The Tube Screamer is arguably the most copied and modified overdrive circuit ever. With good reason, this classic effect delivers a soft compression that truly is amp-like 
in response, feel, and tone. Maxon, the original manufacturer of the Tube Screamer, has now released its own response with a modified design and dubbed it the Maxon OD808X Extreme. But will the OD808X Extreme just provide more gain and the “same old” sound, or will it provide something truly unique?
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Category Archives: Effects
Reverb Pedal Buying Guide for Various Applications
Deciding which effects pedals are right for you can get pretty tough. There are a lot of great options out there, and, let’s face it, it’s hard not to feel like you want them all. Unfortunately, our rockstar aspirations rarely jive with our less-than-rockstar budgets. So we’re forced to choose between various pedals. If you are currently trying to decide on the right reverb pedal for your board, we’ve got some advice to help out. Today we’ll be looking at a few fantastic reverb pedals and discussing which applications each of them is best suited for.
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Sonus Pedals Fuzz Face 1966 Replica Reviewed
It has been some time since we wrote our Fuzz Feast series about both vintage and 
recent fuzz options on the market. After seeing the prices of original fuzz units climb, I wondered what the boutique market now had available in 2015 as far as the most accurate of Fuzz Face clones. During my search, I stumbled across Sonus Pedals based in the Netherlands and its Fuzz Face 1966 replica.
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Keeley Electronics GC-2 Limiting Amplifier Review
Among musicians, Robert Keeley has become a virtual household name in quality 
compression for well over a decade. With humble beginnings building early units based on the famed grey Ross compressor from out of his home, to now having sold over 40,000 compressors and growing his business with a complete lineup of original designs, Robert Keeley and the team at Keeley Electronics have achieved great success since the early days.
The latest designs in the company’s compression family are original and based on new circuits that Robert and his engineering team spent years perfecting. Today we’ll look review the more compact model, the Keeley GC-2 Limiting Amplifier.
Fuzz Feast Part 2 – An Assortment of Today’s Fuzzes
In part one, we spent some time with some vintage fuzz classics. Now let’s move forward in time and take a look at some Fuzzes that are currently on the market (with the exception of one which we’ll get to).
Fuzz, more than any other effect, really comes down to personal preferences. As a result, there is no judgment here with regards to what is the “better” fuzz unit – Just sonic descriptions and details that can help you make some choices depending on the direction that you’d like to go with your fuzz tones.
Fuzz Feast Part 1 – An Examination of Vintage Fuzz Boxes
I have a confession. As a guitarist for well over 25 years, I had always been an “anti-fuzz” person. In fact, I can honestly say I hated and despised the sound of fuzzes that I had heard. I couldn’t understand the point of purposefully making a guitar sound as atrocious and “lo-fi” as possible in mind. A fuzz tone after all, sounded nothing like an electric guitar should.
During this period of time, my search for the epitome of rock tone had to do with capturing rock guitar tones from the likes of players like Angus Young of AC/DC and of course Edward Van Halen. In my mind, any tone that deviated from those was simply bad tone, or at best, “sub-par.”
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What Kind of Delay Pedal Should I Buy?
When shopping for delay boxes, it seems that there are many more different options today than ever before. The vintage market is still booming, and prices of basic analog delay boxes reflect this trend with skyrocketing prices. But are the old analog delays worth the hype? Counter that trend with digital delays, the very cool must-have tools back in the ‘80s. Nowadays, digital delays in the used market can be found at true bargain prices. But what about this talk about them being sterile and lifeless?
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Hughes & Kettner Replex Tape Delay Simulator
The Hughes & Kettner products as we all know are aimed for the professional or rich musicians out there. They don’t kid around when it comes to tone, durability, and looks. I will be the first to admit that before I even took this item out of the box, I had extremely high expectations based on the price.
The Hughes and Kettner Replex Tape Delay Simulator is a tube-driven Digital Analog tape delay simulator. What does that mean? The overall delay is a digital signal, but it is "warmed up" with a simple 12AX7 pre-amp tube. "Simulator" means that this unit has no actual analog or tape delay to it, but rather the inconsistencies of an analog tape delay are simulated digitally.
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Phaser Roundup: MXR Phase 90, Maxon PT999, EHX Small Stone
For this phaser roundup, I have selected three classic phasers that have been around for years and used by players of all styles, Funk to Blues, Classic Rock to Fusion. Here are three stompboxes that won’t disappoint. All have been re-issued but still retain their classic charm.
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Maxon AD999 vs Deluxe Memory Man
Originally, this review was intended to be a comparison between the two delay units, but as the delays showed their wares, I began to feel that they were actually two separate units that shared a common function and construction. And in a world full of different delay options, it’s these units shared and disparate qualities that set them apart.
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