Whether it's the Edge's cathedrals of delay or Jimi Hendrix's towering fuzz and wacka-wacka wah, many guitarists are almost as well-known for their pedals as they are their six strings. We asked some of our favourite Canadian axe-slingers about their most treasured pedals, and they told us all about their octave-jumping writing tools, freaky fuzz finds, and the reverb unit that inspired one Canadian musician to start his own effects company. There's even one guitar pedal that's used primarily as a vocal effect.
Check out Canadian musicians with their most treasured pedals below. Read past editions of Show & Tell here.
Shane Clark from 3 Inches of Blood
Maxon OD808
Photo courtesy of the artist
BC metal warriors 3 Inches of Blood reunited in 2023, and if you saw those shows — or pretty much any show during their initial run from 1999 to 2015, for that matter — you heard Shane Clark play his reissue of the Maxon OD808. "All Tube Screamers are based on this circuit," he explains. "It tightens up rhythm tones in a way that is perfect for what I'm into. I love it. It's been on every tour and at every show I've done since I got it." The reunion continues into 2025 — as does Clark's devotion to his favourite pedal.
Jason Couse from the Darcys
Torsion Fuzz by Dirty Haggard Audio
Photo courtesy of the artist
Jason Couse knew the sound he was looking for — he just didn't know how to get it. That is, until he visited Portland, OR's Old Town Music. "This thing sounded like it was multiplying the guitar and tearing the amp in half, except it had this extreme gate that gave it a beautiful struggle," he tells Exclaim!, adding that it will "definitely be living in my pedalboard for whenever I need something to sound unhinged and dangerous." It can be heard on the jagged atmospherics of "Trouble Found Me" and "Can't Be Absolutely Sure," two cuts from the band's recent album Rendering Feelings.
Francis Hooper from Doohickey Cubicle
OC-2 by BOSS
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When Vancouver smooth-wave duo Doohickey Cubicle were writing the songs on their recent album Super Smeller, Francis Hooper was sure to keep the OC-2 close at hand, noting that the octave-jumping capabilities make it "handy to have for writing and scratching in basslines on guitar." The pedal's abilities to combine octaves "creates a beefed up lead guitar tone that I find super effective when wanting to add oomph, especially to a high-register riff," he notes. It can be heard on the Super Smeller cuts "Cannoli Filling," "Tunnel Vision" and "Community Garden," while Peach Pit's Chris Vanderkooy contributes a guitar solo on "Phoney Phones" that Hooper calls "a nice portrayal of the OC-2's vibe."
Brighid Fry from Housewife
Météore Lo-Fi Reverb by Caroline Guitar Company
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Brighid Fry learned about the Météore reverb pedal from a YouTube channel Knobs, and after receiving it as a gift around the age of 17, they "have used it non-stop since then. It works well as an everyday reverb, but also has a 'havoc' switch which can get some really fun sounds out of it." Listen for it on Housewife's recent string of singles, which mix crunchy alt-rock and melancholy new wave influences with pure pop bliss and ascendent choruses.
Kicksie
BitQuest by Dr. Scientist
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Want to make some weird noises with your guitar? The BitQuest from Dr. Scientist is a multi-effects unit that "has the capability to make pretty much any noise you could ever want a guitar to make and then some," says Kicksie's Giuliana Mormile. The hook-heavy indie rock songwriter tried it out simply "because I thought it looked cool" during a stop at Long & McQuade in Owen Sound, ON — and although she didn't have the money to buy it at the time, she eventually tracked it down and sealed the deal on their "once-in-a-lifetime love story, if you ask me." These days, Mormile is "mostly using it for its pitch-shifting capabilities and absolutely gnarly fuzz, but I'm always trying new sounds out with it now and again."
Densil McFarlane from the OBGMs
TurboRAT by ProCo
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Denz McFarlane doesn't fuss around with complicated pedal boards and a wide range of guitar textures. When it comes to delivering the OBGMs' ferocious punk, as heard on last year's SORRY, IT'S OVER, he relies on a straightforward setup that's stripped down and noisy as hell. "One day, I Googled Kurt Cobain's distortion pedal, and some random person on the internet said it was a RAT," he tells Exclaim! "I didn't even bother double-checking, just bought it — and now it's my go-to." He switches to his Union Tube & Transistor pedal for "extra warmth" when the mood strikes, but the TurboRAT remains the staple of his distortion diet.
Adam Sturgeon of OMBIIGIZI and Status/Non-Status
FX52 Classic Fuzz by DOD
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Adam Sturgeon once read that Rivers Cuomo used a Classic Fuzz to record Weezer's "Jamie" — and he admits, "I don't know if that's true or anything, but I found one and have been playing it ever since. I've used more than a few of them over the years; DOD are notorious for their faulty push pedals." Since fuzz pedals some can get lost in a mix, Sturgeon has modified his, making this "simple, busted up, old pedal" popular among You've Changed Records like Shotgun Jimmie and Daniel Romano. Keep an ear out for it on the raw, vibey rock of last year's SHAME.
Tariq
Dispatch Master by EarthQuaker Devices
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The Dispatch Master is a guitar pedal, but veteran Canadian songwriter Tariq has been using it on his voice to help push his sound in a more noisy, atmospheric rock direction. He got it on the recommendation of his bassist, Peter Carruthers, and recently road-tested it during a tour of Japan. "I love that it has both reverb and delay effects on it," he says "And when you toggle the 'repeat' and 'time' dials, you can really send your voice into the stratosphere for weird interludes and endings that l-i-n-g-e-r." Hear Tariq's new art rock sound on the forthcoming Scroll Before You Sleep EP.
Justin Corber from Yoo Doo Right
RE-150 Space Echo by Roland
Photo by Julia Bender
Justin Corber has his very own pedal company, Mile End Effects, and it's all because of his Roland RE-150 Space Echo. He calls it the "one effect that changed everything for me," becoming the key element of Yoo Doo Right's post-rock sound and even resulting in Roland suing him for building a clone of it. As for which of his own pedals he built for Mile End is his favourite, he says, "Parents aren't supposed to choose favourites! No matter how annoying that third child can be. I truly love all of my ugly little ducklings. As well, having carved out a little life for myself in this pedal world, I am contractually obliged by the pedal gods and goddesses to say that all pedals are beautiful."