gear giveaway

Distortion Pedals

Old Blood Noise Beam Splitter

The Old Blood Noise Beam Splitter marks the return of the Oklahoma-based company to larger, more tweakable and creative "organic" multi-effect pedals, after a 3-pedal foray into quirky compact releases (aka the BL Series). Although "quirky" and "creative" are part of this builder's identity. This very "knobby" unit consists of…Click on the title for more

Old Blood Noise Beam Splitter

Fortin Natas Distortion

The Fortin Natas Distortion is a pedal version of one the company's now disontinued, but very popular in the mid aughts, Natas guitar amp. Forting describes itself as "the heaviest company in the guitar world," and for good reason: their line of amps and pedals is geared towards heavy guitarists,…Click on the title for more

Fortin Natas Distortion

New Pedal: Bardic Audio Devices Rival Distortion

The Bardic Audio Devices Rival is an amp-in-a-box inspired by the Mark V (Mesa Boogie) line of amps. It's based on a circuit as complex as the one found in the original, modeling each vacuum tube stage through the use of JFET op-amps, and doesn't fail to feature the graphic…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Bardic Audio Devices Rival Distortion

New Pedal: Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge

These days it really feels like we write something along the lines of "a pedal that can deliver anything from overdrive to distortion to fuzz" on a daily basis. However, with the Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge, we believe it's first time we write those words for a mini pedal. The…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge

New Pedal: Tone For Punk Trebled Youth

The many punk-leaning guitarists among our readers might have found a stompbox that suits their nihilistic tendencies. Enter the Tone For Punk (name of the company) Trebled Youth (name of the pedal), a tweakable dirt box that can deliver anything from mildly dirty tones to the uncompromising fuzz that's at…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Tone For Punk Trebled Youth

Oneder Effects Red Ryder Distortion

The Oneder Effects Red Ryder is a RAT-inspired, made-in-Michigan distortion pedal with a few tricks up its sleeve. Hosting the LM308 chip found in the vintage RAT pedals, its compact case sports a series of controls that allow expanding the venerable distortion's tone in various ways. The pedal has a…Click on the title for more

Oneder Effects Red Ryder Distortion

New Pedal: Idiotbox Heavy Weapon

Those among you interested in heavy distortion pedals should take a look a the Idiotbox Heavy Weapon, a dual distortion/overdrive pedal described by the builder as "probably the HEAVIEST effect of all time." It consists of two existing Idiotbox circuits in one: the bop row of controls is the company's…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Idiotbox Heavy Weapon

New Pedal: Atomic Tone Saturation Triptych

The Atomic Tone Saturation Triptych is the debut, hand-made circuit by an emerging California-based builder, founded this very year 2023 AD. It can be described as a hybrid dirt box. As hinted by the name (for the unaware, the word "triptych" means "trio"), this pedal offers three modes via the…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Atomic Tone Saturation Triptych

Bixonic Axentrix A1 Distortion/Fuzz

Released as part of the relaunch of the Japanese Bixonic brand (creator of the cult pedal Expandora), the Axentrix A1 is a digital gain pedal with a series of innovative features that can deliver the entire spectrum of saturated tones, including fuzz. The fully analog Expandora, released in the mid…Click on the title for more

Bixonic Axentrix A1 Distortion/Fuzz

Old Blood Noise Excess V2 Distortion + Modulation

The Old Blood Noise Excess V2 updates the '80s-flavored (pink) modulated distortion pedal by the Oklahoma company with a case that's 1/2 the size of the original unit and updated features, including a selectable harmonized fifth mode (which was there but "hidden" in V1) in the modulation channel. This is a…Click on the title for more

Old Blood Noise Excess V2 Distortion + Modulation

Blammo! + Dirty Haggard Deth Pedal Distortion

Boutique pedal creators BLAMMO! and Dirty Haggard have joined forces to forge a foot-operated, limited edition device inspired by EQD's Life pedal, known as...the DETH PEDAL! Much like the original, this pedal combines a Rat distortion with an analog octave up circuit, featuring a blend control and a separate footswitch…Click on the title for more

Blammo! + Dirty Haggard Deth Pedal Distortion

Intensive Care Audio Death Drive

Born in full pandemic crisis (June 2020) from a rib of what can be called the equivalent to Frankenstein in pedal form (Rainger FX) Intensive Care Audio is a new London-based company with a name for the ages. They already have three cool-looking black pedals in their roster bearing names…Click on the title for more

Intensive Care Audio Death Drive