Axewerx and Bennett Custom Audio Bring the Gain…Canadian Style
Guest post by Steve Baric
Today’s Great Canadian Pedalboard 2025 demo features two distortion pedals that pack serious punch, and each brings something different to the table depending on how you like to build your gain stack.
Axewerx Gain Chain
This compact box offers a lot of tonal variety thanks to its diode selector:
The BAT41 setting delivers a darker, more compressed distortion: tight low end, no flub.
The Red LED option opens things up for more clipping and harmonic edge.
Roll the Drive all the way back, and it becomes a great clean boost. Stack it in front of your favorite fuzz, use it as a solo lift, or send it into an IR loader. It holds up under all of it.
Bennett Custom Audio Sea Eagle Distortion
This one’s a full-featured dual-channel distortion aimed at players who want amp-like gain structure in a stompbox.
Blue channel = crunchy rhythm tone
Purple channel = saturated high-gain lead voice
You also get a Tight/Fat switch (for bottom-end shaping) and a Bright toggle (adds bite and clarity up top). The channels share EQ, but switching is instant and very usable…great for live play or layered recording.
Whether you're running into an FX return, amp sim, IR loader, or just straight into the front of a clean amp, the Sea Eagle feels responsive and punchy. It’s especially well-suited to modern hard rock and metal, but with the right settings, it’ll hold its own in almost any genre.
Final Thoughts
Both pedals are proof that Canadian builders are designing serious gain tools for the modern guitarist; gear that fits into real-world pedalboards and delivers pro-level tone without compromise.
The Great Canadian Pedalboard 2025
🎯 Entries for the Great Canadian Pedalboard 2025 close June 30.
🎁 The winner gets this entire board…plus the bragging rights.
(Canadian residents only. Must answer a skill-testing question.)
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