TC Electronic Ditto Looper X2
Overall, the TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper pedal is a versatile and reliable tool that offers a number of useful features for both recording and live use. Its user-friendly interface and impressive feature set make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to add looping capabilities to their pedalboard.
Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer
The Ibanez TS808 is an essential pedal for any guitarist looking to add some classic overdrive tones to their sound. Its iconic sound and build quality make it a great investment, despite its few quirks.
Boss OD-3
The OD-3 might just be the most underrated Boss pedal. At £99, nothing really comes close to the sound quality and versatility of this overdrive. It is also very easy to dial in a great guitar tone with it, as all the knob ranges will sound great! Just keep in mind that it is a very transparent overdrive, so don’t expect it to transform your tone!
Boss DS-1
The Boss DS-1 is not a very versatile pedal. If you want to push an already distorted amp even further, it will do the job, but it is not a great source of distortion on its own. At £65, it is priced just a little bit below its competition. There are however more versatile pedals out there that cost about the same and will do what the DS-1 does, but more and better.
JHS 3 Series Screamer
The JHS Screamer is a very versatile and modern take on a Tube Screamer. It compares favourably to the more expensive Japan-made reissues by Ibanez, while offering enough extra features to consider it over the much cheaper Ibanez TS Mini.
Xotic SP Compressor
The SP Compressor is on the pricier side, but in this instance you get what you pay for. The sound quality is a step above many other compression pedals. It is very easy to dial in a great tone and the small footprint ensures you will find space for it on your board.
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail
The Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail is an incredible analog delay pedal. It is packed with unique features, built like a tank (in the U.S.A.) and sounds better than any analog delay I’ve tried. At £140 pounds, it is very competitive with other pedals.
Friedman Dirty Shirley
The Friedman Dirty Shirley is an extremely versatile pedal. Just like the amp of the same name, it will cover vintage Marshall and BE-100 distortion tones, as well as light gain scenarios. While primarily designed for hard rock and metal, it will do much more than that with unmatched clarity and response.
Boss DD-500
The Boss DD-500 is a best-in-class high-fidelity delay pedal and looper. After a bit of a learning curve, it will easily replace all your existing delay units.
Friedman BE-OD
The BE-OD is an amazing pedal and will make almost any setup sound like a hot-rodded Marshall Plexi. It is expensive, but the cost is justified, considering you are getting pretty close to the signature BE sound with a lot less hassle.
Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff
The Green Russian Big Muff is a very user-friendly pedal. It will have a bit more low-end and sustain than other iterations. The build quality is excellent, and at £70 you will struggle to find a better deal!
Wampler Tumnus
For such a simple pedal, it has a very wide range of use cases. At £135, you really can’t go wrong with the Wampler Tumnus, especially when the original Klons go for over £5,000.
TC Electronic Flashback 2
The Flashback sounds as good as any other delay on the market for a lot less money than most. You get a lot of fantastic sounds out of the box, but getting the most from the pedal will require a learning curve.
Behringer TO800
Behringer TO800 is fantastic value for money and should be in every guitar player's collection, in case you ever want that iconic sound.
Line 6 POD GO vs HX Stomp
Looking for an affordable do-it-all modeller that will sound as good as units three times the price? Line 6 has got you covered!
Fulltone OCD
If you are looking for a “wall of sound” tone without cranking your tube amp into oblivion, the Fulltone OCD is what you want!
Boss DM-2W
In addition to an excellent reissue with much less noise, you get a new custom mode with more clarity and longer delays. Connecting an expression pedal further expands the capabilities of this unit.
Boss SD-1W
The Boss SD1W stacks up well against similarly priced pedals. If you were not a fan of the original, it is unlikely you will enjoy the Waza Craft version. However, if you were already a fan, but just want a little bit more from your SD-1, the SD-1W is an excellent choice!