Alex Lynham
Alex Lynham is a gear obsessive who's been collecting and building modern and vintage equipment since he got his first Saturday job. Besides reviewing countless pedals for Total Guitar, he's written guides on how to build your first pedal, how to build a tube amp from a kit, and briefly went viral when he released a glitch delay pedal, the Atom Smasher.
Latest articles by Alex Lynham

“These $99 pedals are excellent not only for their price, but also their sounds”: Keeley x Sweetwater Soft Reverb, Super Bass Overdrive And Distortion and Suns Ultravoid Fuzz review
By Alex Lynham published
Three all-American boutique pedals, at under $100 a pop. Too good to be true?

Best budget multi-effects pedals 2025: access a world of effects at a reasonable price
By Alex Lynham last updated
More is more with these budget do-it-all bargains from Zoom, Line 6, Mooer and NUX

Best delay pedals 2025: our pick of the coolest delay pedals for your pedalboard
By Alex Lynham last updated
Whether you prefer digital or analog delay pedals, the options in this round-up will help boost your creativity on the guitar

Best cheap guitar pedals 2025: killer budget stompboxes you need to try
By Alex Lynham last updated
Stock up on new sounds for less with these incredibly cheap guitar pedals from Boss, NUX, TC Electronic and more

Best looper pedals 2025: go it alone with the greatest loop pedals for practice, live performance and jamming
By Alex Lynham last updated
Whether you're writing songs or woodshedding solos, using a loop pedal will make you a better guitarist – these are the best looper pedals from Boss, TC Electronic, Line 6 and more

Best chorus pedals 2025: top choices for your 'board
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
From analog to digital, and shimmery to subtle, let us show you the top chorus pedals you can buy today

Best guitar amps 2025: tube, solid-state and modeling amplifiers for all levels and budgets
By Chris Corfield last updated
These are the best combo amps and heads from Orange, Fender, Marshall, Boss, and more

Best multi-effects pedals 2025: replace your rig
By Alex Lynham last updated
Our pick of the best multi-fx pedals from Neural DSP, Kemper, Line 6, Boss, and more

"This is an unusual pedal": Boss SDE-3 Dual Digital Delay review
By Alex Lynham published
Somehow Boss has condensed an iconic '80s rack unit down to a compact pedal – has something got to give?

Best overdrive pedals 2025: explore which drive pedal is right for you
By Alex Lynham last updated
Overdrive is one of the most essential guitar effects pedals. These are our top picks for every budget

Best Klon clones 2025: Our pick of the best Klon Centaur Klones for every budget
By Alex Lynham last updated
From straight-up klones to full reimaginings, here are some of the best Klon Centaur-inspired pedals on the market today

Best wah pedals 2025: add an essential tone-shaping effect to your pedalboard
By Alex Lynham last updated
Get to know your Cry Baby from your Bad Horsie and choose the best wah pedal for you

Best noise gate pedals 2025: clean up your signal with the best noise gate pedals for guitar
By Alex Lynham last updated
Unwanted noise in your chain? A noise gate pedal could be the solution

Best pitch shifter pedals 2025: an essential tool for channeling Tom Morello, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani
By Alex Lynham last updated
To Whammy or not to Whammy? That is the question we’re answering with our guide to the best pitch shifters for guitarists

Best amp modelers 2025: rack-mounted and floorboard options for every budget
By Alex Lynham last updated
Want a bunch of amp sounds packed into one unit? Start your research with our pick of the best amp modelers for guitarists

“The most powerful amp modeler for its size, bar none”: IK Multimedia TONEX ONE review
By Alex Lynham published
IK Multimedia shrinks its AI-powered modeling tech into a micro pedal – and it sounds as awesome as anything in the TONEX family

Best compressor pedals 2025: tame your tone's dynamics with compression
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
With great options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more, there has never been a better time to add a comp pedal to your 'board

Best distortion pedals 2025: the top 11 high-gain stompboxes for guitarists
By Jonathan Horsley last updated
Crunch, filth, mayhem! Dive into our expert round-up of the best distortion pedals available today

Best reverb pedals 2025: from spring to shimmer, these are our top picks for your pedalboard
By Michael Astley-Brown last updated
Take a deep dive into the cavernous world of 'verb and explore the best reverb pedals for every budget

I’ve played IK Multimedia’s nano modeling amp, the TONEX One – and it could be the ultimate pocket-sized pedal platform
By Alex Lynham published
The tiny modeler is not perfect, but it’s going to solve a lot of problems – particularly for players who are willing to put in a little time upfront

Mike Vennart influenced a generation of prog guitarists – and he’s not ruling out an Oceansize reunion
By Alex Lynham published
The Empire State Bastard riff-meister and Biffy Clyro guitarist has produced some of his best work with his latest solo album, Forgiveness & The Grain. He breaks down his otherworldly tone secrets, and explains what made The Verve’s Nick McCabe a guitar Jedi – and why the Pro Co Rat is the only distortion pedal you need

Best patch cables 2025: tidy up your ‘board with our pick of the best patch leads
By Alex Lynham last updated
Need to organize a messy pedalboard? Patch cables are a simple and creative cable solution for your guitar pedals

Best guitar pedals for beginners 2025: kickstart your pedalboard
By Alex Lynham last updated
Don't know your RAT from your Whammy? Your Tube Screamer from your Big Muff? We're here to help you take your first steps into the world of guitar effects
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