Best Mini Guitar Pedals (2024 Update)

I'm a metal guy at heart, so when I finally put the Metal Zone away and started building a grownup pedal board, a Tube Screamer was high on my list. I was particularly interested in this unit because of the size, since my beginner board probably isn't going to be very big. I plugged this little guy into my regular setup and was immediately blown away. If you've played some metal you know the setup: straight into a high gain amp, drive at 0, level at 10, and tone dialed in to taste. It made my Orange Micro Dark Terror, digital Bias FX rig, and even my sad old Marshall solid state roar, but in a much more defined way that never felt flabby or uncontrollable. I would recommend pairing it with a decent noise gate to trim down the hum, but that's just what electric guitars do when you crank the gain, and not a flaw of this pedal in particular. Okay, sure, it can do metal. I've also run this unit through a bunch of other setups and contexts. Through my Orange I definitely got very usable blues and classic rock tones by pulling the gain and volume back on the amp, and setting everything on the pedal around half way. I can even see potentially using it with the drive all the way up as a lead boost or to slightly break up a clean tone. This little thing is a beast for sure, and is pretty much perfect for my uses. It's not a transform your amp kind of effect, it's meant to compliment what your existing equipment already does. It has some specific things it does well, and it *really* nails them. #sweepstakesDan

Stop what you're doing right now. RIGHT NOW, and get this pedal. This tiny little monster sounds incredible and I am kicking myself for not trying any kind of Tube Screamer for my 20+ years of playing guitar. This literally sounds like a tube amp in a box. You can dial in the perfect amount of boost or drive without really impacting your guitar's true tone. If you push it all the way, it's almost in distortion territory, yet it retains warmth and picking dynamics…on the other hand it compresses nicely – like a tube amp. How does it do that? It's magic. I got this mini version because I'm building a mini pedal board, so it fits perfectly. Don't let the size fool you though, because it sounds incredible. The only drawback is that it needs an external power supply. Oh, and as an added bonus, this is made in Japan, and it shows. The switches, knobs, and inputs feel very high-quality. In my opinion, this is incredible bargain.Jamers

I collect Tube Screamers, and decided to get this for the collection. Soundwise, it works as a TS808; great transparent overdrive for stand-alone use but excels at boosting gain on an overdriven amp. Not as harsh or "dark" as a TS9, and a decent price. Definitely a TS to consider if you're trying to save some money; you definitely won't be missing out on the sound of the TS808. Also great if you want to add a Tube Screamer to a board, but need to save space. The only negative I can say is the Level and Tone knobs are difficult to see for settings, but that's true with most mini pedals. It doesn't take a battery, but there again, neither do most mini pedals. Construction is more solid than the Mooer Green Mile, and the TSMini is made in Japan (thought for sure it was Chinese). The price is great on these, but I'd also consider checking out the East River Overdrive by EHX; my current favorite Tube Screamer clone. As far as the Ibanez Tube Screamer line-up, this is seemingly the best value.Dave

I wanted a button to make me louder for solos etc. and this does exactly that without changing tone. Brilliantly simple: set how much volume jump you want and that’s it, I don’t think I have had the dial past 25% so far. The ‘latching’ function of the foot switch is a great idea. Great price as wellReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This pedal does exactly what it claims and does it better than other pedals of the same purpose. It is constructed extremely well. For around $50 this pedal's physical casing and switch assembly is made better than pedals I own costing hundreds of dollars more. I don't foresee this pedal ever needing replacement or repair. I'm not particularly fond of the "momentary volume boost" feature but that doesn't change my overall opinion. It's a great item.ethan1957

Having gone back and forth between digital / emulated effects and analog / practical effects, I decided to add a Small Clone to my pedalboard. If I had one complaint about the unit, it would be that it has a switch for two different depth settings instead of an adjustment pot. That said, when I plugged in I found that of the two settings available for depth there is one that suits me just fine. The pedal is very quiet, and does not color my tone in any way. True bypass is always an added benefit. Electro Harmonix builds these pedals to last, and I can’t see myself ever moving to another chorus pedal from this one. I’m in love. Rig – Fender USA strat with EMGs into a Peavey 6505 head / cabinet. The pedal adds great modulation to both clean tones and leads. BUY THIS.Nick in NH

The Small Clone gives an awesome chorus effect to your sound! I always wanted that full warm grunge sound and so I figured why not put that icing on that cake and get the gear the legend himself used. The quality build is crisp, the sound I'm getting is satisfying and the price is pocket/wallet friendly!! I must say that I'm far from disappointment! So, sit down or stand up which ever you prefer and know this is your chance of being that one step closer of making that 90's defining sound!!! A little something extra…. I was thinking of cleaning the pedal off before I took the pic but then I thought to myself …….. WWKCD? If you're reading this review I could pretty much guarantee 99.9% of you know what "WWKCD" stands for. 😉 PLACE THAT ORDER! THANK YOURSELF FOR MAKING SAID ORDER! IT'S GUARANTEED, YOU'LL BE SMILING AND PATTING YOURSELF ON THE BACK BECAUSE OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT AND LET'S BE HONEST HERE, YOU EARNED IT!Brian

As a solo acoustic finger style player, I was looking for a very subtle effect to enhance instrumental parts. I've owned other choruses in the past, and was skeptical at its rather large size and single control knob–and only a depth switch. I was pleasantly surprised. I run depth on high, the control knob on low, and get a nice fat–but subtle-melodic sound from my Martin. I haven't experimented with it much, since I'm so pleased with this setting. Good value, well made-though perhaps rather 20th century style–and USA made. Just what I wanted for a slightly different sound to bounce between my vocal parts and instrumental/lead parts. The foot switch is loud, but not enough to affect my performance. All in all, very pleased.2 birds

Needed a reverb pedal as my recent amp purchase, Marshall Origin 20H does not have onboard reverb. Decent sound from subtle to cavernous. AN expression function on the switch adds more versatility. And I haven't even got to download other Reverb Sounds off the manufacturers' website!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

As a professional recording engineer I've been familiar with TC Electronic for decades. I've used TC Electronic gear for a long time in the studio and have always found it to be the best of the best. However, as a hobbyist guitar player I was not as familiar with TC pedals as I was with pedals by other manufacturers (MXR, Dunlop, Boss, Ibanez, etc…). I've been looking for a good reverb pedal to run in my FX loop because the reverb built into the amp is pre FX Send and since I play with tons of gain I have a gate (TC Sentry – also amazing) in the FX loop and the gate was cutting off the reverb tails. I considered a variety of Reverb pedals but ultimately decided on the TC Hall of Fame 2 for several reasons. First, TC knows reverb, their System 6000 reverb is 13,000 without the remote, 15,000 with the remote. And they are using algorithms from the System 6000 in the Hall of Fame 2 – pretty cool. Additionally, with Tone Print capabilities you get unlimited preset options and the ability to design your own Tone Prints. This is an incredible powerful and amazing sounding pedal. Go ahead and add to cart, you won't be disappointed.GuitarJunkieUSA

I wanted a button to make me louder for solos etc. and this does exactly that without changing tone. Brilliantly simple: set how much volume jump you want and that’s it, I don’t think I have had the dial past 25% so far. The ‘latching’ function of the foot switch is a great idea. Great price as wellReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This pedal does exactly what it claims and does it better than other pedals of the same purpose. It is constructed extremely well. For around $50 this pedal's physical casing and switch assembly is made better than pedals I own costing hundreds of dollars more. I don't foresee this pedal ever needing replacement or repair. I'm not particularly fond of the "momentary volume boost" feature but that doesn't change my overall opinion. It's a great item.ethan1957

Amazing pedal, works perfectly as long as first in chain. No problems with power supply. Sounds inspiring, and much more versatile than expected!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Knobs turn easily by foot, switch is sturdy, unit is sturdy for the most part, I can see the bottom being easily broken in the future with heavy use or being dropped. Mickey Mouse 9V trap door, other than that it's really solid. The In / Out jacks are high quality as is the body and switch.ED C. in NC

Robert Keeley, a legend in the pedal world and such a fantastic guy. I own a number of his pedals going right back to when he was modding other brands many years ago and never had a problem with a single one of them. I'm confident that Robert would be there to fix anything if I did have a problem. The Katana was the first Keeley branded design and sounds as good as it ever did. It's capable of a pure clean boost that does not colour your tone one bit, right up to pushing into overdrive territory. The Mini Katana has internal dip switches giving more options and pushing the boost even further than the standard settings. Can be used to drive other pedals, push your amp, clean boost or give your entire pedal board a boost. It's there when you simply need more!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

One of the best clean boosts i have tried. Pairs well with almost any amp I've paired it with. Small footprint is one of the best things compared to the quality of this little guy. Take the plate off and there are some switches. Allows you to add a little grit to the boost. Try one for yourself you'll love it and you wont beat it for the price.MoneyMakinMitch

The king of tone! I don't use this to increase my volume but to fatten it up at the same output volume. Gives it more life! Also it has 2 trim pots inside for overdrive gain and treble cut off. I was debating between the mini and the original and glad I went with this. It has all the same features in a more compact and affordable price.Ammin

Quality & for the Price is Why it's 5 star Unlike most Multi Effects Pedals All are good quality & usable for not much money2014.mcvan

Early days but, so far, I love it. I already have a Ditto Stereo, so I knew what to expect. This was really bought for the 'stop' and 'fade' functions for live performance, but I really like the ways that the two loop functions can be used together. The real test will be when I get a chance to use it for a gig.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Like said in a previous review, right out of the box there's a good chance this won't do much for you. Being able to use the TonePrint feature is vital to making this pedal sing, but once you find that one you need, you'll be in heaven. I play rhythm guitar in an alternative rock band that would basically sound cheesy with a chorus pedal, for the most part, but there is one song that needs the brightness and body offered by a chorus. The default chorus here is either too light or too heavy for my style, it's really impossible to dial in to my sound, but I started messing around with the TonePrints on the app. The first one that caught my ear was a reproduction of the Boss CE-2, and dang, the pure analog chorus sound was breathtaking. Airy if you want it to be, soaking wet if you want that too. The three knobs here on this pedal are really all you could want, and are perfect for dialing in just the right kind of effect to start with, then laying in how much of that effect you want to lay over your dry sound. I really liked the CE-2 copy sound, but I kept trying more TonePrints, and finally found the Brian May one. This was the ticket. Just transparent enough for me at almost any setting, and also brought along that brightness that Brian is known for. The TonePrint app allows me to keep both in my favorites to use at a moment's notice, but I have to say that I keep mine on the Brian May "Chorus1" Print almost all the time. There's so many different Prints though… there's the TriChorus available in a few different versions which is way too thick for what I want, but I imagine it would make a heavily distorted guitar sound really work in a chorusy way, plus tons of other artist Prints. If I found what I needed, I'm sure you can find what will work for you too. I stuck with the Mini just because if I had the full size Corona, I'd stay on the TonePrint switch all the time, which this pedal already basically does. Great value for exactly what I want.SteeringWheelSpotlight

In the past I had had a SCF+ Chorus, and that pedal is perfect. I sold it to a friend before I moved to the US and, because I was missing a chorus in my pedalboard (and I also liked the Flashback Delay), I decided to give Corona a try. I bought this pedal with a discount coupon plus some Backstage Points. Well, unfortunatelly, the Corona disappointed me. Ok, it's well built, it has a good cost-benefit ratio, the option for dual or tri-chorus makes a difference on the "detune" effect, and there are some Toneprint adjusts that can help you to shape your tone… but I think I set the bar too high, thinking that I would get different chorus/flanger/vibrato sounds on it. I wouldn't. I spent some time with the Toneprint Editor, trying to tweak Corona in order to discover new sounds. All the modulations have a similar sound, and the vibrato and flanger doesn't remember the SCF at all. I understand if Corona had offering all modulations in full mode, there would be no reason for other models (Shaker and Vortex), but even the chorus sounds aren't so diverse. You can use speed and depth, and there is a nice hi-pass filter, but if you think Toneprint has many different chorus sounds, maybe you should test that pedal before buying. Also, Corona delivers a specific medium-high frequency (not noticeable on the original SCF+) that shaped the tone a little bit, taking out some of the transparency I expected. TC could fix that EQ issue inserting a multi-band EQ inside the editor. Finishing, don't take me wrong: Corona is a nice pedal, maybe the best option among other chorus pedals with the same price. The technology within allows TC to improve user experience. But don't expect too much.Victor

OK, first off, I love TC Electronic gear. Along with the Polytune Clip that I purchased here a couple weeks ago, I have been using a Polytune Pedal for the past few years. Pro's : Small, lightweight, easy to read display, ability to see the tuning status of all 6 strings at a time, great battery life, easy to find (to replace) battery, the clip (which is metal with rubber pads) seems to have enough grip to take some bouncing around without it singing off, it seems to be pretty durable & ACCURACY Con's: Its not the cheapest clip on tuner on the market, when strolling thru the tuning parameters it takes a few minutes to realize that they are not in total chromatic order, they start at E, Eb, D, Db, C, B, F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb, B then back to E … it confused me for a few seconds. It is plastic, so if you are able to get it to pop off the headstock while bouncing around, it may not survive. I thought at first this would just turn into a tuner for my acoustic guitar, seeing I have a polytune pedal on my pedalboard, but I find that being headstock mounted just makes it more convenient to glance at no matter where you are on stage in respect to where your pedalboard is, so as time goes on, I see myself going to the pedalboard less and less for tuning. I mainly find myselfusing the pedal as a mute to switch guitars when I am too lazy to look for the mute button on my wireless pack … End of the day, yes, i am quite pleased with the purchase and can honestly say I would do so again.1mondaymorninglunatic

The Tc electronic Flashback delay pedal is just about the size of the Boss dd7 and around the same price. However the Flashback does everything boss dd7 does with even more delay capabilities. This true bypass pedal has the classic Tc 2290 delay as well as analog, tape, dynamic, slap back, reverse and more. Plus on top of all the delay effect variations you get a looper. Having used both the boss dd7 and the TC electronic Flashback, in my opinion the Flashback is superior if you are in the market for a versatile delay pedal and wouldnt mind having a looper built ink-rey22

I was using a TC Electronic Echobrain Analog delay for about a year now. It was cheap, useful, and alright for the time being. Then, I realized how limited that pedal was: there was no tap tempo, the length of the delay was short, and it was only one type of delay. I did some research on the Flashback and realized just how much it has to offer for about $100 or so used. Im very pleased with the product. This is exactly what I was hoping for in a delay pedal. Its the best pedal by far for the price I got it for. Theres the hidden tap tempo which is very useful, and the TonePrint will be fun to play around with. I found immediate use of switch for changing 1/4 notes to 1/8th notes, etc. All of the delays are usable, and I find it hard not to use this pedal for solos and clean riffs. For around $130 its hard to find a delay pedal that offers as much as the Flashback. For similar/ or superior features, you would probably end up spending over a few hundred dollars for something like a Memory Man (or something similar). Ive always been a fan of TC Electronic. Their products are solid, innovative, and worth the price (I personally have 7 of their pedals and they work great). If your searching for something that is similar, try Electro-Harmonix; their products are similar inprice, quality, and type.dreamenvision79-1

If you are looking for a good practice amp modeler that is compact and has quite an array of effects and amps than the Pocket Pod should do the trick. I gig regularly and felt the Pocket Pod would be ideal for gigs where I didn't want to haul my tube amp around. Sound wise I'm not disappointed in hooking my pocket pod up to a sound board. However, where this product ultimately fails is there is NO On/Off switch! To activate the pod you plug your guitar directly into the input jack and it comes on. Once on you pretty much have to leave the guitar plugged in for your entire set or risk getting a loud pop through the PA system. And leaving the pod plugged in makes the pod get very warm and drains your batteries. I have a circuit breaker guitar cable so I can switch guitars without getting the dreaded pop in the PA system. I'm sure the people at Line 6 cut out the On/Off feature to save room. But I've never seen any piece of equipment that can't be turned off with a button. Satisfactory sounds but more headaches than it's worth for gigging musicians.O'neil Blues

Its great i love how it has all kinds of sffects and i can use both my guitar and phone as i play along. Great for portable playing so i dont have to bring the big head amp everywhere i want to take my guitar. Also the battery life is amazing if there's a new version of this i would so buy it.Hector

Great and versatile overdrive, compact for small, simple, lightweight boards. I've used mine in one session as a medium gain rhythm drive, a smooth light cleanish blues driver, and a saturated solo tone with a delay. Can also approximate fuzz or replace your clean booster. As for the tubescreamer comparisons, it's completely different. I've had an expensive tubescreamer for years that still has no mileage on it, and it's really only usable in combination with other things. The Nobels is good on its own, as the center of your sound on a clean amp, or complimenting your other effects.tillitsleeps

Great overdrive! I hadn't heard of the Nobels ODR and thought to try this out based on reviews and reputation. I was not disappointed in the least. It lives up to it in spades. Transparent and more tube like than many tube overdrive emulators I've tried. The only con is size. Some may like the small footprint but if you don't have tiny feet, it becomes a con rather than a pro.Dave

Used in live performances. Instrument is a Fender Stratocaster with mid scoop pickups.played through a fender Blues Junior loaded with a celestion creamback. Great for country, works well when stacking overdrive's, 808 TS, and Carl Martin Plexi toneEbe

Nice warm and clean sounding chorus. I have the TC Electronic Corona chorus which is very clean and versatile but it is missing the warm sound that the Ibanez chorus has. I like the smaller size of the Ibanez also. Doesn't take up a lot of space on the pedal board. This will be my go to chorus.Stroker

I listened to the various demo videos online, but it's always hard to tell how it's going to sound until you've got it set up in your own rig. Right off the bat, I was pleasantly surprised. It sounded very shimmery and pretty, like any good chorus should, and it had a nice range of tones throughout. It does cut some of the lows out, so I took one of the stars off for that, but it was still worth keeping, and adding to my collection of chorus pedals.CoopDbomb

a very organic sounding and sweet chorus pedal. very musical, unlike a lot of digital pedals (this uses old analog chipset technology). also built like a tank. one of the nicest sounding pedals i have owned, a true gem and a very low price.gijon2346

The XTOMP is great! The easy to use app loads on your phone or tablet, and lets you select amps, cabinets, and 60+ pedals. Pair the xtomp to the app and play. Now it's a tube screener, now a tremolo box, now chorus. Use alone or add it to your effects chain. Fun to try out different 'clone' tones before you settle, easy to experiment with your rig, and an easy, lightweight 'mini rig' when you don't want to lug the amp and speaker and peddle board and guitar up three flights.Scottylamb

The Xtomp mini is a very good pedal to have if you want to experiment with some new sounds or if you need effects only sporadically. The concept is great, and gives you access to a lot of different sounds (various temolos for example) without having to buy the pedal. This is really fun to use. Some effects (chorus, phaser, reverb, wah) are very good. This is still not as good as the real thing (obviously), so some of the vintage sounds, such as amps, can only be used to give you an idea of what the real thing would sound like in your mix. Also I find that the pedal (even in by-pass) affects the overall tone of the guitar too much. the app is very well done, but I have not seen a lot of recent updates on it. Last, you have to have in mind that the pedal only holds one effect at a time and updating it takes some time, so this is not as quick to use as a multi-effect. Still, overall this is a great tool. I keep it on my board and use it for some very good chorus, phaser, wah and a decent compressor.Ben

OK, this is kind of a first impression. I've had it for just over a week, and I haven't used it live yet, but I will tomorrow at church. Since I'm primarily a bass player, I tried the compressors first. I have a MarkBass tube compressor, which sounded wonderful, until it started eating tubes. Then I got an Earthquaker The Warden, but I blew it up by using the wrong power supply. I tried the "Squeezer" on the Xtomp, and it seems like a flexible, musical compressor so far. I also play some guitar, and I'll be leading a service at church soon, when our usual guitarist will be gone. I have reverbs and delays, so I probably won't be using those, although they seem excellent. I will be using the Aozora chorus and Square Trem, though. Possibly one of the phase shifters. The effects in general sound great to me. I've mostly shied away from digital effects, since they often sound very "processed" to me. These mostly don't sound like that, maybe that's the advantage of only being able to use one at a time. The other night at practice, I didn't feel like dragging my tube amp along, so I used the Voxy amp model through the line in on my bass amp. I've never had an AC30, so I can't tell you if it sounded exactly like one, but it sounded a lot better than just playing a guitar through a bass amp. The Xtomp has also stacked well with distortion, reverb, and delay pedals I've tried it with. There are some limitations. With the Mini, you can't use the Combo patches that you can with the full-size (Maxi?) pedal. The Mini also only has one input and one output, again unlike the Maxi. Nonetheless, I don't think you can beat this pedal for the price.Stelth

Gotta Put My 2 Cents Worth Out There About The M148, Most Reviews Here Are Right On The Money! For Starters, Do Not Be Put Off Because Of The Single Control, That Is Not An Issue With This Pedal! That One Knob Will Take You To Chorus Heaven. Like Others Have Stated Here, I Too Have Used Many Chorus EFX, Both Pedal And Rack, Rarely Impressed, Just Could Not Dial In That Elusive Tone, After While You Give Up And Sell Off About Every One, Then There Comes A Sort Of Avoidance Of That Effect All Together, Just Never Got That Full And Round Sound That Comes From Analog Design! Not Saying That One Size Fits All With The M148, But Dang, It IS Good And Soooo Simple To Dial In Those Vintage Tones! Gotta Give It Up For The Design Team At MXR, The Parameters And Sweep Of the Micro Chorus Preset Control Are Very Useable Indeed; No Fiddle and Faddle, Sweet Chorusing It Is Just There at The Turn Of One Dial. Of Course There Are Many Kinds and Types of Chorus, And Numbers Of Modern Players Have Good Luck With Digital Modualation Designs, Then There Are The Hard Core "Old School" Guys Who Build Their Sound Around The Fatter And Warmer Analog Classic Circuits, I Am Of The Latter Persuasion And Oh So Fussy About The High End In My Chorusing, If It Is Thin And Edgey, Than That Is Not Gonna Work For Me; This IS Where The Micro Excells With A Smooth And Full Chorus That Is Not Overly Bright Or Processed Sounding; Even A Telecaster Can Sound Rich On This Pedal, Neck Pickup Of Course!–Some Of The Best Rhythm We Have Heard! My Biggest Complaint Is That All The MXR Stuff Is Getting Pretty Pricey, BUT For The Money, You Will Be Hard Pressed To Find A Better Sounding Chorus Pedal, And As For Ease Of Use, We Know Of No Other Make Or Model That Compares-A Clear Winner All Around!Richard E.

Having always wanted one of these since I was a kid, I finally treated my self. What a pedal! It is the chorus pedal to have, and so simple as well.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I am disappointed. The pedal darkens my sound, and that's with a twangy telecaster. It gets chimier the more you turn the knob up but too much saturation of the chorus. I was hoping for a similar chimey effect with less saturation when the knob was turned down. For now I can compensate with my EQ. Love the Phaser 95. Was hoping the chorus was similar in functionality within its sound.Jake

I wanted a button to make me louder for solos etc. and this does exactly that without changing tone. Brilliantly simple: set how much volume jump you want and that’s it, I don’t think I have had the dial past 25% so far. The ‘latching’ function of the foot switch is a great idea. Great price as wellReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This pedal does exactly what it claims and does it better than other pedals of the same purpose. It is constructed extremely well. For around $50 this pedal's physical casing and switch assembly is made better than pedals I own costing hundreds of dollars more. I don't foresee this pedal ever needing replacement or repair. I'm not particularly fond of the "momentary volume boost" feature but that doesn't change my overall opinion. It's a great item.ethan1957

Super noisy and it clicks at a steady rate no matter what position it is in. Makes it hard to hear the actual phase sound. Maybe I just got a bad one, but do not recommend.Kenneth McSpadden