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Being new to guitar, I know very little about selecting the right effects pedals, or what they even do. Of course I understand the basics, such as wah, distortion, etc. But there are a sea of these things out there! Guess what I am trying to ask is this. Which effects are critical and should be in every guitar players arsenal? I play alot of acoustic rhythm stuff as well as some lead. Mostly blues, but I like to rock as well.
What about acoustic effects versus lead effects? If you were limited to only having say, 3 pedals/effects, what would you select and why? I realize this is a pretty general question, but just looking for input to help me narrow down & weed through the endless sea of gadgets available. Im kinda using you guys as a focus group!
Thanks,


Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickKeeper" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://everythinglubbock.com/content/marketplace/classifieds/items?cat_id=505&item_id=64601

Three...OK...

I only use 4 now anyway, considering adding one but not decided yet, it's a DOD compressor that works fine but gets a bit of a mushy attack. but to answer your question...

In order, I would have to go with a good flanger/chorus or phase shifter, then a overdrive pedal then a distortion pedal. I'd add a volume pedal too, but I don't consider that an "effect". I never play without one.

Flanger/chorus is not used much, but gives you a distinct spacy sound when it's needed. I find 90% of the guitar players I see in clubs use them way too much, most of them all the time. It gets really old after a couple of songs, I only use it a couple of times a night. (I have a Dan Electro Rocky Road, supposed to be a Leslie simulator but makes a much better flanger than anything else.)

Overdrive just adds a little grit, not much distortion, just a little extra gain. Very useful to make leads stand out a bit more, most can be set to alter the overall tone a little too so you can get more treble bite out of your leads etc. Mine is a Marshall Bluesbreaker, I use it mainly because I haven't found a good Ibanez TS 9 Tube Screamer that I can afford, everyone's favorite. One nice thing about an overdrive is it can be set to get a bit more volume for leads with very little alteration in the sound of the guitar. Overdrive is my most often used effect except for the delay, which is always on.

Distortion pedal...many amps have a high gain or distortion channel these days, but I've found that I don't like most of them. My Peavey MX, for example, is fine at home for practicing, but onstage at higher volume levels I have a really hard time controlling the volume level, so if I want distortion at low volume for leads I have to pull the volume pedal almost all the way up and it drops really quick at the last so it's very touchy. I also don't really like the sound of it at stage volumes, even though it's pretty versatile in settings, I can't get it to sound exactly the way the Ibanez pedal dials in...I guess too harsh would be the way to describe it. My Ibanez SD 9 Sonic Distortion does a much better job and is not as difficult to rein in for rhythm parts. It also has a tendency to bring out a lot of the harmonics and overtones, probably the best thing about it. It has a tone control too, which is a plus.

My current setup, in the order they are plugged in:

Arion SAD1 Analog Delay (echo)
Dan Electro Rocky Road
Marshall Bluesbreaker overdrive
Ibanez SD 9 Sonic Distortion
Schaller Fusschweller volume pedal
A/B switch to go to the two amp rig.

A wireless unit goes first in the chain, but I don't consider that an effect pedal either. I use the delay more than reverb, I keep the reverb settings on both amps pretty low, and a light single echo on the Arion pedal at about 1/3 second delay.

The main thing to remember though, is to use effects to accent your sound, not to create it.

WoW! Excellent response! Very informative. Thanks!
I have seen some guys using loopers for practicing different lead solos, so I will ask you, do you use one of these? If so, which one do you have versus which one you wish you had...LOL

Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickKeeper" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://everythinglubbock.com/content/marketplace/classifieds/items?cat_id=505&item_id=64601

Heres a picture of my pedal board.



I start with a wireless, and then to a Boss Tuner(the kind that mutes the signal) although not an effect, I think a tuner should be in every guiatrsit arsenal. My signal then goes to a Wah Wah I use a Morley Bad Horsie, I use it constantly to accenuate the music, not just a wah but to make solos cut more, I'll step on it for a second during chorus's just to change the tone and make people say what was that. I think a wah is essential.

I then go into a tube screamer and old one Ive had for years. I use it a lot for leads and also to kick up my clean channel without getting into my heavy channels.

I then go to a chorus, I hardly ever use it. If you are doing some acoustic rythyms you might want one to make your guiatar sound more 12 stringey. But in the hard rock mode Im in most of the time I find them useless.

I then have an old Octave pedal, It gives higher register notes a sound like an old analog 70s synth. This of the osng Frankenstien, I can kinda get that synth sound on that song with this pedal.

I them go into a Line 6 Delay Modeler pedal. This is a great delay pedal. You can program different thing s to different switchs. One of my favorites is a reverse echo. It also has a sampler built in its real short but I use it a lot.

My advice would be tuner, wah, distortion and then some sort of delay pedal. This would give you all the basics you need to get a wide range of tones out of your guitar rig. Dont forget the volume and tone controls on your guitar on my Les Pauls I roll The tone knob all the way off on the front pickup and get that great Clapton woman tone. Some people just crank the guitar and tone, experiment with yours theres a world of sounds at your finger tips.

Good Luck

A rockabilly guy I used to play with years ago only used a Tube Screamer & a Compressor/Limiter, & he sounded great through his lil Peavey Studio.

The hippie jam-band guy has a Boss monster effects pedal that does everything you'd ever want from a big hunk of thing on the floor, & it's programable, too. He has a PRS amp that's been tinkered with, & it was a prototype to begin with, so I have no idea how to recreate his unique high quality sound.



I have a bunch of pedals, but rarely play electric 6 string these days. I've used the Zoom, lots of Dano pedals, etc. I think a Crybaby Wah is a must, but it shouldn't be used more than once a set, at most, or it gets old. (I'm just a rhythm guy on electric, & I usually just use whatever grungy overdriven sound I can get from the amp when I need it.)

For acoustic, I use a chorus, a digital delay, & a volume pedal. I use the chorus on like three tunes, & set the delay for a barely noticeable effect until I play some of my weirder stuff that needs lots of echo, but that's only 2 songs.

I've been using a digitach GNX3000 pedal, kind of a nice all-in-one solution to having 20 different effects pedals, plus 9 different distortion boxes, etc..


However.... While I think it sounds fantastic, I've found that it just isn't quite as fantastic as a clean set up like JW's. And by clean, I mean dedicated FX boxes that do one job really well, instead of doing 20 jobs mediocre-well.

I never knew it when I was the only guitarist, but when I started playing in my new band, and the other guitarist is playing through a JCM900 and 1960 reissue cab, his tone was just slicing right through mine.

The good news is that I came into some money and splurged on a Marshall half-stack (MG100 .. not a JCM or Valvestate but it's better than a combo amp!) and it just destroys any of the modelling my GNX pedal did.

So, the long winded point I was trying to make before getting all excited about my new amp... is that if you are just beginning, or internediate, then a all-in-one pedal might be for you, but if you are a tone junkie, you would want to go with a rig like JW's, which is incidentally a bit more expensive as well.

- go out and play em... that will answer the 'what do they do' q.

the more I play the more I go back to basics.
started out with an amp and dist pedal. played many things over the years... all culminating in my decision to get a a digitech 2112 for fx (tube pre and tube power for tone)......
I've had it for quite a while and built up quite a few fav patches... and all of them have one thing in common... reverb.
99.9% of patches have two or three dif types of reverb and maybe even a slap echo... that's about it.
chorus is nice, phaser is nice, flanger is nice, big delays, 5cent detune...
but the more I play the more I realize that you can't beat a real spring reverb... a real analog delay... and a real tube amp. for me: that's all I want... plus a few dist choices like a big muff, tube screamer, blues driver and such for color choice.
in short... I've still got my digitech and it's got all the effects a guy could want.... but I find myself going back to a few individual pedals and a tube combo.

Ok, after days of reading these posts, I have decided what I want to do as far as effects go. As some of you know, I am Bass player first. I spent some money on bass effects I never use. It will not be the same with guitar. I have decided that since Im a blues player at heart, I am definately going to end up someday with a Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9. I have heard some of what this pedal is about, and its a real gritty, dirty blues playin stomp, especially modded. Then second, and further down the road is a good delay. Havent decided whether analog or digital. If analog, the Ibanez is again my choice. If digital Boss DD-3. Reverb might also be on my future wish list. As for the rest of them, I doubt it.
Thanks to all sharing thier ideas on this topic! You guys are great!

Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass
**Digitech JamMan

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickKeeper" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm

A couple of comments.

My advice would be tuner, wah, distortion and then some sort of delay pedal.

From everything I've looked up that's backward. Every time I look up or read posts on other forums with the how to rig my effects question, the order is always recommended - time based effects first, distortion based after them. That's how mine are set up and always have been. It works both ways, but from what I've seen putting the delay late in the signal muddies the distortion even more. The one exception is most people say put the wah first no matter what.

Analog/digital? I like analog, I've heard a few digital delays that do a good job, but very few have been able to match the Arion SAD1 I have or some of the Ibanez pedals. The Arion is an oldie, I've had it over 20 years, and it's one of the most sought after of delay pedals along with some of the Ibanez 8 and 9 series pedals. Similar to the Tube Screamer, TS8/9 pedals are pretty much bow to the guitar gods...My SD 9 is even harder to find than the TS 9, and considered just as good, but it's distortion, not overdrive, kind of an overdrive with hair. It can get that Billy Gibbons raunch n roll sound with very little trouble. It can also be set at a very low distortion level to make it a very good overdrive. I'll have to try it and see, but I think the orange Boss DS1 distortion can be set at a low level for use as an overdrive too, I just got one ($20) a couple of months ago in mint condition to use as a stand by in case the SD 9 conks out.

Tuner - that's my next effects investment. I have a tuner, but it's hand held rather than inline although it can be used that way too. I don't think it would be visible enough. The Boss JW uses does a very good job, Ibanez makes a good inline too and I've seen some others but don't know anything about them. digitech, DOD, etc.. The white Boss tuner JW has seems to be the one I see most often.

Analog/digital? I like analog, I've heard a few digital delays that do a good job, but very few have been able to match the Arion SAD1 I have or some of the Ibanez pedals.

Thanks Pete, thats the conclusion I have come to as well. I'm seriously looking at the Ibanez analog Delays.

Tuner - that's my next effects investment. I have a tuner, but it's hand held rather than inline although it can be used that way too. I don't think it would be visible enough.

Might take a look at this. I have the handheld, but I got it before they came out with the stomp model. I love mine!

http://www.turbo-tuner.com/


Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass
**Digitech JamMan

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickKeeper" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm

Korg tuners are the best, imo. But tuners aren't a big deal, because most of em are good.

Pete Ive lined my effects every which way they can be lined up.

I like the Boss tuner first cause I can cut the signal right there and switch guitars or what ever at that point. I can use it like a kille switch.

I have always liked the wah first in line, it just shapes the sound better.

After wah Ive always gone to distortion, these 2 effects are the ones I use 90% of the time.

I think timebased effects should be last, I want my tone shaped by distortion or wah before it hits the delay. Ive put the delay in front but is kind of thins out the distortion to me.

My board has few extras just for something a little different, sometimes there is nothing like kicking on most of your effects so the sound is just driping in them. A lot of the old classic rock has that analog driping effects vibe.

I might add that I also have a POD PRO I use for practice. We dont practice much anymore. but our bassist has a recording studio in his garage and we just line in and practice thru headphones. If you can do this with a band, I mean everyone in the board, bass, drums, guitar, vocals and get a nice even headphone mix you will become a lot better player, cause you will hear al the nuances of your music.

Ive done a couple of gigs with the POD PRO, but I spent a whole sat one day in the garage plugged to the PA system setting up my sounds at GIG LEVEL. I think thats where most people go all wrong with an all inone pedal they just dont tweak it enough. In the POD I have to back the effects levels way down. As Kramer said a good sounding in your face Marshall will give better tone than all the effects in the world. I just use effects to enhance my amps not the other way around.

I think most guitarist I see would be better served if they learned hot to get a good sound out of there guitar and amp and then go on to all the effects.

Most players I know even the good ones rely on effects too much.

Still tuner>wah>distortion>delay works the best and is most consistent in toen to me.

Im probably playing around 20 hrs a week these days so I get a lot of time on it.

Andragon I have both Korg and Boss tuners and like the white boss the most, it just taints the sound less to my ears.

Wireless to boss (white) tuner to amp. All other effects If I use em at all at present o through the effects loop on my amp. Two button footswitch to change channel or on offof selected effect.
I am no effects guru for sure and am constantly learning from the more exp players. Right now I want nothing in front of me but my wireless receaver and my tuner.

JW - I agree completely on tuner and wah first, but I keep my delay first and distortion last for the opposite reason, it tends to saturate it too much for me. My SD 9 does a great job placed after the delay, and the tone knob lets me dial in the sound and get it as fat as I want, I set it for pretty high gain too so it's pretty well saturated by itself. I've tried it every way I can, the order I posted above is what works best for me. Wireless>Delay>Rocky Road>Bluesbreaker>SD9>Volume Pedal>A/B Switch>amps.

Koy - I like the hand held tuner I have, cheap Qwik Tune but it does a good job and has never let me down in 10 years. I just bought another not long ago and gave my original to a friend who didn't have one at all. It does have the ability to be plugged into the effects board, but I don't think I could see it well and I can't cut it in and out of the signal. When I get one it will be a stomp box for sure, probably either Ibanez or Boss. I've seen that white Boss tuner JW uses in a lot of stage rigs, if it's the most common one I see there's gotta be some reason...