We’ve always had a sneaking feeling that effect pedals are, in some respect, just grown-up toys.
Now, the good people over at Reverb have seemed to confirm our suspicions with a new video in which a group of children play through a table’s worth of stompboxes – including a Pro Co RAT, Ibanez TS808, Caroline Guitar Company Hawaiian Pizza Fuzz, Walrus Audio Julia Chorus/Vibrato, MXR Phase 90 and EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery – for the first time.
Regarding the RAT?
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"I'm just imagining, like, a giant colony of rats running around everywhere and taking over the space," says one child.
"And eating cheese," adds another.
As for the Julia Chorus/Vibrato?
“It kind of reminds me of Spongbob’s laugh,” says yet another.
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While there’s plenty to chuckle at throughout the 15-minute clip, there’s also knowledge to be gleaned about how and why effects work.
And if nothing else, the kids get to live out every guitar player’s dream, guilt-free: to crank the volume, turn on a bunch of pedals at once, and make a glorious, insanely noisy racket.