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There’s something about the pedal world that never sits still. Just when you’ve convinced yourself that your board is finally complete, a new fuzz, delay, or multi-effect drops, and suddenly you’re rearranging everything at 2 a.m. with a flashlight in your teeth. It’s OK, we’ve all been there.
The first half of 2025 has already delivered some impressive new pedals, from fresh takes on vintage circuits to innovative AI-powered effects. In this blog, we’ll break down our picks for the best pedals of the year so far, featuring new releases from some familiar faces, plus a few wildcards that'll have your bandmates asking, "What the hell was that?".
At the top of our list is the Polyend MESS, a versatile multi-effects pedal with a built-in step sequencer that opens up a whole new world of sonic possibilities. Unlike conventional multi-effects pedals, which rely on static presets, MESS offers four independent effect tracks, each with fully sequencable parameters. With over 120 studio-quality effects, deep customization, and a 16-step grid pad for real-time manipulation, MESS makes it easy to create complex, evolving soundscapes.
Created in collaboration with Jessica Dobson of Deep Sea Diver, this pedal brings Dobson’s signature fuzz-and-delay combo to life in one wildly expressive box. It combines a silicon three-transistor fuzz variant with a heavily modified PT2399 echo, resulting in some truly unorthodox sounds. With versatile bias and gate controls, plus the ability to change the fuzz and echo orders, Benson’s Deep Sea Diver is perfect for dialing in a wide range of sounds.
Up next is the Strymon EC-1, a stereo tape echo pedal that pays tribute to the iconic sounds of the Echoplex EP series tape machines. Based on the same single-head tape echo algorithm found in the brand’s popular El Capistan echo pedal, EC-1 perfectly recreates the dreamy sound of a classic ‘60s tape echo, complete with subtle mechanical imperfections. Combined with an all-discrete Class A JFET input and two vintage-inspired preamp circuits, the EC-1 delivers stunning depth and warmth.
Building on the success of the original Enzo pedal, Enzo X blurs the line between stompbox and synthesizer. With five synthesizer modes, including Mono, Polyphonic, and Dry Processing, Enzo X transforms your guitar or MIDI keyboard into a full-blown synth rig. It may sound complex, but navigating Enzo X is a breeze thanks to the same easy-to-use UI featured in the brand's popular LVX delay pedal and MercuryX reverb pedal.
Speaking of synth pedals, Eventide Knife Drop is a ferocious fuzz pedal and monophonic synth mashup. Created in collaboration with Third Man Hardware and Jack White, Kife Drop lets you blend your guitar signal with snarling analog-style synth tones. Beef up your tone with upper and sub-octave harmonies, or kill them entirely and use Knife Drop as a full-on fuzz pedal. Either way, Knife Drop is sure to be a new staple on your pedalboard.
If you've got a synthesizer on your pedalboard, you probably need a drum machine too, right? Enter the Polyend Step, the first fully customizable 4-track drum machine designed specifically for the pedal format. The intuitive "Beat" knob lets you select a rhythm, the "Kit" knob lets you audition drum kits on the fly, and the built-in sequencer lets you quickly build custom grooves.
Whether you’re looking for a solid backbeat for your bedroom jams, drum accompaniment for live performances, or a new creative tool to use in the studio, Step fits all three comfortably between your fuzz and reverb pedals.
Kernom’s ELIPSE modulation pedal allows you to morph between classic analog-style effects including choruses, phasers, flangers, and tremolos with a single knob. Simple yet powerful controls make it easy to dial in a wide range of effects, suitable for any genre or style. ELIPSE is a Swiss Army knife of modulation effects, and a versatile addition to any pedalboard.
Up next on our list, the 29 Pedals TOKI delivers everything from searing, saturated fuzz to gentle, amp-like overdrive. With clever trim and pad controls, TOKI makes it easy to dial in just the right amount of hair. Flip the bright switches for '70s glam crunch, or back off the gain for warm, always-on drive tones that play nice with your other pedals.
It may not be an effects pedal, but the AmpRx Brownie might just be the most important pedal on your board. The first of its kind, Brownie is a 5A input AC voltage controller built specifically for modern tube amps. Building on the legacy of the original BrownBox (tailored for vintage amps), the Brownie helps protect your gear from fluctuating wall power while dialing in the exact voltage your amp needs to sound its best.
Inspired by Noise Engineering’s legendary tail-generating synth modules, Batverb is perfect for adding some spooky ambience to your performance. Quickly dial in a wide range of sounds from eerie slapback echoes to washed-out reverbs with ghostly overtones using simple controls like Doom and Shimmer. Plus, with performance-based controls, MIDI I/O, and an optional expression input, Batverb is just as powerful live as it is in the studio.
Did somebody mention reverb pedals based on Eurorack modules? The Erica Synths Echolocator delivers lush, experimental delays with a powerful algorithm developed by 112dB. With selectable delay, filter, and shimmer modes, plus 12 tweakable parameters, you can dial in just about any sound you can imagine (and a few you haven’t thought of yet). Throw in a freeze function, full MIDI control, and tons of preset slots, and you’ve got a delay unit that’s as adventurous as your pedalboard allows.
Last but not least on our list is the new Cadet Series from Spaceman, bringing the brand’s signature sound into compact, more affordable pedals with SMD-based designs.
The Cadet Series Delta II is a powerful optical harmonic tremolo with an all-analog signal path and a powerful dual LFO design that lets you target either high or low frequencies (or both).
The Cadet Series Explorer reissues Spaceman’s original phaser circuit in a pedalboard-friendly format, delivering lush six-stage optical phasing with five waveforms and manual sweep control
Rounding out the trio, the Cadet Series Saturn VI is part harmonic booster, part low-gain overdrive, and wholly difficult to categorize. An update to the renowned Saturn V pedal, the new Saturn VI offers up to 18 dB of clean boost, and up to 35 dB with the Drive kicked in.
That wraps up our picks for the best pedals of 2025 so far, but there are sure to be tons of great new pedals coming out later this year. New releases are landing all the time, so be sure to check out the latest arrivals and keep your board inspired all year long. Or, check out our blog to see the best pedals of 2024.
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