A Strymon EC-1 echo pedal sitting on top of a guitar amp. 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?".  Continue reading →