What We're Building and Why: The PedalFilter Story

I just wanted to find the bucket brigade analog delay pedals with a stereo output. That’s it. One search. It’s wild how hard that is. Reverb gets close. A few encyclopedic gear sites have the data buried somewhere. But nothing let me just see the pedals, filter them the way my brain actually works, and explore from there.

PedalFilter started because I wanted a faster, more visual way to move through the world of guitar pedals. Not out of frustration with the existing options. Out of a feeling that something more fun was possible.

What I’m Building

PedalFilter is a pedal database built around discovery. I want it to be the fastest, most visual way to find, compare, and explore guitar pedals on the internet. Search by type. Filter by manufacturer within that type. Cross-reference specs. See the pedals, read about what they actually do, watch a demo. All in one place, all without bouncing between six tabs.

The database has thousands of pedals, from the Boss DD-8 to the Hungry Robot Wash to the TS9 Tube Screamer. It’s a work in progress and there are gaps, but it’s growing every week.

The fun is in how it all connects. Filter by category, then narrow by manufacturer within that category. Search for something specific — a delay with tap tempo, a fuzz under $150 — and actually find it without scrolling through a wall of unrelated results. The whole thing is designed to feel like browsing a really good pedal shop, not reading a spreadsheet.

Once you’re exploring, there’s more to do than just look:

• Collections — Curated pedal lists like “What’s on John Mayer’s pedalboard?” or “Reddit’s favorite pedals of 2025.” We put these together so you can browse by vibe, not just by spec.
• Comparisons — Put two or more pedals side by side. See specs, features, and differences at a glance.
• Saves — Bookmark any pedal to your own list. Build a shortlist for your next purchase or just keep track of what caught your eye at 1 AM.

It’s all there to make the rabbit hole more useful without making it less fun.

What’s Coming

The database grows every week. I’m expanding manufacturer pages, improving search, adding more filters, and eventually building signal chain planning tools and pedalboard layout visualization. The blog is here to write about gear the way I’d talk about it with a friend: with opinions, with humor, with the understanding that caring this much about metal boxes with knobs is a little ridiculous and also the whole point.

I don’t have investors or staff. I have a database, a laptop, and the conviction that exploring guitar pedals should be easier and more fun than it currently is. If the specs are wrong, tell me. If a pedal is missing, tell me that too. This thing gets better the more people use it, and I’d rather build it with the people who care than guess at what they want from a distance.