gear giveaway

Preamp Pedals

MXR Rockman X100 Stereo Preamp

In 1982, Tom Scholz of Boston fame unveiled the Rockman X100, a headphone amplifier that encapsulated the soaring, chorus-drenched guitar tones of 1980s arena rock. The sound of that device is reborn in the MXR Rockman X100—a compact, modern homage to Scholz’s design based on the same MN3007 bucket brigade…Click on the title for more

MXR Rockman X100 Stereo Preamp

Surfy Industries Surfy-Man Preamp + Tremolo

By what's arguably the pedal company most invested in the real spring pedal format comes the Surfy Industry Surfyman, a preamp + tremolo that replicates the sound of a Brownface amplifier combined with the same circuitry of a Showman amp head with its peculiarly tuned three-way EQ section. A fat…Click on the title for more

Surfy Industries Surfy-Man Preamp + Tremolo

DOD 250 Overdrive Preamp

The new DOD 250 is a faithful reissue of an evergreen classic first released in the early '70s by circuit designer David Oreste Defrancesco (aka, DOD) as an attempt to create a pedal that could deliver a range of tones from boost to slightly saturated to distorted, something few pedals…Click on the title for more

DOD 250 Overdrive Preamp

Upcoming Pedal: Tone King Imperial Tube Preamp Pedal

One of the most talked-about pedals to emerge from the 2025 NAMM Show was the Tone King Imperial Tube Preamp, a two-channel stereo preamp with tremolo and reverb voiced after the company's namesake amp, and based on a circuit featuring not one but three 12AX7 tubes. Just like in the…Click on the title for more

Upcoming Pedal: Tone King Imperial Tube Preamp Pedal

New Pedal: Great Eastern FX OC201 Preamp Fuzz

Centered around a pair of rare new-old stock Mullard OC201 transistors, the Great Eastern FX OC201 Preamp is a limited edition pedal (printed in only 50 units) that offers a fresh take on the classic two-transistor fuzz circuit (read: Fuzz Face-style). It's the first one in a series called "Obsolete…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Great Eastern FX OC201 Preamp Fuzz

New Pedal: Catalinbread Airstrip Preamp

Hand-built in Portland, Oregon, the Catalinbread Airstrip is a tribute to the legendary custom-built 1972 Trident A-Range console. These consoles relied on discrete transistor circuitry that imparted a signature warmth and character to the signal, and were used on records by iconic British artists such as David Bowie, Elton John,…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Catalinbread Airstrip Preamp

Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp

The Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp is the latest release by a Chinese boutique company that might be the best-kept secret in the pedal realm - in particular for those guitarists who enjoy gain pedals that allow for a variety of tonal options. A Plexi variation to their popular N5+ drive,…Click on the title for more

Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp

Soldano SLO Plus Dual Channel Overdrive

Seattle via L.A. high-gain amp maker Soldano entered the pedal market not long ago with the SLO overdrive, a stompbox version of the (loved by many) Overdrive channel of their two-channel SLO amplifier, based on a cascading gain design. The Soldano SLO Plus pedal reintegrates, in a slightly wider case,…Click on the title for more

Soldano SLO Plus Dual Channel Overdrive

New Pedal: Tubesteader Roy Vox-Style Tube Preamp

With the Vox-style Tubesteader Roy preamp, fellow Montrealer Olly Balan releases his first compact dual-channel pedal tube preamp - with double emphasis on the "compact," since fitting all of the above in such a small case is a remarkable achievement. Inspired by the vintage Vox AC30 Top Boost amp, Roy…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Tubesteader Roy Vox-Style Tube Preamp

JHS Colour Box V2

The JHS Colour Box was born in 2014 as a pedal that allows guitarists to recreate through a simple stompbox the classic sound and tonal palette of a guitar plugged directly into the preamp of a high-end studio console (a sound made famous by the Beatles on "Revolution"). Today the…Click on the title for more

JHS Colour Box V2

New Pedal: Analog Music Company SHSL Mk3 (So High So Low) Preamp + Filter

The Analog Music Company SHSL Mk3 (an acronym for "So High So Low") is a preamp pedal inspired by two other devices: the pleasantly colored preamp section of the Moogerfooger pedals by Moog, and the high-pass/low-pass filters found on the vintage KORG MS-20. As an extra nod to synth players,…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Analog Music Company SHSL Mk3 (So High So Low) Preamp + Filter

Friedman IR-J Dual Tube Preamp (Jake E Lee Signature)

The Friedman IR-J is the third comer in the "IR" pedal tube preamp series recently launched by the US brand. The manufacturer is keen to stress that the two 12AX7 tubes inside the pedal aren't there just to "warm up" a digital or solid-state circuit, but are the beating heart…Click on the title for more

Friedman IR-J Dual Tube Preamp (Jake E Lee Signature)