Canadian guitar great Frank Marino is launching his own hand-built pedal line – and he’s making them himself

Frank Marino has revealed plans to release his own line of self-assembled boutique pedals, based around the custom builds he has used for the last 40 years.

“I'm actually about to put out a line of guitar pedals… like the actual pedals I use,” Marino told the hosts of the Church of Rock show, on Oregon’s KSKQ.  

“I built all my own stuff, so I’ve decided to take three of the ones that I've built and I've been using for 40 years and rebuild them [for other guitarists]... one of them is a clean boost, the other one is an overdrive with a full EQ and the other one is a super overdrive.”

The guitar hero – who is best known for his role in Montreal power trio Mahogany Rush – also brought up his plans in a discussion with YouTube channel Metal Voice, explaining the boutique nature of their production.

“They’re each going to have a name,” he told Metal Voice. “There are three different pedals that I'm using. They will be named after my songs. I am doing them all myself, handcrafted. I did not team up with a company. 

“I have one helper – a kid named Ryan. [Otherwise] I am putting them together myself and I am going to sign them. They are very boutique. The designs are all my own. Very pro.”

Marino says that he’s just waiting for trademarks on the names to clear before he reveals more information about the builds – and that he hopes to have the details online within weeks.

Elsewhere in his interview with Metal Voice, Marino issued a hopeful update on the unspecified health issue that has prevented him touring since 2021. 

“It has been subsiding slowly,” says the guitarist. And maybe we can think about doing something [live]. But in the meantime I wanted to stay somewhat connected… and [that’s why] I thought about my pedals.”

Keep an eye on Frank Marino’s Facebook page for further updates on his touring plans and pedal builds.