As I walked into the Fear the Riff Expo, iced coffee in hand, I was met with what one could only call “The Chorus of 1000” guitars. While the sound was chaos, what I saw was beautiful. Pedal vendors galore, all the guitars a person could dream of, cool new gadgets, enough tubes to light the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. I had a great time walking around, trying things out, and I even bought a few pedals. Here are some of the things that really stood out and impressed me.
Earthquaker Devices
I love this company more than life itself. Well maybe that’s a bit of an exaratuation but I do think they’re one of the most exciting pedal manufacturers of all time. Their pedals are completely unique and of the highest quality. Also most of them retail for under $250 which is an absolute steal. Looking for an octave pedal to make your guitar sound like a badass Organ? Check out the Organizer. Do you want to turn your guitar into a full on arpeggiator? Buy the Arpanoid! Do you want a double fuzz pedal with an up octave? Get the Hoof Reaper. Do yourself a favor and check out their pedals!
Analog Alien
I hadn’t heard of these guys before I went to the expo but they definitely get my “Zero to Hero” Award for blowing my socks off. I could not believe how amazing their Fuzz Bubble 45 pedal was. I’ve been a loyal fan of my BBE Green Screamer for 4 years now. That little bastard has been played in every single one of my shows and on every one of my albums, but it might have finally met its match. It’s perfect for all you blues/psychedelic guitar players who want both a good fuzz pedal and an amazing overdrive. The pedal doesn’t also sound great, but it also looks awesome. It’s an amazing purple and you control your gain with a knob that goes from ‘67 to ‘77, which I think is just awesome.
I hadn’t heard of these guys before I went to the expo, and just discovering them made my day.
Champion Leccy
If you’re a fuzz head look no further. These guys specialize in fuzz and other amp busting pedals so have everything from their standard fuzz pedal to the Sausage Fingers pedal which turns your guitar into a weird lo fi synth thing with a suboctave. I actually think this is a great pedal to use with your synth or to use on your drums to really make them feel all washed out and lo fi.
This expo was awesome and I highly recommend that you all check out all of the vendors. There is some really amazing stuff on there.
