guitar pedals
Guitar effects pedals have been shaping the sound of modern music for decades. THEY transform raw guitar tones into iconic riffs and unforgettable melodies. Their history is a story of innovation, rebellion, and the pursuit of new sonic landscapes. What began with a few primitive circuits has evolved into a vast world of effects — each one capable of turning a simple chord into something extraordinary.
The journey started in the 1960s with the birth of the fuzz pedal. When Keith Richards unleashed the fuzz-drenched riff of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” it sparked a revolution. Around the same time, Jimi Hendrix was pushing the limits with wah-wah and univibe effects, blending psychedelia with blues. As rock and roll exploded, so did the demand for pedals that could warp and shape sound in new ways. The 1970s and 80s introduced us to the warm saturation of overdrives, the cascading layers of delay, and the icy textures of chorus — effects embraced by legends like David Gilmour, Eddie Van Halen, and The Edge.
As technology advanced, so did the complexity of pedals. The analog circuits of old gave way to digital signal processing, opening the door for multi-effects units and the infinite versatility of modeling pedals. Today’s landscape is a blend of vintage warmth and cutting-edge tech, with boutique builders reviving classic circuits while pushing the envelope with innovative designs. Players like Tom Morello, St. Vincent, and John Mayer showcase how effects pedals are not just accessories but essential instruments in their own right.
In a world of endless possibilities, the right combination of pedals can transform a simple riff into a signature sound. And for guitarists everywhere, that chase for the next great tone is what keeps the pedal game evolving — one stomp at a time.
signature pedal mods
digitech bad monkey hot Banana
The Bad Monkey is a Tubescreamer style overdrive with separate high and low EQ controls. It includes a Mixer Output to go direct into a board or interface, with a cabinet simulator built in.
While the stock pedal can be rather harsh, the Pedal Pimp Hot Banana Mod is a more transparent version that decreases the harshness from the mids and improves the bass response. The result is a much smoother sound with a lot less pedal noise than the original. The Hot Banana Mod also comes with an added red aluminum contour knob that allows you to fine tune your mids.
The LED has been changed to banana yellow and the cheap plastic knobs replaced with high quality, gold-coloured, anodized aluminum.
boss metal zone metal god mod
The BOSS Metal Zone Pedal Pimp Metal God Mod builds on an already great pedal by making it even better. Ear-piercing highs have been tamed and overall EQ balanced. The distortion has been enhanced for better dynamics and response with a lot less noise. A contour knob has been added to add more versatility to the pedal taking it from a metal to a more bluesy rock overdriven sound.
The Metal God Mod has three gain stages:
a) LEFT - LED Yellow/Green METAL - Pure Hard Rock/Metal Tone
b) MIDDLE - LEDs OFF (no signal clipping) HEAVY METAL - Overdriven Heavy Metal/Death Metal Tone
c) RIGHT - LED UV/Purple SUSTAIN - Brighter Rock/Hair Metal Tone with a lot more sustain
This pedal works best through a clean channel or single channel amp like a Marshall JCM 800. If you're going to run it through an overdriven channel, then watch the amp's gain and maybe even try running through the effects loop.
This is an insanely versatile mod and one you're sure to enjoy!
ehx soul food klon mod
The EHX Soul Food Pedal Pimp Klon Mod does gives you the option of using the stock Schottky silicon diodes or a pair of Russian germanium diodes. These glass germanium diodes very closely resemble the 1N34A Russian military diodes from the 1980s, used in the Klon Centaur. You'll notice a richer dynamic tone.
Switch between diode clipping using a three-way toggle. The vintage Russian Diodes are activated in the toggle-down position and the stock in the toggle-up position. The middle position is gritty with clipping turned off.
There's also an added a contour knob to really shape your tone at higher outputs.
These modifications retain the integrity of the original soul Food while giving you klon tone shaping capabilities. I've got one of these on my pedal board as a permanent fixture.
Dod FX69 grunge teen spirit mod
This is the DOD FX69 you want, because the Pedal Pimp Teen Spirit mod gives the DOD Grunge a cleaner sound and makes it more responsive and dynamic. The LED has been changed to purple and the cheap plastic knobs replaced with high quality silver anodized aluminum.
This Jason Lamb designed pedal was made in Utah in the late 1980s or early 1990s and celebrates an era when Grunge was king.
MTV to Kurt Cobain: "Why do Nirvana's guitars sound so cool? Why are they so awesome?" He (Kurt) held up the Grunge FX69 and said, "Well, it's the DOD Grunge, of course." That may have been done as joke, but fact is this pedal was a staple on Kurt's pedalboard.
This analog-distortion pedal goes beyond the Grunge genre. This is a high-gain distortion, ideal for heavy metal and punk rock as well.
As with all Jason Lamb era pedals, it's a simple pedal featuring four control-knobs with weird names: Loud, Butt, Face, and Grunge. The pedal can be powered by a 9V battery or an AC adaptor (battery and power supply not included).
voltron analogue or digital display
Let’s face it, some guitar pedals (especially fuzz pedals) sound better with a dying battery in them. fresh batteries or 9v dc power sources sound way too harsh.
i decided to address this by building both an Analogue and digital display voltage pedal that could adjust the amount of voltage a guitar pedal receives. adjusting the voltage input opens the door to a wide variety of new effect sounds.
place the voltron between your power supply and guitar pedal and dial in your voltage.
tcb tone bender
the ‘taking care of business’ tone bender is my take on the vox tone bender of 1966, which is based on the same circuit topology as the Sola Sound Tone Bender MK1.5. these were manufactured for the Thomas Organ Company by the JEN company in Italy. this circuit uses different component values and transistor types, making it different in tone and behaviour. Unlike the UK-built MK1.5.
Different transistor and capacitor setups have been used over the years. i use OC75N Germanium Transistors imported from germany for warm vintage distortion, a smooth top-end, and fat mid-range retaining the classic germanium feel and dynamic response.
