If you go far enough back in guitar history, you’ll come to a point where there were no effects pedals. Just after that, there was MXR. Born out of necessity in the early ’70s, MXR has been making the effects artists demand since they started demanding them. What’s more, these stompbox effects had to live up to the harsh conditions of life on the road right from the beginning, so when you buy an MXR pedal, you’re getting a quality effect that will last a lifetime.
It’s hard to imagine that a company as successful as MXR began in the early ’70s, with Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood selling pedals out of the trunk of a car to a new generation of guitarists. By the time effects pedals in general had caught on, MXR had become a household name. From the beginning, three things stood out about MXR pedals: their creativity, their reliability, and their affordability. These reasons and more are why you’ll find MXR effects on AJ’s Music & The Music Man guitarists’ pedalboards, and they’re also the reasons we’re happy to recommend them to our friends and customers.
Dissatisfaction is one of the greatest motivators of innovation, and it was the general discontent with the quality of the few guitar effects on the market in the early ’70s that inspired a couple of audio repair shop owners, Barr and Sherwood, to start MXR. Their first pedal was the Phase 90, and within the first few dozen sold, it was obvious that MXR was on to something. Other early staples quickly followed, with the Distortion +, the Dyna Comp, and the Blue Box Octave Fuzz proving equally successful.
By the time Jim Dunlop acquired MXR in 1987 (after many of the founding members left to establish some of the most formidable pro audio companies in the business today), the brand had fully established itself. Under Dunlop’s direction, MXR introduced a full range of new pedals, including the Carbon Copy and Fullbore Metal, as well as an entire line of bass effects. The wonderful thing about all the pedals produced under Dunlop’s leadership is that they not only look the part, but they also sound right at home alongside all the classic MXR pedals still around today.
Ever been out on a gig and had an effects pedal break down on you? Chances are, it wasn’t made by MXR. It helps to remember that MXR was founded by a couple of guys who used to repair audio gear for a living. It was the poor quality of early effects boxes that got MXR going, and the duo began building rock-solid pedals right from the start. From weekend warriors to the world’s most accomplished guitarists, the only thing MXR players love nearly as much as the sound of their effects is their heroic reliability and ruggedness. When you put an MXR stompbox on your pedalboard, you can be sure it’ll be there for the long haul.
On that note, you may be wondering who plays MXR. In addition to everyday musicians, including the pros here at AJ’s Music & The Music Man, MXR has a cast of top artists who swear by their pedals. These pedals helped establish the signature sounds of David Gilmour, Randy Rhoades, and Eddie Van Halen. Today, artists including Joe Bonamassa and Marcus Miller, among many others, all rock these effects. And as new, transformative effects join the lineup, we’re sure MXR will continue to be a driving force in the future of guitar effects technology.
