16 Weird and Wonderful Guitar Noise Pedals

I’m getting really close to finalising the first proper sweep of my pedal chain - just getting to adding the final 2. Of course the Tone Quest never ends, but it can be broken down into distinct phases, and I’m at a point in the first phase - where I have acquired sufficient numbers and sufficient quality to be able to render any type of conventional guitar sound superbly - using all the different levels of overdrive, fuzz and distortion and all the relevant key modulations, delay, reverb, etc.

The next phase will consist of more adventurous exploration along a trajectory of bitcrushing and various extreme signal processing effects. The most fun ones I have come across to date - the videos thereof are listed below. These videos are entirely taken from two YouTube Channels - the most prolific pedal reviewer of all time (as far as I can see) - Dennis Kayzer, and mysterious ’reviews as an artform’ - ’Knobs’. Each of the ’Knobs’ videos is a mini movie masterpiece and if I could I would only consume YouTube videos of this nature - I would love to get the artist involved in something for Affino at some fortuitous juncture in the future.

It must be noted that the vast majority of these pedals are in rare supply - nearly all are hand-built and made in either small batches, or to-order. Median price is around £200, ranging from cheapest at £129 to dearest at $469 - the former (Dirty Robot) is generally available, while the latter price tag is attached to a Fuzz Factory 7 - some examples of which do occasionally pop up in the UK, but typically have to be bespoke ordered direct from ZVex. There are at least a good 5 or so here I would love to get my hands on eventually... guesses on a postcard to the usual address...

Many will find the following sounds somewhat disharmonious, some will question why not leave those types of sounds to a keyboard players or separate noise-boxes. We adventurous guitar players though have a different outlook / take, and those who appreciate the ’Knobs Channel’ should understand a little of where we’re coming from, and how broadly we like to be able to express ourselves.

The guitar FX landscape really is a weird and wonderful place, and these following 16 mini adventures are just a tiny fraction of everything that is available out there - long may the innovation continue!

Pedals in alphabetical order by name: