There are a few absolute certainties in life — like death and taxes. But, within musician circles, there’s another truth: guitarists love to tweak their tones. We dial in our amplifiers, hand select our speakers, and wax poetic about magnets, capacitors, and potentiometers. Then, there are guitar effects pedals, which add a whole other level to this tone-chasing madness. Some pedals are straightforward. You stomp on it, crank a knob, and your guitar gets more distorted; or you rock a treadle back and forth, and it goes “wah waka waka wah.” Then, there are those special pedals. The ones that do lots of cool things. The ones that we sincerely recommend that you spend an entire weekend geeking out with. It is these glorious, time-stealing stompboxes of inexpressible merriment that inspired this list. Whether you want the perfect amp-in-a-box pedal, some out-of-this-world reverb or modulation effects, or an all-in-one multi-effects stompbox, there’s enough here to keep you busy until at least 2025.
Line 6 HX Stomp
Available in Black, Stomptrooper White and Sweetwater Exclusive Cosmic Gray.
Fine-tuning one guitar effect can be a massive (albeit extremely fun) time suck. Every guitarist knows this. So, you can imagine how long it takes to wade through the Line 6 HX Stomp‘s 300-plus effects. But don’t worry, you’ll love every minute of it. This top-shelf multi-effects pedal includes Helix, M-Series, and legacy algorithms, and you can deploy up to six simultaneous effects. You also get a well-stocked arsenal of Line 6’s acclaimed amp and cabinet models plus third-party IR support. You can craft killer effects chains with the HX Stomp, which you can then save as 126 user presets. We’ve used the HX Stomp to conjure up Zen-like ambient textures, hyperprocessed ’80s tones, brutal down-tuned metal sounds, effect-laden fusion-esque leads, and a whole lot more. Integrating the HX Stomp with the rest of your rig is a breeze, thanks to its ample complement of I/O, MIDI switching capabilities, an effects return for 4-cable amp integration, and a 2-channel expansion jack for expression pedals or external switches.
BOSS SY-1 Synthesizer
We all know that tinkering with guitar effects is a time-intensive endeavor. Only synth tweaking surpasses it. So, what happens when you combine the two? Plug into the BOSS SY-1 Synthesizer, and you’ll find out. This multifaceted stompbox delivers polyphonic, near-zero-latency performance comparable to an old-school guitar-synth system, but it doesn’t require any additional pickups or hardware. The SY-1 is chock-full of mind-bending sounds — 121 in total — including 11 synth types with 11 variations for each. Want classic analog tones? Leads? Basses? Layered organs? Sweeping pads? They’re all in there. You can even call up wild arpeggiated sequences. A Hold function enables you to create a sustained synth sound that you can play over, while a Blend control gives you independent volume control over your guitar and synth tones. One of our favorite features on the SY-1 is its parallel Send/Return loop, which allows you to integrate effects or to route your signal to a separate amplifier. You can also take real-time command with an external expression pedal.
Eventide H9 Max
Eventide has long been an undisputed heavyweight in the realm of digital effects; and, with the H9 Max on your pedalboard, you’ll have access to a massive cache of their tried-and-true algorithms. All of the revered effects from Eventide’s Space, PitchFactor, ModFactor, and TimeFactor will be at your feet plus a great selection of H9-exclusive effects, such as UltraTap, CrushStation, TriceraChorus, and a whole lot more, including all future releases. Whether you want to call up ear-grabbing Shimmer or Blackhole effects, EVH-style micro-pitch detuning, or some of the best delay, modulation, or reverb effects on the planet, the H9 Max delivers the exceptional quality you’d expect from Eventide. Right out of the box, this robust effects pedal includes 99 factory presets, plus you can download over 500 more via the free H9 Control app on your Bluetooth-equipped device. Needless to say, the H9 Max is an effects lover’s candy land. We hope you have a lot of free time on your hands. Once you take a deep dive into the H9 Max, you’ll need it!
Walrus Audio Slö
Do you like to get lost in multitextural, ambient soundscapes? Then fire up the Walrus Audio Slö. This stompbox contains some of the most cavernous reverbs we’ve ever heard along with lush, captivating modulation effects. You get three distinct reverb modes, including Dark, Rise, and Dream, arming you with everything from luxurious reverberation to emotive auto swells to hallucinogenic octave effects. The Slö’s pitch-modulation engine boasts three waveshapes, yielding a wide array of animated reverb tails, while a Sustain switch turns up your reverb decay time until you take your foot off of it. At Sweetwater, we’ve found the Sustain feature to be an amazing performance-enhancement tool that’s complemented perfectly by the Slö’s dual latching/momentary switching modes. You also get switchable trails, which let you determine whether your reverb continues to decay after you disengage the pedal. You’ll be shocked by the number of stage-ready sounds you discover after spending some time with this stompbox. If you’re on a quest for otherworldly, atmospheric effects that won’t wash out your playing, then the Slö is exactly what you’ve been searching for.
Keeley Hydra
Reverb is cool. Tremolo is cool. But cramming both effects into a single pedal is sheer genius! That’s exactly what the Keeley Hydra does. This feature-packed stomp includes three exquisite-sounding reverbs: Spring, Plate, and Room. Its switchable tremolos include Sine, Vibrato, and Harmonic. Trust us, simply toggling through these options will lead to countless hours of sonic exploration. And, when you throw in the ability to switch effect order on the fly, you’re guaranteed to be tied up for a long, long while. But it will be time well spent! And you can save your hard work in up to three user-preset slots for easy recall. The Hydra also includes tap tempo, which is great for live performances, plus stereo I/O and an Infinite Hold feature for crafting all kinds of spacious cacophony. At Sweetwater, we’ve found Keeley’s Hydra to be a worthwhile companion to their ECCOS Delay/Looper — a dynamic duo if there ever was one.
Jackson Audio Asabi
Guitarists love tweaking distorted textures. This has been a fact of life ever since the first hard-rocking sonic pioneer planted his Ibanez Tube Screamer, Pro Co RAT, or BOSS SD-1 in front of a dimed Marshall. The Jackson Audio Asabi enables you to engage in this time-honored tone chase with a single pedal, thanks to independent overdrive and distortion sections. Built around a British-style Modern High-Gain circuit, the Asabi’s distortion section delivers maximum clarity, precision, and articulation. Its overdrive was inspired by a popular transparent-sounding pedal that’s revered for its incredible touch sensitivity. When you explore this stompbox’s four clipping modes and innovative Gain Cycle feature, you’ll discover a near-endless array of tones, from slightly hairy to all-out saturated, with scalable maximum gain settings. Beyond that, an active 3-band EQ ensures that you’ll spend uncountable ear-twisting hours sculpting your picture-perfect tone. And, if that wasn’t enough, you can also swap out the Asabi’s distortion circuit with one of Jackson Audio’s optional analog plug-ins (sold separately) to unleash a new range of killer tones. There’s a reason why modern guitar virtuoso Mateus Asato chose the Asabi as his signature overdrive pedal. It’s simply that good.
Sweetwater — Your Guitar Pedal Tour Guide
There are hundreds of passionate guitarists here at Sweetwater, and we love geeking out to pedals as much as you do. When it comes to the art of guitar tweakage, we’re bona fide pros. We’ve spent hours upon hours with stompboxes from the gamut of industry-leading manufacturers, and we’ve learned them inside and out. So, if you’ve got a hankering for a new tonal expedition (and plenty of free time), then give your Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700. We’re the best tour guides in the industry!
