MF Stupid Deal - Way Huge Saucy Box

The Way Huge Saucy Box overdrive pedal is on sale today at Musician's Friend for $69.

From the visionary depths of the Way Huge laboratory comes the Saucy Box Overdrive. Like the acclaimed Pork Loin Overdrive before it, the Saucy Box derives its unparalleled versatility from discrete clean and overdrive signal paths, combining them to deliver one of the most organic, amp-like overdrive pedals available. To give discerning guitarists a dynamic, finger-friendly overdrive with plug-and-play simplicity, the Saucy Box Overdrive forgoes individual clean and drive controls and automatically balances the optimum ratio of the two with a single Gain control. This unique design provides for everything from pure a unity-gain buffer to a clean boost and all the way to a salaciously buttery overdrive. To top it all off, this pedal has a passive tone circuit that will play nice with any pickup type.

MF Stupid Deal - Way Huge Saucy Box Overdrive

Musician's Friend is running a daily deal on the Way Huge Saucy Box overdrive. It's on sale for $69, which is $60 off its usual price.

From the visionary depths of the Way Huge laboratory comes the Saucy Box Overdrive. Like the acclaimed Pork Loin Overdrive before it, the Saucy Box derives its unparalleled versatility from discrete clean and overdrive signal paths, combining them to deliver one of the most organic, amp-like overdrive pedals available. To give discerning guitarists a dynamic, finger-friendly overdrive with plug-and-play simplicity, the Saucy Box Overdrive forgoes individual clean and drive controls and automatically balances the optimum ratio of the two with a single Gain control. This unique design provides for everything from pure a unity-gain buffer to a clean boost and all the way to a salaciously buttery overdrive. To top it all off, this pedal has a passive tone circuit that will play nice with any pickup type.

MXR introduces Sugar Drive (it's a klone)

It's a mini-klone. It's $119. It looks really cheesy. Alternatively, it looks kinda cool. For more info, visit MXR.

The MXR Sugar Drive provides a diverse range of clear and transparent overdrive tones, from sauced up boosting to blown-tube distortion. It’s based on a rare overdrive pedal that has acquired a mythical reputation among fanatical tone-seekers thanks to its unique circuit design.

The key elements of that circuit design are the Drive control and something called a charge pump. First, the Drive control on this pedal doesn’t just increase the intensity of the overdrive pedal. It starts with your clean signal and then blends it with the overdrive effect as you turn it up, replicating the smooth transition of an amplifier going from clean to dirty. The charge pump increases overall headroom, which opens everything up nicely.

Of course, we had to put the MXR touch on this circuit. If you’re all about true bypass, then you’re in luck—this pedal uses it by default. The original used buffered bypass, though, and we know there’s a lot of players out there who don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. They’re in luck, too—just flick the Buffer switch on the side of the pedal to enable buffered bypassing.

With a simple three-knob setup and an MXR mini housing, this is the go-to overdrive to have on your pedalboard. It’s versatile and it saves space, and unlike the original pedals it’s based on, it won’t cost you thousands of dollars.

Fender unveils new pedals at NAMM

These, I believe, are Fender's first pedals since the unexceptional Competition Series pedals and certainly look more inspired than their predecessors.

Pugilist Distortion - MSRP: $99.99
A dual gain-stage distortion with a switch-activated bass boost.

Level Set Buffer - MSRP: $99.99
It's pretty feature-rich for a dedicated buffer pedal, if only because buffer pedals generally don't feature anything other than the buffer. Along with level and hi-frequency filter knobs, the footswitch allows you to mute the signal.

The Bends Compressor - MSRP: $129.99
Maybe it's named after the Radiohead album. Maybe it's named after decompression sickness.

Marine Layer Reverb - MSRP: 149.99
The oddest name from a set of oddly-named pedals. At its price point, it'll have heavy competition with the TC Hall of Fame, DigiTech Polara, BOSS RV6, et al.

Mirror Image Delay - MSRP: $149.99
Like the Marine Layer Reverb, this one will have a lot of competition in the $150 range.

Santa Ana Overdrive - MSRP: $199.99
Some good tone-shaping potential here with two different voices, a 3-band EQ and optional boost.

JHS unveils Bonsai 9-in-1 Tubescreamer

It's basically a 9-mode Tubescreamer, similar to their previously released Muffuletta. At $229 though, it seems miles behind the Earthquaker Palisades, which is only $20 more. For more info, visit JHS Pedals.

In the late 1970's the overdrive pedal was arguably perfected when Japanese engineers designed the sound that we now know as the heart and soul of so many of our favorite artists, recordings and sounds. Players ranging from The Edge, Trey Anastasio, Buddy Guy, Kirk Hammett, John Mayer, SRV, Carlos Santana and thousands more from every possible genre have utilized and depended on this classic iconic green box. If a single effect pedal was chosen to board a Voyager 3 mission and be solely responsible for showing the universe the sound of overdrive, it would undoubtably be Tube Screamer. It is probably the most produced and sold pedal in the history of guitar pedals! The Bonsai is our tribute to one of the greatest pedals ever created.

Earthquaker Devices unveils Westwood Translucent Drive Manipulator

It's basically a transparent overdrive, and with a list price of $179.00 it'll be within range of similar drive pedals. For more info, visit Earthquaker Devices.

Westwood is a touch sensitive translucent overdrive manipulator as clean and pure as the breeze which blows through a grove of Douglas Fir trees, and as hot as a damn fine cup of coffee.

This mild-mannered light- to medium-gain overdrive with active EQ controls will still knock the socks right off your trusty low-wattage combo amp, pushing it into anything from cutting, edge-of-breakup rhythm tones, all the way to articulate, singing lead tones stacked high with pleasing even-order harmonics and sweet, sweet sustain. And if you pair it up with your favorite head and cab, you should probably call the neighbors first, because the Westwood’s Level control has enough output on tap to alert the proper authorities. Even the FBI.

Each and every Westwood is a real Blue Rose case, hand built by a team of special agents in the Black Lodge of Akron, Ohio, USA, where the owls are not what they seem, there’s always music in the air, and the birds sing a pretty song.

Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer unveiled

It's a Tubescreamer that uses Korg's Nutube. Sweetwater has its listed on pre-order for $249 (yikes.) The Nu Tube Screamer is expected to make its formal debut at this month's NAMM show.

Equipped with a Nutube vacuum tube, the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer is a worthy successor to one of the most-played overdrive pedals of all time. And it's even more versatile than the original, with a mix control for blending your dry tone with the overdriven sound. Thanks to its Nutube circuitry, the Nu Tube Screamer delivers impressive dynamics, excellent sensitivity, and tube-like compression when you hit it hard. And just like the original, the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer is also an awesome clean boost for overdriving a tube amplifier that is already at the edge of breakup.

Nutube technology delivers genuine tube tone
Guitarists should be excited about Nutube technology — it offers the harmonic richness of tube distortion in a smaller, more power efficient package. It's a genuine vacuum tube, and that's why the Nu Tube Screamer has such an amp-like response. Explore its gain range with your picking dynamics, and enjoy the natural tube compression that takes hold when you dig into it.

Mix control for sonic versatility
More and more guitarists at Sweetwater are seeking out overdrive options with a mix control like the Nu Tube Screamer offers. You can balance the grind of the overdrive with the clear attack of your clean tone, which is especially useful for cutting through when playing lead. With the mix control fully counter-clockwise, you can use the Nu Tube Screamer as a pristine clean boost for pushing your amp's front end harder.

Even more headroom and gain
While the Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer can be powered by a 9V battery or power supply (sold separately), you can also use an 18V power supply for added headroom and gain.

Ibanez Nu Tube Screamer Overdrive Pedal Features:

Boost/overdrive pedal with Nutube vacuum tube technology
Amp-like response, with natural tube compression when you hit it hard
Mix control for blending dry tone with overdrive
Can be run on 9V power, or 18V power for greater gain and headroom
True bypass switching completely removes the circuit from your signal path when bypassed

MF Stupid Deal - Walrus 385 Overdrive

Musician's Friend is running a daily deal for the Walrus Audio 385 Overdrive. It's on sale for $119, a savings of $80 off its usual price.

Walrus Audio is extremely excited to announce the new 385 Overdrive that is boastfully responsible for all those adjectives. For decades now, guitarists in search of pure tone have been taking the tube-powered audio sections of vintage film projectors and using it as a guitar amp. Heads up – it sounds amazing. After endless hours of research on vintage Bell and Howell 385 Filmosound projector, Walrus has created a fantastic new overdrive modeled after the projector’s tone. The Bell and Howell 385 gracefully lends itself to create an amazing guitar amp. Its simple, but effective controls, plus dual 6V6 output section make for a simple and extremely responsive amp that has an amazing compressed overdrive when cranked. THIS was the sound and feel Walrus needed to shoot for in an amp-like pedal. The 385 was developed to have the same simple but effective tone control as it’s grandfather. The amp has this as well but bass and treble are stacked behind the single tone knob. With their design breaking them up, Walrus allows for a much wider array of tones to be achieved. The user is able to boost and cut bass and treble, allowing them to be creative with mid-frequency scoops and bumps. The pedal is internally running at 18v, which helps nail the same dynamic feel of the amp in a stomp box. This means it is extremely sensitive to how hard you dig in – just like the amp.

BOSS and JHS unveil JB-2 Angry Driver

In completely unexpected news, BOSS and JHS Pedals announced a collaboration between the two companies, the JB-2 Angry Driver. The first time BOSS decides to collaborate with another pedal company and it's JHS. Seriously. Fucking JHS.

The JB-2 Angry Driver is basically BOSS's BD-2 Blues Driver and JHS's Angry Charlie combined into one, though unlike most dual overdrives, it doesn't have separate footswitches for each channel. Rather, options for running each channel individually, or together in either series or parallel, is controlled with a mode knob. For more information for this new pedal, visit the BOSS website.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of BOSS compact pedals, BOSS and JHS Pedals have come together in a historic creative collaboration between the two industry leaders. Housed in the classic BOSS compact design, the JB-2 Angry Driver pairs the tones of the iconic BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver with JHS Pedals’ popular Angry Charlie. Working closely together, the two pedal innovators have developed an all-new combined circuit with refined sound and performance perfectly tuned for dual-mode drive operation.

The JB-2 Angry Driver features three dual-concentric knobs that provide independent drive, tone, and level control for each overdrive type. Via a six-position mode selector, you can use each overdrive independently, or combine them together in series and parallel configurations. With the ability to blend the Blues Driver’s famously expressive low-to-mid gain tones with the Angry Charlie’s aggressive rock voice in any combination, the JB-2 Angry Driver delivers unmatched range and versatility from a single overdrive pedal.

EHX unveils the Hot Wax dual overdrive

It's basically the Hot Tubes and the Crayon together in one pedal. More info here.

Electro-Harmonix unveils the new Hot Wax pedal which combines the Crayon full-range overdrive and the Hot Tubes, a reissue of the classic 1970s CMOS overdrive. Each pedal can be used individually or they can be stacked with the Crayon driving the Hot Tubes to create new tones and textures.

Independent Volume and Drive controls are included for both overdrives as are dedicated pop-free footswitches and effect status LEDs. A master EQ section featuring Bass and Treble, plus a Blend control which lets the player mix in their dry signal, provide superior tonal control and flexibility making the Hot Wax ideal for guitar and bass.

MF Stupid Deal - Rockett Pedals Flex Drive

Musician's Friend's Stupid Deal of the Day is the J Rockett Flex Drive. It's on sale for $99, half off its usual price.

The Flex Drive is Rockett's most versatile overdrive of the bunch. This was their attempt to achieve the Malcolm sound which is one of their favorite rhythm tones ever. However, the Flex Drive will get you all the way to VH-2 which happens to be one of their favorite lead tones ever. Luckily enough all of the settings in between can achieve amazing blues and country tones as well, that's why it's called the Flex Drive. This is just an incredible tool for studio and live performances.

Strymon unveils Sunset Dual Overdrive

Classic overdrive sound, x2.

Sunset gives you the best of the best classic overdrive circuits, custom voiced for instantly gratifying control over a huge range of sought-after tones. We studied six circuit types found in many truly timeless and iconic overdrive and boost pedals, and put our takes on all six of them into a single two-channel unit.

Two pedals at once.

Sunset is really two customizable overdrive pedals, independently selectable and flexibly routable, designed and voiced for complementary tones when stacked. Six distinct circuits each feel and react differently in your hands, two at once, all in one convenient package. Push your amp any way you want, from transparent “more amp” to heavy saturated fuzz, and all the best places in between.

Holy Grail tone, minus the quest.

We are all familiar with the endless search for the ultimate overdrive pedal and the perfect tone. We did the critical listening and custom voicing to design each side of Sunset with just one tone knob, so you can quickly dial in the sound you want. The knob ranges for each circuit type are custom calibrated to provide maximal usable control. We applied the same design philosophy and care to the stacking options, ensuring each combination interacts optimally and sounds great, so a huge range of classic overdrive tones are instantly achievable.

Optimized Stacking.

Since the time when overdrives were created to simply push an amp in order to achieve an overdriven sound even at sane volume levels, players have evolved to want more layered, multistage tonalities. Stacking gives you more flexibility and tone range on the floor. You can find an overdrive that sounds good on its own, then run it through a second drive to add new dimensions to your tone. Sunset allows you to use any of its six overdrive circuits on their own, or route the Channel A drive circuit through Channel B, or Channel B through Channel A, or use two circuits in parallel. Routing options have been chosen deliberately to present the best-sounding combinations of drive circuits. Sunset eliminates the guesswork.

Digital or analog? We chose both.

Sunset’s input features an ultra low noise, discrete, class-A JFET circuit providing up to 20dB of pure analog gain. With our hybrid approach you get the best of both analog and digital worlds: The JFET stage provides exceptional touch sensitivity and dynamic interaction with your guitar, while the incredibly powerful SHARC DSP facilitates the great level of detailed complexity and responsiveness you’ll want to hear.

The Sunset is coincidentally similar to the recently-released Chase Bliss Brothers, another dual drive pedal with digital capabilities and a high price tag. Brothers does hold an advantage as it's MIDI-compatible. Learn more about the Sunset at the official product page.

New EHX Operation Overlord Overdrive

Electro-Harmonix doesn't have a product page up for this yet, but it's on Musician's Friend with a price of $147.80 and shipping date of Feb 17.

Stereo overdrive you can use with guitar, bass, keyboards and more.

An advanced, feature laden, stereo overdrive and distortion pedal with a broad range of options and controls. With the Operation Overlord— whether you play keyboards, guitar, bass or pretty much any electronic instrument—dialing in great drive sounds is fast and foolproof. Active Treble, Mid and Bass controls, a footswitchable Boost mode and a dry blend deliver superlative sound shaping. It even features two independent channels for use with stereo setups. Whatever your rig, the Overlord is your indispensible ally.

Chase Bliss unveils Brothers

Brothers™ --- 100% Analog Signal Path --- Six independent Effects via Two Independent Channels (A & B) --- Stack A into B, Stack B into A, or Mix Channels in Parallel --- Save-able Presets (2 on board, 6 via “faves” switch, 122 via midi) --- 33 Different Routing Options, All Save-able with Knob Positions --- Channel A features JFET based Boost, OD, Fuzz (Designed in collaboration with Resonant Electronic Design™) --- Channel B features IC based Boost, OD, Fuzz (Designed by Chase Bliss Audio™) --- High Headroom, Super Clean Tonestack for Each Channel --- All Parameters Controllable by Expression / CV --- True Bypass or Buffered Bypass selectable by Dip Switch --- Momentary Engage / Kill Mode for Both Channels --- $349 – Release date March 20th --- Pre-order date February 20th --- “mini-doc” with history and sound clips of pedal linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-1I4v6PvvA

This is the story of how this pedal came into existence.

Boost. Drive. Fuzz. Not necessarily in that order.

Designed in collaboration with Resonant Electronic™, Brothers™ is built upon two independent JFET / IC analog channels comprising a total of six unique boost, drive, or fuzz circuits in one small enclosure. The pedal can be routed in thirty-three distinct ways, including mixing them in parallel or changing the order of the effects. As with every Chase Bliss pedal, you can save everything and recall presets instantly, on-the-fly either on the pedal or with MIDI. Every knob and switch is connected to a little digital brain while your guitar signal stays 100% analog the entire time and never gets digitally processed. Since the control of the effect is digital, it opens up unprecedented effects and features that have never been heard or offered in analog stompboxes.

Pre-order: 2/20/17
Release: 3/20/17

BH DealZone - BOSS BC-2 Combo Drive

B&H Photo has the BOSS BC-2 Combo Drive today in their DealZone offers. It's on sale for $29.99, over half off its original price of $79.99.

MF Stupid Deal - Tech 21 Boost Overdrive

Musician's Friend is having a Stupid Deal of the Day for the Tech 21 Boost Overdrive. It's on sale today for $79, and normally retails for nearly twice that at $149.

Strymon unveils Riverside Multistage Drive

- Custom cascading multistage distortion topology provides a wide range of tube-inspired drive tones
- Digitally controlled analog class A JFET input gain stage maximizes headroom while adding up to 20dB of pure analog gain
- Precision crafted DSP gain stages provide detailed complexity and responsiveness
- Low gain channel for smooth classic overdrive
- High gain channel for modern saturated distortion
- 3-band EQ with independent Bass, Middle and Treble controls
- Selectable post-analog gain mid-band EQ push
- Presence switch to tailor the sound for use with all amplifiers from dark to bright
- Optional variable-threshold noise reduction helps tame noisy guitar pickups

Demos are below and more info is available on the official webpage.

Electro-Harmonix introduces the Soul POG

It's basically a Soul Food and a Nano POG 2-in-1 pedal. It is already being shipped to retailers with a street price of $286.

MF Stupid Deal of the Day - Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver

Musician's Friend's Stupid Deal of the Day is the Ibanez JD9 Jet Driver, a TS-9 based overdrive. It's on sale for $49.99, about $40 off its usual price.

Musician's Friend Black Friday sale

Musician's Friend will have three pedals on sale for Black Friday.

The DOD 201 Phasor and the DOD 250 Preamp are already selling for the Black Friday prices at $49.95 - but both have been at that price point multiple times this year, so it's nothing new.

The Hardwire HT-6 Polyphonic Tuner will also be on sale for $39.95, but that price doesn't go live until Black Friday.

Their full ad can be seen here.