Okay, so I get asked about guitar pedals all the time because I guess I'm known as an aficionado and purveyor of all things wild and wacky in effects. Yeah, I own a lot of guitar pedals. To me they are like colors of paint. Use them too much and they kill the landscape but used properly, intelligently and sparingly they can bring life to a performance and quite possibly inspire new sounds, compositions and direction. So here are my top five all-time in no particular order (it's impossible to pick a favorite child): 

1. Eventide H9 Max. An incredible piece of gear, especially with the software app that allows you ton tailor sounds to your needs and sequence them in playlists in your unit to correspond with how you use it in the studio or live performance. Brilliance incarnate. My only wish is that they get longer delay times in their delay algorithms. 

2. Pigtronix Echolution 2 Deluxe. Quite possibly the most diverse, best sounding and complete delay on the market again with a wonderful, thoughtfully designed app to tailor your presets. Fantastic and great people to boot. 

3 .Paul Trombetta Designs Mk 1+8v, Velocitine and Rotobone. How could you pick between these three? Paul is a true genius visionary of fuzz and his circuits are unique, intuitive, responsive, unpredictable (until you get to know them) and inspiring. Sure, there's a long waiting list but it's well worth it. 

4. Catalinbread Heliotrope and Adineko. The Heliotrope is a ring mod/synthy/fuzz/distortion unit that sounds unlike anything else I've ever played. I can't tell you how many times it's inspired me to create something new. The Adineko is a new addition to my arsenal but it's a unique oil can delay that has it's own special character. It can go from sort slap to multiple repeats, left-right panning, reverb, oscillation at the slight turn of a knob yet is simple and intuitive. A whole lot in a small package. Check it out. 

5. Pettyjohn Electronics Iron Overdrive. Simply the best and most versatile overdrive pedal I've played. Great tone control, tasty drive, multiple clipping choices, CLEAN BLEND, and sturdy construction. I was planning on developing my own overdrive with clean blend especially for slide guitar but possibly the Iron has put paid to that journey. 

Honorable Mention: 

Monsterpiece Fuzzes. They could easily go to up top on the list, and maybe should, because I use them on every session. Literally, in some fashion whether it's the PNP fuzz, the DZT or the Angry Dick 2000. Must haves and very affordable. 
Dawner Price Boonar delay. The best Echorec delay pedal I've heard with switchable heads. Sweet. 
Bearfoot Sea Blue EQ, Pink Purple Fuzz, Model G OD and Pale Green Compressor. Real working musician tools that sound fantastic and are smartly designed. I couldn't work without them. A+++ 

So there you go kids. Those are my faves but not at all a comprehensive list of everything I use regularly and moves me. What inspires you? Lemme' know. Cheers!