Bart Provoost, the man behind Effects Database (FXDB), takes us through all the new pedals from the last month. If there's a guy who has their finger on the pulse when it comes to new pedals, then it's Bart Provoost...
Here's my first monthly overview of new pedals (or brands) for Sonic State Amped. I automatically create weekly lists of new pedals on EffectsDatabase.com (my own site), but for these articles I'll make a selection of those.
Most big brands either released their new pedals at NAMM or will do so at Musikmesse, but several boutique brands came with interesting new pedals.
Some pedals by better known boutique brands:
Keeley Electronics Red Dirt Overdrive, a versatile classic tube style overdrive based around their Mod Plus and Baked mods.
Cusack Effects made the Tiny Tap Delay, a smaller edition of the Tap-a-Delay to be used with a loop switcher (because it doesn't have a bypass switch)
Wren and Cuff Mercy Phuk: a one-knob touch sensitive overdrive for both bass and guitar using both germanium diodes and MOSFET/LED clipping.
Manlay Sound The Fuzz: a Tone Bender MkIII clone from this well respected Spanish builder.
Monolith Fuzz, another famous fuzz builder is now selling the Santa Muerte, a new fuzz based on the Tone Bender MkI, but with tweaks and modifications that make it tighter.
A few less known and newer builders also released interesting pedals:
Sean Ryan Custom came with 2 new pedals: the Far End Device, a buffered splitter/headphone amp and the single knob Ham Head Fuzz, a vintage style sputtering fuzz.
With the "Hot!", UK company Gough Electronics released its first dirt pedal, a valve sound distortion, but also the Qube Funky Fuzz Filter. I loved their previous pedals and at only £65 a pedal I'll definitely try these as well!
Russian company SBE Master came with quite a lot of new pedals in the last few months and now started a new mini series with their Mega Volt Distortion, Iron Man Distortion and Joker Overdrive. The pedals have about the same width as an MXR pedal, but not as long and high.
I can't add the pedals by M Design Haus to EffectsDatabase because they're one-offs (trying to keep up with the new production pedals is hard enough already), but they're really works of art that wouldn't be out of place at an art gallery or museum.
Another new company is Spontaneous Audio Devices, founded by Frank Zappa's long time technician and friend Arthur Sloatman. With the Son Of Kong pedal they make the EQ and gain circuit used in Frank's guitars available to the public.
Marrs Pedals released their Roverdrive which is of course an overdrive, but also the Seq and Destroy, a tremolo where the signal level is controlled by the lower frequencies (< 200Hz) of an external signal, like a drum machine, mp3,... Lots of possibilities to experiment with!
Selah Effects released the Feather Drive earlier, but now comes with a Nighel Hendroff signature Overdrive: the Scarlett Love.
Anarchy Audio Australia added a 2nd and 3rd pedal to their line: the Sentinel Octave Fuzz and Esquilax 3-Band Active Equalizer.
Swedish company Olsson Amps released their first pedal, the D.O.G Drive.
The last one for this month is the Wiz Pedal Model D, a very versatile booster and overdrive with lots of knobs and switches.
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