6 Pedals in Need of a Reissue

Like films, albums, books and impressionist paintings, the history of effects pedals is littered with works that are never fully appreciated in their time. Often companies discontinue a product before its power is fully realized, and in other cases, the company itself simply folds. Word eventually gets out via artist spotlights and forum debates, which leads way to astronomical used pricing on certain mythic pedals.

In recent years, pedal reissues have become more common with companies like Boss, Digitech/DOD, Korg, Ibanez, and more. Yet there remains all sorts of lost classic effects that are waiting to be rebuilt and re-released to the playing public. Here's a look at a few examples of pedals that are just begging to be reissued. 


1. DigiTech XP300 Space Station

Originally released in the late '90s, this space effects processor was part of a group of other DigiTech pedals dubbed the “XP” series (100 Whammy/Wah, 200 Modulator, 300 Space Station, 400 Reverberator). Out of the four pedals, the XP300 Space Station rose to fame after it had already been discontinued. With effects ranging from ring mods and synthy orchestral strings to sample and hold, the XP300’s sound transports you through a black hole of sound and back again. Twisting and warping string ensembles that reverberated through time; the Space Station was so far ahead of its time that players didn’t know what to do with it. As the years passed and videos of this hidden gem soon spread throughout the internet, the price of the Space Station skyrocketed.

Musicians who refused to pay the ridiculous prices started hacking the other XP series pedals (excluding the XP100) and programming the RAM to a faux XP300. Recently, a fan-made petition has been gathering signatures to re-release the DigiTech XP300 Space Station. Whether this petition will catch the eye of DigiTech’s Tom Cram or not will ultimately determine the fate of a Space Station reissue. Let’s all hope it does and by this time next year we’ll all be playing with our shiny new XP300.

2. Boss SG-1 Slow Gear

In recent years, Boss has re-released some of their more popular pedals under the new Waza Craft label. Boss has given players the opportunity to finally own the much-coveted DM-2 Analog Delay and VB-2 Vibrato without having to pay the outrageous prices original examples can fetch. One pedal that still deserves the Waza Craft treatment, however, is the SG-1 Slow Gear.

Several companies have gone as far as cloning these pedals, claiming that they sound as good as the original at a fraction of the price. Well, as great as a clone can sound, it’s still a clone. The SG-1, a simple pedal for adding a gated or violin-like attack, fetches upwards of $500. If the R&D department at Roland wants to tap further into the nostalgic power of defunct Boss pedals, releasing an affordable Waza Craft version of the SG-1 is a smart game plan.

3. Danelectro Back Talk Reverse Delay

The name Danelectro is often associated with guitar and bass instruments, but back in 2001, Danelectro released a number of unique effects including the Back Talk Reverse Delay. Reverse delay was not a new effect as many multi-effect units included a reverse delay setting. However, for those players not wanting a bulky unit with a large footprint, the Back Talk was a perfect addition for those wanting to experiment with this delay style.

With an amazing reverse sound quality and simple control layout, the Back Talk lets users easily create textural ambience and heavy psychedelic sounds. Having a used price tag reaching close to $325, the Back Talk Reverse Delay is a heavily sought-after effect that is in dire need of a reissue. 


4. Pefftronics Super Rand-O-Matic

Releasing only one design before the company called it quits, the Pefftronics Super Rand-O-Matic delivers a swirly randomness full of flange, phase, doubling effects, and robotic noises. If you were one of the lucky ones able to pick up a Super Rand-O-Matic at Guitar Center for the blowout price of $50—well, now they’re worth around $400–600.

Using the the Randomness knob produces a change in the modulation, which sounds similar to the rate skipping between slow and fast settings. Of course, there are a plethora of sounds that the Super Rand-O-Matic can achieve, from subtle chorusing and flange to wild, throbbing tremolo effects. Seeing as chorus and flanger effects are making a comeback, let’s hope the Super Rand-O-Matic see its own revival.

5. Way Huge Electronics Piercing Moose Octave Fuzz

Jeorge Tripps, founder of Way Huge Electronics, is known for making high-quality effects pedals, like the Swollen Pickle, Aqua Puss, and many more. Since beginning to work with Dunlop, Tripps has worked with that larger brand to reissue many of the original Way Huge pedal lineup from the '90s.

Most recently, the firm announced the reissue of the Camel Toe overdrive and boost 2-in-1 at Summer NAMM 2016. Another beloved Way Huge pedal fetching high secondhand prices is the Piercing Moose Octave Fuzz. Loosely based off the Foxx Tone Machine, the Piercing Moose goes hand-in-hand with its name: a hairy, gigantic beast with a footswitch-able octave up. The original '90s version can sell upwards of $400, going for even more if it’s in a rare color. A Mark II version of the Piercing Moose would be an excellent addition to the current Way Huge Electronics lineup, especially if released at an affordable price.

6. Lovetone Pedals


In the span of six years, Lovetone Pedals created a massive following that ranged from bedroom players all the way to arena-touring musicians. In 2001, the company announced they would stop the production of their popular pedals, which consequently led to a massive rise in used prices. The more popular Meatball envelope filter and Big Cheese fuzzbox attract the big bucks, fetching close to $700 and $500 respectively.

Although original creators Vlad Naslas and Daniel Coggins have parted ways (Coggins is the founder of Dinosaural), Naslas is still open to creating new ideas for the Lovetone company. Perhaps it’s time to start a crowdfunding campaign to get production up and running once again. Until that happens, we can all listen to Radiohead’s "The National Anthem" and hope one day to own the fuzzy goodness of a Lovetone Big Cheese.

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