Boss, Electro-Harmonix, MXR and Walrus Audio between them make a large share of the pedals on a typical pedalboard. At Thomann they compete in almost every effect type, and each wins in its own way.
The four brands in numbers
| Boss | Electro-Harmonix | MXR | Walrus Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listings | 118 | 134 | 107 | 50 |
| Median price | $201 | $129 | $180 | $286 |
| Top-10 spots | 31 | 19 | 15 | 14 |
| #1 spots | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Electro-Harmonix has the most listings and the lowest median price of the four. Walrus Audio has the fewest pedals and the highest prices, but places more than a quarter of its range in a top 10.
Boss: the most #1 spots
Boss is #1 in 8 of our 17 pedal charts: delay with the DD-500, compressor with the CS-3, looper with the RC-600, equalizer with the GE-7, distortion with the DS-1X, and three charts for acoustic, bass multi-effects and guitar synths. It also holds 6 of the top 10 loopers and 6 of the top 10 guitar synths.
Boss DD-500 Digital Delay, $432
A dual-engine digital delay, first among delay pedals. #1 of 150 delay / echo pedals.
Electro-Harmonix: the cheapest of the four
EHX's single #1 is the Bass Big Muff Pi at $89, and it holds 4 of the top 10 bass pedals and 4 distortion spots. Its Oceans 11 is the #3 reverb.
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi, $88
The fuzz of the Big Muff with a dry blend for bass. #1 of 143 bass pedals.
MXR: always close behind
MXR has 15 top-10 spots and no #1. It is second three times: the Dyna Comp Mini behind Boss's CS-3 among compressors, the Joshua Ambient Echo behind the DD-500 among delays, and the Clone Looper behind the RC-600.
MXR Joshua Ambient Echo, $268
An ambient delay and the #2 delay pedal. #2 of 150 delay / echo pedals.
Walrus Audio: reverb and power
Walrus wins two charts: reverb, with the Slö, and power supplies, where it holds 5 of the top 10 with its Canvas range. Its Polychrome flanger is the #2 modulation pedal.
Walrus Audio Canvas Power 5, $216
A five-output isolated power supply, first in its chart. #1 of 180 guitar effect power supplies.
Questions
Which pedal brand is best for a beginner?
On price, Electro-Harmonix, with half of its pedals under $129. Boss is the safest choice: it wins the most charts and its pedals are built to last.
Is Walrus Audio worth the extra money?
For reverb and modulation, our rankings say yes. In drive pedals and delays, Boss ranks higher.
How we measured. All guitar and bass effects Thomann listed as in stock on October 23, 2026: 2,448 listings in 18 categories. Variants of the same pedal are grouped. A "top-10 spot" is a place in the top 10 of one of our 17 pedal rankings by the AudioFu Index. Prices are in euros, converted at the European Central Bank rate.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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