Best and worst purchase, plus best pedal of 2015

[kbit]

Yeah I wouldn't say it was my worst but the Space kinda disappointed me as well. It just didn't have.... something. Just sonically off in a way I can't describe. Trem verb be amazing, though.

Also disappointed in the Kompakt Kassette. Not because of the circuit itself, it sounds amazing and I want one something fierce, but I received it broken and Rhys didn't respond about fixing it also face mounted jacks are wack. Le sigh... one pedal I'd actually be very interested in a clone of.


I have high hopes that the Waveform Destroyer will be my best purchase when I get it this week

[JonnyAngle]

I don't think anyone has a deeper appreciation for flangers than I do.

another flanger lover?

[Jero]

Also disappointed in the Kompakt Kassette. Not because of the circuit itself, it sounds amazing and I want one something fierce, but I received it broken and Rhys didn't respond about fixing it also face mounted jacks are wack. Le sigh... one pedal I'd actually be very interested in a clone of.

Even fixed it was pretty meh for me. The things we've discussed would help a lot.

[lordgalvar]

Also disappointed in the Kompakt Kassette. Not because of the circuit itself, it sounds amazing and I want one something fierce, but I received it broken and Rhys didn't respond about fixing it also face mounted jacks are wack. Le sigh... one pedal I'd actually be very interested in a clone of.

Even fixed it was pretty meh for me. The things we've discussed would help a lot.

Yea, to me, it is just ok...I dunno. It can be fun at moments and the preamp distortion is ok sometimes...but I just don't really love it...it is just kind of a silly pedal...ok for some weird slap back though...the Kompakt Kassette...I just go back and forth between hating it and thinking it is fun for a bit. I think it just isn't me I guess.

[Jero]

I honestly think it simply wasn't implemented well. Kind of seemed like a, "hey this makes unusual noise, it's finished!" type deal instead of, "wow that's neat, let's expand..." There's def potential.

[Chankgeez]

I don't think anyone has a deeper appreciation for flangers than I do.

another flanger lover?

What do you mean another?

I AM THE FLANGER LOVER



In fact, I was gonna start a forum called "I LOVE FLANGER" until Tom Dalton sued me.

[oldangelmidnight]

My best buying experience was 100% meeting Tom at the ILF meetup and buying an Algal Bloom v2. It's probably tied with the Gristleizer and the Subdecay Starlight as my favorite pedals of the year.

The worst pedal for me was probably the Bitquest. It has lots of cool sounds but I kept wanting different controls or for the pedal to behave differently, in general. Just not a great user experience for me.

I think the only newly released pedal I played this year was the Wizard of Pitch. I like it. The noisy glitchiness works for me.

[lordgalvar]

I honestly think it simply wasn't implemented well. Kind of seemed like a, "hey this makes unusual noise, it's finished!" type deal instead of, "wow that's neat, let's expand..." There's def potential.

It's got more dynamic interaction with playing than the pitch pirate from what I hear (haven't used the pitch pirate...but it seems to use LFO for mod instead of ENV for somewhat similar results though). They are somewhat related from what I have heard too (both being pt2399 and pitch bend with a single repeat).

I think the thing that would make the Kompakt Kassette better would just be a way to really tailor the response to the guitars envelope resulting in a more controlable result...it is pretty dynamic now...but I just can't riff with it...gotta keep everything simple when playing to give it room to work and hopefully not overgain it so that I just make unplugged, input tape warble sounds with no guitar...

haha, like I said...I go both ways on it...just never really found a use outside of 5 minutes of being dumb and not really playing guitar (but, that said, maybe a better player could do more with it too...I don't have a lot of skills to pull from to make things respond differently...pretty much just "hit string hard" caveman playing).

[Jwar]

This is such an interesting thread! Some of the disappointments and loves blow me away! I'm glad it's here! Really lets you get to know your fellow gear head.

[insubordination]

As usual, I went through a ton of shit this year and luckily nothing was really terrible or disappointing, but not a ton was exemplary or worth keeping.

Best purchase: probably the Quilter Mini 101 amp head, which I can use at home/with headphones (with a cab sim) and it sounds great, and takes pedals well. Only had a chance to play it into a cab a couple times, but it sounded good. Going to try it at practice tomorrow and see about possibly displacing my main tube amp. Only $300 new, weighs two pounds and sounds great at low volumes, and doesn't need a speaker load.

Worst purchase: Catalinbread Zero Point. Really wanted to like this, and I mostly did, it's a cool idea. But there was a weird quirk where it would clip out when you muted chords, and I never understood WTF was going on so I just returned it. Wasn't worth it to me to contact CBread and work it out, for whatever reason.

Best pedal of 2015: Probably the Montreal Assembly CT5, because it made a lot of people really excited about an awesome builder, and for good reason since it's a phenomenal pedal. I sold mine when I needed some cash but would like to reacquire someday.

[agiant]

I've started testing pedals compulsively this year, so most of my stuff is new.

The best? I think it's my hot cake clone. This thing sounds awesome with my ac4 and tiny terror. The Fredric Harmonic Percolator is also very cool. A karma suture is coming home, so maybe it will be replaced, who knows...

The worst: The ashbass fuzzbrite disappointed me. It's cool, but it's not what I wanted. I'm selling/trading it now.

[indianDYsummer]

Best purchase: RM-1N so I bought two! Haha. Man that thing rules. Just when I thought I wasnt a big verb guy, I thought I'd see what the hype is about and it's a game changer for me. Great as a plain old fuzzy OD too.

2nd best place: $50 stupid deal of the day DOD250 reissue. This thing is seriously good and stacks up well against any boutique OD IMO.

Worst purchase: devi ever rocket (and godzilla). I couldn't sell them fast enough. I could not really get any tones I liked. Also.... Her.....

2nd worst place: I also was not at all a fan of the DBA interstellar overdriver deluxe. The OD is good but the extra fuzz modes were not to my liking. An EQ knob (ala apocalypse) would have been helpful.


Best of 2015: I would have to go Dr. Scientist Heisenberg from a technology standpoint. Very cool and innovative, even if it just sounds similar to other high quality overdrives.

[larsbars]

Best Purchase(s): Science Decolonizer (for obvious reasons), switching from a single 4x10 to double 1x15 cabs was the best bass-related decision I've made in years, 1998 Ford E-350
Best Pedal Purchases: MF Chorus, Earthbound Centurion and Pale Mare
Biggest Disappointment: Honestly the Midnight Amplification Holy Mountain. The Monarch, for me anyway, is better in every way

[Pete]

This is an interesting thread! I'm enjoying reading these varying opinions. Best 2015 purchase for me-I'm gonna go with Digitech Drop. Worst-maybe Nine Of Swords Headache. Not quite as in to it as I thought I'd be. It's the first fuzz I've tried that I feel sounds a lot better if you place a buffer before it, but on its own it's kinda meh

[Cody_Pole]

Do trades count? if so

Best: MASF Possessed- Had a Hexe Revolver II was way too much for how I was using it, Possessed actually challenges me.
Runner Up: EHX Superego-had one sold it and after awhile missed it so I snagged another will never let it go again!
Worst: Boomerang 3- Way too much info for me I'm perfectly happy with my DittoX2 and seriously if you need to have that much
control over your looping I feel you lose concentration on playing.

Best pedal of the year: CT5 don't have one myself but everytime I've tried to snag one I've been too late, gotta Red Panda Particle on the way could bump the
Possessed as best of this year.