Pedalmania 2019
THE GP STAFF got an early peek at stompbox releases at the winter NAMM show last January, and we requested many of them for reviews — some of which have already been published, including models from Aclam, Danelectro, EarthQuaker Devices, Electro-Harmonix, Tech 21, TWA and others. As more pedals are rolling in for upcoming reviews, we decided to take this opportunity to present 24 of our top picks from the show, which highlight how manufacturers are creating distortion, fuzz, delay, modulation, reverb and multi-effects pedals that give guitarists more sonic options than ever before — whether the goal is better lead tone, crafting otherworldly soundscapes or being able to get your entire stage sound from something small enough to fit in a suitcase. There are tons of options out there in stompbox land — as well as cool accessories, like pedalboards — and we look forward to reporting on as many new products as possible in the coming months.
Boss Dimension C DC-2w
$229.99 street
Often mistaken for a chorus, Boss’s ’80s-era Dimension effect was an innovative 3-D spatial processing unit that made everything you put through it sound remarkably more lifelike and present. Though time-based like a chorus, Dimension adds width and depth to the source but without the obvious modulation. The new Dimension C DC-2W has modes for not only the original DC-2 Dimension C pedal but also the legendary SDD-320 Dimension D studio rack effect on which it was based. The pedal retains the original’s familiar four-button preset interface, now updated with electronic switches and LED indicators. Each mode—S and SDD-320 — offers four variations on the Dimension effect with increasing width and depth, plus another six additional sounds accessed by pressing combinations of the four buttons. With its versatile mono/stereo I/Os, the pedal will play nice with any rig, onstage or in the studio. boss.info—CS
Crazy Tube Circuits Falcon
$189
In a world of distortion boxes that attempt to give you the sound of a raging full stack, it’s refreshingly cool to find a pedal that’s going for the sound and feel of a small, lower-gain combo. The Falcon aims to produce the vibe of two different combos:—MB
