gear giveaway

Distortion Pedals

Colombo Audio Eruption Plexi Overdrive/Distortion

The death of Eddie Van Halen in October of 2020 has spurred a series of guitar gear releases dedicated to the influential musician. Italian Colombo Audio Electronics' way to pay tribute to the legend was to design a Plexi-style pedal inspired by the guitar tone in the first six Van…Click on the title for more

Colombo Audio Eruption Plexi Overdrive/Distortion

Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MKII

When Joel Korte of Chase Bliss Audio touched down in Portland, Oregon and began peppering his Instagram feed with pictures of him noshing with Chris Benson of Benson amps, there was much speculation to be had. That speculation manifested at 2019’s NAMM show with the Preamp MKII, a slider-equipped brushed…Click on the title for more

Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MKII

ToneTuga FX Clockwork MultiDriver

The Clockwork MultiDriverby Charlotte, NC ToneTuga FX is an ambitious pedal. The builder claims it can deliver - with only three knobs - anything "from a crisp treble boost to a crunchy distortion, to a fuzzy sustain," covering all the ground you may want to be covered by a dirt…Click on the title for more

ToneTuga FX Clockwork MultiDriver

Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra Overdrive Ltd. Clearwell Edition

Guitarists into Black Sabbath should take note of this limited edition version of the Catalinbread | Sabbra Cadabra, an overdrive pedal that simulates the tone of that band's lead guitarist Tony Iommy. The Sweetwater exclusive features a beautiful illustration that's at once satanic and sexy, inspired by Black Sabbath's 1973…Click on the title for more

Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra Overdrive Ltd. Clearwell Edition

ChiralityAudio Black Swan Modern Fuzz

ChiralityAudio is an Italian company founded by two musical brothers who also run a recording studio, and who already have three pedals in their roster - and some interesting ones at that! The Black Swan (or blackswan) is a simple one-knob high gain distorion/fuzz with plenty of gain to boot.…Click on the title for more

ChiralityAudio Black Swan Modern Fuzz

Brooks Blackhawk Balrog V3

The concentration of pedal (and synth!) builders in the Portland, OR area is truly astounding - we witnessed that passion last year at our super-packed PDX Pedal and Synth Expo, a last hurray before the crowdless COVID days. Today we discover a new builder from that city, Brooks Blackhawk, which…Click on the title for more

Brooks Blackhawk Balrog V3

Spiral Electric FX Allora High-Gain Darlington Fuzz

At a boutique level, building a pedal that ends up becoming a staple on many guitarists' pedalboards is (obviously) a great achievement for any builder, but comes with its drawbacks: almost every admirer will feel compelled to let the manufacturer know what would make it even better for them. This…Click on the title for more

Spiral Electric FX Allora High-Gain Darlington Fuzz

Vertex Ultra-Phonix HRM Overdrive/Distortion

The Vertex Ultraphonix is an overdrive inspired by ultra-rare (and ultra-cloned) Dumble Overdrive Special amp. The HRM (Hot Rubber Monkey) version of this pedal emulates a particularly popular tube mod implemented on a limited number of those amps that resulted in a modification of the mid-range that brought it closer…Click on the title for more

Vertex Ultra-Phonix HRM Overdrive/Distortion

Fowl Sounds Flannel Overdriver

Fowl Sounds is a company that has found a very specific niche: heavy pedals for down-tuned guitars. Inspired by classic distortion circuits, their new pedal Flannel Overdriver represents an effort to provide the heavy guitarist with a stompbox that can deliver a wide variety of dirt tones, from overdrive to…Click on the title for more

Fowl Sounds Flannel Overdriver

Zander Cranium V2 Multi-Mode RAT-Style Distortion

If you are a RAT fan and like what JHS did to the Tube Screamer with the Bonsai (a pedal that gathers 9 different historical TS voicings in one pedal), you should be all over the Zander Circuitry Cranium, a pedal that extends that concert to the most beloved rodent…Click on the title for more

Zander Cranium V2 Multi-Mode RAT-Style Distortion

BJPress Range 84 Distortion

The BJPRESS Range 84 Distortion is a dynamic and sparkling-sounding, hand-made Rat-inspired distortion pedal hailing from Korea. Check out the video by Shnobel, below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd4twl3IQQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBBih3karh4 Range distortion is 80s~90s preamp gain type distortion. Wide tone range and versatility and has unlimited possibilities when stacked with other overdrive. It is…Click on the title for more

BJPress Range 84 Distortion

Bardic Audio Devices The Beast Distortion/Fuzz

Michigan-based Bardic Audio Devices focuses mostly on bass pedals, but their Beast Distortion/Fuzz is bound to find a fan-base among guitarists with noisy tendencies. The Beast is a very tweakable dirt box based on an op-amp design, with a separate clean boost channel with a blendable Octave-up that adds up to…Click on the title for more

Bardic Audio Devices The Beast Distortion/Fuzz