Most guitarists consider certain pedals essential, including tuner, drive pedal and delay effects pedal.
Overdrive pedals add a gritty quality to your guitar tone that mimics pushing an amp into overdrive, similar to pushing an amplifier into overdrive mode. They are often combined with distortion pedals.
Octobears and pitch shift pedals allow guitarists to raise or lower the pitch of their guitar tone like an harmonizer would.
Overdrive
An overdrive is a type of manual transmission shifter which enables car drivers to increase gear ratios by adding an extra fourth and fifth “gear”. Overdrives work by increasing the effective range between third and fourth gear, giving more options for acceleration or deceleration when driving performance cars. Overdrives were available as an option on certain MG MGB’s and MGC’s as well as Triumph TR4As, TVR Chimaeras, early Reliant Scimitars as well as Volvo, Vauxhall/Opel as well as American Motors/Chrysler motorcars beginning 1967 while American Motors/Chrysler motorcars also used LH-type overdrives starting 1967 while Gear Vendors now produces both types globally.
Distortion
Distortion differs from overdrive in that it provides harder, more aggressive saturation of your guitar signal. Distortion pedals are ideal if you’re trying to push through a mix while keeping clarity in your tone intact; distortion works by adding harmonics onto original waveform of signal for an unnatural, noisy tone.
Klon style pedals utilize a soft-clipping circuit and add an upper mid-boost EQ setting, enhancing frequencies that cut through a mix without sounding harsh – perfect for creating crunchy rock rhythm sounds or that iconic Stevie Ray Vaughan blues sound!
Fuzz distortion uses hard clipping analog transistors to produce an unruly and broken sound reminiscent of old amps that overheated, as used by artists such as Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and Smashing Pumpkins. Fuzz pedals often come equipped with an EQ setting for fine-tuning low frequency response.
Distortion pedal controls typically include a gain (or drive) knob and tone knob, the former controlling how much saturation or “clipping” occurs with your signal; increasing this control increases distortion intensity; while the latter sets your distortion’s EQ parameters and can even include multiple settings like high-pass filter and mid-cut switch to further customize its sound.
Some pedals allow you to add modulation or time-based effects prior to distortion, creating interesting sonic textures. For instance, using a phaser before your distortion pedal could give it an all-encompassing sweeping sound that blends nicely into its tone.
Before choosing between overdrive and distortion, it is crucial that you understand their respective functions. Overdrive simulates the natural breakup of tube amps and offers more dynamic saturation responsive to playing dynamics; on the other hand, distortion offers more intense and overpowering tones. As part of your search for an ideal combination for yourself, experiment with various pedals and settings until you find what suits your playing best.
Fuzz
Fuzz distortion takes an input signal and amplifies it before clipping aggressively to produce a thick blanket of fuzz. Fuzz pedals usually feature an output “Volume” control which allows users to alter levels of gain and fuzz with precision. Early Fuzz pedals utilized Germanium transistors; nowadays most use silicon transistors (though this can vary). Smashing Pumpkins used an NYC Big Muff, while Dinosaur Jr has also made use of EHX Big Muffs when performing songs such as Cherub Rock!
Fuzz pedals may sound similar to overdrive or distortion pedals in terms of their ability to clip guitar signals, yet fuzz stands out with its own unique style that is far harsher and extreme than either of them. Commonly used in punk and heavy metal music genres, fuzz’s hard clipping can add an edge that makes chords sound more intense and punchy!
General fuzz pedals should respond well to your picking dynamics and playing style, and feature a volume knob to control its volume level. In addition, quality fuzz pedals have Tone controls so you can tweak their overall sound and balance of fuzz tone based on personal preferences; ideal placement may include at the start of your effects chain ideally before modulation or delay pedals but this may vary based on personal taste.
Fuzz pedals should never be placed before a buffer for several reasons, namely creating an unpleasant buzz while changing high-impedance signals to low impedance ones and also interfering with how analog fuzz effects work by interfering with their circuitry and altering how the effects work.
Fuzz pedals can produce some of the most compelling lead tones you’ve ever heard! Experiment until you find a setting that works for you; don’t be afraid to push things a little harder as your knowledge about this pedal increases with each use and interaction between it, your guitar, and its settings increases as you use it more.