Lazarus

I know there are other accurate alternatives out there (eg Peterson) but between the big two — Boss TU-3 and Polytune 3 — I prefer the latter. For one, the display is just easier to read, particularly on a darkened stage. I don’t use the strobe tuning feature but even that is more visible than the Boss. Where it’s really at for me are the big letters for the string/note you’re tuning to. And it auto detects, so for someone like me that uses a capo a lot, you don’t need to pick a different mode (although you can program tuning up/down or alternate tunings). Oh and it has a good buffer to start your board with.

This knocked the JAM Pedals Rattler off my board. It does what a RAT does but more options because of the 8 different clipping options. Because there’s an internal pump that takes the 9v input and bumps it up to 18, there’s more clarity and headroom than your typical ProCo RAT. (You can also flip a dip switch inside to turn the charge pump off if you want to just run it at 18v right from your power supply). I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I would be happy buying this pedal on principle alone (1312 being the numeric equivalent of ACAB). I bought mine in the trans rights colorway.

This pedal has been featured on That Pedal Show and reviewed in all the usual places but I rarely if ever see it on anyone’s board (not here in the US anyway). I have a Victory V40 Duchess Deluxe head that has a great tremolo unit but the speed options are limited. And while it does what it does well (classic tremolo), it doesn’t do more than that. Enter the Hamstead Soundworks. I’ve never played a Hamstead amp but the pedal circuit is taken from the analog tremolo they use in their amps. There are three wave forms (classic, sine wave and triangle) and you can use a shape dial to tilt them left or right. So you have old school, vintage tremolo with a bunch of added versatility. It’s all analog, no digital waveform circuitry, so they all sound great. There are a few videos on the product page, check them out.