The shrinkologists at Fishman recently introduced a line of mini AFX pedals that do many jobs in an acoustic/electric guitar while offering a minimal footprint, 9-volt power, and optional true-bypass.

The ProEQMini is a compact graphic EQ and preamp with extra goodies like Input Trim to set level for active or passive pickups, as well as fingerpicking versus strumming dynamics. Controls for Bass, Middle, Treble, and Brilliance sliders help sculpt tone, while the Low Cut slider fends off onstage rumbles and howls. The Phase Inverter circuit might save your next gig: hold down the footswitch for three seconds and, guitar signal is inverted, which can help extinguish feedback.

The AcoustiVerb is a digital reverb with lots of flexibility. You get three modes – Spring, Hall, and Plate – each adjustable with Level, Decay Time, and Tone controls. The reverbs are warm and useful. One particularly cool feature is the ability to let the effect fade out naturally when you click the footswitch off, or set it for an abrupt chop.

The PocketBlender is the brains of the whole operation. A powerful box, it can mix separate pickups in/for one guitar (say, piezo and microphone), or give separate clean boost. It can also control innovative signal-path options using TRS cables, potentially creating two distinct effects paths for your acoustic audio. For example, you can have different Fishman pedals in each path and toggle between them. Like all of the AFX line, the PocketBlender does tons more, offering an astounding range of functions for such a tiny pedal.

This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.