Customer Kudos
"Been using zZounds for years, professional and reliable with awesome customer service. No run around BS, straight forward and helpful."
August 1, 2023
All-Star Gear: Guitar Effects Pedals
Our customers' top-rated stompboxes
With so many effects types and so many different takes on each, it's no wonder that once guitarists find the "sound in their heads" in a pedal -- or a chain of pedals -- they become devoted fans.
We've compiled an All-Star list of some of our customers' favorite pedals, including all-time classic stompboxes and up-and-coming hits. Check out our list to find out if your favorites made the cut, or find a new sound for the next time you feel like stomping on something!
See more All-Star Gear guides »
We've compiled an All-Star list of some of our customers' favorite pedals, including all-time classic stompboxes and up-and-coming hits. Check out our list to find out if your favorites made the cut, or find a new sound for the next time you feel like stomping on something!
Boss CE-5 Stereo Chorus Ensemble
zZounds Customers Say...
"Five control knobs, perfect for honing in the sound you're looking for -- anything from wickedly liquid chorus to something very small and faint sounding."
"The best feature it has got is the low and high filters, which give you complete control over your desired sound. The pedal is very rugged and the variable knobs are very smooth and quiet."
"Sounds are just what I wanted. Smooth, warm and clean. I really love it, especially in clean tunes it sounds like it floats in the sky while you do the plucking or strumming."
"Five control knobs, perfect for honing in the sound you're looking for -- anything from wickedly liquid chorus to something very small and faint sounding."
"The best feature it has got is the low and high filters, which give you complete control over your desired sound. The pedal is very rugged and the variable knobs are very smooth and quiet."
"Sounds are just what I wanted. Smooth, warm and clean. I really love it, especially in clean tunes it sounds like it floats in the sky while you do the plucking or strumming."
MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
zZounds Customers Say...
"Amazing. Super Dynamic. Totally works in all settings. The only thing that would've made this better is to be able to tap tempo. But for this price and to be the size of a Phase 90, and a PURE analog delay with true bypass, I don't think it can be beat."
- Steve in Miami, FL
"I'm so happy with this purchase. I've never owned an MXR pedal before. This thing is solid, built like a brick. Easy to dial in and sounds great."
- Neal in Dallas, TX
"Delay on bass? YOU BET! The delay only works on higher notes on bottom strings, so your solo or riff will shine with this pedal."
"Amazing. Super Dynamic. Totally works in all settings. The only thing that would've made this better is to be able to tap tempo. But for this price and to be the size of a Phase 90, and a PURE analog delay with true bypass, I don't think it can be beat."
- Steve in Miami, FL
"I'm so happy with this purchase. I've never owned an MXR pedal before. This thing is solid, built like a brick. Easy to dial in and sounds great."
- Neal in Dallas, TX
"Delay on bass? YOU BET! The delay only works on higher notes on bottom strings, so your solo or riff will shine with this pedal."
Electro-Harmonix POG2 Polyphonic Octave Generator
zZounds Customers Say...
"The thick sounds it creates are just beautiful. The versatility is amazing and the possibilities for shaping sound seem endless. The presets feature is great for playing live."
- Ari in New York, NY
"It's sturdy (I dropped it a couple times)...easy to program with almost an infinite amount of possibilities. Totally worth the price!"
- Michael in Orchard Park, NY
"Truly an incredible-sounding pedal. You can use it to get organ sounds with your guitar or beef up your lead tone. Presets make it easy to switch between settings during shows."
- Yoo Soo in Chicago, IL
"The thick sounds it creates are just beautiful. The versatility is amazing and the possibilities for shaping sound seem endless. The presets feature is great for playing live."
- Ari in New York, NY
"It's sturdy (I dropped it a couple times)...easy to program with almost an infinite amount of possibilities. Totally worth the price!"
- Michael in Orchard Park, NY
"Truly an incredible-sounding pedal. You can use it to get organ sounds with your guitar or beef up your lead tone. Presets make it easy to switch between settings during shows."
- Yoo Soo in Chicago, IL
Friedman BE-OD Overdrive Pedal
zZounds Customers Say...
"Super tweakable, beastly gain machine this is! Like a lot of recommendations I read, I turned the internal trim pot to about 9 and there is still tons of gain on tap."
- Brad in San Antonio, TX
"The 'tight' knob is pretty freaking rockin', and really helps dial in a good response. Friedman has outdone themselves, seriously."
- Nana in McGregor, TX
"Most people that reviewed this pedal overwhelming endorse it as awesome. I completely agree. It reminds me of the JVM Marshall I had. I highly recommend this pedal."
- AM in Flint, MI
"Super tweakable, beastly gain machine this is! Like a lot of recommendations I read, I turned the internal trim pot to about 9 and there is still tons of gain on tap."
- Brad in San Antonio, TX
"The 'tight' knob is pretty freaking rockin', and really helps dial in a good response. Friedman has outdone themselves, seriously."
- Nana in McGregor, TX
"Most people that reviewed this pedal overwhelming endorse it as awesome. I completely agree. It reminds me of the JVM Marshall I had. I highly recommend this pedal."
- AM in Flint, MI
Pro Co Rat2 Distortion
zZounds Customers Say...
"Friggin' great distortion, subtle, to very harsh. Melvins to Molly Hatchet. Full on old-school Rat sound. And true bypass to boot. I love it."
"From subtle to mighty. It's easy to tweak on the fly. It also works wonderfully with your guitar's volume knob."
"Nothing else can even come close to this type of distortion. The sound is so unique...awesome!"
"The filter knob lets me dial in whatever sound I need. What else is there to say...volume and distortion and filter...so simple I even understand it."
"Friggin' great distortion, subtle, to very harsh. Melvins to Molly Hatchet. Full on old-school Rat sound. And true bypass to boot. I love it."
"From subtle to mighty. It's easy to tweak on the fly. It also works wonderfully with your guitar's volume knob."
"Nothing else can even come close to this type of distortion. The sound is so unique...awesome!"
"The filter knob lets me dial in whatever sound I need. What else is there to say...volume and distortion and filter...so simple I even understand it."
Xotic SP Compressor
zZounds Customers Say...
"The blend function allows me to dial in anything from full-on squish to clean-boost only. The internal dip switches are great for fine-tuning."
- Luke in Arcadia, LA
"I think this is the best compressor pedal for the buck. It's transparent, does what I need in a compressor, and doesn't take up much space on the pedal board. I give a big thumbs up."
- David in Plano, TX
"These little Xotic boxes are built like tanks. They are robust and have a very high quality, substantial feel to them. Great stuff and I think I'll be keeping this little compressor on my board for a very long time."
- John in Upstate, NY
"The blend function allows me to dial in anything from full-on squish to clean-boost only. The internal dip switches are great for fine-tuning."
- Luke in Arcadia, LA
"I think this is the best compressor pedal for the buck. It's transparent, does what I need in a compressor, and doesn't take up much space on the pedal board. I give a big thumbs up."
- David in Plano, TX
"These little Xotic boxes are built like tanks. They are robust and have a very high quality, substantial feel to them. Great stuff and I think I'll be keeping this little compressor on my board for a very long time."
- John in Upstate, NY
MXR EVH Phase 90 Eddie Van Halen Phaser Pedal
zZounds Customers Say...
"Great tonal variety and I can call up either traditional 'Script Mode' phaser sounds or 'Modern Style' phaser sounds and not just phaser effects from Van Halen songs!"
- Rick in Boca Raton, FL
"Eddie Van Halen fans, especially those of the early/Roth years, should buy this phaser immediately! You will absolutely love it! And anyone who wants a great-sounding, easy-to-use, well-built phaser should buy this as well."
- A Happy Owner
"The MXR phaser is the standard for which all others follow, and this MXR has two distinctive phase tones for the price of one."
- Laurence in Pismo Beach, CA
"Great tonal variety and I can call up either traditional 'Script Mode' phaser sounds or 'Modern Style' phaser sounds and not just phaser effects from Van Halen songs!"
- Rick in Boca Raton, FL
"Eddie Van Halen fans, especially those of the early/Roth years, should buy this phaser immediately! You will absolutely love it! And anyone who wants a great-sounding, easy-to-use, well-built phaser should buy this as well."
- A Happy Owner
"The MXR phaser is the standard for which all others follow, and this MXR has two distinctive phase tones for the price of one."
- Laurence in Pismo Beach, CA
EarthQuaker Devices Plumes Overdrive
zZounds Customers Say...
"This pedal adds a fatness and girth across all modes. Mode one really gives you a lot more gain and compression. The 2nd mode is one of the most transparent clean boosts I've ever encountered. And the 3rd mode is like a Maxon OD808 on steriods."
- Bradford in Middlesex, NJ
"Of the 3 modes, the middle position (op amp) is my favorite. Primarily used for clean boost, the biggest surprise for me was the amount of sustain it added to my sound."
- Franklin in Gibsonton, FL
"Absolutely incredible sounding and affordable. Innovative foot switching and 3 useful mode selections."
- John in Charlottesville, VA
"This pedal adds a fatness and girth across all modes. Mode one really gives you a lot more gain and compression. The 2nd mode is one of the most transparent clean boosts I've ever encountered. And the 3rd mode is like a Maxon OD808 on steriods."
- Bradford in Middlesex, NJ
"Of the 3 modes, the middle position (op amp) is my favorite. Primarily used for clean boost, the biggest surprise for me was the amount of sustain it added to my sound."
- Franklin in Gibsonton, FL
"Absolutely incredible sounding and affordable. Innovative foot switching and 3 useful mode selections."
- John in Charlottesville, VA
Dunlop GCB95 Original Crybaby Wah
zZounds Customers Say...
"The truth is it doesn't matter whether you wanna jam with blues or whether you're into heavy metal cause either way you can make use of it. Amazing really considering it's very affordable."
- A Happy Owner
"I wouldn't change a thing. If I want to do my own thing, the tone's right. If I want to sound like Slash, Zakk Wylde or Jimmy Page, the tone's there."
- A Happy Owner
"It's got great range and it's very simple to use. If you like classic rock or funky "wikka, wakka" sounds, you'll dig this pedal." - A Happy Owner
"The truth is it doesn't matter whether you wanna jam with blues or whether you're into heavy metal cause either way you can make use of it. Amazing really considering it's very affordable."
- A Happy Owner
"I wouldn't change a thing. If I want to do my own thing, the tone's right. If I want to sound like Slash, Zakk Wylde or Jimmy Page, the tone's there."
- A Happy Owner
"It's got great range and it's very simple to use. If you like classic rock or funky "wikka, wakka" sounds, you'll dig this pedal." - A Happy Owner
Eventide Space Reverb
zZounds Customers Say...
"The reverbs are fantastic! All the algorithms are very usable. It inspires you to write moody and dark tunes. But then again I always write moody and dark tunes."
- Steve in Arlington, TX
"Great appearance, solidly made, tremendous sound, all controls work well. This will be the centerpiece of my sound processing gear."
"I'm blown away at how awesome this pedal is. It's worth every penny! It will take a bit to get used to the controls but other than that it's perfect."
- Darren in San Antonio, TX
"The reverbs are fantastic! All the algorithms are very usable. It inspires you to write moody and dark tunes. But then again I always write moody and dark tunes."
- Steve in Arlington, TX
"Great appearance, solidly made, tremendous sound, all controls work well. This will be the centerpiece of my sound processing gear."
"I'm blown away at how awesome this pedal is. It's worth every penny! It will take a bit to get used to the controls but other than that it's perfect."
- Darren in San Antonio, TX
