Updated Apr. 4, 2023 | by Paolo De Gregorio

Best New Pedals 2023 | March Edition

We had a pretty exciting month last month in the pedal release realm, with a mix of releases from the inspiring but pricey to the super affordable but intriguing.

Chase Bliss and Beetronics stole the scene with, respectively, a significant update to their ambient looper + reverb pedal, and a two-mode chorus like no other.

J. Rockett, a company that makes some of the best-selling Klon Centaur clones, unveiled their next-level “klone,” a device that gives you six Klon clipping flavors and a stock one on a separate channel.

Other interesting releases came from Spaceman FX (an LA2A-style compressor in a box), Fjord (an unusually dynamic fuzz), Crazy Tube Circuits (a RAT/Muff mutant), and Catalinbread (a flanger + reverb), while Sonicake unveiled three larger pedals blending more than one effect, including a multi-modulation one.

There were a few other interesting devices, you can find them all in the following interactive galleries – 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 March 2023

1700717098
chase Bliss MOOD MkII
$399 | An updated, stereo version of this creative looper + reverb, that also adds extra momentary functions and new algorithms for overdubbing, freezing, syncing, fading, filtering, balancing, blending, smoothing, A Classic mode lets you use it exactly like the original.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1826041499
BEETRONICS SEABEE HARMOCHORUS
$349 | a wild chorus with 3 regular modes including Roto (rate ramp footswitch), Depth (depth ramping) and Sting, (chorus delay time ramping) and 3 weirder Harmonichorus modes. These let you control the delay time of the chorus, causing its pitch to bounce up and down in a very controllable way, in three flavors: Dual. Arp and Mad. It also has presets, Tap Tempo and Midi.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
2231306612
Spaceman Ixion Optical Compressor
$279 | a stompbox take on the optical compression circuit of the legendary Teletronix LA2A rack unit, offering more flexibility than the original thanks to the Mix knob (which allows for in-the-box parallel compression), the Threshold knob (which was fixed in the original) and the, Contour and Treble knobs for tone sculpting.
Perf. Circuit | Reverb | Amazon
1788764074
Catalinbread STS-88
$209 | a flange + reverb compact pedal with a unique yet classic sound, that works as well both on clean and dirty tones. The flanger has controls for Depth, Rate and Mix, while the reverb can be added through its dedicated knob
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
More
Reverb Amazon
1872125221
Carl Martin Axis
$129 | a reissue of a classic modulation pedal in a compact case and with simplified controls: Speed, Depth, Feedback and Pre-Delay, which allows you to delay the effect when the note is plucked, so that it doesn’t interfere with the performance’s dynamics. This circuit adds a rather subtle effect compared to other flangers, it doesn’t do “seasick” but always stays in the realm of tasteful modulation..
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
855073030
PastFX New Division
~$200 | A faithful recreation of a vintage EHX Clone Theory incorporating features from two early versions (Edge and Chorus/Flanger switches). Operating at 18v, it adds input and ouput knobs, and a Studio switch that reduces the floor noise for studio operation. An internal 70’s/80’s slide switch adds tone filtering to simulate the voicing of the MN3007 and SAD1024 versions of the original.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1832277264
Muir Audio Design Morphtone
~300 | a dual parametric EQ with two blendable EQ channels that complement each other. The Blue channel is a simpler EQ with controls for Tone (frequency) and Depth (boost). The Red channel can boost or cut a more precise frequency and has control over the Q (bell curve). The two channels are followed by a Morph control that lets you blend them to taste.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1393380664
October Audio MNTNS
$159 | an analog, OTA-based, variable stage phaser with vibrato and gain modes inspired by the classic circuits of the '70s. It has only two knobs for Rate and Gain, and a toggle offering 2 or 4 stages. A Feedback toggle leaks the effect's output signal to the input, causing a more intense phasing effect and LFO sweep. It can get gritty as some JFET phasers when the gain knob is turned towards its maximum setting.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2831687461
Spun Loud & Rare Buzz Phoezar
$150 | a collaborative phase+fuzz circuit consisting of an (MXR) 45-style phaser on one side and a Bazz Fuzz clone on the other, each featuring two knobs (Rate and Depth, and Fuzz and Volume, respectively) and dedicated footswitches. An Order toggle in the center of the case lets you switch the order of the effects, multiplying the sonic possibilities.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2235335644
Sonicake Levitate
$55 | an incredibly affordable, but very streamlined pedal feeding a 2 second digital delay into a plate reverb, with dedicated footswitches for each effect. The delay time can be set via Tap Tempo, while both footswitches offer a momentary trail function when held. The controls are (amount of) Reverb and Decay for the reverb, and Feedback and Time for the delay. Separate knobs for Dry and Wet tone are a nice extra.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3547701945
Sonicake Warped Dimension
$55 | an incredibly affordable, mono multi-modulation digital pedal with four modes: Chorus, Flanger, Phaser and Tremolo. It's a rather simple pedal with bread-and-butter controls (Level, Tone, Depth and Rate), Tap Tempo functionality that can override the Rate setting, and buffered Bypass. For a pedal of this kind, it's all in how it sounds, make sure you check oiut the videos.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3218643334
Sonicake Tone Group EQ
$49 | A sub-$50 entry in the world of graphic EQ pedals from a Chinese builder that's been getting some recognition for quality affordable pedals. It's fully analog and offers ±15dB of boost or cut for a total of 10 frequency bands, and an overall volume knob placed before the EQ. At this price, it's all in the tone, so make sure you hear it before you buy it.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

Best Gain Releases in March 2023

3801091280
J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer Select
$329 | A multi-voice klon clone including the stock circuit of the original Archer plus 6 more voices, 2 based on Archer variations and 4 new ones. The alternate voices can be selected through the Clipping rotary knob and activated via the Clipping footswitch. It features a DI output with cab sim that allows direct connection to PAs or recording rigs. A toggle switch lets you lift the ground for the DI.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
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Reverb Amazon
2312007206
poison noises the Crook V4
$119 | an update to this popular and versatile overdrive that adds an extra TS-style clipping voice, on top of the Mosfet and LED ones from v3. The knobs are Volume (Entering), Gain (Breaking), and a Bass control, and their interaction at different settings can deliver a wide variety of tones, from light overdrive to thick distortion. V4 adds a High Tail knob to finely control the high frequencies.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
991973637
Acorn Amps Solid State Preamp
$179 | a compact version of the company’s popular Peavy-Decade-amp-inspired Solid State power pedal without the 10 Watt power section. It features two channels voiced after the ‘normal’ and ‘saturated’ channels of the original amp, plus a ‘thick’ switch that adds gain and low end (this feature is not found in the powered version of the pedal). Five knobs include a 3-way EQ section and in and out level.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
586635936
Laney Ironheart Foundry
$244 | A 60w amp pedal with 2 channels sharing a 3-way EQ, each with its own Gain and Volume knobs and a specific 3-way voice switch: Rythm, Clean + Lead for Ch 1 and Bright, Dark + Flat for Ch 2. The boost, activated by the right footswitch, has its own db knob (red). It doubles as a drive pedal when using the 1/4" output, and features aux in and headphones out for practicing.
Zzounds | Sweetwater |
More
Reverb Amazon
2427232395
Dirty Haggard Audio Koffein Distortion
$150 | a distortion pedal with plenty of gain on tap that sets itself apart for a quirky 3-way EQ placed before the gain stage and acting as a frequency-dependent gain control. This lets you apply a different amount of distortion in each frequency band for nearly infinite combinations of distortion tones. A noise gate removes unwanted hiss & hum but also adds a subtle crossover distortion.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3067214274
formula B Eighty Master
~$275 | a tweakable amp-in-a-box distortion with a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve. a 2-way Power toggle gives you a 50w-style drive with a dynamic medium-gain sound, or a more compressed and aggressive 100w option. The 3-way Comp toggle applies 3 levels of compression through an optical circuit that’s very responsive to touch. The modeling knob is similar to the Presence control on an amp.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
3335809588
Revelation Effects Revenant
~$250 | a high-headroom preamp & boost circuit with a separate boost footswitch and a 3-band EQ designed to interact with your amp. The boost placed before the preamp creates internal saturation, while the ouutput can push the front end of your amp into breakup – or beyond. The boost has two modes, Full Rang (clean) and Hi-Pass Filter for a treblebooster-inspired tone. The Clip toggle facilitates clipping.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
2790969610
LPD Pedals Dutch² Dual Overdrive
$289 | a dual version of a one-channel limited version pedal that you won’t easily find in the second-hand market, whose tone is described by some as a “Timmy into a Plexi.” This version has two of those next to each other with separate footswitches and a toggle switch that lets you stack them or play them one at a time, with separate controls for Level, Drive, Bass, and Treble.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

Best Fuzz Releases in March 2023

3677130472
Crazy Tube Circuits Motherlode
~$300 | a unique take on the hybrid distortion/fuzz pedal borrowing from Muff & RAT. Each mode features the EQ control of the original (Tone knob & Filter, respectively) that’s only active when the respective circuit is selected. A Muff-only Voice knob cycles through various Muff versions. An EQ Link button lets you activate all the EQ and voice controls at once, for new sonic possibilities.
Alt Seller | Reverb | Amazon
1206496511
Readbeard Hairy Squid Fuzz
~250 | a modern take on the semi-obscure vintage Barnes and Mullins 70s Fuzz that expands its sonic palette through three cliping modes: Silicone mode delivers creamy, smoother vintage muff-style sounds; LED offers a bigger, modern sound with more headroom and longer sustain; Germanium delivers an edgier tone reminiscent of the Tonebender.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
370042949
Fjord Fuzz HEDDA
$189 | a two-knob Fuzz Face-inspired circuit designed to sound as dynamic as possible. With its two knobs (Volume on top and Bias at the bottom) it can deliver a variety of sounds from ’70s flavored sustained leads to spitty and velcroy tones. A momentary footswitch activates a feedback loop glitch, feeding the output to the circuit’s input, creating theremin-like oscillation.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1113017036
Vahlbruch Octavia V2
$249 | This high-end, hand-made German pedal uses a custom-made transformer and Schottky diodes to reproduce the sound of the vintage units (v1 used new old stock germanium ones). A toggle switch lets you bypass the octave-up effect, and V2 adds a small Edge knob that varies the treble and harmonic content of the fuzz, allowing for a wider spectrum of tones. 
eBay | Reverb | Amazon
1478770505
Rift Amplification Elysium Low-Gain Fuzz
~$240 | a one knob, one switch low-gain fuzz built by hand in the UK. The circuit gives you the option to add more output through a volume knob and to change the fuzz’s voice from “Fat” (scooped) to “War” (tight), while the amount of fuzz is fixed. The result is a textural and dynamic fuzz with a double personality that interacts with your guitar’s volume.
eBay | Reverb | Amazon

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