gear giveaway

Preamp Pedals

TC Electronic Ampworx 550, Jims 800, and Dual Wreck

Recent advancements have made it possible to achieve lifelike amp-style tones within compact pedal enclosures. The array of choices available for tailoring your sound-shaping tools, whether through physical, virtual, or hybrid setups, has significantly streamlined the process and made it more cost-effective for guitarists to bring their envisioned sounds to…Click on the title for more

TC Electronic Ampworx 550, Jims 800, and Dual Wreck

Horrothia Triage Preamp

From a UK-based builder of high-end effects with a less-is-more approach comes the Horrothia Triage Preamp, a discrete transistor pre-amplifier. Born from a rib of the company's low-gain overdrive Teeth, with which it shares some circuit and tonal similarities, the Triage is both a front-end preamp and an overdrive, featuring…Click on the title for more

Horrothia Triage Preamp

New Pedal: Westerlund One Preamp

The Westerlund ONE is the first pedal release by a young Okmahoma-based builder, and it was built to be your "desert island" preamp/overdrive pedal, which implies high-end components, top-notch tone - and a higher-than-average price tag. Designed to integrate perfectly with your guitar and amp, the ONE offers plenty of…Click on the title for more

New Pedal: Westerlund One Preamp

Origin Effects RevivalDRIVE Compact

California's Origin Effects, makers of the most beastly overdrive to ever walk the face of the earth (the RevivalDrive) had the sensible idea of creating a more contained version of that 12-knob "monster." Enter the RevivalDrive Compact. About one third the size of its non-compact brother, and sporting only one…Click on the title for more

Origin Effects RevivalDRIVE Compact

Solar Chug Preamp with Gate

The Solar Chug, a high gain preamp with gate, is the first pedal released by Ola Englund's Solar Guitars brand, and no name would have been more appropriate than that, since the guitarist hosts a popular YouTube series called "Will It Chug?" Created, as expected, with the heavy guitarist in…Click on the title for more

Solar Chug Preamp with Gate

Pedal Update: Electronic Audio Experiments Dude Incredible V2

The Electronic Audio Experiments Dude Incredible V2 is a redesign of one of the early circuits by the Boston-based pedal company, a dual gain pedal inspired by the work of indie rock producer Steve Albini. On the right is a Harmonic Percolator clone, and on the left is an IVP…Click on the title for more

Pedal Update: Electronic Audio Experiments Dude Incredible V2

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 on the title for more

New at NAMM 2023: Sunnaudio R2D3 Helion Preamp EQ

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 on the title for more

Hudson Electronics Broadcast Preamp

Acorn Amps Solid State Preamp

The Acorn Amps Solid State Preamp is a compact version of the company's Peavy-amp-inspired Solid State power pedal without the 10 Watt power section. Peavy amps were solid-state guitar amplifiers from the '90s that were massively overlooked for a while (mostly for lacking the "tube" buzzword) but whose once popular…Click on the title for more

Acorn Amps Solid State Preamp

Spaceman Redstone Preamp

The Spaceman Redstone Preamp is a redesign of the company's Mercury Harmonic Boost, which was also powered by a vintage NOS germanium transistor. This device, also handmade, adds a 3-band EQ section, higher headroom when run at 12v and up to 40dB of gain, all within a smaller case compared…Click on the title for more

Spaceman Redstone Preamp

Ibanez Pentatone Preamp and EQ Pedal

The Ibanez Pentatone is a new, analog Preamp and EQ pedal by an electric guitar builder that, notwithstanding having manufactured the most popular stompbox of all times, hasn't been particularly active in the pedal realm in the last few years. The Pentatone is an entirely new product in the Japanese…Click on the title for more

Ibanez Pentatone Preamp and EQ Pedal

New Pedal: 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

New Pedal: Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp