News
2026 January Pedal-Chain Update - Episode I - A Flying Start!
1+ hour, 28+ min ago (1213+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation January has been a bumper start for the year - with lots of killer arrivals - especially the DSM & Humboldt Dumblifier which I've been hugely impressed with. Also my most formidable NAMM coverage to-date - where I only started work…...
Mad Professor shrinks down its Super Black Classic Fender Amp style Preamp / Overdrive to Compact Enclosure
1+ day, 2+ hour ago (82+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation Mad Professor strips out the Sweet Honey Overdrive portion from its original mid-size Super Black Fender Blackface style Preamp - for a more streamlined and pedalboard-friendly experience. The Super Black Mini retains the main controls : Super Black Mini…...
16 of the Best Extended Range Marshall Pedals with Plexi + JCM800 Coverage : The Next Iteration
1+ day, 21+ hour ago (1326+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation This is the 2nd Iteration for this article - where we go from a selection of 13 to 16. I landed 4 of these these last year - the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker, Flattley Outlaw, Fortin Kali, and Tubesteader Gainlord. And two early…...
T-Rex release 2 innovative mid-size pedals - The RoomMate D'luxe Tube Reverb, and Fuzztopia Fuzz / Distortion with Blend controls per Channel
1+ day, 23+ hour ago (367+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation The RoomMate D'luxe was announced at NAMM, where the Fuzztopia was out late last year - where I did not manage to fit it into my schedule. It seems very timely now since the RoomMate D'luxe is in…...
Klowra's second wave of effects is led by the excellent precision-honed and super versatile Verdict Four-Voice Polyphonic Octave Generator
2+ day, 6+ hour ago (354+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation The Klowra Verdict definitely sits within POG territory - but with a much broader set of features and functions - including 2 variations of Freeze and Ramp Hold effects on the Footswitch. Along with numerous shaping elements to get even…...
16 Favourite Drunk Beaver Overdrives
2+ day, 23+ hour ago (1002+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation In the wake of the quite superb recent Olbia Super-Klone - which is my favourite Drunk Beaver Overdrive to-date as well as by far and away my favourite evolved Klon sound. I thought I should do a roundup…...
Tone King releases Royalist sibling to its runaway successful Imperial Floor Amp - built on Friedman's all-tube IR Platform
3+ day, 2+ hour ago (379+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation There is of course a decent amount of sharing between Boutique Amps Distribution brands, and the Tone King Imperial Floor Amp owes everything to Friedman's IR Platform - upon which it is built. Obviously it's been tuned to…...
T-Rex creates the ultimate Analog Studio Delay - the Binson Sterephonica Drum Delay
3+ day, 6+ hour ago (249+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation T-Rex does it again! This time stereo-fying the Binson Echorec - for the greatest ever analog Tape-style / Magnetic Delay. It has the full range of features that I would have included had I designed this myself - with 4 selectable…...
Way Huge releases 30th Anniversary Limited Edition of its Swollen Pickle Jumbo Fuzz
4+ day, 2+ hour ago (97+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation So we have a new unique artwork edition with different controls, and an added "Crunch" switch. I have and love the stock green MKIIS variant as pictured on the left. I"m not sure I need another…...
Thomas Blug îs unerringly close now to a full release of his new state of the art BluGuitar Amp X Analog Amp & Pedal Modeller
4+ day, 6+ hour ago (227+ words) Xploration " Curation " Recommendation This is a culmination of a life's work for Thomas Blug - we've seen Amp 1, Mercury and Iridium editions over the years - and it's like seeing an elite watchmaker add further complication to his triple-axis tourbillon watch! You…...