Best of BrandsBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionDriveJHS PedalsMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionMulti-DriveOverdriveRogue Rehousing+-
I thought it best to start off 2025 really strong.
I could sort of have squeezed this into the tail end of last year, but it made more sense to celebrate this with the incoming new year!
This article marks 3 milestones!
Firstly - I now have the ultimate JHS Pedals Gain Trifecta - where all of these were acquired in 2024. I had long been intending to get the Morning Glory, but always wanted a more special version of that! So this marks the point of entry onto the pedalboard and into the ...
Acoustic SimulatorAmbient EffectsAnalog DelayBecos FXBeetronics FXBig Muff Style FuzzBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Driver Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoColombo Audio ElectronicsColortone PedalsCompressorCoriolis EffectsCornerstone Music GearDecibelicsDelayDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDrive WorkstationDual-DriveFlangerFlower PedalsFormula B PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGuitar Synth and SequencerHarmonizerHorrothia EffectsJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKrozz DevicesLichtlaerm AudioLife Is Unfair AudioMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionModulated FuzzModulationMulti-DriveOctave FuzzOctaverOddball FuzzOneControlOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzOverdrivePastFXPedal ChainPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingPoly EffectsPreAmpRat Style FuzzReverbReverb WorkstationSampler / SustainerSentimental Bob ElectronicsSilicon FuzzSinvertekSkreddy PedalsSpacey ReverbStrymonTavysh EffectsThorpyFXTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTube OverdriveTubesteaderUtilityVox Style DistortionWalrus Audio+-
33 slots updated this year - #2, #3, #4, #5, #7, #9a, #9b, #10, #11, #12, #15a, #15b, #15c, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #22a, #22b, #23, #24, #25, #26, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #36, #38, and #41.
There’s been a fair amount of re-routing and re-organising this year - which you should be able to pick via the pattern of changes. The introduction of the stereo Poly Amplitude introduced the biggest change to the board order - to get th most out of that format!
I try to limit acquisitions /...
Beetronics FXBest in ClassBitcrushing and Lo-FiBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChase Bliss AudioChorus and VibratoCoffee Shop PedalsCoriolis EffectsDecibelicsDelayDelay WorkstationDiamond PedalsDigital DelayDigital ReverbDistortionDriveDual-DriveEchoverbFlangerFormula B PedalsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGFI SystemGuitar Synth and SequencerHamstead SoundworksHarmonizerHorrothia EffectsJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKrozz DevicesLife Is Unfair AudioLo-Fi DelayMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionModelling AmpModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-DriveMulti-FXMXROctaverOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOneControlOpAmp FuzzOrigin EffectsOverdrivePastFXPhaserPitchPitch-ShiftingPoly EffectsPreAmpRat Style FuzzReverbReverb WorkstationReverse DelayRing ModulationRotary SpeakerSampler / SustainerSentimental Bob ElectronicsSilicon FuzzSinvertekSource AudioStrymonSwellTape DelayTavysh EffectsThorpyFXTomkat PedalsTone Bender Style FuzzTremoloTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeVox Style DistortionWalrus Audio+-
So this is the big one - all the top performers from the year in one selection.
We’ve already covered :
- 35 Boost & Overdrive Pedal Finalists
- 34 Distortion Pedal Finalists
- 32 Fuzz Pedal Finalists
- 38 Modutility Pedal Finalists
- 25 Delay and Reverb Pedal Finalists
Total Overall Finalist Selection of 164 Pedals!
Distilled down to the final favourites selection, where I own 27 of them, and will try to secure the final missing ones next year :
- Coffee Shop Pedals London Fog Tape Delay -
...
AudiostormBest in ClassBrown Sound DistortionCaroline Guitar CompanyColombo Audio ElectronicsCrazy Tube CircuitsDistortionDriveDual-DriveFormula B PedalsFunny Little BoxesGod City InstrumentsJAM PedalsKrozz DevicesLichtlaerm AudioMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionNoise EngineeringNordland ElectronicsOneControlOneder EffectsPastFXRainger FXRat Style FuzzSentimental Bob ElectronicsSinvertekSkreddy PedalsSoldanoTanabeUAFXWamplerWinnipeg Electrical Co+-
Here it’s the turn of the new distortion pedals this year. Where I own all but 7 here :
- Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Enhanced Full Stack Marshall style Preamp
- God City Instruments Brutalist Distortion
- Krozz Devices RoyalBreaker Extended Rat style Distortion
- Noise Engineering Dystorpia Fuzz/Distortion
- Soldano Super Lead Overdrive Plus
- UAFX Anti 1992 High Gain Amp
- UAFX Knuckles ’92 Rev F Dual Rec Amplifier
So of this selection of 34 I own 27 :
Finalists
...
Best of BrandsBig Muff Style FuzzBoostBoost and OverdriveDistortionDriveFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionOverdriveSilicon FuzzSkreddy Pedals+-
I’ve long been a huge Skreddy fan - picking up one from here and there as I’ve gone along! A couple here came from the old Wunjo store - back when they used to stock Skreddy, the Mayonnaise came from an Italian collector via Reverb.com - while most everything else came from my good friend Joe Light’s Joe’s Pedals Boutique!
I got a little carried away with the latest Skreddy restock / drop into Joe’s Pedals - where Marc Ahlfs made a number of long discontinued varieties for Joe - some of ...
Aura AmpsBardic Audio DevicesBest in ClassBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionCoriolis EffectsDistortionDriveDual-DriveMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionOverdrivePreAmpRedbeard EffectsSinvertekSoldanoTanabeTone InkTsakalis Audio WorksTube OverdriveTubesteaderTweed Style OverdriveVox Style Distortion+-
In the light of a number of new arrivals this year, namely :
- Coriolis Hail To The King Ultimate Edition Dual BluesBreaker Overdrive
- Menatone MenaWatt Hiwatt DR103 style Preamp
- Menatone Wreck’T Trainwreck Express style Preamp
- Tubesteader ROY Twin Channel Vox AC30 Top Boost style Tube Preamp
It seemed about the right time to do an update of my original April 2023 16 Iconic Amps and Pedals Article. This has had some tweaks along the way, and on the 9th slot still features a pedal yet to ...
BoostCompressorDistortionDryBell EffectsEQGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Gear RetailMarshall Style DistortionModulationOverdriveUni-Vibe and VibeUtility+-
NOTE : Competition is now over - while the -20% promotion has been extended until January 15th!
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that we’ve had DryBell Banners on this site since December 1st - to mark the Brand New DryBell.com website. The celebration is in two parts - firstly, all 5 key Pedal Variants are [20% OFF] throughout December - with FREE Shipping.
[20% OFF] is a fantastic deal for these studio-grade pedals, and a rare opportunity to acquire one at these at incredibly ...
Crazy Tube CircuitsDistortionEQMarshall Style DistortionOverdrivePreAmp+-
To a large degree the Heatseeker is modelled on the Angus Young Amp sound - which was significantly enhanced by his Schaffer Vega Diversity Wireless System - which generated more verve and vibrancy.
CTC have cleverly modelled the Vega part of Angus’s Amp Stack too, which type of system was also used by Peter Frampton, Eddie Van Halen, and Gene Simmons of Kiss fame. Notably Brian May deployed a not altogether dissimilar setup - but with an inline Treble Booster added too. So there were many ...
Boost and OverdriveDistortionDriveDual-DriveMarshall Style DistortionOverdriveTubescreamer Style OverdriveWampler+-
This is very much the V3 Edition of the previously known Brent Mason Hot Wired Dual Overdrive/Distortion Pedal.
I’ve included the previous V2 version of that - so you can compare the control topologies :
Hot Wired V2 Controls - OVERDRIVE (Clarksdale Screamer) } Volume, Gain, Tone, Blend, Bass Boost : Fat / Normal / Fatter, Overdrive Footswitch; DISTORTION } Volume, Gain, Tone, Bass Boost : Fat / Normal / Fatter, Distortion Footswitch.
The new Re Wired adds an Order Switch, and makes ...
Beetronics FXBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossBrown Sound DistortionChorus and VibratoDanelectroDecibelicsDistortionDriveDrunk BeaverDumble Style OverdriveEnvelope Filter and Auto WahFenderFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionHello KittyMarshall Style DistortionMetal DistortionModelling AmpModulationModulation WorkstationMulti-FXOlinthusOneControlOneder EffectsOpAmp FuzzOverdrivePedal ChainPhaserPoly EffectsPreAmpRat Style FuzzSilicon FuzzSkreddy PedalsTube OverdriveTubescreamer Style OverdriveTubesteaderVox Style DistortionWalrus Audio+-
November has been a crazy month! With such a flurry of activity from around the middle of the month onwards. So many companies took full advantage of Black Friday promotions - and the smartest of them started early, and extended their campaign through to the 2nd or 6th of December - in order to be able to take advantage of 2 pay packets!
If you started your Black Friday sales with just a week to go or less - then alas you’re bang out of touch with the new paradigm shift. The early bird ...