Updated Jul. 6, 2023 | by Paolo De Gregorio

Best New Pedal Releases | June 2023

Time for our monthly recap of the new pedal releases!

Some really cool new stompboxes saw the light of day in June 2023, from the most beastly analog delay ever released (by BOSS) to new, hotly anticipated devices by 1981 Inventions and Thorpy FX, without forgetting the very first Kevin Shields (of My Bloody Valentine’s fame) signature pedal by Fender – something that made the shoegaze guitarists’ mind explode in synch!

But hey, there was a lot more than that – here’s the whole scoop, enjoy!

(Older monthly articles like this one can be found here).

Best New Non-Gain Pedals Released in June 2023

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BOSS DM-101
$499 | an incredibly powerful analog, stereo delay pedal that embraces new trends in the stompbox industry, offering plenty of features including stereo, presets, Tap Tempo, modulation, and trails functionality, as well as a multi-mode approach normally reserved for digital devices. It provides 12 widely varied modes of analog delay with distinct flavors and functions.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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3735948010
Thorpy FX ER-2 Univibe
~$299 | a quality boutique uni-vibe clone sporting the same a lamp-powered LFO system as the original. The Offset knob subtly changes the way the lamp ramps up, delivering sharper or softer rise and fall of the LFO curve. This can add beautiful yet subtle new textures that expand on the classic uni-vibe sound. A second footswitch allows to switch between the pedal’s two voices (Vibe and Chorus).
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
4069275404
Asheville Music Tools AFG-1 Flanger
$379 | using a MN3009 BBD chip powered at 15V, it delivers flanger and chorus sounds either via LFO or dynamic-based modulation linked to the performence's attack. 3 flanging modes: Traditional Airplane, the more subtle Swirl, and a Formant Phase with a deeper hollow or vocal tone. A rotary switch assigns CV / Expression to Freq, Feedback, Rate, or Amount.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
1730224355
Warm Audio Mutation Phasor II
$149 | a clone of the legendary and recently out of production Mu-Tron Phasor II, which sounds thicker and richer than the MXR 90 and also allows for more control, thanks to the Depth and Feedback knobs. Featuring quality components and matching the largish size of the original, it works well with all sorts of instruments, including guitar, keys, or bass.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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771720579
Spaceman Meridian Modulator
$329 | an exploration of delay-based effects that are not an actual echo. Through a MN3007 BBD chip, it recreates, at different Time settings, a variety of modulation tones from chorus to true pitch-shifting vibrato, wispy phasing, throbbing Leslie, static comb filtering, and double-tracking. It has 3 LFO shapes: Sine, Triangle, and "Flux" (a blend of a triangle and random wave).
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
1995643381
jam Harmonious Monk mk2
$279 | a vintage-inspired analog circuit that can do Harmonic and Amplitude tremolo. Depth and Mix knobs set the intensity, while the second footswitch allows to access two tremolo speeds. Internal trimmers allow various tweaks to the EQ and output. V2 adds Tap Tempo., Ramp speed function, a new Legacy mode, and a few other features.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3227405130
Bleak District Tapescape
~$285 | a tape-style echo with controls for Wow and Flutter that range from realistic tape degradation to totally "out-there" sounds. The Swell knob sets the intensity of the momentary feedback swell you get pressing the right footswitch. Three toggles add extra functionality with 3 LFO shapes, three EQ settings (Low Pass FIlter) and the option to turn off the dry signal.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2562796478
Native Audio Buffalo Days
$219 | a compact, streamlined multi-mode reverb pedal with four reverb types: Spring, Room, Plate and Hall. The only two controls are for Mix and Depth. Other nifty features include optional reverb trails and smart switching system for standard on/off latching or momentary operation.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2786624136
The Li'l Tooter
$150 | this is the mini successor of the infamous Fart Pedal. It’s loaded with 30 high-quality bespoke fart sound effects, which trigger randomly as you pluck your strings, and, from what we hear, it can deliver both tighter and looser fart tones, but – ATTENTION! – it does NOT do transparent farts.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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Best New Fuzz Pedals Released in June 2023

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1981 Inventions LVL
$229 | A low gain overdrive based on a peculiar combination of light clipping and op-amp-based gain stages that conjures up a unique character and gain structure. On top of delivering sweet-sounding overdrive, this pedal is also extremely flexible, being designed to work well with bass and stack nicely with any other pedals, whether at the front or the end of the chain.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
1156487570
Warm Audio ODD Box
$119 | An authentic-sounding clone of the Fulltone OCD: it's a hard clipping, op-amp-based drive with 20db of gain on tap delivering the articulation, dynamics, and breakup of a tube amp. A two voice toggle delivers brighter and darker tones and a Tone knob allows for extra coloring. The voice toggle switch, renamed here "UK/US" delivers a darker and less aggressive gain sound on the US setting.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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96152870
Catalinbread Carbide Distortion
$189 | a 3-knob take on the “Chainsaw-style Distortion.” The Dry path routes the signal to a clean boost optimized for downtuned instruments; the Wet one sends it through the distortion circuit, voiced after a maxed out BOSS HM-2 (with extra tweaks). The Emphasis knob, tightens up the low end while taming the highs for a more focused sound.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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3150132840
Browne Amplification Gritador
$219 | a take on the Tube Screamer by a company that specializes in simple but great-sounding devices inspired by classic circuits. This version delivers a more nuanced midrange bump that doesn't get as nasal, and a slightly more pronounced low end, without losing the TS's signature punchy and tight quality. The clipping is slightly less symmetrical than in the original.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2267513734
JAM Pedals Boomster mk2
$219 | a boost with one knob and three voices using Texas Instruments OPA 2132 chips. The top toggle position attenuates the highs (tweakable via internal trimmer); the middle one delivers a flat EQ response; the bottom one boosts the mids (also tweakable). It can push up to 16dBs of clean gain, controllable via Expression pedal.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2741760429
CKK SHXC Overdrive
$349 | a boutique Chinese, hand-made Klon variant that extends the original’s tonal range delivering a more detailed, dynamic and rich tone in all the frequency ranges. it uses the best-sounding NOS Germanium diodes, utilizing also an ultra-rare TL072 opamp, which implies that no more than a few hundred copies of this pedal will be built.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
4096427387
Cornerstone Colosseum
~$350 | A take on the (routable) Blues Breaker + Klon dual drive. The BB side has no clipping diodes for more volume and brighter tone, and features Tone and Clean knobS. The Klon side uses 1N34A Germanium diodes and features a Clip blender knob which adds extra saturation via two hand-selected Silicon diodes. An FX loop lets you put any other pedal in between the two channels.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1572046471
TC Electronic Ampworx
$149 | a dual channel amp-in-a-box series with separate (routable) boost footswitch and headphones out emulating the tone of a Vox AC30, a Fender Deluxe, and a Marshall JTM45. The two channels have independent normal/high gain controls and tone-shaping options. A Presence Pot, Celestion 4 x 12-inch G12M Creamback Cab Sim and DI out are accessible on the rear panel.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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2911774980
revv chat breaker
$199 | born from an exchange of ideas with the most famous AI engine (Chat GPT), the Chat Breaker is a flexible three knob overdrive in part reminiiscent of the Blues Breaker. Its range goes from edge of breakup to full distortion crunch.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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3784614239
Spruce Effects The Arborist V2
$180 | V2 of the company's Silicon overdrive that replaces the Tone control with independent passive treble and bass controls, and a new 3-way voice switch delivering 3 modes: smooth, dynamic, and comp. These are based on a unique germanium feedback/diode clipping arrangement and expand the sonic palette of this overdrive in unique and compatible ways.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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Best New Gain Pedals Released in June 2023

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Fender Shields Blender
$499 | a modded version of the '70s Fender Blender dual Fuzz/Sub-Octave Fuzz realized in collaboration with My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. It has a new, foot-switchable Sag feature, which simulates a power supply voltage dropout for velcroy and sputtering tones. and a new Octave Blender mode that sends the signal separately to the fuzz and the sub-octave fuzz.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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775410925
mxr Hybrid Fyzz
$169 | a two-knob Fuzz Face-inspired pedal that integrates into a single circuit the original's silicon transistor, known for its aggressive and snarling high-gain tone, with the smoothness and warmth of a germanium transistor (found in later interactions of the Fuzz Face), delivering a multi-faceted fuzz/distortion pedal with just Output and Fuzz controls.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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1333610534
Beetronics FX OctaHive V2
$199 | V2 of this super high gain fuzz with chaotic leanings and a switchable octave-up. In BUZZZ mode (octave off), it unleashes a high-gain fuzz ideal for low riffage and powerful chords, while the OCTAVE mode delivers tones reminiscent of psychedelic sounds of the ’60s. The modes can be switched by double-tapping the footswitch, and tweaked via the three very interactive knobs
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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3511695573
Mythos Hephaestus Mini Variable Voltage Fuzz
$139 | a one-knob fuzz that, instead of a gain or “fuzz” knob, features a “Warning” controlling the voltage fed to the circuit. To the max it delivers a modern version of the Jordan Boss Tone. Turning it down it will “starve” the circuit, with changing results: a velcroy effect at first; a more pronounced breakup at lower levels; and then, around 1 o’clock, the resemblance of a sub-octave.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1756430893
Daredevil Ten Tone Anniversary Fuzz
$229 | celebrating the company's 10th anniversary, this is a one-knob fuzz with a rich and complex tone, hosted in a beautiful vintage-style wedge aluminum enclosure by Hammond Mfg. Handbuilt in Chicago, IL, this fuzz’s circuit sports individually tested Silicon transistors and it’s voiced after the vintage fuzz pedals of the ’60s, delivering a range of tones going from crunchy to huge.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2797203207
Kasleder Pipergate
~$350 | a fuzz voiced after the Selmer Buzz Tone, Pink Floyd's Syd Barret fuzz of choice. It utilizes original’s three (rare) Germanium transistor topology, but modernized for contemporary guitarists, running at 9v instead of 3v. A Buzz knob lets you set the bass gain range.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3946138587
BLAMMO! Electronics Jordan Bosstone
$199 | Although this version of the Boss Tone is not a radical departure from the original, it delivers a more midrangey and textured tone reminiscent of 2-transistor fuzzes like the Fuzz Face. Its asymmetrical diode clipping, with its signature even-order harmonics, delivers a peculiar vintage sound with a modern consistency.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3813163409
SPOOKY CIRCUITS Harm + Balance
$269 | a unique take on the Harmonic Percolator combining various clipping diodes. Two selectors let you choose which components participate in the clipping stage, each imparting a distinct sound, for a total of 25 flavors. The results are multi-faceted and can venture into unconventional territory without betraying the original's aggressive and piercing character.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
4254177153
moth electric P. Isabella
$199 | a hand-built fuzz/distortion based on a Russian Muff. A Classic/Modern toggle offers two voicings, one inspired by the Tall Font Green Russian (extra growl and low end), and the other delivering increased output and high-end and a more open and uncompressed sound. The Mids and Blend knob let you respectively add more mids and blend in the clean signal.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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