gear giveaway

Distortion Pedals

Benson Amps Preamp Overdrive/Distortion

The Benson Amps Preamp Overdrive/Distortion (listed at $249) sports a circuit Based on the company's Chimera 30 watt guitar amplifier (going for $1949), but substitutes FET transistors for the vacuum tubes. The result is an extremely amp-like and versatile clean boost/overdrive/fuzz pedal that imparts rich harmonics and a very musical EQ to your…Click on the title for more

Benson Amps Preamp Overdrive/Distortion

New Pedal: LiberaToe Blue Crow Overdrive & Distortion

The LiberaToe Blue Crow, a compact stompbox that can be embedded in a modular, cable-less pedalboard with other units by the same builder, is a versatile two-channel analog dirtbox delivering, at the flick of a toggle switch, classic overdrive and vintage-style distortion inspired by the hard rock tones of the…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: LiberaToe Blue Crow Overdrive & Distortion

New Pedal Kit: Korg Nu:Tekt HS-2 Harmonic Distortion

Developed by Fumio Mieda, the original designer of many legendary KORG pedals and synths like the Univibe and the MS-20 Mini, the Nu:Tekt HS-2 Harmonic Distortion is a new DIY kit pedal by the Japanese builder's subsidiary. The pedals in the kit series, which was launched a few years ago…Click on the title for more

New Pedal Kit: Korg Nu:Tekt HS-2 Harmonic Distortion

Summer School Science Fair

The Summer School Science Fair is an overdrive-distortion pedal based on a simple but innovative idea: you've got a RAT-stile distortion (black knobs) and a TS-style overdrive (green knobs) in parallel, and two extra knobs to control for master volume and bland control. Each gain channel has a knob for…Click on the title for more

Summer School Science Fair

New Pedal: Sitek Cocoa Distortion

Hailing from Poland, the Sitek Cocoa is a distortion that can be filed under the growing category of "versatile gain pedals." What's noteworthy, in this case, is that you can get a wide variety of tones out of this opamp-based circuit through a limited number of controls: three knobs and…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Sitek Cocoa Distortion

Pigtronix Disnortion Micro

This new micro version of the Pigtronix Disnortion Micro improves on the original’s broad palette of touch-responsive dirt sounds by including the ability to switch from a parallel routing to a new, super-saturated series routing where the 6-stage CMOS overdrive circuit is cascaded into unique Pigtronix diode-clipping fuzz, and then…Click on the title for more

Pigtronix Disnortion Micro

Strymon Riverside Multistage Drive

Strymon, a company that built its name on clean, warm and lush tones, has finally entered the "dirty" pedal distortion market with Riverside, described as "the culmination of a thorough analysis of numerous analog and vacuum tube circuits." The company's goal was to deliver a new world of harmonically rich, versatile,…Click on the title for more

Strymon Riverside Multistage Drive

New Pedal: Ohms Pedals Stolen Horse

NOT a Klon clone (as some may have assumed from the name/graphics combo), the Ohms Pedals Stolen Horse is a LOUD distortion pedal using an original circuit based on multi-stage opamp clipping with plenty of tweakability. The gain circuit was designed to produce amp-like tones from clean to heavily distorted,…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Ohms Pedals Stolen Horse

BLAMMO! Electronics Shrew V2

The BLAMMO! Electronics Shrew V2 is a modern take on the classic opamp-based distortion featuring improvements granting more tonal flexibility both in the clipping and frequency domains. Hardwire-wise, this 2nd version fits the circuit in a smaller, compact case, improving power filtering and upgrading the footswitch to a relay-based mechanism…Click on the title for more

BLAMMO! Electronics Shrew V2

BOSS DS-1 Distortion

Released back in 1978, the BOSS DS-1 is one of those affordable, evergreen classics that have withstood the test of time. It covers your distortion basics and beyond through a simple 3-knob control layout. The interaction of the Level and Dist knobs can deliver a wide variety of distortions -…Click on the title for more

BOSS DS-1 Distortion

Nocturne Brain Marquesan Drive

The Nocturne Brain Marquesan Drive is a modern take on the late 70's White Label bud box Rat, updated with quality modern components like tantalum caps, metal film resistors, and a socketed *vintage 60's NOS UA308. The main advantage of this box, according to the builder is the following: ...when…Click on the title for more

Nocturne Brain Marquesan Drive

Lil’ RAT Distortion

ProCo's family of RATs has just birthed a lil' one! The Lil' Rat is a miniature version of their recent RAT 2, with the same circuit and the same components, although - due to its dimensions - we can expect a lack of 9v battery compartment. The Proco Lil' RAT…Click on the title for more

Lil’ RAT Distortion