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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… October 27, 2025 Basic Pedals Needed for Metal (part two) In the last issue we went over part one of this series on basic pedals needed for metal (click here for a refresher). This time we’re going examine some main guitar pedals for the basic sound of our metal rig. Can we do it in two pedals? Hell yes. Can we beat $150 USA for the complete rig? I like to think so. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free-thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here (with others) for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. Introduction to a Basic Metal Sound on a Budget Part Two The main object of this second issue it to get a great, affordable, and personalized metal guitar sound in two pedals (at least for now). And I’m trying to use pedals that are easy to find new at a good price point right now. So I’m only going to concentrate on the meat and potatoes of a great sounding basic metal guitar sound. Oh sure, we could use a Valeton GP-5 modeler and simply plugin and go, but this is an organic analog journey. I listed the pedal types I won’t cover in the last issue. What we ARE looking for is our own original sound on a budget. And there’s a lot of ways to get there -- a dizzying amount of ways. And this listing will be our second pedal choices; in other words, the second pedal in a two-pedal line. Think of it as the amplifier head. Needles to say, I left out many excellent and some very expensive pedals from this list (and also the last list). However, if you have a favorite second pedal you prefer that’s not on this this list then by all means use it. And if you feel you need to spend lots of money on this second pedal (just like the first pedal) that’s OK too, and no one can fault you for that. We’re looking for affordable metal sounds here, and we’ll go over some fairly common inexpensive pedals to finish building our basic sound. On with the show. Pedal #2 in Our Short Chain of Affordable Mid to High Gain Overdrive Pedals This pedal will be our second one on the pedal-board – something that offers the meat of the matter. The main gain. The thrill of the thrust. There are a lot of pedals to choose from, and you may already own the one you like. So here are some main-gain affordable pedals that make a big difference in this two-pedal lineup. This guitar pedal list is not exhaustive; there are many more that could be added. Remember that the last distortion pedal in the chain tends to make up most of the flavor of the overall sound. And away we go... Revv G3 The Revv G3 has a very realistic tube amp sound. It’s tight and excellent for modern metal. Some musicians say that the Joyo Dark Flame is a clone of the Rev G3. I’m not so sure. To my ear it’s more like a G4, but the difference is that the EQ doesn’t have the same amount of throw and/or depth. However, if needed an EQ pedal would probably solve that. Revv G4 On the other hand the Revv G4 has an excellent tube amp sound that I prefer over the G3. The G4 may not be quite as tight sounding, but the lead sound is quite good. DemonFX also has their rendition of the Revv G4 called the Revolution 4. Give that one a listen along with the Joyo Dark Flame and you be the judge. I bought my G4 for about $150 USA and it was used. I bought my Dark Flame with free shipping for about $50 USA at Walmart Online shopping. The DemonFX can be had for about the same price and free shipping. Another great pedal place to shop is Starlight Distribution in Canada if the tariffs aren’t prohibitive. MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive This one comes with a built-in noise gate which is handy for keeping the pedal-board count low and the high-gain noise at a minimum. This pedal is difficult to find a low-cost analog alternative. However, if you are going for that Peavey tone also check out the Amptweaker Tight Metal 2. It comes with volume, tone, and gain, a built-in noise gate, and a couple of switches for fat and tight and also thrash and smooth. I prefer the Amptweaker Tight Metal 2 because it sounds a little more realistic and brutal to my ear. If you shop around both pedals brand new are about the same price at about $200 USA each (or less) with free shipping on Reverb. The Amptweaker is more difficult to find used. There is one other pedal that sounds great but it’s a modeler and so it shouldn’t be included here. Check out the Mooer micro pedal 005 Brown Sound. I’ve seen them used for less than $50 USA and free shipping from Musician’s Friend. Wampler Triple Wreck V2 If you prefer the sound of a Mesa Boogie Rectifier type amp check out the Wampler Triple Wreck V2. They are widely available used for about $130- $150 USA – check on Reverb. Brand new they are easily over $200 USA. It’s definitely the Boogie sound, and there’s lots of that style of over-the-top gain available. And if you like that pedal listen to the Mosky TW. It cranks hard. I got mine for about $63 USA and free shipping from Starlight Distribution in Canada. However, the Mosky version is also available from Amazon for about the same price. To my ear I don’t hear a lot of difference. Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe V2 Another Wampler pedal that sounds great if you like an old hot-rodded Marshall tone is the Pinnacle Deluxe V2. Imagine the guitar sound of the first Van Halen album and you get the gist of the idea. Unfortunately the Wampler Pinnacle brand new is about $225 USA with free shipping. However, if you enjoy the Wampler version check out the Mosky Brown Sound pedal. At about $66 and free shipping from Walmart Online it’s a steal. Friedman BE-OD Friedman BE-OD and the Friedman BE-OD Deluxe are excellent pedals if you enjoy the sound of the Friedman 100-watt amp head (Marshall type voicing). These pedals are not for everyone (because of the voicing) but if you like the Friedman sound you’ll love them. Some guitarists complain about the lack of a mid-range control knob on the smaller version, but an EQ pedal could be a work-around for this problem. The larger two-channel deluxe version does offer a mid-range control knob, but you have to put up with the pedal size. The smaller BE-OD is about $170 to $200 USA with free shipping and the two channel Deluxe version hovers around $270 USA and free shipping. One the other hand, if you are budget conscious listen to the DemonFX BE-ODX and BE-ODX Plus versions. Brand new they are about $61 USA and about $72 USA respectively with free shipping from Ebay, Amazon, and slightly higher on Walmart Online shopping. They both sound great. Even the DemonFX Dirty Shirley clone (BE Deluxe 2) is excellent, and it’s even got a miniature adjustable gain potentiometer on the inside of the pedal for more thrust. I run mine full bore for more fun. And speaking of the DemonFX Dirty Shirley clone, it’s also great for running relatively clean as a power amp type of gain sound. Adjust the tone to about flat (noon) and the gain low or to taste. Instant tube warmth -- cool. Diezel VH4-2 If you prefer an aggressive, tight, and more modern metal sound (like the third channel on the Diezel Herbert amp head) check out the Diezel VH4-2 pedal. It has a very individual throaty sound that’s unmistakable. The problem I have with it is that it runs at 12 volts (probably for more headroom) so it may not be something most guitarists have on hand in case of an accident or a loss of the power supply. The Demonfx DH4-2 (modern high gain) also sounds excellent, it has the same features, and it runs about $120 USA with free shipping at Starlight Distribution in Canada. Give one a listen. Bogner Uberschall If you prefer a smoother sounding massive gain check out the Bogner Uberschall pedal. I love the overdrive this pedal produces, and if the gain is turned up it has a slightly compressed sound for singing leads. The closest thing I could find for the budget minded guitarist is the NUX XTC OD pedal It’s red, it’s got sag, and an excellent sounding saturation. The controls are sparse, so an EQ pedal would help a lot to break out of the tone box issue. I found them new on Ebay for less than $55 USA and free shipping. Honorable Mention Pedals Boss Metal Core This pedal is arguably the most realistic metal sounding pedal they make although it is basically a one sound pedal. Play it through your amplifier’s effects loop line-in for a better sound. Electro Harmonix Metal Muff I’m not a fan of this style of distortion but many guitarists are. However, if you like the Metal Muff you may also like the Caline Tantrum, the Joyo Extreme Metel, and also the DemonFX Metal Boost. All three are budget priced. Give them a listen. Hamstead Soundworks Odyssey This pedal isn’t really meant for modern metal but it really rocks. Revival Drive Hot Rod Compact This pedal isn’t for modern metal as much as hard rock and classic metal, but it sounds great just the same. Synergy Audio modules These are not really pedals but they are excellent sounding analog tube renditions of amplifier pre- amps. The three I feel are the best are the Bogner Uberschall, the Marshall 800, and the Mesa Boogie Rectifier renditions. They are expensive, about $400 USA and free shipping, but give these a serious listen. Conclusion -- Affordable Mid to High Gain Overdrive Pedals And once again, there you have it. There are many many more pedals that could be listed here, but I tried to hit the highlights. If there’s a pedal you prefer to be your “metal amp” (second pedal) simply use it. These pedal combinations I have presented offer hundreds of metal sounds. Once the two-pedal combination is found use it through your amp’s loop input or an IR pedal. Some combinations (if not all) will most likely require a noise gate. I hope this special issue has inspired you to begin the search for a new ultimate guitar voice. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… Have a safe and happy Halloween. Don’t forget to set your clock back an hour Saturday night November 1st, and fortunately in some areas of the USA there is still voting scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025. In the next issue we’re going to look at guitar amp attenuators, or some people call them load-boxes. This is how you can run your tube amp at bedroom volumes at any amp setting. Which type is best: passive or active? Which one is the best for the price? Which works best for recording? Maybe I’ll see you then. I’ve never embraced intelligence for myself.

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ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. 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There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. And for some reason most book sales go to Japan. Who would have thunk it? Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. 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