If you opened this article, it probably means that you’re thinking about getting one (or even more) pedals made by Fender. They’re quite expensive, so you just want to know if they’re worth the money. I know I’m right!
So in today’s article I’m going to share some of my experience with you. I’m a big fan of pedals by this brand, so maybe (that’s not a reference to Wonderwall) it will be helpful to you.
Fasten your seatbelt, grab some popcorn and check out what I have to say about Fender pedals. I also included some of my recommendations below, so who knows – maybe your next effect is somewhere on that list. I can’t guarantee that though!
My Experience With Fender Pedals
At the moment, I’ve got only one Fender pedal on my pedalboard – Fender Marine Layer Reverb. I have to admit that it’s one of my favorite reverb pedals of all time. I tried TC Electronic, NUX and Behringer – nothing else comes even close to the Marine Layer pedal.
The majority of Fender pedals is built in the same way – they are made of similar materials, but they all have different colors. For example, overdrive is red, reverb is blue and fuzz is purple. In that way, you can easily differentiate them on your pedalboard. But most importantly, they’re really durable.
My Marine Layer Reverb is probably one of the most solid pedals that I own. I feel like even after throwing it on the wall it would still be working just fine. Although I never tried throwing it around, I really feel like it has the durability comparable with legendary Nokia 3310.
Another thing – Fender pedals are pretty large. As an example, my Fender pedal takes a lot of space in comparison with my TC Electronic Looper and Tremolo or my NUX Chorus.
I had the pleasure to test out Fender’s Delay, Distortion, Chorus and Fuzz as well – they were all awesome, but they weren’t necessary for me at that time. But don’t worry – we’ll talk about these models in detail in a minute.
Made In California
Fender Pedals are made in Southern California. From what I’ve read on their official website, they created all pedals with insight from professional musicians and music industry’s best minds. Although they don’t mention who it was exactly, the whole project was led by Stan Corey, their VP of Product Development who has over twenty years of experience with audio.
The fact that their pedals are manufactured in the US significantly improves the overall quality of these products. These are not some cheap alternatives from China or Indonesia – these are great, durable and top-quality US-made pedals.
Since Fender already has a few factories in China and Indonesia, they have everything they need to build gear in cheaper countries. Still, they decided to manufacture pedals in the US in order to maintain the highest possible quality. And that’s what I really like!
Best Fender Pedals – List
As I mentioned before, Fender’s pedal offer is really broad and its suitable for all-level guitarists. In addition, they are great for all music genres. So whether you’re into blues or metal, you’ll definitely find something for yourself.
I created a list of top 10 best and most affordable Fender pedals. Feel free to check it out below!
| 1. | Fender Marine Layer Reverb | See On Amazon |
| 2. | Fender Pugilist Distortion | See On Amazon |
| 3. | Fender MTG: LA Tube Distortion | See On Amazon |
| 4. | Fender Bubbler Chorus | See On Amazon |
| 5. | Fender Lost Highway Phaser | See On Amazon |
| 6. | Fender Tre-Verb Tremolo | See On Amazon |
| 7. | Fender Santa Ana Overdrive | See On Amazon |
| 8. | Fender Mirror Image Delay | See On Amazon |
| 9. | Fender The Pelt Fuzz | See On Amazon |
| 10. | Fender The Bends Compressor | See On Amazon |
Fender Marine Layer Reverb
As I mentioned earlier, I use this pedal on a daily basis. I tested a lot of different pedals but that one made a stunning impression on me. If you like indie and ambient sounds like me, you will be really satisfied with the Marine Layer Reverb.
This thing gives you an extremely wide range of tonal possibilities. It may not be the cheapest reverb pedal on the market, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m super happy that it’s in my pedalboard and I’m not planning to change it anytime soon.
Check out the official demo below.
Fender Pugilist Distortion
One of the most affordable Fender pedals out there. This golden effects pedal doesn’t cost too much and it sounds magnificent! Undoubtedly, it will boost you with a lot of punch and gain. If you like heavier riffs, this model is for you.
Fender decided to put Dual Gain Engines into that small things – it means that there are two independent tone and gain controls. That gives a huge range of possibilities when it comes to distortion. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re into this kind of vibe.
Fender MTG: LA Tube Distortion
In comparison with the previous distortion pedal, this one’s from a higher shelf. Actually, this model features a real New Old Stock 6205 preamp tube. When you combine it with eight different knobs and a footswitchable boost, you get an amazing pool of distorted sounds.
It’s definitely one of the coolest distortion pedals by Fender – it has that unique and vintage tube sound. Still, it can get pretty expensive.
Fender Bubbler Chorus
Another one of my favorites! The Bubbler Chorus will be perfect for all indie and dream pop musicians out there. Similarly as other Fender pedals, it looks great, it’s durable and it offers a huge pool of sounds. I just love the amount of tones that you can achieve simply by messing around with the sensitivity and depth knobs.
Although there are far more affordable chorus alternatives available on the market, this pedal is definitely from the higher shelf. There’s only a few pedals that can compete with it – and that includes pedals by Strymon and Boss, the absolute leaders when it comes to guitar pedals.
Here’s a quick demo, but watch out – it’s easy to fall in love with it!
Fender Lost Highway Phaser
A really cool phaser effect. If you’re into this kind of vibe, this pedal will be more than enough for you. Again, the seven knobs and toggle switches give you access to an indefinite amount of sounds. It may not be the cheapest Fender pedal, but it definitely deserves a lot of attention. I highly recommend checking it out.
Fender Tre-Verb Tremolo
This is one of the most expensive Fender pedals, but it’s made for the most demanding musicians out there. In comparison with the Marine Layer Reverb, the Tre-Verb has one really important advantage: it features the delay too. That being said, the amount of tonal possibilities with that thing is just amazing!
When you combine this pedal with a Fender Jaguar or a Jazzmaster, you’ll get some amazing indie and surfy sounds. I think that it’s a must for all surf rock lovers!
Here’s the official demo.
Fender Santa Ana Overdrive
A classic, tube-like overdrive pedal. Honestly, it is tough not to love this unique and beautiful model. Somehow it manages to capture the vintage tube sound, which is loved by most of guitarists all around the world.
There are a lot of cheaper alternatives when it comes to overdrives, but that one’s definitely from the higher shelf. I think that a lot of intermediate and professional musicians are going to love it and they will be using it for live gigs and studio recordings. Well done, Fender!
Fender Mirror Image Delay
One of the most affordable pedals manufactured by Fender. In comparison with Tre-Verb mentioned earlier, this Delay is much cheaper and it doesn’t the reverb. But still, it’s a really good choice for amateur and more advanced guitar players who want to add some fun to their playing.
In addition, it features various types of delay: digital, analog and tape. As a result, once you add it to your pedalboard, you’re going to get access to tons of new sounds and possibilities. Great choice!
Fender The Pelt Fuzz
Absolutely powerful fuzz pedal. I think that it’s the first pedal on today’s list that features only four knobs. As a result, it’s a bit smaller than the rest of Fender’s models, but of course, it doesn’t mean that it’s worse.
I think that it’s a really interesting fuzz that offers a lot of features and sounds that are not available in similar models at this price level. Is it the best fuzz pedal on the market? Well, that’s debatable. But you should definitely hear how it sounds and decide for yourself.
Here’s the official demo.
Fender The Bends Compressor
A really cool and affordable compressor pedal. It’s small, it looks beautiful and most importantly, it does the job. Anyone who wants to tame their volume spikes will be satisfied with this black thing.
Compressors are necessary especially if you use a lot of different pedals. The Bends by Fender doesn’t add any extra noise to your tone, which is a major advantage. Undoubtedly, it will be a solid and safe choice for anyone who’s looking for a good compressor.
Summary
We all know that Fender is a leader when it comes to guitars and amps. Still, not many people are aware that their pedals are actually really good too. Although the guitar pedal market is quite saturated and it’s not difficult to find cheaper alternatives, the pedals by Fender are definitely on a higher level.
Which pedals would I recommend? Well, the Marine Layer is the best – that’s for sure. But if you’re not looking for reverb, I think that you’ll be satisfied with most of the models mentioned above. If you played at least a few of these sound demos, you probably know already that they all sound really cool. I think that they are all totally worth it.
What do you think about Fender pedals? Let me know in the comments section below, I’m really curious! And thanks for checking out my blog, it means a lot. I hope that today’s article was helpful to you. If you enjoyed it, you may also like:
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