Cyberattack’s Cheap Pedal Picks: Five Budget Boxes That Punch Above Their Price

Let’s be real—most so-called ‘budget’ pedals are about as inspiring as a soggy slice of pizza. But Cyberattack isn’t serving you leftovers. He’s dropping his five favorite pedals under $150, and these are picks he’d still love even if the price tag doubled. That’s right, we’re talking stompboxes that earn a spot on your board for the sound, not just the savings.

Instead of settling for “good for the price,” Cyberattack goes for gear that brings real flavor to your jam. He’s got opinions (don’t we all?) on why $150 hits the sweet spot: cheap enough to experiment, but not so cheap that you’re stuck with plastic junk. If you want to spice up your rig without selling a kidney, this is the list you need. And trust me, the fun-to-dollar ratio here is off the charts.

First up, the DOD Gonkulator—a pedal with a name that sounds like a cartoon villain and a sound to match. This little beast mashes up distortion and ring modulation, giving you a combo that’s as unpredictable as Chicago weather. Ring mod can be a pain to wrangle, but Cyberattack’s got the hack: keep that frequency and mix low, let the weirdness lurk beneath your distortion, and you’ll get that ‘wait, what is that?’ vibe that makes listeners lean in.

The Gonkulator isn’t just a one-trick pony. You can run it pure as a distortion, pure ring mod, or blend both for some truly twisted lead tones. Set it up like Cyberattack suggests, and your solos will sound like a robot got lost in a punk show. If you’re tired of the same old fuzz, this pedal’s got more personality than a street busker on payday.

Now we’re talking the Electro Harmonix Atomic Cluster, a pedal that proves blend knobs are for cowards—at least according to Cyberattack. He says crank it to 100% and don’t look back. Forget subtle—this box is about going full send. The blend knob might tempt you to play it safe, but if you want your tone to stand out, just dime it and let the pedal do its thing.

Run this into an overdriven amp and suddenly your guitar isn’t a guitar anymore—it’s an organ, but cooler, nastier, and way more fun. If you’re into classic organ sim pedals, Cyberattack claims the Atomic Cluster blows them out of the water. Want to hear exactly how wild it gets? You gotta watch the video for those juicy sound examples—words don’t do the vibe justice.

Rounding out the list, the MXR DynaComp—aka the punchy red box that slaps your notes right in the face. This isn’t some transparent, polite compressor; it’s the secret sauce for those classic, squishy, funky guitar rhythms. Cyberattack loves the ‘thwack’ it adds, making your playing pop like a fresh bag of chips.

Forget chasing invisible compression—if you’re stepping on a pedal, you want people to hear it. The DynaComp’s perfect for double-tracked licks, and it even sounds killer straight into your recording interface, no amp needed. For extra sauce, Cyberattack mentions layering it with a phaser like the MXR Phase 100. If you want your tracks to move, not just sit there, this is the box to beat.