7 ULTRA-BOUTIQUE AMPS AND EFFECTS ASCEND

Though some of it might be hard to get hold of in the UK, there’s some stunning hand-built gear out there. We were particularly impressed with the pedals of Brazilian/US effects maker Beetronics. Not only is every one of their Custom-grade pedals etched with a beautiful and totally unique finish, but the circuits are even built on honeycomb-shaped boards. At $280 for one of their WhoctaHell [8] low-octave fuzz pedals, they’re not bonkers expensive considering the amount of hand-work involved – and they sound scuzzily brilliant too. Likewise, Benson amps by Seattle guitar tech Chris Benson whose designs, unusually, aren’t based directly from classic Fender or Marshall templates. Typical of his work is the 30-watt Chimera [9] (from $1,949), a valve-rectified head powered by a quad of 6V6 valves with point-to-point construction and audiophile-grade components throughout. There’s pleasingly few dials, too – just Volume, Treble and Bass.