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gear giveaway

Demos

Greer Black Mountain Crunch Drive

The Greer Black Mountain is a new, British-style crunch overdrive by a Georgia-based boutique builder with a growing following, mostly because of the Lightspeed overdrive, a true "sleeper hit" of the stompbox industry. While the Lightspeed is a very transparent drive, the Black Mountain offers a definite tonal flavor reminiscent…... Click for more

Greer Black Mountain Crunch Drive

Poly VERBS Reverb

Australian pedal company Poly Effect has never played the pedal game the way the other companies do, and their new stereo reverb is another demonstration of that. With its touch-sensitive controls (no knobs!) and convolution reverb capabilities, the Poly Verbs is a unique entry in the very competitive reverb pedal…... Click for more

Poly VERBS Reverb

EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius Chorus

It looks like 2023 is going to be the year of the chorus! The EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius is the fifth effect of that type released this year by an established US boutique builder (after Jackson Audio, Beetronics, Old Blood Noise, and Walrus Audio, with the last two launched just yesterday!).…... Click for more

EarthQuaker Devices Aurelius Chorus

Bondi Effects Sick As Mk3

With a circuit inspired by the Klon Centaur, the Bondi Effects Sick As Mk3 is one of the most popular overdrive pedals in its category. It features a toggle switch that controls the amount of headroom and character of the drive, and an extra Bass knob for added versatility. Both…... Click for more

Bondi Effects Sick As Mk3

Chase Bliss Audio Generation Loss MkII

We celebrated in this very blog several of the pedals by Cooper FX, a one-man "cult" builder whose devices were constantly sold out. One of the biggest fans of this manufacturer is Chase Bliss Audio's Joel Korte, who has never been shy about his affinity for the Cooper FX Generation…... Click for more

Chase Bliss Audio Generation Loss MkII

Fuzzrocious Lil Fella Overdrive/Distortion

Fuzzrocious is not only the pedal company with the best name out there, but also a family-run business with a mission to explore new ways to distort guitar (and bass) tone in new and inspiring ways. Their new release Li'l Fella continues this tradition with a circuit that updates their…... Click for more

Fuzzrocious Lil Fella Overdrive/Distortion

EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids Stereo Flanging Device

EarthQuaker Devices has just expanded its ever-growing line of effect pedals with the Pyramids Stereo Flanging Device. Built on the same proprietary digital signal processing (DSP) architecture as the company’s hit Avalanche Run delay and reverb pedal, Pyramids is packed with features and a full palette of great sounds. It…... Click for more

EarthQuaker Devices Pyramids Stereo Flanging Device

Benson Stonk Box Fuzz

After the Germanium Fuzz, the Benson Stonk Box Fuzz is the 2nd fuzz pedal by the Portland builder featuring their proprietary temperature technology that allows the diodes at the core of the circuit to behave more consistently, solving a problem that has afflicted many pedal builders dedicated to the development…... Click for more

Benson Stonk Box Fuzz

UAFX Universal Audio OX Stomp

The UAFX Universal Audio OX Stomp represents the American company's entry in the growing market of cab simulator pedals, although the company already had a similar desktop product with speaker modeling technology simply called OX. This stompbox unit inherits some of that technology and adds a lot more features. The…... Click for more

UAFX Universal Audio OX Stomp

Nordvang No.1 Signature Klon-Style Overdrive

Nordvang is an emerging Danish builder that's been gaining popularity mostly for their dual overdrive pedals, some of which include a Klon-style channel (and sometimes two!). Their No.1 Signature Overdrive is the refined version of their first pedal, released in 2014, and it's also a take on the Klon circuit.…... Click for more

Nordvang No.1 Signature Klon-Style Overdrive

Strymon Brig DBucket Stereo Delay

The Strymon Brig dBucket Delay is the (almost) compact evolution of the Californian company's Brigadier. They are both digital pedals featuring a proprietary chip (dBucket) created with the declared intent of replicating the character of the Bucket Brigade Device, the beating heart of any analog delay pedal, without its flaws.…... Click for more

Strymon Brig DBucket Stereo Delay

Thermion Freeway Interface Amp

Amp and cab simulators in the shape of a pedal have been gaining momentum in the last decade, but we have never seen something quite like the Thermion Freeway, a tweaker's dream stereo preamp/USB interface/headphones amp with FX Loop and a 6-mode reverb! Looking like a Tech 21 SansAmp on…... Click for more

Thermion Freeway Interface Amp