches offering 4 tone and 4 gain options.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
785473196
Ohmless Pedals AKC-4
$249 | It expands on the Klon circuit by adding knobs for Bass and Blend and also by adding an extra 20dB clean Boost with its own control and footswitch, which can be placed before or after the drive stage. It also gives you 4 clipping voices which can be switched via Midi or by holding the footswitches.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
952428851
Korg Nu:Tekt Harmonic Distortion
$299 | a DIY kit pedal Developed by Fumio Mieda, designer of the Uni-vibe. Through three trim pots labeled “Harmonic” and accessible directly from the top of the case, it lets you combine 3 separate distortion circuits, allowing you to produce a wide range of tones from the classic to the atypical, fuzz included. The four main knob on the top let you control other more traditional aspects of the tone.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
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Anasounds Tape Preamp
~$150 | a 2-knob + 1 toggle pedal with a wide sonic range, inspired by the Echoplex preamp stage. It can be used as a “colored” boost or an overdrive. The Dynamic knob varies the voltage from 3v to 27v, delivering an even wider palette of saturated sounds from broken velcro-like console preamp tones to natural and open crunches. A 3-way Bass toggle switch delivers three low-end options.
1974475415
One Control Silver Bee 4K Mini Overdrive
$229 | a shrunken version of the Silver Bee, voiced after classic American combo amps. It has the same 4 controls as the original (Volume, Drive, Bass and Treble), and delivers the same range of tones, from clean to dynamic ovedrives with the typical flat low end airy top end of the amp that inspired it. A VINTAGE/MODERN switch subtly changes the response of the low frequencies.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3641675236
Horrothia Triage Preamp
$229 | a discrete transistor preamp that can act both as a front-end preamp and an overdrive. The overdrive stage has a Mid Peak switch that, when engaged, delivers a Tubescreamer-style mid bump. The tone can be further sculpted through the HF knob which cuts or boosts the high frequencies. When the Mid Peak switch is off and the HF is in the center, it acts as a full range boost.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1194331000
Ground Control Bread Oath Overdrive
$219 | a low to mid-gain opamp-based overdrive with Silicon and Germanium clipping modes. It features a footswitch-activated pre-gain stage acting as a boost, useful for standing out during chorus or matching the rhythm section during loud choruses. A Tone control allows for some degree of tone sculpting.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1691696564
cusack Screamer V3 Drive
$185 | It offers more clarity than your regular TS and sports twice the gain. A toggle switch lets you choose three voicings: Standard, Crushed, or Asymmetrical LED clipping. V3 sports metal film capacirots, while V2, with identical features and sound, has ceramic ones.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3403725554
VVco Pedals Dark Father Preamp
$289 | a preamp pedal filled with buttons reminiscent of electronic toys from the ’80s, that can deliver a wide range of tones thanks to its overdrive, lo-fi fuzz, two boosts, and 3-band eq circuits. Three preamp modes (Light/Dark Boost and one Preamp) feed switchable fuzz (here called LOFI) and EQ sections. The blue “Force” button will add a boost in volume to the preamp/overdrive section.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3742679866
MLA Pedals Germanium Eliminator
$189 | a Germanium version of a ZZ Top-inspired overdrive voiced after the tone of the bearded band's guitarist Billy Gibbons. With its high input impedance and three controls, this overdrive can do anything from boost to hot overdrive to complete tube-like saturation, with the thick and chewy character.  The Germanium diodes add a slightly different character from the original.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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Best Fuzz Releases in Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2023

2917606424
Wonderful Audio Fuzz Lands
$190 | an original circuit with a combination of JFET, germanium, and silicon transistors delivering a wide range of dynamic fuzz sounds. ROOTS toggle turns/on/off a gain stage for classic, less ‘gainy” fuzz tones (Vintage mode) or more aggressive ones. EARTH toggle changes the input frequency range, while NATURE varies the transistors' voltage feedback, affecting the fuzz's character.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3575632909
Fuzzrocious Dark Driving V3
$170 | V3 of this medium gain drive adds extra sonic options. Light/Dark modes, already present in V2 and controlled through a second footswitch, are assigned in V3 via a toggle, with the two voices tweaked for a more dramatic difference, delivering thicker darker or brighter and more piercing sounds. A new Diode switch provides a second voice based on BAT46 diodes, more warm and compressed.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1594739081
Bixonic Axentrix A1
$200 | a digital evolution of the Expandora with innovative features that can deliver the entire spectrum of saturated tones, including fuzz. Its 4 modes (Crunch, Overdrive, Distortion, & Fuzz) are accessible by tapping on the Gain knob, which will change the color of the knobs' lights. The resulting sound can be instantly tweaked using 4 knobs: Level, Gain, Tone, & Accent, which applies the Expandora's voice and dynamics to your tone.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1765806661
Black Mass Electronics The First Herald
$185 | An extremely versatile Fuzz voiced for metal guitarists. A separate Boost circuit can be placed before or after the fuzz. A Scoop knob lets you boost or cut th mids, while a Clip toggle gives you the option to engage Silicon or LED/Mosfet clipping – the former darker sounding and less aggressive than the latter.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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