Best Effect Pedals 2023 – Our 5 favourite stompboxes of the year
Our five favourite new effect pedals of 2023
4,3 / 5,0 | 
The Best Effect Pedals 2023 is our list of the top five new effect pedal releases in the last 12 months. Each one was a notable stompbox release and stood out from the crowd.
Best Effects Pedals 2023
The Boss DM-101 was a notable release and combined analog delay powered by eight BBD chips plus digital control for a total of 12 delay modes. Making it a powerful, compact delay unit that many guitarists appreciated in 2023.
The 12 delay modes included Classic, Vintage, Modern, Multihead, Nonlinear, Ambience, Reflect, Doubling+ Delay, Wide, Dual Mod, Pan, and Pattern which gives it a lot of scope for getting creative.
Boss DM-101 Delay Machine
Digital Control
The control allows the DM-101 to have 127 user presets, and tap tempo which makes it a great addition to any guitar rig. It also allows for MIDI control via mini-TRS, plus the ability to work with external expression pedals and footswitches.
Not bad for a stereo analog delay. Having analog and digital combined makes this delay pedal a practical effect for many musicians.
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Warm Audio
Warm Audio had some fantastic releases in 2023, and the Mutation Phasor II stood out for us, amongst the crowd. This 100% analog phaser circuit is based on the classic 1970s Mutron circuit and offers electro-optical phase-shifting with modern-day build quality.
Quality Components
This pedal uses quality components throughout and should last users a lifetime, which makes it a great alternative to original units which are around 40 to 50 years old now. Plus, they are a lot more affordable than an original unit as well.
Overall, a great modern version of a classic ’70s effect. If you want that warm, swirling, psychedelic tone, then the Mutation Phasor II is perfect for the job. A deserving inclusion in our list of Best Effect Pedals 2023.
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Fender Kevin Shields Blender
The Fender Kevin Shields Blender is a signature pedal for the My Bloody Valentine frontman and is based on his vintage ’70s Fender Blender fuzz pedal. It has had a few updates to the standard circuit and offers things like Sag to the mix.
Fender Shields Blender pedal
Octave Fuzz
This take on the classic octave fuzz effect should offer plenty of musical options for guitarists, though I have also heard of plenty of musicians using it on synths as well. This modern-day reimagining of the effect has a lot of crazy sounds within, making it perfect for getting creative with.
It is based around two channels and three octaves of blendable, analog fuzz tones, making it one to check out if you love fuzz effects.
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TC Electronic 2290 P
Next up, is the TC Electronic 2290 P which is a recreation of the much-loved and sought-after 1980s rack effect and offers 9.999 seconds of delay time. This new pedal format version seeks to put those digital delays into a unit with 128 presets, 3 footswitches, a dedicated ‘Learn’ Tap Tempo with Sub-Divisions, and Feedback Path FX Insert, making it simpler to integrate into a modern guitar rig.
Stereo
It offers stereo dynamic delays, and users can control the delayed notes independently from the original. There is also an accompanying app that allows users to import, export, organise, and share presets. Plus, a lot of the original ‘hidden features’ of the ’80s rack are now accessible without cryptic button combinations, making it user-friendly for all.
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Boss Waza Craft BP-1W
Finally, we have the Boss Waza Craft BP-1W pedal, which is a recent release and has already made plenty of fans in the guitar community. This boost pedal combines the vintage Boss CE-1 and Roland RE-201 preamps into one compact pedal.
Both vintage units have preamps that have been used by guitar players for many years to achieve great guitar tones. They each had variable analog preamp circuitry which guitarists loved and now you can own both in one pedal.
Three Preamps
Boss has also added a third mode that provides a pristine clean boost to push the volume without any colouration. All of this adds up to a boost/preamp pedal with plenty of options and one that can be used to sculpt a guitar tone to perfection.
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- Boss DM-101 Delay Machine: Boss
- Fender Shields Blender pedal: Fender
- TC Electronic 2290 P: TC Electronic
- BOSS Waza Craft BP-1W Booster:Preamp with CE-1, and RE-201 preamps. This could be the secret sauce you need for great tone.: BOSS
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