Seems like only twenty-three days ago that we were reporting on the new The Hugger dual loop / booster pedal from FuzzHugger Effects. Now the industrious little FH(fx) conglomerate has already announced a slew of updates for the coming calendar year, making all you (us) slackers look bad.

The newest version of The Hugger will be functionally the same, but will feature printed circuitboards, courtesy of their partners-in-stomp Mellowtone -- makers of the only pedal (to my knowledge) that features LOLcats graphics (the HI FIVE PLUS). Printed circuitboards will make the pedal cheaper to produce, and offer a little more reliability and consistency from pedal to pedal. Not that there's been a problem with that in the past; the FH(fx) blokes just don't like to wait for problems to happen, you know?

Other than the production redesign, the 2009 The Huggers will features a new set of graphics that will be printed on thick, woven, acrylic-finished labels. FH(fx) has five designs displayed, and says that these will now be the "standard huggers." Thise who prefer their graphics hand-painted and one-of-a-kind can shell out a few more bills for the cleverly-named "Hand-painted Hugger," and a further option will be the Hugger+ Deluxe, also hand-painted, but sporting an enclosure by pedalenclosures.com, which will feature top-mounted jacks. Nifty. As of January 1st, 2009, prices will be as follows:

• Standard Hugger: $112
• Hand-painted Hugger: $117
• Hugger+ Deluxe: $122

So hurry up and get a The Hugger before FH(fx) comes out with another update. Or wait until they do. What do you do, WHAT. . . DO. . . YOU. . . DO?!?!?