11 Builders Share Their Favorite Pedals They Didn't Make

"Mine is Empress Effects’ Reverb. The sounds are everything from tasteful and subtle to wacky and otherworldly. I love that it has MIDI control for recalling presets, and to top it off, the dudes at Empress are some of my favorite people in the world."

"Jext Telez Dizzy Tone Fuzz— OC44 version. I started playing bass in a band called Fringe Candidate a few months ago and was searching for something that I didn’t make that would sound crushing but defined. I brought this in to try out, and it blew me away. It’s now the only pedal I use with bass, aside from a tuner. It has loads of volume, plenty of low–end, and the fuzz tone is perfectly voiced for bass. It also has great sustain but will gate out perfectly between notes. This, along with a P–bass and an Ampeg SVT, is all you need to melt faces."

"The Eventide H9. It's the ultimate catch–all pedal. It allows me to have tons of options, toys, and things I may only use once or twice a year, but it's all there. If I’m in a session and need a sound, it's in that pedal. I use the delays and 'verbs all the time. They are all A+."

"I would say it is Dave Fox, Foxrox Octron 2, because it's the best analogue octave pedal on the market hands down. Really solid but can still gurgle and moan on the decay."

"My answer is the SIB Echodrive. The newest version is the best delay I have ever played. It is limited in production due to obsolete parts, but he makes them here and there. It is the closest thing I have heard to a real tape delay. It has a preamp section and even a record level control. The internal transformer and tube are legit and run off of full voltage."

"The Radial Engineering studio interface boxes, like the JD7. I love what Peter Janis is doing in this area, and I really respect the way he runs his business. He must never sleep!"

"I think I would pick the Future Impact Bass Guitar Synth pedal from Panda Audio. These guys brought the classic Deep Impact (a very complex and great–sounding pedal) back to life and made all kinds of modern improvements. All of this was done on a very modest budget and in Hungary, a long way away from their key initial market in the USA. I never thought they would pull it off, but they proved me wrong. I have nothing but respect for the team and their creation!"

"The Hofner Fuzz. I've been digging this guy lately. Everything from cool overdrive tones all the way to velcro rippin' fuzz."

"I have been enamored with Adventure Audio's Whateverb. Before Christian started Adventure Audio, he helped us with drilling enclosures. After releasing a couple dirt pedals, he jumped immediately to DSP technology and designed a really smart, intuitive, small–footprint reverb with a slew of rad options. I have been able to play this pedal in its infancy stages through what it is today. Thoughtful dude making thoughtful pedals."

"Pelitaur by Pelican Noiseworks. Despite its imagery, it's a very different beast inside. The controls and functionality of the dual fuzzes and how they work together allow for some crazy cool textures for fuzz fanatics."

"The MAXON AD–999 Pro. It just has this something. Hands down, best Analog Delay I’ve played. And I’ve designed a few."