We bought, tested and ranked 8 dirt-cheap Amazon pedals – now 7 of them have hit a new low price in the Prime Day sale

Alright, do we really need more Klon-style overdrive pedals? Probably not, but here we are, and honestly, this is by far the cheapest one around. If you’re chasing that famously pricey tone but don’t want to sell a kidney, this thing’s your best bet.

On my home board, I’ve got the Warm Audio Centavo Professional Overdrive. I love it. It easily nails the look and sound, but man, it’s huge and hogs a ton of pedalboard real estate.

That’s where the Golden Horse steps in. This little Klon clone uses a pair of through-hole germanium diodes and sticks to the classic three-knob setup: Output, Treble, and Gain. For something so tiny and cheap, it actually sounds impressive. You still get that articulate, expressive tone the original is famous for.

It’s not perfect, of course, there’s maybe a hair less warmth than the real deal, and the enclosure feels a bit lightweight. But honestly, for the price, it’s hard to complain. If you want those legendary Klon sounds without breaking the bank or sacrificing all your pedalboard space, the Golden Horse totally delivers. It’s a killer way to add some sparkle, punch, and character to your rig, and you won’t need to remortgage the house to afford it.

Bigger budget? Try this: Warm Audio Centavo, was $179, now $151.20

Based on the Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz, the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz is probably one of the most popular cheap pedals ever made. I found it does that super nasty fuzz sound really well, and it’s surprisingly versatile thanks to the bass and treble EQ controls.

It’s one of those pedals that, once you step on it, completely dominates your tone. Subtle it ain’t. Two modes give you the classic FZ-2 sound, plus a more modern variant with an extended low end, and you can even use it as a boost pedal.

It's not on sale this year for Prime Day, but considering it's available for just $28.90, it’s an absolute steal in anyone’s book.

Bigger budget? Try this: Boss Waza FZ-1W, current price $186.99 (the most modern version of the Hyper Fuzz)

Multi-reverb pedals aren’t exactly breaking news, but they’re usually pricey, well, except for the Flamma FS02. This thing crams seven classic reverb flavors into a sturdy little box, and it only sets you back $47.99. Whether you're after a basic Room sound, want massive Hall vibes, or the epic wash of Church and Cave settings, it’s all in here. Plus, you get Plate for that sweet studio shimmer, Spring for those classic surf sounds, and Mod for when you want your reverb to get a bit wild.

What really makes this pedal fun is how much you can mess with it. With controls for Hi-Cut, Lo-Cut, Decay, and Pre-Delay, you can go from super quick and snappy to totally spaced out and dreamy.

The stereo ins and outs are a nice surprise at this price, opening up some seriously lush soundscapes if you’re running stereo. And the Trail On switch lets your reverb tails fade out naturally rather than drop off a cliff when you turn the pedal off. Not bad for something this affordable!

Plus, it’s got true bypass and a legit metal enclosure, so it feels way more expensive than it is.

Bigger budget? Try this: Boss RV-6, $148.20 is the lowest price in 30 days (one of the most popular reverb pedals around)

Right off the bat, I’ve got to say, the humble American Sound is a ton of pedal for the money. At just $33.99 (with that sweet Prime Day discount), it honestly sounds way better than you’d ever expect for the price.

Joyo says it “authentically reproduces the legendary American tube amp tones that shaped rock history, from sparkling, scooped Blackface cleans to rich, mid-forward Tweed overdrive.” That’s a bold claim for any pedal, especially one this cheap, but honestly, it does those sounds well. The American Sound feels warm, responsive, and breaks up in a very pleasing way. Plus, there’s a built-in analog cab sim, so you can plug straight into a PA, audio interface, or mixer.

My only real gripe is that the footswitch feels a bit flimsy. I’ve owned three Joyo pedals over the years, and every single one eventually bit the dust because of the switch. So, I wouldn’t trust it for gigging, unless you’ve got a switcher on your board. But for messing around at home or tracking in the studio, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Bigger budget? Try this: Universal Audio Dream 65, current price $399 (the ultimate Fender amp sim pedal)

I was pleasantly surprised by the Flamma FC05 Mini Modulation pedal when I tried it. There are a lot of different sounds available, thanks to 11 different flavors of modulation, and while not all of them will blow you away, there are some really fantastic tones here.

I particularly enjoyed the chorus, tremolo, phaser, rotary, and auto wah tones, and thanks to the three controls, you can get a lot of flexibility, whether you want something subtle or you want to really alter your tone to something otherworldly. It’s also a great buy if you’re not sure what modulation sounds you like, and fancy trying them all out before committing to individual stompboxes.

It's got 20% off in the Prime Day sale, and when you factor in that it's essentially 11 different pedals in one, that works out at $2.90 per effect. Stupendous value!

Bigger budget? Try this: Zoom MS-50G+MultiStomp, current price $109.99 (100 top-quality effects)

The ProCo Rat has always been one of my go-to distortion pedals. I’ve cycled through a few different versions over the years, but it’s been a while since I actually had one on my board. So, I was pretty stoked to see what Joyo could pull off with their take on this classic circuit.

Plug it in, and you can easily dial up everything from punchy, crunchy rhythms to full-on fuzz mayhem, all with that unmistakable Rat snarl. Sure, it’s a bit fizzy for my taste, and the gain knob doesn’t sweep as evenly as the original, but there’s definitely some cool tones in there if you’re willing to mess around and find the sweet spots.

What really sets the Splinter apart are the two toggle switches: FAT and MOSFET. As you’d expect, the FAT switch fattens up your sound with a massive low end, which is awesome for chunky riffs or making your leads really pop. The MOSFET switch changes up the clipping, so you can go for a softer, vintage feel or stick with the stock setting for more bite.

Again, just like with the American Sound, I don’t totally trust these footswitches. But honestly, for $31.99, you can’t really complain. It’s a crazy good deal for what you get.

Bigger budget? Try this: ProCo Rat 2, current price $88 (yep, an actual Rat isn't that much more expensive than the Joyo)

The Donner Yellow Fall has been popular for a long time now, and if you want simple, analog delay tones on a budget, it’s hard to go wrong here.

It does that tape echo style sound really well, and I found it was quite easy to overwhelm your tone going into the front of the amp, so it’s better placed in an effects loop if you have one. You can drive it to self-oscillation for those ‘Karma Police’ type tones, or just use it as a subtle thickener for your leads.

Considering tape echos and delay emulations can cost hundreds of dollars, this really isn't that far off some of the pricier tape echos I've tried, and it's down to just $30.39 in the Prime Day sale, so well worth a punt.

Bigger budget? Try this: MXR Carbon Copy, current price $159.99 (one of the ultimate analog delay pedals that every guitarist should try)

It doesn’t take much of a leap to recognise that the Joyo Vintage Sound is a clone of the ever-pervasive Tube Screamer, and considering the cost, it does the job really well. On its own into a clean amp, I found it a little thin-sounding, but once you stick it in front of an already driven amp, it really sings, tightening up the tone and helping you push the saturation further without cranking the volume.

It's currently down to just $29.74 in the sale, and it's much cheaper than an actual Tube Screamer, so if you want to get a sound as close to the real deal as possible without spending loads, it's well worth picking up in the Prime Day sale.

Bigger budget? Try this: Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini, current price $79.99 (a true icon available for a little bit more than the Vintage Sound)