Pedals Everyone Loves Except Us 

No dis meant here at all, but I have to agree with a couple other comments. I was really surprised you guys knew nothing about the EQD Hizumitas. It is one of the most badass new Big Muff-style pedals I’ve had the pleasure of playing. I’m old and I don’t play doom or stoner, but this pedal makes me want to.

Regarding the UAFX Golden Reverberatory, my viewpoint is probably massively different than any of the viewpoints of you three. I’m a senior citizen musician, never played professionally, but I’ve been an avid guitar player since I was 14, and I’m now 73. 😊 I’ve loved the reverb that I grew up hearing on records, even when I was a little kid. I didn’t even know what it was, just knew that I loved the sound. I eventually learned that the only reverb option for amateur guitarists in the ‘60’s was spring reverb. It took me a few years to get a decent spring reverb, and I loved it, but I still wanted the reverbs that I was hearing on records, I.e. plate and/or actual reverb chambers. Then when the ‘70’s arrived and Lexicon came out with their 224 digital hall that I first remember from the Blade Runner soundtrack, I knew it was the sound I wanted, along with the EMT 140. MANY years down the road, I finally heard those two sounds that I’d coveted for decades when Universal Audio came out with their Golden Reverberator. It’s my dream reverb pedal. I got mine on sale for $320 + tax, and IMO, it’s worth every cent. And the spring reverbs on the Golden Reverberator are the best too, at least to my old ears. In keeping with the spirit of this video, the Strymon Big Sky has never been a pedal that I wanted that much. To me, it’s very good, but I never heard the classic reverbs that I was after sound convincing, and also, the Big Sky has its own distinctive sound, IMO, and since everyone and their brother bought it and basically just used the presets, everyone sounded pretty much the same. Anyway, the Golden Reverberator makes me very happy, and that’s the best reason for buying any given pedal, right? 😊

How the hell does Mason not have a hair care sponsor by now? It's a crime, really.

Great listen. Loved it from beginning to end!

Like another commenter, I too bought a BlueSky from Sweetwater. It sounded cold to my ear. (Or maybe I just didn't understand it.) At this point, I don't return things. I view them as educational expenses. However, tonight I just plugged in a newly delivered Flint V2 and Volante. I heard none of the sterility that bothered me in the BlueSky. Maybe it's because of the tape echo. I bought the Flint because John Mayer uses it for both his own work and Dead & Company. Plus it seemed relatively simple by focusing on 60s tremelos and three decades of Reverb, 60s, 70s, and 80s. I bought the Volante instead of the El Capistan because it has more features. A video convinced me the Volante was relatively easy to use and would allow me to achieve my goal of educating myself in magnetic echo. The results convinced me that all Strymon pedals aren't cold. But the UA Golden Reverberator sounded fantastic on RU-vid. I have a UA Dream which has some of the same reverb, but haven't tackled it yet. Or a few other Amps in a Box Overall, I'm not a typical guitar player. I'm an old guy who plays at home and dove back into guitar during the pandemic, because music is about the only thing that makes sense these days. I think I just crossed the line to being an intermediate player. My models are Hendrix, Clapton, Mayer and Garcia. More or less old school and blues. In the pedal world, for me it's the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. One of the reasons I don't return things is that I'm so inexperienced and there's so much going on, I'm never sure if it's the pedal or me. So much to learn. But such a fascinating world. I'm playing the pedals with a 63 Vintage II Telecaster into a Custom 57. Thanks for your videos.

Great episode! One popular pedal I tried to like but couldn't seem to connect with is the Xotic BB preamp.

Don't forget, more and more synth/keyboard players are getting into pedals, that's perhaps something the Reverb charts reflect.

Thank you for the tuner comment. I'm not a big laugh out loud guy, but that warranted an audible chuckle.

I like this convo. Not all pedals sound the same for each player. Not all pedals sound the same through certain amps. Not all pedals sound as good through DI units. For me, it’s always been about mixing & matching based on the equipment I have for the moment. I had a KTR that sounded amazing through my Two Rock but not as much through my VOX or even a IR. My BOR sounded ridiculously good through my VOX but not my Hughes & Kettner. My BD2 sounds great direct through my Iridium… add a compression & I love it even more. In my POV, it’s all sound alchemy.

I have now committed to using the Archer Ikon exclusively as an overdrive. Pedal order is critical to how it sounds on my rig. I run it right after my first overdrive pedal (MXR Timmy) and before the last (Jetter Gold 45/100). It now plays well with all of them including a treble boost and fuzz pedal at the front of the signal chain.

Jackson audio prism is an interesting one! I love mine cause it's just so dang transparent and deceptively feature packed

One thing I learned after buying a pedal I heard on a gear demo… the tuning of the guitar makes a huge impact! I got the pedal home and it sounded nothing like what I heard on the video and then realized the guy was tuned down about 2 step in the demo.

I hate the Tube Screamer.

Masson, Could you please tell me about the tone suck with the HX Stomp and is there a way to get rid of it? I would greatly appreciate your input. It is super important. It could be my issue with my board.

100% agree on the $400 UA pedals. The Strymon El Capitan is fantastic Mason. I use it for my acoustic guitars and then just build this beautiful acoustic space. Other Mfgs that blow me away - Neunaber.

Guessing game: Earthquaker pedal or street drug?

Oh I see now in your video that's the best selling pedals of 2021

I bought a Strymon Blue Sky pedal from Sam Ash. I was super excited to use it, and when I tested it out. I was not impressed one bit. To me, it was not worth the price I payed, and already owned other reverb pedals that sound better. When I returned it, the sales rep seemed offended that I didn't like it. and kept saying its the best reverb pedal in the world.

I use the Simplifier on my pedalboard, fantastic feature set. I could probably get better tones from other pedals, but the feel is really nice, maybe because it is analogue? I’m now at a point where maybe I should work on my chops instead of wandering around tone town. For now.

Mason you hit it on the head with reverb hipster vibe. They are headquartered on the north side of Chicago which is hipster central.

Hello, gents! I just built my first pedalboard after 15 years of using multieffect Digitech GNX3. I still have room for some pedals on my board and in my switcher and wondering, which pedals should I add and what do I miss. So far I've got: Beetronics Vezzpa -> Dunlop Dimebag CryBaby Wah -> Boss ES-5 switcher (JHS Double Barrel, Fulltone OCD, Boss GE-7, TC Electronic Polytune 3 Noir) -> Xotic EP Booster -> Strymon Mobius -> Strymon Timeline -> Strymon Blue Sky V2. Any recommendation???

Has anyone tried the Ilitch Noise Reduction-system? Does it change the Tone in any way? Do you still get positions #2 & #4? Thinking about getting one, and would love some input if possible?

“Atreides” is from Dune. Which is a sci-fi , so the name kinda goes with the theme of synth fuzz. Just so ya know!😊

Completely agree with Mason's comments about UA pedals. They sound amazing but are outrageously priced. If I'm buying something at that price point, I want full MIDI at the very least. His comparison with Strymon is right on. Now, I think even Strymon is overpriced, but at least they are US-made quality with full feature sets and they hold up sonically for years and years.

I have used the boss blues driver on my board since 1996. Tried to to replace it multiple times but just can't. The pedal I'm replacing on my board is the strymon Flint. I don't like it and find it as non vibey. My Demeter tremolo and Meris mercury 7 blow it away.

I totally get why people don't love the RAT because they just don't use that level of distortion typically... however now that I've done the presence control mod I would say it's probably the most versatile drive pedals! It nails a lot of lower gain sounds with less presence (IMO one of the magic things about the bluesbreaker circuit) I wonder if there is a good mod to cut some presence at lower gain settings without needing another knob. Kinda like how lots of people who "hate tubescreamers" can also be surprised how much they love another version with just a few mods for simple tonal things like cutting too much bass on the input

43:00 The answer as to why there is no headphone output in the UA pedals is obvious when you think about it. Mason mentioned it earlier… they have used the same platform for all of their pedals so far and have just loaded in different software. So the option wasn’t available. I have the Ruby and what I have done is use a dual TS 1/4” to single TRS 1/8” adapter and then I run my studio headphones into that. Then I use the amps master volume to control the headphone volume. I always run my pedalboard in stereo so this works pretty well and sounds better than the HX Stomp’s headphone out to me. It would be cool if UA would update the firmware and somehow make it so you could plug 1/4” headphones into the pedal and maybe hold down a footswitch to go into headphone mode, and hold down the other switch while adjusting a knob to control the output. But that’s the difference between UA and Line6… they stick to their guns and don’t give out incredible “free” upgrades to their existing customers. They would rather sell you a new product. Great episode guys!

That pedal list isn't just what guitar players bought probably, lots of other instruments and applications out there 😂

i couldn't gel with the Nobels, returned it and got a Foxpedal Kingdom combo which i am totally happy with - but not so much loved by others... I like the idea of the Dream 65/Ruby, but i have the Joyo American, and don't feel a need for anything beyond that - might get the Joyo AC though.

Dude, the Blues Driver... it's glass as long as you keep the tone waaaay down... dump your tone knob down to two or three and then go hard into a good tube amp.. you'll get unimaginable detail from your bass response

It's crazy how specific the algorithms are these days, the Astral Destiny and Hizumitas were ALL over my feeds for weeks and you guys hadn't even really heard about them

Concerning MIDI controlled overdrives, I think the Jackson Golden Boy is the best compromise. It's got 4 preset drive types/EQ's, 4 Boost EQ's, and 4 overdrive levels all selectable via MIDI CC messages or switch presses. On another note, I agree with Grant on the KOT. I paid a lot of money for it so I've tried for a few years to get it integrated into my rig. I just can't use it. It's a waste of space and a power tap for me.

Buddy has an astral destiny and its amazing!

A few of the pedals you have mentioned remind me of where people say “you aren’t using that pedal the way you are supposed to!”. I like to turn that on its head. Especially with pedals that are supposed to be “!METAL!” Pedals. The Boss HM2w is a great example of this. David Gilmour used an extensive selection of Boss pedals back in the eighties for both his session work and the Pink Floyd album a Momentary Lapse or Reason and the tours around that time. Danny Underwood has a great video on his channel of using the HM-2w in this context on his channel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YSzz3JR_U2E.html Check it out as you might be pleasantly surprised. I put one on a simple board with a Boss CS-3, a Boss Sd-1w, a Ge-7, a CE-2w and an old longchip DD-3. After spending years buying boutique pedals to chase the “Gilmour” sound, I had the Gilmour sound of my childhood and teens.

I really like my UAFX Starlight, and I got mine for way less than a Strymon. I won it from Truefire.😁

The first pedal was devolved at Cern :Laboratories.. It creates a Singularity. It is for inter-dimensional guitar playing. .

Atreides is most likely from the book/movie "Dune". Paul Atreides was the hero of that movie.

Honestly, I just got a Duke of tone recently, and low-key, I kinda agree about the king of tone. I've used a Nobels odr-1 for the longest time now, and I understand how people go crazy for the kot, but I just don't think it's for me

I agree the ua stuff isn’t worth it for me. Although the dream 65 I have I think it’s the best deluxe reverb amp sim I only use blackface so to me it’s better then the iridium. But definitely the strymon stuff is better for less and made in USA particularly for delay and reverb.

I don’t get the price argument regarding UA vs Strymon…el capistan is more expensive than starlight, at least in EU. is it different in the US?

i agree with the whole hipster thing. :) i don’t get the earthquaker or chase bliss thing, either. but i do love the UAs and put their version of the strifecta on my matchless board. i have the strifecta on my bogner board. :)

I never dabbled in any fuzz stuff (it's not a core part of my personal tone town) and NEVER got on with wooly Big Muffs or fizzy Rats, and still don't. I did come around to fuzz with stuff like the Earthquaker Life, Red Witch Fuzz God, and DigiTech Carcosa.

Mason, you NEED to make an EQ called "Tone-Yoda" 🤣

Believe it or not Strymon Deco for me Just couldn't bond with it They seem to have that really hi fi sheen Digital maybe ?? Great pedals though I should have gotten the Flynt instead

Ur not talking about boris & natasha of the rocky n bullwinkle show ? Saw tht way too much when I was grown in up . Love the channel .

Is it possible that the same thing as Phil from KYG said about Reverb and the Silver Sky SE is also true for other things on Reverb. People buy them, hate them, and sell them, so it appears there's a lot of buyers but it's just thrashing.

How do you not know what any of the most popular pedals of the last year are? I would imagine that Earthquaker is a big enough competitor that it behooves a manufacturer to be cognizant of them.

31:39 the Starlight is 399. The El Capistan v2 is 379. The starlight also covers the Brigadier and the Dig. It’s a bargain compared to buying 2 or 3 strymons.

The list of the best selling pedals you are going through is for the whole of 2021, not 2022 or a monthly list. And it is for pedals released in 2021. The list of the overall best selling pedals in 2021 is quite different and has many pedals you would expect. None of the 2021 new release pedals made it onto the overall best selling list.

despite trying each extensively and even having each of them on my board on gigs, I have never been able to make the Rat or Blues Driver or Boss DS-1 sound like anything other than a box of rocks...but it's horses for courses and those just don't fit my thing, obviously work for others

Where's the list y'all were looking at? I couldn't find a list that begins with the Astral Destiny. Also y'all are master rig builders that don't follow Earthquaker Devices, like even in a cursory way? I don't think all of their pedals are home runs but they cover a lot of ground and might be worth it to connect to a grapevine that lets you know what they're putting out at least so you can test some sounds for prospective boards? Obviously not a requirement, just surprised you guys aren't plugged in to that kind of stuff.

I can't connect with the KLON/KTR, King of Tone, OD-3, BD-2, DS-1, RAT, HM-2, MT-2, and a few other super popular overdrive/distortions.

The price gab between UA golden reverb and lets say the Strymon Nightsky isn't that huge compared to the control Features.

How have you not heard of the Hizumitas Fuzz? it’s amazing! You guys must live in a dumpster 😂 best Clone of a Elk fuzz which is a clone of the Big Muff Rams head. You guys are missing out bit know who Boris is. CHECK THEM OUT!

"I'm getting elocution lessons & becoming more educated every day"....lol...so nicely put Mason, i know what you mean....RU-vid watchers just luv to be so right & are perfect...lol

I never could connect with the Ratt pedal. I was always able to get better sound directly from my high gain amps. I think an amp should have a killer sound on its own. Maybe thats why I never liked it. I'm just not into distortion pedals anymore./ I have a closet full of them and never use them anymore. Over drives, reverbs, delays, EQ', CAB pedals or preamp pedals I love! I do use two delays., I use a BOSS DD-3 and the Nemesis and sometimes combined will get you some KILLER delay sounds. Ut of about 50 pedals I have some of the ones I like best are actually a couple cheaper pedals by Caline. Its called Capt Silver which is a TS9 an TS808 in it. The a Caline Boost pedal that just kicks ass for boosting the amp and solos. I have a couple reverbs but I tens to lean towards Hall Of Fame 2 pedal because I really don’t like a hard reverb in my playing. But if I ever do, it has more than Ill ever need. But I also like a nice compressor pedal for cleans and leads. But I'm sure Ill get more pedals that will become wall hangers.

I bought into a lot of these YT gear channels demos of pedals and ended up purchasing a lot of pedals that frankly, I didn't care for and ended up returning or selling. I'm talking like 10 of the most popular pedals seemingly everyone is using. I'll give one example. I bought a Tumnus and thought it just wasn't that great. Many others in the same category of popularity. I think many gear channel creators mean well, but there's a lot of post editing going on to make many of these pedals sound greater than they actually are in real world use. I stopped listening to most of them. Although there's a channel that has few subscribers and the guy really just gives you the pedals in their raw uninfected state through a Vox and I think he's honest and unbiased. Not really trying to sell anything and often demo's less known pedals that are actually good. The Tone Lounge. Really cool cat.

Damn, I’d trade half my pedals for the Dr.’s head of hair... lookin’ like Fabio on a romance novel cover you see at the grocery checkout..

Bluesky’s reverb quality is most definitely not as convincing as UA Reverborator. If you prefer cold sterile digital like Mason apparently does than it’s your go to. That being said not having Midi is a major reason I’m looking to return it but the bluesky will def not be replacing it.

I’m laughing because I have a ktr, a starlight, and a prism on my board

Used to dislike the rat until i tried a guy's rig at a party jam full band,3 guitars,full presence and perfect leads with the ge7 cutting a bit af the bassier sliders on the left and boosting the level also a bit,not much.

“I am not your tone Yoda” 🤓🤣

I would say that Reverb's best seller list are actually their lowest sellers and they are trying to increase sales for these. OR these are the highest returns (buyers remorse) and the market is just flooded with these.

What is a governor? (34:25)

Hate to give you a comment, but, I'm older than all y'all and I'm way into those "hipster" brands that you mentioned as being overly represented on Reverb. F Reverb, they're a bunch of doofuses. But those brands are making the pedals I want to play. I can't afford any of the mentioned, only have one older and therefor cheaper, EQD bought during a black friday sale while I was in a Covid fever. And I love how it sounds. All y'all aren't getting older, you just never had taste.

Never been able to get along with the carbon copy.

Weirding modules is a weapon used in dune

Re the new UA modeling amps. I agree 110 %. They are essentially amp modelers with only one amp choice. All software. Way too expensive for what they are.

I tried to listen but had to cut it off at 15:14, my god listening to this is grueling. [

"Atreides" from "dune"😉

I just don't get along with any RAT pedals, and in general with most fuzz.

People people headstock tuners 😂

#getoffmylawn in #tonetown

Hot take…. I play mostly southern rock/country and I don’t connect with the Nobels ODR-1. Wish I did but I just don’t.

Atreides - guess you guys aren't Dune fans 😂

Rat Pack is f*cking bad ass. I get sooooo many exciting tones out of mine.

I want what these guys are smoking.

who's "earned" what has to do with how a thing sounds, shouldnt it? To me - ay least in demos - UAD has come closest to nailing real spring reverb in a pedal that doesnt have a spring in it.

Smd components killed almost all moded boss pedals. Analog Man Can't mod the GE7 anymore cause the newest once are surface mount.

Cool show! Guess y'all aren't Dune fans, eh? Re: Atreides.

Thanks for calling out the UA pedals Mason!, … how they got away with selling 3 amp pedals separately when Strymon Iridium does a 3 in 1 …its just a flick of a switch on some code, but UA got greedy and no one openly criticises them on that becoz most every big youtuber is paid off is disappointing and i hope people can see through it.

The new Eventide and Strymon stuff without a digital screen and menu; Hard to use and save presets without a computer basically. Super infuriating...

Boris is amazing and been around for over 20 years. Your loss. Also, Atreides is a Dune reference.

Guitar Sanctuary has terrible customer service and their gear is almost only high-end (Custom/Vintage). Avoid if you're a new player or just getting started.

Watch Dune, if you need to learn to pronounce "Atreides".

R1 is a not a great pedal. Walrus has great stuff. The R1 is not it.

you guys act like you have no ideas about the topic. great topic but a pre-production discussion would have helped. the main person sounds great but the other two guys are paper weights. i like new ideas.... keep trying!

Atreides. It's a reference to Dune. I am hugely disappointed in you guys, like waaaay huge.

You don’t know Boris?! Unsubscribed!! :D

Mason, there is a handbook for navigating the trials of life. God’s Word. I assure you it is the Truth.

I sentence the Chairmen to a reading of Dune! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(novel)