You can now buy AmazonBasics guitar pedals
7 mini pedals now available, starting at $26.75
AmazonBasics has become something of a go-to for batteries, charger cables and carry cases for miscellaneous peripherals – but now the retail behemoth wants to be your first port of call for guitar tone, too, as it launches its own line of effects pedals.
Listed on the site this month, the seven-strong range of mini pedals comprises a Booster, Compressor, Delay, Distortion, Looper, Overdrive and Tuner.
Each pedal features true-bypass switching and metal enclosures, as well as standard 9V DC power-supply operation, and a maximum of three controls – these units are basic by name, basic by nature.
We hear you: these look awfully similar to any number of mini pedals from a variety of manufacturers – many of which have been available from Amazon itself in the past – and are likely clones of existing circuits.
Like those previous clones, the pedals are seriously cheap: $26.75 for the Booster, Compressor, Distortion, Overdrive and Tuner, while the Delay and Looper are $48.16 and $46.02 respectively.
We did get a kick out Amazon’s slightly, erm, avant-garde signal chain approach in its stock photography, though. Pro tip: connecting the output of a distortion pedal to the output of a looper won’t give you much of a signal to work with.
If you fancy exploring the new range, it’s available at – where else – Amazon.
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Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
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