gear giveaway

Effect Type

Tone King Royalist Preamp

Following the success of last year's Imperial preamp, Tone King has unveiled the Royalist: a high-voltage tube preamp pedal that distills the sound of their Royalist MKIII amplifier into a compact, pedalboard-friendly format. Where the Imperial covered American cleans, the Royalist is a full-throated tribute to the golden age of…Click on the title for more

Tone King Royalist Preamp

Fish Circuits Astronomie Reverb

One of the most intriguing new pedal releases at NAMM 2025 came from a fellow Montrealese brand: the Fish Circuit Astronomie. It's a spring-style reverb/compressor circuit (in that order) with the company's signature chunky vintage look and very unusual controls. Notwithstanding the large footprint, the Astronomie doesn't have real springs…Click on the title for more

Fish Circuits Astronomie Reverb

Kinotone Ghost Chordal Resonator

Kinotone has quickly established itself as one of the most imaginative new makers in boutique effects, specializing in devices that recontextualize the guitar signal into something entirely new. Their flagship, the Ghosts, is the ultimate expression of this vision. Far more than a pedal, it’s a 6-voice physical modeling synthesizer and…Click on the title for more

Kinotone Ghost Chordal Resonator

New Pedal: Enduring Audio Fell Runner Fuzz

Some fuzzes want to be your friend. The Enduring Audio Fell Runner wants to steal your wallet and key your car. Enduring Audio looked at the Roland Bee Baa - that weird Japanese box from the '70s that sounded like bees fighting inside a tin can - and extracted its…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Enduring Audio Fell Runner Fuzz

JHS Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Pedal

After years of building all sorts of effects pedals (but mostly overdrives and fuzzes), JHS finally entered the octave game. The Double Dragon is their first dedicated octave pedal—and they built it on forty-year-old technology. MXR Blue Box. Boss OC-2. Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synth . Those circuits that predated digital precision, that…Click on the title for more

JHS Double Dragon Lo-Fi Octave Pedal

New Pedal: Catalinbread CB Paint Vintage Digital Reverb

Some reverbs announce themselves. The Catalinbread CB Paint whispers. Catalinbread reached into the late '80s and pulled out a forgotten gem—that studio rack unit everyone wanted and everyone could afford. The one that ended up on records by Trey Anastasio, Neil Young, Mac DeMarco. Not because it was flashy, but…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Catalinbread CB Paint Vintage Digital Reverb

New Pedal: MXR EVH Modern High Gain Distortion

Let's talk Van Halen tone, folks! The old MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive is the black-and-yellow classic. MOSFET clipping, three-band EQ, that legendary boost that doesn't just push your amp - it becomes your amp. It's the brown sound in a box. The history of Van Halen from "Eruption" to "Right…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: MXR EVH Modern High Gain Distortion

Updated Pedal: Harby Pedals Centauri MkII

In 1994, Bill Finnegan built eight thousand magic boxes, coated them in epoxy so nobody could peek inside, and changed guitar tone forever. Thirty years later, original Klon Centaurs trade for seven grand, and the epoxy didn't stop anyone forever—just slowed them down until 2009, when Martin Chittum finally scraped…Click on the title for more

Updated Pedal: Harby Pedals Centauri MkII

Funny Little Boxes Dirt Distortion

The Funny Little Boxes Dirt brings the crushing intensity, squalling lead tones, and chugging riffs of 90's hard rock and metal to your pedalboard. From Alice In Chains to Slipknot via Silverchair, Tool, and Tom Morello, The Dirt has all your headbanging bases covered and then some. Plug in; Switch…Click on the title for more

Funny Little Boxes Dirt Distortion

J. Rockett Aqueous Chorus

The J. Rockett Aqueous Chorus is a thoughtfully designed modulation pedal built around a bucket-brigade (BBD) core. Its defining feature is a Tilt EQ that acts only on the wet signal, allowing you to shape the modulated tone from a vintage, rolled-off character to a brighter, more modern sheen. Control…Click on the title for more

J. Rockett Aqueous Chorus

Mad Professor Simble MkII Overdrive

One of the most convincing D-Style compact pedals, the Mad Professor Simble, just like a real Dumble, lets you EQ the signal before or after the overdrive. The Accent control adjusts the brightness before the drive, and Contour sets the brightness after the drive stage. It can really sing with…Click on the title for more

Mad Professor Simble MkII Overdrive

Polyend Step Drum Machine Pedal

Integrating a drum machine into a guitar pedal isn’t a new concept, but the Polyend Step elevates it to a whole new level, drawing on the Polish company’s expertise in synthesis rather than traditional guitar effects. The Step is a stereo, sample-based drum machine in pedal form, controlled via Tap…Click on the title for more

Polyend Step Drum Machine Pedal