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What are YOUR top 5 pedal companies?

MightyMiloQuinn

MightyMiloQuinn

Dec 21, 2012
1,280
428
Concord, NH
#1
I don't usually go in for this kind of thing, yet here I go. I'm in the planning stages of building my next pedal board (when funds permit!). And I've come to realize that 5 companies make up the bulk of those plans. So I guess I'm looking at them as my top 5 companies. I'm not necessarily talking about the "best" builders, or the most versatile, or the most creative, or what have you. I'm talking about those companies you look to first. So I was wondering what other people thought. What are the 5 companies you look to to populate your board?

Here are mine (in no particular order):
- Fairfield Circuitry
- EarthQuaker Devices
- VFE
- 3leaf Audio
- Caroline Guitar Company
I have a ton of honorable mentions, but that sort of defeats the purpose, I guess.
 
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#5
Hmm...actually a tough one. I can pick the first three without much trouble because they include the pedal most critical to my sound and the two other companies that sort of dominate my board and of which I am the TB club founder for each! Hard to pick the others but I'll try:

Darkglass
Eventide
Empress
Digitech
Source Audio

I'll violate the idea of the thread and add some honorable mentions with a specific purpose:

Honorable mention, category of "one pedal only for the purpose of practice and more interesting playing and not really 'effecting' my sound":
Singular Sound (for the Beat Buddy)
Pigtronix (for the Infinity Looper)

Honorable mention, category of "I don't own it, but man, the GAS, she burns":
Strymon
 
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#8
Mountainking Electronics
FEA Labs
Fuzzrocious
smallsound/bigsound
Source Audio

I don't even own any SA stuff and I really have to give them credit for their quality of service and how hard they try to meet our admittedly ridiculous demands. Ryan at Fuzzrocious and Brian at SS/BS are both awesome people for anyone who has a chance to meet them in person. Mountainking because, well, no one builds stuff quite like Alan does. FEA needs no rationale for their inclusion.
 
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#9
Markbass
Strymon
MXR
Fulltone
EBS

I would put Darkglass. But... There are only THREE stomp-boxes (i do not count DI-box versions). Even i've got B7K and going to buy Duality... When there will be more - EBS or Fulltone would leave the list. But - not earlier. I wish the list would be of six companies!
 
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#14
No real order, but of what I've played/experienced my favorites are the following:

-Pigtronix (innovation, no other pedal can replicate a Pigtronix tone imo. Without my EP-2 I'd be a different kind of musician)
-Way Huge (perfects simple analog effects in an affordable and accessible package)
-Earthquaker Devices (probably most consistently excellent and the standard that any boutique effects company should hold itself to)
-Death by Audio (pure, straightforward madness)
-Dr. Scientist (all about options and tonal versatility. Just like Pigtronix, unable to be duplicated and capable of defining the songs they're used in)
 
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#17
Ha! This one is easy, I only have 5 pedals.
MXR (Bass comp)
EHX (Electric Mistress)
Dark Glass (B3K)
Jim Dunlop Way Huge (Pork Loin)
Boss (GEB7, its not even on my board.)

Honorable mentions:
I think I'd really like to give a Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie B a try. The blend is a great idea and their customer service seems really good at answering all my stupid questions despite not having bought one.
I love the look of Dunwich Amps pedals, but they are too expensive for me and as much as I love the idea of owning a Volt Thrower, I have no use for it.
 
#18
Tough one

I would say- no order.

Darkglass (b7k, duality, VMT)
FEA (Opti-Fet)
AnalogMan (juicer, Prince of tone, peppermint fuzz, modded phase 90 script)
Musitronics (original and reissue) - Mutron III, octave, phasor I & II
Moog (everything - especially the delays and filters)

(Honorable mention goes out to Strymon and EQD)
 
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