Ibanez SZ520QM - "Great feeling guitar "
I haven't had the sz520 long, but it feels great! Very smooth and fast. I bought it used for 300 bucks. It sounds really decent. No complaints. The finish on it looks great. Especially considering it…
Hagerman Amplification Tsar Face - "Even Bias with real Soviet-Era Transistors"
For those who dislike fuzz or may be looking for an alternative, the TSAR FACE is an option. This is a low-gain germanium PNP transistor-based fuzz with a unique circuit design. Using two Soviet-era …
Hagerman Amplification Half Watt - "Big amp sound in a small package"
If you are a tube snob, then the Hagerman Half-Watt is an ideal practice and studio recording amp. This is a cleanish amp, although it has some growl and burn when cranked or when playing hard, runni…
Sonicake Matribox - "High-Quality Sounds on a Budget"
Of all the budget multi-effects modelers, the MATRIBOX is my favorite, and I would venture to say that some of the guitar tones (particularly hi-gain) sound impressive. They are ‘dry’ and sound decen…
Driftwood Amplifiers Purple Nightmare Preamp - "2W Amp + Preamp with Killer Tones from Rock to Metal"
Now and again, gear comes along that blows me away, and I am sure others have had that experience. The Purple Nightmare Preamp (based on Driftwood Amp’s flagship Purple Nightmare head) follows suit w…
Epiphone PR-200 - "The one I kept."
I travel as an electrician There's probably 6 or 8 times that I get to a job, check offer up or FB and find a cheap acoustic to play on my days off. I usually end up giving them away right before I l…
This Heavy Earth GRIM 3 - "From clean to hi-gain, Grim 3 makes any tone come alive incredibly well."
GRIM3 is a ‘sick’ pedal, and in a good way. What may throw off some people is that this is not a hi-gain pedal, despite the name or that it comes from its creator, This Heavy Earth. The function and …
LiberaToe ProudAnus (filter-fuzz) - "Dual Channel with Filter or Fuzz, or Filter + Fuzz (bass or lead)"
A fuzz and an envelope filter in one, and ideal for either lead/rhythm or bass. This may not seem unusual, but add to that a dual channel with various filter options, and you have a killer pedal for …
Ibanez QX54QM - "Easy Playing, Comfortable and with NINE Pickup Combinations"
I had headless guitars in the past, both of which were double the price as the Ibanez Quantum (QX54QM model). I found one brand stiff playing, whereas the other two had wiring or sound issues (that …
Universal Audio Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier - "Pure Fender Sounds in a Pedal - Authentic!"
I supposed I could joke about how this is a guitarist’s ‘Wet Dream,’ but the name Dream ’65 will suffice. Emulated from select 1965 Fender Super Reverb amps, as well as select speaker emulations, UA …
Universal Audio Del-Verb Ambience Companion - "Studio-Grade Reverb & Delay emulated from actual Vintage Gear"
The Del-Verb is impressive. It houses a Tape EP-III, a Deluxe Memory Man, UA’s own Precision delay, a 1965 Spring reverb, an EMT Plate reverb, and a Lexicon Hall reverb. Both delay and reverb have t…
LiberaToe Brever - "Dual Channel Spring Reverb + Enhancer (great sound and analog)"
NOTE: I bought a 'module' of the Brever, but it is available in a full-pedal format for about $150. Brever may be as close as it gets to an actual amp spring reverb. Now, I am basing my opinion on…
Universal Audio Ruby '63 Top Boost Amplifier - "Complete Amp-in-a-Pedal that Emulates Incredibly Well"
After having UA’s Woodrow ’55 (Fender Tweed amp emulation) for only a few hours, I knew I had to review the Ruby ‘63 (Vox AC30) and Dream ’65 (Fender Reverb Twin), the latter of which I will be done …
LiberaToe LiberaToe-4 Pedalboard System - "The Most Advanced & Cost Effective Pedalboard System!"
Late 2022, I saw an advertisement, likely in my Hotmail feed, for a ‘system’ that involved pedals, a pedalboard-type concept, as well as a switcher. I was intrigued immediately and looked into the Li…
Universal Audio Woodrow '55 Instrument Amplifier - "Finally, Real Amp Tones in a Pedal"
Off the bat, the Universal Audio’s Woodrow ’55 is not a simulation but an emulation; and this is as close to something other than an actual amp sounding like an amp. Woodrow ’55 is based on the Fende…
