New models include the Nano+, the three-model Metro Series, the three-model Novo Series, the refined Classic Series and its new large-format flagship pedal board, Terra 42.
Nashville, TN (January 16, 2015) -- Pedaltrain, the worldās most popular pedal board brand, has reinvented its product line for 2015 and beyond. In a private meeting with some of Nashvilleās top professional guitarists and bassists, the company revealed its new product range to resounding applause.
New models include the Nano+, the three-model Metro Series, the three-model Novo Series, the refined Classic Series and its new large-format flagship pedal board, Terra 42. All will be released in early Spring 2015.
āWe are true pedal-junkies,ā says Pedaltrain President John Chandler, āwe are deeply invested in our community and the needs of musicians who trust Pedaltrain to support, enable and protect their valuable gear. Our commitment is demonstrated in what we believe are absolutely the best Pedaltrains weāve ever made.ā
Pedaltrain highlighted unique design improvements like its new modified rail system, which improves the stability of smaller-sized pedals. The company also demonstrated its portable grab-and-go Metro series and the true-bypass-switching-friendly Novo Series.
The companyās vastly improved soft cases and new strength-weight optimized tour cases were a big hit, especially when it was revealed itās new professional-grade cases now weigh up to 35% less than previous models.
āWe enjoy a close relationship with our customers - from the touring professional to the student jamming in a garage band,ā says Chandler. āOur new products incorporate their valuable feedback; each new model meets specific player needs. Only Pedaltrain has this deep domain expertise.ā
For more information:
Pedaltrain
There are a ton of choices available, but armed with a few key features, you can future-proof your setup.
For guitarists diving into the world of home recording, an audio interface is the bridge between your instrument and the digital world. With so many options out there, itās easy to get overwhelmedāespecially when youāre juggling features, audio quality, and price. But if youāre serious about your tone and want to future-proof your setup, your best investment will always be the interface with the highest quality components, flexible I/O, and enough headroom to capture your playing at its very best. Welcome to another Dojo!
Letās unpack the differences between interfaces with different numbers of input channels, and explore top-tier options from trusted names like Universal Audio, Focusrite, and Neumann. While your current needs might be modest, choosing an interface that can grow with your rig ensures that youāre not limiting your creativity before you even press record.
A single-input interface might seem like enough for a solo guitarist, especially if youāre primarily tracking one instrument at a time. Theyāre portable, affordable, and ideal for quick demos or mobile recording. However, this configuration quickly becomes restrictive. If you want to track both a micād cab and a DI signal simultaneouslyāor add vocals, synths, or pedalsāyouāre out of options.
Stepping up to dual-channel interfaces opens up a lot more flexibility. Models like the Universal Audio Apollo Twin X Duo ($799 street), Focusrite Clarett+ 2Pre ($499 street), or Neumann MT 48 ($1,850 street) offer outstanding fidelity and headroom with transparent preamps that preserve nuance. These interfaces support both high-impedance (Hi-Z) instrument inputs and line-level sources, allowing direct connection from guitars, pedals, or modelers like the Kemper or Quad Cortex. If youāre recording at higher sample ratesāthink 96 kHz or even 192 kHzāthese units can handle it without breaking a sweat.
āChoosing an interface that can grow with your rig ensures that you're not limiting your creativity before you even press record.ā
When you reach the quad-input category, youāre entering serious territory. Interfaces such as the Universal Audio Apollo x4 ($1,599 street) or Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre ($699 street), as well as many others, are great for guitarists who run stereo rigs or want to simultaneously record multiple sources: guitar, vocals, keys, or even analog outboard gear. This level of input expands whatās possible in your session. Notably, these models often include ADAT expansion, so you can add even more inputs later.
The Apollo series, in particular, is a favorite among professionals for good reason. Being able to track through high-end emulations of preamps, compressors, and EQs in real timeāwithout taxing your computerācan dramatically improve your workflow and sound. Plus, their Unison technology adapts the impedance and gain staging of their preamps to match classic hardware profiles, making it ideal for guitarists chasing vintage tone.
Neumann, a name traditionally associated with high-end microphones, has entered the interface market with the MT 48, and itās turning some heads. This interface boasts elite conversion quality (up to 32-bit/192 kHz), a clean, expansive 78 dB of gaināplenty of headroom for any dynamic mic or ribbonāand the touchscreen control and routing matrix make it very flexible.
For budget-conscious musicians, Focusriteās Scarlett series is the go-to, but the Clarett+ line is where the real power lies. With upgraded converters, improved dynamic range, and dedicated instrument inputs, these interfaces deliver clarity and punch at a more accessible price point.
While connectivity might seem like an afterthought, itās actually a critical consideration. Interfaces now come with Thunderbolt, USB-C, or even network-based options like AVB or Dante. Thunderbolt models, such as those from Universal Audio and some Focusrite Clarett+ versions, offer ultra-low latency and superior bandwidthāideal for running complex sessions with many plugins. USB-C interfaces are broadly compatible and increasingly powerful, while AVB and Dante appeal to those integrating with larger studio setups or performing live with digital mixers.
In the end, your audio interface is the foundation of your home studio. Prioritize audio qualityāespecially high sample and bit rates (96 kHz/24-bit or higher)ābut donāt skimp on headroom, especially if youāre using dynamic or ribbon mics. Make sure you have at least one Hi-Z input for your guitar and that your line-level handling is clean and reliable. Expansion potential, digital signal processing, and solid connectivity are all worth the investment if they keep your workflow smooth and your sound uncompromised.
So even if youāre only plugging in a single Strat today, think beyond the present. Choose the interface that matches the sound in your headānot just your budget. Itās an investment not just in gear, but in your music. Namaste.
The bold English band return with their eighth record, Dreams on Toast. The brotherly guitar duo tell us about their pilgrimage back to Tonehenge.
The experience of locking in with the Hawkins brothers for an hour of conversation is not unlike absorbing their gonzo, wildly effervescent take on classic hard rock. To be sure, Justin, 49, the bandās frontman and de facto lead guitarist, and Dan, 48, who plays guitar, produces, and contributes backing vocals, keep you on your toes.
An instance of deep creative insight will jump-cut to a well-executed crude joke with a set-up involving slide guitar, which Justin taught himself to play during Covid lockdown in standard tuning, ānot the G cheating tuning.ā Passages of admirable self-reflection are interspersed with a freewheeling riff on Kid Rock and a debate about the finer points of crawling up oneās own arse. Itās kind of a blast.
The sad inability of critics and even audiences to reconcile fantastic hard rock with a sense of humor has dogged the Darkness throughout its existence, to the point where Dan believes the āclassic rock communityā only really came around to the band after Justin and drummer Rufus Taylor performed in Taylor Hawkinsā all-star tribute in 2022. āFinally, āOkay, these guys arenāt actually just fucking around,āā says Dan. Fair enough, but what exactly are they doing?
The Darknessā new album, Dreams on Toast, their eighth LP overall and sixth since reforming in 2011, is quite possibly their strongest set yet. In its wide-ranging, often surprising charms, it somehow manages to muddy the waters even further while also firming up an ethosānamely, that the Darkness are smart rock and pop mastercraftsmen who contain multitudes. Or, as Dan describes their M.O.: āWe can do whatever the fuck we want, whenever we want, and we donāt have to worry about it.ā Adds Justin, āThe funny thing is what we actually want to do is just write timeless songs.ā
Dreams on Toast, the British hard-rock bandās eighth full-length, is a testament to their indefatigable belief in the melding of hard-rock riffage with humor.
Justin Hawkinsā Gear
Guitars
- Atkin JH3001
- Atkin Mindhorn JH3000
- Danās red Gibson ES-355
- Danās Epiphone Casino (for slide)
- Atkin acoustic
- Brook Tavy acoustic
- Taylor 12-string
Justin and Danās Amps
- Ampete amp/cab switcher
- Vox AC30 head
- Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
- 1959 Marshall plexi Super Lead
- Marshall 1987X
- Friedman Smallbox
- Friedman BE-100 Deluxe
- Marshall cab with Celestion Greenbacks
Effects
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
- SoloDallas Schaffer Replica
Strings & Picks
- Rotosound Roto Yellows .010s
- Dunlop Tortex .73 mm
Dreams on Toast boasts moments of quintessential Darknessāin, say, āWalking Through Fire,ā a hooky rock ānā roll behemoth that pays plainspoken tribute to the power of ⦠rock ānā rollāand gets even more meta with a winky line about wasting time āshooting yet another shitty video.ā For those whoāve followed the band from the start, it can evoke the shock of discovering the Darkness on MTV in 2004, when they were an exuberant burst of Queen-inspired virtuosity amidst so much overwrought post-punk and stylized garage rock. (āI fucking hate videos. I donāt even know why we bother,ā shrugs Justin, the centerpiece of several of the most memorable rock vids of the 21st century.)
Elsewhere, Dreams on Toast has a knack for subverting expectations. āThe Longest Kissā leans into the progressive-pop facility of Jeff Lynne, Sparks, or Harry Nilsson. āHot on My Tailā and āCold Hearted Womanā are deft examples of rootsy pop writing, finding a niche between honky tonk and transatlantic folk. āThe Battle for Gadget Landā engages in campy rap-rock, as if satirizing the nu metal that thrived when the Darkness was founded. It also betrays a British punk influenceāa vestige, the brothers ponder, of their fatherās excellent musical tastes and his decision to play his sons Never Mind the Bollocks, Hereās the Sex Pistols. Bewilderingly, āWeekend in Romeā features a voice-over by the actor Stephen Dorff.
But the albumās absolute highlights belong to the signature balance that allows the Darkness to remain instantly identifiable while also being custodians of rockās various traditions. āRock and Roll Party Cowboyā seems to revel in macho rock clichĆ©s, until you notice a reference to Tolstoy in the chorus and realize that the badass at the center of the narrative is in reality a stone-cold loser. āThereās a line in there, which gives it away,ā Justin explains, āwhere he says, āWhere the ladies at?āā The truth hurts: āThe party heās describing is a disaster.āāThe funny thing is what we actually want to do is just write timeless songs.ā āJustin Hawkins
The same savvy defines āI Hate Myself,ā a punked-up barroom-glam throwback that tackles heartbreak and self-contempt. The song also has a buzzed-about video in which Justin appears, unrecognizable, as a man who wears his grief, vanity, and insecurity on his face as questionable plastic surgery. The clip is startling, cinematic, and willfully not very much fun. Consequently itās inspired pushback, even within the band. āI think on this record, from the recording to the videos and everything, I think weāre challenging people,ā Justin says. āWeāre trying to explore genres and visual ideas that we havenāt done before. Like, thereās only two of us on the album cover; me and Dan arenāt even on it.
āItās like weāre doing everything differently, and in ways that make people go, āWell, what the fuck is this?ā I think weāre hopefully positioning ourselves as a band that cares about the art.ā
The brothers Hawkins in action. They wrote the songs for Dreams on Toast on an acoustic guitar, face-to-face.
Photo by Gareth Parker
Fraternal Dynamics Ā
Following 2021ās Motorheart, which was built piecemeal in the throes of the pandemic, Dreams on Toast is a welcome return to (literal) face-to-face collaboration. āPretty much everything on the album was written on an acoustic, me facing Justin,ā Dan says. āHolding my gaze,ā adds Justin, with a straight face.
āWe have quite a lot of success when Iāve just got an acoustic and Iām thrashing away,ā Dan posits, though āthrashing awayā isnāt quite fair. In fact, the through line tying Dreams on Toast to landmark Darkness singles like āI Believe in a Thing Called Love,ā āChristmas Time (Donāt Let the Bells End),ā or āLove Is Only a Feelingā is the precision of the craftāthe sheer perfection of the sonics and the shape of each song, the seamlessness with which an intro becomes a verse and then a bridge before an earworm chorus breaks down the door. Track after track.
āI think weāve always been good at arranging,ā Dan says. āSorry to blow our own trumpets, but I think that comes from Justin and my musical upbringing.ā To wit: Fleetwood Macās pop-rock masterpiece Rumours was on heavy rotation at home. At the outset of his career, after heād been a drummer and a bass player, Dan only āstarted playing guitar properly as a session player,ā he says. āAnd that kind of taught me a lot about placing things, when to do things and when not to.
āThe only reason I can play guitar is because I wanted to work out how songs were written,ā he adds later. At one point during the chat, Justin mentions his experience writing and producing music for commercial clientsāsomething he and his brother continue to partake in, in specific under-the-radar situations. He maintains that work doesnāt inform the Darkness too much, though he does allow that it furthers their understanding of the architecture of songs. āWe learn about how theyāre built,ā he says, āwhatās happening underneath the bonnet.ā
In the end, Dan explains, the band doesnāt chase down a song in the studio until itās been properly worked out. āBecause thereās no point, is there?ā Justin says. A delightful exchange about turds, and the pursuit of polishing them, ensues.
āThe only reason I can play guitar is because I wanted to work out how songs were written.ā āDan Hawkins
Dan Hawkinsā Gear
Guitars
- 2000 Gibson Les Paul Standard
- Gibson ES-355
Effects
- Ibanez TS9 and TS808 Tube Screamers
- SoloDallas Schaffer Replica
- Keeley Caverns
- Keeley Katana Boost
Strings & Picks
- Rotosound Roto Greys .011s
- Dunlop Nylon .73 mm
Dreams on Toast features the bandās current lineup with the rhythm tandem of Rufus Taylor, the son of Queen drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist Frankie Poullain. It was produced by Dan, who helms his well-appointed Hawkland Studios in Sussex, England.
Unprompted, he shows us around via Zoom, and in his lighthearted practicality, you get a sense of the study in contrast that the Hawkins brothers have presented since they were boys in the English seaside town of Lowestoft. (For an intimate look at their relationship and the bandās hard-won return, check out the 2023 documentary, Welcome to the Darkness, which will be available on platforms in the States starting in mid April.) The conventional wisdom dictates that Justin is the YouTube personality, the opinionated fount of charisma, falsetto, and unforgettable guitar leads, and Dan is the engine room, the pragmatist and a rhythm ace in the mold of his hero Malcolm Young. Itās definitely not that cut-and-dried; Dan, despite his modesty, can put together a great solo, too, and theyāre both affable and entertaining, with the pluck to have forged ahead through physical and personal challenges. But itās true enough.
āIāve been in my studio for eight hours a day working on my guitar rig for this next tour,ā Dan says, feigning salty exasperation. āIāve spent so much money.ā Enter Justin: āAnd I learned how to go snowboarding.ā Dan is interested in the guitar for āwhat it is capable of sonically, not necessarily emotionally,ā he says. āI imagine thatās like the opposite of how I see it,ā his brother replies. āThatās why it works!ā says Dan.
āAs soon as the amp question comes up ⦠I donāt even know what my settings are,ā Justin admits. āIām more concerned about guitars, and I think Danās more concerned about amps.ā
Dan the amp man: The younger Hawkins brother manages āTonehenge,ā the wall of amplifiers at his studio which he and his sibling use.
Photo by Gareth Parker
Visiting Tonehenge
Actually, Justinās response to the amp question is terrific: āYou could just send him a picture of the Tonehenge,ā he says to his brother, referring to a mouth-watering monument of heads and cabs in Danās studio. Dan goes on to explain his wall of sound and how he uses an Ampete switcher to explore various combinations. On Dreams on Toast, he says, weāre hearing plenty of Marshall and Friedmanāwhich ātake care of the EL34 stuffāāas well as a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier and a handwired Vox AC30 head that āplayed a major role.ā Dan doesnāt feel compelled to āpull out loads of weird combos,ā he says, because āweāve got a big sound that we need to portray pretty much straight away.ā Mission complete.
Guitar-wise, the big takeaway on Dreams on Toast is that weāre hearing less Les Paul than we might be used to on a Darkness record. Dan continues to swear by his 2000 Les Paul Standard, whose high-output 498 humbucker has had a huge impact on the consistency of his sound. āItās only in recent years that I realized you could actually pull the volume backā and achieve the tone of āa really nice old Les Paul,ā he says. His strings have thinned out to .011ā.052 after heād bloodied his fingers one too many times using .013ā.054 sets with a wound G.
For his part, Justin has largely moved away from the white Les Paul Customs that became an indelible part of his image long ago, settling into a fruitful partnership with the English brand Atkin, whose esteemed reputation for handcrafted acoustics shouldnāt overwhelm its versatile lineup of electrics. āI know Iāve sort of become synonymous with the white Les Paul, and thatās good; I think every generation should have a white Les Paul player,ā he says cheekily. āBut maybe my time is gone now. Maybe itās somebody elseās turn.ā
Justin enjoys his Atkin signature models: the Frankenstrat-indebted JH3001 and the JH3000 Mindhorn, an offset with two humbuckers and an LP-style bridge. āIāve always loved Strats,ā he says, beginning to describe his concept for the JH3001. āIāve always enjoyed the tonal variety, and the way they play is interesting.ā But signature instruments are opportunities to correct annoyances and combine archetypes, and so it goes with the 3001.
He wanted a floating, Floyd Rose-style bridge, which would allow him to do dive bombs āand all the things Iāve been teaching myself to do,ā he says. (Those shred moves impress as smartly deployed accents to tracks like āRock and Roll Party Cowboy.ā) Justin had long been frustrated with the standard pickup-selector location on Strats and āwanted the electronics to resemble more closely what the Les Pauls do.ā A 3-way toggle for two handwound humbuckers can be found on the upper horn, and the wiring is visible via a transparent Perspex pickguardāan homage, perhaps, to Justinās lovingly remembered Dan Armstrong acrylic guitar (for which he had only the Country Bass pickup). The JH3001, Justin says, is a āFrankenPaul, if you will,ā or, as Dan recommends, a āLesocaster.ā The Mindhorn, whose offset body might strike you as a meld of Firebird and Fender, offers Justin the reliability of a Tune-o-matic-type bridge; on other offsets heās played, like a Jaguar, heād pick so hard the strings would pop out of their saddles. āAlso, the selectorās in the right place for me,ā he says.
He also leans on his brotherās collection. One of his go-to instruments for his flourishing slide skills is Danās old Epiphone Casino. And Justin explains that Danās red Gibson ES-355 was the axe of choice for two of his hardest-hitting solos on the record: the twinned-up lines of āThe Longest Kissā and the breakaway Angus-isms of āI Hate Myself.ā
āWeāve got a big sound that we need to portray pretty much straight away.ā āDan Hawkins
Justinās signature Atkins JH3000 Mindhorn, wielded here, has forced his recognizable white Les Paul into a supporting role.
Photo by Gareth Parker
Solo Break
Which brings us to the choreographed majesty of Justinās solos across the Darkness catalogāmasterpieces in miniature, as hooky and bulletproof as the songs they complement. Justin expounds on his process: āWhen Iām trying to build a solo, we normally just run the track and I have a go. And usually, Iām going 100 miles an hour, finding phrases and trying to modify them so they donāt sound like where Iāve nicked them from. But the most important thing is that you can sing along to it, so it becomes a countermelody.ā He thinks technical dazzle can work beautifully in a solo, but only when itās held in judicious balance among less-showy principles. āThe thing that sets the great guitarists apart from the other ones is the expression,ā he says. āIām talking about dynamics and vibrato.ā
His lodestars of lead playing include Mark Knopfler, whose āTunnel of Loveā solo āshows you an infinite number of harmonic choicesā atop a straightforward chord sequence. āItās full of ideas,ā he says. āNone of itās showing off; itās all logic.ā Other favorites are similarly thoughtful rockers, among them Brian May and Jeff Beck.
He digs EVH too, though those concepts came later. āThere was a guitar teacher in Lowestoft that would teach everybody how to do thatāthe tapping and all the things that Eddie Van Halen invented,ā he recalls. āI didnāt go to that guitar teacher. I was more interested in blues playing, really, and that kind of expression. It wasnāt until later that I thought, āAh, fuck, I kind of wish Iād learned that properly.ā Because now Iām asking my guitar tech how to do it.ā
His brotherās lead playing is an inspiration as well, in its ability to surprise and draw contours that Justin simply would not. āHe makes interesting choices,ā Justin says, āand then I always scratch my head and go, āWow, I would never have thought to play that note.ā So I try and sometimes I think, āWhat would Dan do?āā
YouTube It
Watch the Darkness rip a trio of exuberant rock ānā roll romps to a massive festival audience.
Blair White, a pedal consultant to the pros and owner of Nashvilleās Eastside Music Supply, shares his favorite contemporary pedals for recreatingāand reimaginingāthe gnarliest sounds of the past.
I love fuzz. I am so grateful for fuzz. I donāt know who or where Iād beāat least musicallyāwithout it. And whether or not you like using fuzz, you love fuzz, too. You just might not realize it. Fuzz pedals, which are considered loud, rowdy, and unnecessary musical devices by some tonal purists, have changed the world.
From Jimi Hendrix to Jack White, David Gilmour to Billy Corgan, fuzz pedals have not only shaped guitar sounds but shaped the way we think of and experience guitar. Starting in the 1960s, they have steered culture as the musical voice of protest (Hendrixās āMachine Gun,ā anyone?) and the communicator of a generationās angst . And donāt forget the more recent doom and stoner genres! Also, some tones that you perceive as clean or merely overdriven are actually created by finding the sweet spot between a fuzz pedal and a guitarās volume dial.
There are tons of different fuzz pedals out there right now, so navigating all of your options can seem like a difficult task. We truly live in the golden era of gear and, as a pedalhead, Iām here for it. But the roots of fuzz run deep to earlier eras. So in that spirit, here are some of my favorite modern fuzz boxes that nail the tones of yesteryearāwithout the vintage-market price tag. Enjoy! And keep thinking fuzzy!EarthQuaker DevicesĀ Hoof ($179 street)
The Hoof is a flagship pedal from this Akron, Ohio-based company, and for good reason. This pedalās circuit is rooted in a specific tall-font Sovtek Big Muff owned by the Black Keysā Dan Auerbach. According to Jamie Stillman, owner of EQD, Auerbachās favorite Big Muff didnāt sound quite like other green Russian Big Muffs heād played, so he approached Stillman to recreate its hairy goodness. The Hoof is a hybrid of germanium and silicon transistorsāa modern variant of the Muffās legendary, strictly silicon sound. While the original is a 3-knob fuzz (volume, tone, and distortion), the kicker here is a fourth āshiftā control that allows you to dial in additional midrange to your liking. Want that doom-y wall of sound? Itās here. Need a bit more string articulation for your riffs? It can do that as well. Built tough, the Hoof is extremely easy to use to get killer vintage fuzz tones and will take a beating on the road.
Way Huge Swollen PickleĀ ($149 street)
Star designer Jeorge Tripps has had a huge impact in the pedal world for decades. The Swollen Pickle is one of the staples in his creative lineup. What started as a 3-dial Big Muff-style fuzz (See a pattern here?) took on a life of its own with the addition of āfilterā and āscoopā controls. Between these two knobs, the sonic landscape is huge... you could even say way huge. The newest version of the Swollen Pickle features additional clipping options under the hood that allow you to tweak further, should you feel the need. But out of the box, this fuzz is a ripper capable of searing leads and wall-of-sound chords. Built like a tank, with a reasonable market price, Iām a big fan of this one. Itās great for guitarists interested in a Big Muff-rooted fuzz without committing to that voice exclusively. Definitely check it out!
Mythos PedalsĀ Golden Fleece ($139 street)
Sometimes simple and stupid is the best approach, and it absolutely works with the Golden Fleece. This single-knob, no-nonsense fuzz from Zach Broylesā company is a fine-tuned machine with a minimum of options. All the tough decision making has already been done and built into a germanium-and-silicon-based circuit. So, donāt let this pedalās size and lack of additional controls scare you. It is a monster fuzz pedal.
With its single āmoreā knob (the output volume), touch dynamics, the pickup selection on the guitar, and guitar volume and tone settings play a huge role in the results. It cleans up extremely well and can go from light and crunchy to full-on saturated awesomeness. Tone-wise, it lives in a unique vintage-fuzz sweet spot. Muff-y? It kinda can be, but it has much more clarity and string definition. Fuzz Face-y? Yes, but itās much smoother, while simultaneously more aggressive. Youād think a fuzz pedal with one knob would be easy to explain, but this pedal just does so dang much. Iām a huge fan of the tones that this stomp offersāespecially at $139, and with the tiny amount of precious pedalboard real estate required. Mythos calls it, āyour gateway pedal to fuzz.ā Fair enough!
Analog ManĀ Sun Face ($195 street)
Whatās a list of killer vintage-sounding fuzzes without an Analog Man pedal? Itās no secret that Mike āAnalog Manā Piera sits high up on the list of vintage-fuzz experts, and his constantly in-demand pedals (youāve heard of the King of Tone?) are a direct result of his passion and knowledge of old-school dirt. I could write a whole article on his smartly crafted fuzz pedals alone. But the Sun Face, as the name might lead you to believe, is Analog Manās take on the legendary Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Faceāthat little round box championed by guitar heavyweights like Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson, and Pete Townshend. But Analog Man doesnāt just make a one-size-fits-all Fuzz Face clone. Piera offers a dozen different variations of the pedal, with a multitude of choices. Both silicon and germanium transistors are available, as well as low- and high-gain options, which are a result of Mike carefully hand-selecting transistors that allow us nerds to get very specific about what flavor of Fuzz Face sound we want in our rig. The Sun Face is a top-quality build from a top-quality builder. You really canāt go wrong with any variation if youāre chasing the vintage-fuzz dragon.
Red River Amplification Bonetender ($199 street)
The Bonetender was created out of a love for the classic MkII Tone Bender circuit, which Sola Sound debuted in 1966. This device has two knobs, three transistors (Russia-made NOS MP41A āflying saucerā transistors, for the super-nerdy), and a name that bears its influence on its sleeve. David Britton of Red River Amplification in Nashville has nailed the classic Tone Bender sound. He hand-picks his PNP germanium transistors to craft a warm, round voice, with insane sustain and exceptional clean-up. This straight-to-the-point 2-knob (dirt and volume) fuzz provides instant joy for players of all skill levels and is easily one of my favorite MkII-inspired fuzz pedals.
By the way, since youāve seen the terms germanium and silicon come up in this article several times by now, I should probably give a quick explanation of what they are, for fuzz novices. Silicon and germanium transistors are semiconductors that amplify or alter electronic signals, like those produced by your guitar that travel through your cable. Silicon transistors are more modern, and were developed in the 1950s. Germanium transistors were developed in the 1940s, and opened the door to solid-state electronics. The earliest germanium fuzz pedal, the Maestro FZ-1 used by Keith Richards on āSatisfaction,ā was introduced in 1962. The first silicon pedal appeared in the late '60s. Generally, silicon is less responsive to guitar volume attenuation but more temperature-stable than germanium, which can be fussy in hot or cold weather, but pedals using either germanium or silicon can blow a hole in the side of a barn. Okay?
ZVEX Fuzz FactoryĀ ($319 street)
Where to start with this one? Odds are you know about this pedal. Itās a staple on so many rigs. It has inspired thousands of guitar players, as well as other pedal builders. It has been loved and used by fuzz purveyors like Trent Reznor and Billy Gibbons. And it is a modern classic. It started as a Fuzz Face clone, but the Fuzz Factory quickly carved its own path in the pedal world, though itās a bit divisive among players due to its chaotic nature. The Fuzz Factory, which debuted in 1995, was one of the first pedals that purposely use feedback-loop-style self-oscillationāsomething that other builders at the time tried to avoid. But this stompās self-oscillation can easily be tamed and is part of what makes it so damn versatile. The Fuzz Factory is perhaps one of the most flexible fuzz pedals ever created, capable of nearly any tone youāve heard on classic records or sounds you hear in your mind. Ripping Velcro-style Jack White vibes, spikey āSatisfactionā leads, or full-blown wall-of-sound fuzz are all here! If you're not scared of fuzz pedals with more than three knobs, the five on this stomp (volume, gate, compression, drive, and stability) allow you to explore fuzz in new, creative ways.
Benson Amps Stonk BoxĀ ($279 street)
Chris Benson quickly went from unknown apprentice at Verellen Amplifiers and repair tech at Old Town Music in Portland, Oregon, to in-demand, consistently backordered boutique amp builder, and for good reason. Also, his contributions to the pedal world have been fantasticāspecifically his creation of what he terms āautomatic thermal bias technology.ā Essentially, he invented a system that regulates and stabilizes the bias of germanium transistors in a pedal, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. This is a big deal! And the Stonk Box? It is a Tone Bender MkI-inspired device that excels in vintage fuzz voices, with tone, volume, filter, and trim controls. It nails the FZ-1, MkI, and Zonk Machine sounds (which are all basically the same thing). It does the sought-after, beautiful, blossoming fuzz sound. And it can surely handle your Keef riffs, but the range of this high-quality build goes well beyond that.
Rude Tech 3MuF-14 Distortion/Fuzz ($255 street)
Jesse Rhew, of Rude Tech in Nashville, really knocked this one out of the park. Taking three well-loved and legendary Sovtek Big Muff circuitsāthe "Civil War," "Green Russian," and "Black Russian"āand putting them in one enclosure is cool, right? But the modern improvements and additions included in the 3Muf-14 make these classic sounds more usable in any setting. If youāve played a Big Muff-style circuit, you know itās very common for your guitar or bass to lose presence as soon as you turn the Muff on in a live-band setting. Because of this, a lot of players run their Muff-style fuzzes into mid-heavy overdrives or EQs, so they donāt get lost in the mix. The 3MuF-14 adds a mid-focused drive circuit with its own footswitch, so your sweet riffs aren't left out of the fun. As youāve gathered by now, there are lots of killer Big Muff-style circuits out there, but if youāre looking for a gig-able option that offers just enough tweak-ability without menu diving, the 3MuF-14āwith volume, tone, and sustain dials, plus toggles for tone and Muff-style selectionāshould be on your watch list.
But Wait, Thereās More!
These are my favorites, but there are dozens more fuzz pedals, at all kinds of price levels and control options, worth investigating. See Ted Drozdowskiās companion story for a rundown of many of these, and, meanwhile, here are a few more pedals that are on my radar right now, and the historic devices or characteristics they emulate.
⢠JAM Pedals Octaurus (currently sold out): For fans of the Univox Super-Fuzz, Shin-Ei Companion, and Tycobrahe Octavia.
⢠Seeker Electric Effects SUPA (currently sold out): MkI and MkII Tone Bender
⢠Yesterday Effects Peach Fuzz ($200 street): Frantone Peach Fuzz
⢠ThorpyFX Field Marshall ($254 street): Lovetone Big Cheese
⢠Death By Audio Fuzz War ($180 street): Inspired by the Colorsound Supa Tonebender
⢠Spaceman Effects Spacerocket (currently sold out): An āintermodulationā fuzzLegendary shredder Joe Satriani was the first ever guest on Wong Notes, so it makes sense that heās the first returning sit-in with Cory Wong.
He teases a new song with Sammy Hagar, plus delves into the intricacies of Eddie Van Halenās playing and why he canāt quite replicate itāevery guitarist has their strengths and deficiencies, claims Satch. And believe it or not, Satriani didnāt figure standing in front of huge crowds to be one of his strengths when he was younger. Fate figured otherwise.
Satriani goes deep on one of his favorite tools, the Sustainiac pickup, and talks about how itās defined his playingājust like his trademark sunglasses, even in dark rooms. (āStupid idea, right?ā he jokes.)
And young guitarists, listen up: Satriani has some wise words on the importance of rigorous practice while youāre budding on the instrument. The big takeaway? Learn. Your. Scales.