WE’RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE BOTTOM of the pile of pedals released in 2016. Yeah, it’s the April 2017 issue now, but that’s an indication of just how many cool new pedals are released each year. Happily, this trio of stompboxes is still relevant and desirable, and they all sound fantastic. Hey, a year-old Ferrari is still a mean machine, and so are these kick-ass tonal processors.

STEREO BLACK CAT VIBE

The Stereo Black Cat Vibe ($325 direct) retains the same circuitry as the original Vibe favored by players such as Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, and Trey Anastasio, but adds another output jack for true-stereo operation. It can also run on either 12-volt DC or 12-volt AC (as the original Black Cat Vibe) power, which means the stereo Vibe is compatible with most brick-style DC-power supplies, and that means it’s now an easy fit for your pedalboard.

Despite its made-in-the-USA boutique design, the Stereo Black Cat Vibe isn’t just an expensive pedal to coddle in your home studio. This is a real gigging stompbox. You get a tough metallic-silver chassis, three big knobs (Volume, Intensity, Speed), a Chorus/Vibrato switch, and an input for an optional expression pedal for real-time Speed changes. Oh, and the on/off LED pulses in time to your Speed setting when the pedal is active.

I should admit that I seldom use chorus vibrato effects live, as I find they can muddy up the sweet tones of my favorite Mesa/Boogie amp.

However, the sound of the Stereo Black Cat Vibe is very articulate, very rich, and it doesn’t “blur” the natural tone of my amp or guitar—unless I choose to crank the knobs to their maximum settings and go wildly psychedelic and out of control. Fun! The pedal also responds very well to performance dynamics, giving you another way to add aggression or subtlety, simply by changing your attack on your strings.