Rob Chapman's All-Time Favourite Guitar Pedals

Controls - Bass, Mids, Treble, Presence, Amp switch : Clean / Crunch / Lead, Cab switch : 4x12 w/ V30s / 4x12 w/ Green Backs / Alnico 1x12, Fav. Switch : Clean Preset / Crunch Preset / Lead Preset, Gain, Master, Effect (Noise Gate GTE, Compressor CMP, Equalizer EQ, Boost BST, Echo ECO, Reverb RVB), Level, Footswitch A : Boost On / Hold Lock, Footswitch B : Echo On / Hold Save, Balanaced XLR Out.

9V DC [-], 200mA current draw

I've always been intrigued by this pedal - very much an Amp & Cab Simulator with some smart effects onboard. But never never really had a use for one. Moreover its Mono-in / Mono-out nature means I would never be able to use it properly within my stereo rig - while it's always sounded pretty decent in the demos I've heard. I guess it's fallen a little under the radar of late and is no longer one of the first you might consider in that category - but still a pretty smart proposition - while I feel there are more capable alternatives out there nowadays - and particularly for my own stereo needs!

Controls - Tone, Gain, Output x 2, Channel A Footswitch, Channel B Footswitch.

A more modern update of Bad Cat's Siamese Drive - which is essentially a Dual Channel Klone. This was introduced in 2020, and discontinued just a couple of years later, Most seem to prefer the original Siamese Drive to the follow-up Double Drive. Not sure why they would have tampered with a winning formula - but supposedly there are minor differences between the two. Both are actually pretty decent dual stackable Klones - while my first pick for that would always be the Decibelics Golden Royale - which is truly magnificent. And where Decibelics' Guillem Vilademnunt is sill the King of Klone!

Controls - Level, Mode : Standard / Custom (Keeley Phat Mod!), Gain, Tone.

I don't really need to say anything further on this pedal - the Keeley Modded Edition is my favourite all-time overdrive - and this BD-2W Waza Craft edition gets about as close to that as you could want really. Use it as a clean boost in Fuzz Face fashion - and learn to fully harness the dynamics and guitar volume knob cleanup of this pedal. Sounds superb every which way as far as I'm concerned - and every home should have one!

Controls : Band : 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 800Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 6.4kHz, Level.

I had an Alchemy Audio modded version of the on the board for the longest time (currently displaced by the Empress Effects ParaEQ 2 DLX. The Alchemy GE-7 edition uses superior parts for much improved noise floor - and much less unwanted hiss at higher settings. A superb hands-on tone-shaper - which as Rob says - several could do with at both ends of their board. I mostly used this as a balancing EQ - after the NS-2 Noise Suppressor and high gain pedals - to mostly restore some of the higher frequencies lost along the signal chain, and in part filtered out by the noise gate! Still very much a favourite pedal of mine!

Controls - Torque Clutch Adjust, Internal Voicing Switch / Frequency focus : Low, Medium (Vintage), High (GC895).

I totally love this format - and have the original CBM95, CBM535Q Edition, and  CBM535AR Auto-Return Edition. I've long intended to scoop up the Jimi Hendrix JHM9 Mini CryBaby edition too - to complete the set. And I'm also in line to get the similarly compact Plutoneium Chi-Wah-Wah. Once I have all 5 I will probably post up some sort of capsule collection rundown - but it's not on the cards for a while - as there are several more pressing priorities pending!

Controls - Contour, TOne, Master, Preamp.

A pedal that I've always loved the sound of - for sure one of the best MIAB types out there - I've been meaning to get this one for so long - but is just hasn't quite happened yet. For sure will be in the collection some day! I of course have several favourite MIAB types already - including the now 2 Sinverek N5 MGAT-1 / GE types - which are the supreme types of that format as fat as I'm concerned. I would still really like to add a Red Rox too though - will surely happen some day!

Controls - Momentary : On/Off, Ballistics : Shift, Return, Range : Up / Down, Pitch : 2nd / 4th / 5th / 7th / Oct / 2 Oct / Oct+Dry.

This is one of my favourite 'Tom Morello' pedals - where I use both this one and the Boss PS-6 (S-Bend Mode) to do that 2 octave rise and fall! Both work superbly - the Whammy Ricochet has been my long-term favourite for sure - while I'm increasingly using the PS-6 these days - because of its Nova Twins association.

Controls - Dry Level, Organ Level, Modulation, Click, Mode : 1 Fat & Full / 2 Jazz / 3 Gospel / 4 Classic Rock / 5 Bottom End / 6 Octaves / 7 Cathedral / 8 Continental / 9 Bell Organ.

I've been in line to own one of these for so long now. Typically I favour the more holistic approach - which is why the Boss SY-200 is my regular synth pedal. I'm somewhat conflicted over which of EHX's 7 9-Series pedals I should be getting - and with options overload I've not ended up with any yet. Most recommend C9, Mel 9 and String 9 - but there's so much to like here - and the original B9 is still strong! I guess I'm waiting for EXH to put all their 9-Series algorithms into the one box! Until such a time I guess I'm sticking with the SY-200.

Actually a Wah Pedal accessory - where you can wire up the Wah to Engage as you apply pressure to the treadle versus having to click switch on - which is still the case for most Wah Pedals. I'm not a fan of the regular sized wah-pedals - way too large - much prefer the CryBaby and Plutoneium Mini Editions. This adds even more to the real-estate of your pedalboard - which makes it not particularly practical in that sense. Still a cool innovation for sure. Wah pedals should really come with that sort of thing built-in - so you can punch them in more organically and dynamically!

Controls - Shimmer, Decay, Tone, R.Mix, Feedback B, Time B, Tone B, D.Mix B, Feedback A, Time A, Tone A, D.Mix A, Menu / Mix, Reverb : Room / Hall / Plate / Dist-Verb / FL-Verb / Filter / Reverse / Spring / Mod, Back, Setting, LCD Display, Delay B : Digital / Analog / Tape / Real / Dynamic / Galaxy / Mod / Tri-Mod / Mod-Inv, Delay A : Digital / Analog / Tape / Echo / Liquid / Rainbow / Crystal / Low-Bit / Fuzzy, Store, Preset, Reverb / Tap Footswitch (Rec/Play/Stop), Delay B / Down / Tap B Footswitch (Half speed), Delay A / Up / Tap A Footswitch (Reverse), Reverb + Delay B = Tap, Delay B + Delay A = Looper.

And incredibly expansive 3 Channel Time-Based device collboration with Devin Townsend - with 2 variable delay channels plus variable Reverb channel used in combination - a total of 23 different algorithms, and 3 shared (Digital, Analog, Tape). The LCD screen looks very old-fashioned now, and the pedal is a little over-large and distinctly not pedalboard-friendly. It's the form factor that kind of rules this one out for me - while it's no doubt capable of some really cool output. I think it needs to be re-booted into a rather more streamlined and more ergonomic and pedalboard-friendly format - of course with a proper modern screen too!

Controls / Vocalisations : Random 2 / Random 1 / Scat / Looh / Lahh / Ahh / Pahh / Nyan / Phrase 1 / Phrase 2 / Phrase 3.

Genius Hatsune Miku Sample Vocalizer - with slightly inconsistent but still fun tracking. Some of the most fun that can be had with a pedal - and yes you can even produce properly musical content with this device. While it's rightly seen mostly as something of a novelty gimmick. I'm still very happy I own one of these though!

Controls - Level, Fuzz.

I was encouraged to buy the MXR Octavio - really on Rob's say-so - while by the time I got to it - the 70th Anniversary Edition was pretty much sold out - and a different grey and blue limited edition was doing the rounds - which I acquired. I'm not sure what difference there is between those 2 pedal editions - MXR regularly re-issue the same limited Hendrix lines - it's happened several times over - same as for the mini pedals. They all seem to sound pretty stellar in any case. Rob definitely has a way with the Octavia / Octavio which services as pretty significant inspiration for this pedal. I have a number of thicker and niching sounding Octave pedals though - including the Anasounds Crankled Bitoun, and my Custom Shop Beetronics V1 Octahive! The Octavio still sounds pretty great though!

Controls - Boost : 0db > +10dB > +20dB.

Probably somewhat under the radar nowadays - a decent linear boost type for sure - but there's so much choice out there - and so many more smarter and more versatile options and alternatives. I guess if you're just looking for a simple one-knob boost - then this one certainly fits the bill - but even there - there are a number of others that recommend themselves just as readily!

Controls - Gain, Level, Clip : Germanium / Open / LED, Tone, Fat : Bass Boost switch.

Rob's Signature version of Zach Broyle's Mjolnir Klone circuit - with more Gain and Sustain on tap! A slightly beefed up version of the Mjolnir then with 2 extra controls - a 3-way clipping switch, and a Fat / Bass Boost switch. I had been trying to get hold of one of these for a long time - so few sightings in the wild - not sure that many of these were made. That said the core of this pedal then went on to become the Snake Oil Fine Instruments - The Very Thing - but minus the 2 switches - in fact those seem to be discontinued now too! I'd still quite like a Titan if I ever manage to spot one back on sale!

Controls - FX Levels Depth, Tone, Mode : Wet / Hall / Plate / Spring / Shimmer A & B / +Echo / +Detune / Variable : Modulate (Wet & Hall), Pre-Delay (Plate) / Low Cut (Spring) / Shimmer Level A & B / Reverb Level (+Echo & +Detune).

Really cool Compact Stereo Reverb with some killer algorithms. Rob prefers the MKI edition for whatever reason. There's plenty of fantastic Compact Reverbs out there nowadays - including the Cetus from ALABS Audio. My pick of the Neunaber Reverbs is the slightly larger Illumine workstation which I have and love!

Controls - Level, Drive, Bass Boost : On/Off, Tone, Clip / Boost : Plexi / Clean Boost / Symmetrical Overdrive.

Best known as an absolutely superb, richly textured Plexi Style pedal - also with smoother Symmetrical Overdrive and Clean Boost voicing options. I've long wanted one of these, along with its Baby Blues sibling. Rockbox had its heyday many moons ago now - with those swirly / splatter paint-job editions - of which there are numerous examples available on Reverb.com at a dizzying variety of prices. Or you can get the current plainer editions with sloping enclosures. They're still active - but way under the radar these days. I've been meaning to get the Baby Blues in forever - and of course the Boiling Point is on that same list!

Controls - Level, Boost, Boost typed : Harder Clipping (Ge Diodes) / Danish Pete (Original Smooth Dane Boost), Gain, Tone, Lows.

Rob mentions this one in passing - I presume he probably means the MKI - but as both sound identical and he didn't state a preference - I'm featuring the cooler MKII compact edition here. Wonderful sounding overdrive / boost as created for Pete Honoré and his favourite Telecaster guitar. Still sounds really good on humbuckers - while of course optimised for single coil pickups!

Controls - Volume, Gain, Tone, Bass and Saturation trim-pots on rear.

The priciest pedal on this list - while a pretty decent ODR-1 take for sure. If you're into the Nobels ODR-1 then I recommend you check out original Engineer's Kai Tachibana's Brand - Nordland Electronics - which in my opinion are making the best ODR-1 and ODR-S style pedals these days. And they cost quite a bit less than the Venuram version. The Vemuram is pretty great - no question about it - while you should really compare that head-to-head with the Nordland ODR-C - that's where it's at as far as I'm concerned. In fact the ultimate one of that type was the Nordland 30th Anniversary Edition - which I'm very fortunate to own too!

Controls - Volume, Cut (High), Output, Speaker : Silver / Blue / Green, Function : Alt / Amp / Store, Channel : Bril / Norm / Via, Bass / Room (Alt), Treble / Intensity (Alt), Boos / Speed (Alt), On Footswitch, Preset Footswitch.

Great sounding Vox-in-a-box - that I've been meaning to try our for a while. I still have the Victory Amps The Copper to check out first - but I will get to the Ruby - as I love a 'Brian May' style tone box and this one definitely does the Top-Boosted Vox AC30 thing well. Price has come down since this line launched - I will likely acquire this one quite opportunistically. While there are still lots of higher priority pedals on my list that I need to get to first!