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gear giveaway

OVERDRIVE PEDALS

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 for more

New Pedal: Sitek Cocoa Distortion

J. Rockett Archer Select Klon-style Drive

The J. Rockett Archer Select is an evolution of what has been an extraordinarily popular line for the Nashville-based pedal builder. Constantly in the top three of our article about the best Klon clones, the original Archer (in its two gold and silver iterations) is in all likelihood the best-selling…... Click for more

J. Rockett Archer Select Klon-style Drive

Electro Harmonix East River Drive

After a period spent focusing on effects other than distortion, Electro Harmonix in 2013 seems to have shifted its attention back to what made it famous in the early days. After repackaging their classic 70s Hot Tubes pedal in "nano" format, the NYC-based builder has released a brand new distortion…... Click for more

Electro Harmonix East River Drive

Origin Effects Magma57 Amp Vibrato and Drive

English pedal builder Origin Effects is on a mission to deliver sturdy and classic-sounding stompboxes for tone connoisseurs with tweaking impulses. The Magma57 is presented as an amp-in-a-box with "true pitch modulation" - both name and description hint at a Magnatone emulation, precisely the legendary Magnatone 200 Series, known for…... Click for more

Origin Effects Magma57 Amp Vibrato and Drive

Tubesteader Eggnog Tweed-Style Drive

The Tubesteader Eggnog is a new release by a Canadian builder that prides itself on releasing only pedals with real tubes integrated into their circuit. The first compact pedal in their roster, the Eggnog is a Tweed-style amp in a box with an extra boost and plenty of tone-shaping capabilities…... Click for more

Tubesteader Eggnog Tweed-Style Drive

New at NAMM 2023: Gamma Bacchus Dynamic Drive

The Gamma Bacchus Dynamic Drive is part of a new series of affordable bread-and-butter pedals released by a company that's established enough to be sold through Guitar Center, and mysterious enough to have no online presence whatsoever (we can't find a website nor a social media page for it!). Of…... Click for more

New at NAMM 2023: Gamma Bacchus Dynamic Drive

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 for more

Nocturne Brain Marquesan Drive

New at NAMM 2023: Sunnaudio R2D3 Helion Preamp EQ

At the NAMM 2023 Show, Marc at Sunnaudio showed us and played for us the prototype of the company's new Sunnaudio R2D3 Helion Preamp EQ, a bass-oriented, high-end Swiss army device that works well also on guitar and any other instrument with a pickup. A 3-way parametric EQ section lets…... Click for more

New at NAMM 2023: Sunnaudio R2D3 Helion Preamp EQ

Poly Effects Josh Smith Flat V

Australian builder Poly Effects got us used to devices that challenge established pedal trends (as you can see from the company's previous releases). Their new pedal, the Flat V, was designed in collaboration with Florida's blues guitarist/producer Josh Smith, and it's the weirdest pedal you'll ever see on a blues…... Click for more

Poly Effects Josh Smith Flat V

NUX Queen of Tone

The NUX Queen of Tone is a naughtily named dual overdrive pedal partially inspired by the legendary Analogman King of Tone, which was a dual Blues Breaker-style overdrive. The Queen of Tone borrows the dual channel idea, but marrying the company's popular Klon-style circuit on the left channel (also available…... Click for more

NUX Queen of Tone

Walrus Audio Fundamental Drive

One of eight pedals in Walrus Audio’s new, affordable product line, the Walrus Audio Fundamental Drive provides a range of classic overdrive tones that can be dialed in with easy-to-use controls. The three faders control Gain, Tone, and Volume, and the Mode Switch offers three distinct clipping profiles: Smooth, Crunch,…... Click for more

Walrus Audio Fundamental Drive

Hudson Electronics Broadcast Preamp

Coming from UK builder Hudson Electronics, the Broadcast Preamp-Overdrive is a simple, three-knob preamp pedal based on the simple but sweet-sounding, Class-A germanium base technology behind broadcast consoles of the '60s. With four simple controls, three knobs for Low Cut, Gain Trim, and Level, and a toggle switch that changes…... Click for more

Hudson Electronics Broadcast Preamp