Sweetwater has the biggest pedal sale around this Memorial Day – here are 5 top picks from a stompbox expert

J.Rockett Archer Ikon: Was $199.99, now $159.99
A top pick from our best Klon clones guide, I love the J.Rockett Archer Ikon for its masses of headroom, making it a great pedal to use as a clean boost. The incoming power is doubled from 9V to 18V in the pedal which is what gives it such ginormous amounts of clean headroom and with $40 off in the Sweetwater sale, it’s great value if you’re missing a Klon from your pedalboard. At low gain, the Archer Ikon is lovely and warm and when you start cranking it you’ll get into that well-known Klon territory, with plenty of energy in the low end. 

Ross Distortion: Was $189, now $151.20
Similar in sound to the MXR Distortion Plus, the Ross Distortion is perfect for those who want to add hard clipping sounds to their ‘board. You can switch between silicon and germanium-diode tones with the switch on the side of the pedal, giving you brash and dynamic tones respectively. The Ross Distortion has a nice $37.80 discount in the Sweetwater sale, and is a nicely balanced distortion pedal that will let the core sound of your rig shine through. 

Catalinbread Belle Epoch: $359.99, now $287.99
Most famously utilized by Eric Johnson, the Catalinbread Belle Epoch is an Echoplex-style delay stompbox that delivers a fantastic array of analog delay tones. It’s a pricey pedal but a $72 discount takes it below the $300 mark and if you want tape and analog-style delays, it’s one of the best in the business. The different modes cover tape and bucket-brigade delays and it’ll also add rotary, chorus, and vibrato-type effects to your pedalboard. 

JHS Emperor Chorus: Was $219, now $175.20
The JHS Emperor Chorus is a super versatile modulation effect that does chorus but can also cover vibrato duties for your pedalboard. The chorus effect can go from subtle thickener to full warble, and although it’s not quite as washy as other chorus pedals you can buy unless you really love that seasick sound it should suit you just fine. The $43.80 discount makes it exceptional value for money in the Memorial Day sale at Sweetwater, and the three waveform types make it super versatile.

Walrus Audio ACS1: Was $399.99, now $299.99
The Walrus Audio ACS1 has been out for a while but I still rate it as an excellent amp and cab modeler. Having recently gotten a free firmware upgrade it’s gotten a new lease of life, with amp models redesigned from the ground up and the pedal now being able to operate at significantly higher gain levels. It’s got a huge $100 discount in the Sweetwater sale the option to have separate cabs on the left and right sides of the stereo spectrum is an awesome feature of this pedal, one that often gets overlooked in the busy world of compact amp modelers.