The best new guitar effects pedals of NAMM 2015
Introduction
NAMM 2015: Many of the most exciting guitar developments on display at this year's NAMM show have been in the pedal department.
The evidence suggests that the retro revival is still going strong in the guitar world, with new Uni-Vibe clones from TC Electronic and EHX, and Dunlop's Band Of Gypsys Fuzz Face.
Elsewhere, mini pedals continue to be a thing, while Line 6's app-controlled multi-fx, the Firehawk strikes for new territory.
Browse our gallery to check out some of the major new stompboxes heading your way this year...
Boss VE-1 Vocal Echo
The VE-1 Vocal Echo is all about beefing up your vocal sound, featuring seven ambient effects, including double-tracking, pitch correct (including Auto Tune-style hard tuning) and reverb and delay.
All of the effects have adjustable parameters and there's also a built-in memory, so you can fashion your own presets and quickly move between them.
BUY: Boss VE-1 Vocal Echo currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
MXR Bass Compressor
One of a trio of new bass pedals from MXR, the Bass Compressor offers a wide range of compression options "from subtle peak limiting to hard squashed compression."
We also like the fact that it's got 10 LED indicators, which make it super clear how much of your signal is being squashed.
BUY: MXR Bass Compressor currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
MXR Bass Preamp
With its EQ set to 12 o'clock, the Bass Preamp offers a nice, neutral platform for your bass tone and a convenient Direct Out connection in a small footprint.
However, there are loads of tone-shaping controls onboard, too, meaning that the Bass Preamp could become a bit of a tonal swiss-army knife - and a useful touring companion, to boot.
BUY: MXR Bass Preamp currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
MXR Bass Distortion
The Bass Distortion has been in designed in conjunction with Fuzzrocious Pedals man Ryan Ratajski, which is exciting in itself.
Add to that separate wet and dry controls and a switch for choosing silicon and LED clipping diodes and we're talking about a pedal that is both practical and (potentially un-)easy on the ear.
BUY: MXR Bass Distortion currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
MXR Iso-Brick
Yes, we know, power supplies are about as exciting as an NHS waiting room, but this one could help save some major headaches in the live arena.
Featuring 10 isolated DC outputs, the Iso Brick could help ground loop sufferers escape their torrid fate, and offers a huge variety of power outputs/connections.
Read the full MXR Iso-Brick review
BUY: MXR Iso-Brick currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
MXR Custom Shop Sub Machine
MXR's awesome La Machine octave fuzz was found to be suitably impressive when we reviewed this time last year.
Now the firm's paired it up with sub-octave circuit, which comes complete with its own level control and a choice of parallel or series routing.
BUY: MXR Custom Shop Sub Machine currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater
Band Of Gypsys Fuzz Face
This is based on the "mythic" red Fuzz Face used by Hendrix at Woodstock, Berkeley and The Fillmore East, i.e. some of his most celebrated live shows.
We got hands-on with Dunlop's recent Band Of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini pre-Christmas and were most impressed, so this hand-wired full-size limited edition model has us salivating somewhat.
Read the full Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face review
BUY: Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Gear4Music
Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah
If we were betting types, we'd lay money on this pedal shifting more units than anything else featured in this here gallery.
Not only does it dramatically reduce the traditional Cry Baby footprint, it also throws in three voicing options, a Fasel inductor and features true-bypass.
Read the full Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah review
BUY: Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Way Huge Blue Hippo MKII
Limited to a measly 900 pedals worldwide, the Blue Hippo MKII revives the much-loved analogue chorus.
The original was famed for its huge array of tones and this reborn unit aims to deliver all of those and then some - adding a Vibe switch for additional vibrato fun.
Read the full Way Huge Blue Hippo MKII review
BUY: Way Huge Blue Hippo MKII currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Way Huge Saffron Squeeze MKII
Like the Blue Hippo, the Saffron Squeeze MKII compressor is another model from the Way Huge vaults that's been revived and re-tweaked.
The original unit was dominated by the volume and sustain control knobs, but this new offering drops in gain, tone and attack mini-knobs, opening up a world of new compression options.
Read the full Way Huge Saffron Squeeze MKII review
BUY: Way Huge Saffron Squeeze MKII currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Way Huge Saucy Box Overdrive
A new pedal for the new year, MXR claims the Saucy Box is one of the most "organic, amp-like overdrive pedals available."
Offering just tone, volume and drive controls, this is all about simplicity, letting the pedal's passive circuit respond to the player's own dynamics and finger control.
Read the full Way Huge Saucy Box Overdrive review
BUY: Way Huge Saucy Box Overdrive currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann
Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor
You might think the world has enough stompbox manufacturers to be going on with, but we were still pleased to see Seymour Duncan enter the pedal arena last year - and they've since consistently scored very highly in our tests.
Now the firm's back with the Vise Grip Compressor, which they promise offers "studio quality" compression and appears to have a really wide variety of tonal options on tap.
BUY: Seymour Duncan Vise Grip Compressor currently available from:
UK: Thomann
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Bogner Lyndhurst
Although it was previewed in an earlier incarnation last year, the Lyndhurst compressor is a spangly new addition to Bogner's Studio Series of pedals.
Each Studio Series pedal contains a transformer specially designed and built by Rupert Neve Designs, who - it's fair to say - have got some game on the studio circuit. This will definitely be worth a listen...
Kemper Profiler Remote
Kemper customers have previously relied on third party units to control the firm's Profiler amp technology, but this year the firm's broken cover on its own bespoke Profiler foot controller, the Remote.
Key features include the large, well-lit and ultra-clear display, five assignable 'rig' buttons, dedicated tuner, tap tempo and looper buttons, and a super simple programming process.
Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
The only surprise with this miniature version of Ibanez's ubiquitous overdrive pedal is that it's taken this long to appear.
It features a genuine Tube Screamer circuit with the important JRC4558 IC chip, plus true-bypass switching and tone, level and drive controls. It is also adorable.
Read the full Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini review
BUY: Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Line 6 Firehawk FX
200 amps and effects models, 128 internal presets and one very clever modelling/multi-effect processor make this one a serious prospect for Line 6 in 2015.
The best bit is that it can all be edited and wirelessly transferred to the pedal via an iOS and Android app, making fine-tuning less finicky.
Read the full Line 6 Firehawk FX review
BUY: Line 6 Firehawk FX currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
DigiTech Trio Band Creator
Simply teach the Trio your song's rhythm and chords and it will serve up some drum and bass accompaniment.
There are seven genres to browse and and a range of styles within those categories to complement each part. Could this be the biggest revelation for solo performers since the looper pedal hit? Possibly. Possibly not. Either way it looks like a lot of fun.
Read the full Digitech Trio Band Creator review
BUY: Digitech Trio Band Creator currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
TC Electronic Helix
TC is boldly hailing this as "the most versatile phaser pedal ever made", which - thanks to the firm's TonePrint technology - is probably true.
The firm has a long history with phasers and this pedal features vintage, smooth and TonePrint settings, plus true-bypass switching and analogue-dry-through, meaning your original sound isn't converted to digital.
Read the full TC Electronic Helix review
BUY: TC Electronic Helix currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
TC Electronic Viscous Vibe
Also new from the daring Danes, is the Viscous Vibe - which the firm says is a true tonal replica of the legendary Uni-Vibe used by Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix et al.
We've not been short of Uni-Vibe clones lately, but TC doesn't tend to make claims it can't back up with performance, so we reckon this could be pretty special.
Read the full TC Electronic Viscous Vibe review
BUY: TC Electronic Viscous Vibe currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
L.R. Baggs Session Acoustic D.I.
Inspired by the impact of the firm's own audio engineers and mixers on the sound of their video production sessions, this Session Acoustic D.I. aims to capture some of that studio vibe and give you a recorded sound in the live arena.
The main weapons in this pedal's arsenal are saturation and multi-band compression, but if it works as the firm hopes, you should have an engineer-in-a-box for your live sound.
Read the full L.R. Baggs Session Acoustic D.I. review
BUY: L.R. Baggs Session Acoustic D.I. currently available from:
UK: Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
DOD Boneshaker
The Boneshaker represents a collaboration between Black Arts Toneworks and DOD in an effort to add a little boutique charm to this bottom-shaking distortion pedal.
It's aimed primarily at baritone guitarists and players who like a few extra strings to their bow and both sounds and offers a three-band EQ (including independent level and frequency controls) with depth, distortion and level controls.
Read the full DOD Boneshaker review
BUY: DOD Boneshaker currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Z.Vex Effects Bomb Pop
A beautiful monster from Z.Vex, the Bomb Pop is the firm's first multi-fx unit and it combines a Wah Probe, Super Hard On Boost, Instant Lo-Fi Junky, Double Rock Distortion and a Fuzz Factory 7.
You can also mess with the signal chain by applying patch leads in, whichever combination you prefer. We're not entirely sure how practical the Bomb Pop is, but that doesn't stop us loving it...
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Neo
The Holy Grail Neo builds on EHX's popular Holy Grail pedal, offering three reverb options: Spring, Hall and Plate.
The Plate is the new (old) sound here, replacing the Flerb effect of the original.
Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone
The first Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone Phase Shifter is regarded as one of EHX's greater past oddities, building on the firm's Small Stone phaser and adding a far wider sweep.
The new Bad Stone repackages it into a standard compact pedal footprint, but retains the manual shift control and auto/manual phase option of the larger, discontinued model.
BUY: Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress XO
Continuing the theme of updated EHX classics, the Deluxe Electric Mistress XO reincarnates the firm's favoured flanger.
It's still all-analogue, but it's now got a much smaller footprint and features true-bypass.
BUY: Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress XO currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater
Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar
This is where tremolo effects get very serious - or, at least, as serious as EHX is ever likely to manage.
This is basically a who's who of tremolo effects models packed into a tap tempo stereo pedal with true-bypass.
Read the full Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar review
BUY: Electro-Harmonix Super Pulsar currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Electro-Harmonix Octavix
As the typically-stunning EHX artwork suggests, the Octavix is a 60s-style fuzz pedal with an octave-up effect.
It's all controlled by Volume, Boost and Overdrive knobs and there's a mini-switch for moving between 9v and 24v operation.
Read the full Electro-Harmonix Octavix review
BUY: Electro-Harmonix Octavix currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
Electro-Harmonix Good Vibes
Another day, another Uni-Vibe clone. The EHX Good Vibes modulator blends retro style chorus and vibrato effects into one convenient little box.
Alongside the usual input and output, there's an expression pedal input, which can be used to control speed or intensity (selectable via mini switch).
