gear giveaway

Distortion Pedals

MidValleyFx Mad Robot Distortion with Oscillator

Comprised of a husband and wife team based in Albany, OR, MidValleyFx specializes in heavy fuzz and distortion pedals. Their newest pedal Mad Robot, an oscillating distortion, was recently featured on Premier Guitar, and it's bound to make noise lovers smile. Featuring 5 unnamed controls (four knobs and one toggle switch),…Click on the title for more

MidValleyFx Mad Robot Distortion with Oscillator

Function f(x) Gate Crasher Octave Fuzz

Based in Elk Grove Village, IL, just outside of Chicago, Function f(x) makes edgy stompboxes that are fun to explore. Recently Mike Hermans took a look at the Gate Crasher Octave Fuzz, a gnarly, octave up gated fuzz based on CMOS logic integrated circuits. Besides the expected Gate and Volume knobs,…Click on the title for more

Function f(x) Gate Crasher Octave Fuzz

Animals Pedal Tioga Road Cycling Distortion

We saw Animals Pedal's Tioga Road Cycling at Summer NAMM 2018. This is a classic RAT pedal evolution designed in collaboration with Californian manufacturer Wren and Cuff. The three way toggle switch delivers two different flavors of distortion and and a clean overdrive sound. Here are a few video demos…Click on the title for more

Animals Pedal Tioga Road Cycling Distortion

Black Arts Toneworks Skyboost

Delivering anything "from a gentle full range boost, gritty treble boost, gassing up to a full aggressive fuzz," the Black Arts Toneworks Skyboost is one of the more flexible pedals from a manufacturers known for heavy gain effects. Check out the demo video by Mike Hermans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGxILyMVw34 You’ll find sounds from…Click on the title for more

Black Arts Toneworks Skyboost

TEFI Vintage Lab GainOver

The GainOver Overdrive by Italian TEFI Vintage Lab was designed "for the musician who needs to move from a soft crunch to pushed overdrive tones during the execution of a song, always preserving the same sound but with different gain and volume using a single stompbox." It features two gain circuits - one high and…Click on the title for more

TEFI Vintage Lab GainOver

RPS Effects Red Sun Distortion

Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, RPS effects is a brand new pedal manufacturer whose goal is to "produce a quality instrument that can be picked up and played by anyone, while at the same time providing nuanced and deep possibilities that reward exploration." Shnobel just posted a video of their Red Sun…Click on the title for more

RPS Effects Red Sun Distortion

Sentimental Bob Electronics Screaming Bat

Those who can't live without their Tube Screamer and Rat tones should take a look at the Sentimental Bob Electronics Screaming Bat, a dual overdrive/distortion pedal that recreates several version of the two venerable gain pedals, also adding clipping options. The right side channel is the one featuring the tube…Click on the title for more

Sentimental Bob Electronics Screaming Bat

Reuss ‘Wine and Roses’ Steve Wynn signature pedal

Genres come and go, but a select few create ripples that are felt long after the movement seems to have run its course. Shoegaze is finally being recognized for its massive influence and, after years of being insipid and formulaic, actual Country Music that resembles its roots is popular again.…Click on the title for more

Reuss ‘Wine and Roses’ Steve Wynn signature pedal

Fat Foot Effects Thallium 81 Distortion

Our videogra-friend Eric Merrow put his camera's lens on this versatile but straightforward distortion pedal by Fat Foot Effects called Thallium 81, a hard clipping distortion created with the goal of "retaining the character of the guitar and amp combo but adds a little spice to the chain." The tone control does'nt add…Click on the title for more

Fat Foot Effects Thallium 81 Distortion

Fender Pugilist Distortion Review

Fender caught the pedal world by surprise when it unveiled six new stompboxes at NAMM 2018. The Pugilist Distortion is the pedal that probably deserves the most attention out of that first batch of releases, being surprisingly affordable for a dual channel distortion pedal - one flexible enough to also…Click on the title for more

Fender Pugilist Distortion Review

PLBR Effects Narwhal Distortion Fuzz

Here's a new Fuzz/Distortion by Croatian manufacturer PLBR Effects - it's called the Narwhal - featuring two gain stages with 3 clipping options each (Silicon, No Diodes and LED Diodes). An EQ section with two different shapes gives you extra tone shaping options, while the TB switch bypasses the EQ circuit entirely.…Click on the title for more

PLBR Effects Narwhal Distortion Fuzz

JHS Pedals ProCo RAT2 Pack Rat mod

Launched back in 1978, the ProCo RAT is one of those classic pedals that inspired a wave of stompbox designers, probably only second to the Tube Screamer and the Muff. JHS Pedals makes a mod of the RAT2 called "Pack Rat," featuring an extra toggle switch with three clipping options…Click on the title for more

JHS Pedals ProCo RAT2 Pack Rat mod