Beginning guitarists often become overwhelmed with the variety of guitar effects pedals on the market. Which pedal should they buy first?
Answering this question depends on the genre of music being performed by beginners. An overdrive pedal could help them achieve the warm, bluesy tones found in an amp’s crunch channel or distortion pedal can deliver classic rock tones.
Delay
Delay pedals are among the most versatile effects and make an immediate and noticeable impact when used. Ideal for adding depth and character to any guitar tone, delays also help create more atmospheric and immersive sounds; thus many guitarists start their pedal collection off right by purchasing delay effects.
Though there is a variety of delay pedals on the market, we recommend beginning your search with an analog pedal as they tend to be more affordable and offer warmer tones than digital alternatives. Furthermore, an analog delay pedal will likely be easier for beginners to use than its digital counterparts.
An analog delay pedal offers you various sounds, from long or short decay times, stereo outputs and MIDI input with through output to being able to adjust feedback amount in real-time – it is perfect for beginners as it gives great sound straight out of the box without needing for complex settings or adjustments.
Analog delay pedals are great starter options and work especially well when used with single-coil pickups due to their warm and enveloping sounds, complementing their tone perfectly.
Reverb
Guitar pedals can be dauntingly vast for newcomers, yet choosing an effect to start out with can make an incredible difference to both the sound of your instrument and versatility of its setup. We advise starting off with one of the most useful Reverb pedals as an introduction into this world of pedals.
Reverbs can add space and ambience to any guitar part, making them ideal for soloing or improving rhythm work. Reverbs also allow your clean tone to sound larger without becoming overwhelmed by other instruments in the mix.
If you’re searching for an accessible yet versatile reverb pedal, the TC Electronic Ditto could be just what you’re after. Perfect for blues and rock to funk and soul styles alike, its compact package comes complete with all of the features necessary to provide great-sounding reverb in an intuitive format.
Another excellent choice is the Dunlop Crybaby wah-wah pedal. This versatile device can be found across genres from funk and soul to rock and metal music, providing you with a distinct sound when performing or recording guitar music. Perfect for beginners looking to stand out among a crowd.
To find your ideal reverb pedal, take some time browsing Reverb’s numerous listings. Carefully examine photos and zoom into any areas that may not be clear; read descriptions carefully; pay attention to condition of pedal (ideally new and used with no obvious wear and tear); additionally consider shipping costs as this can greatly affect overall costs; finally consider shipping when buying pedal.
Distortion
Distortion pedals do exactly what their name implies: distort your guitar’s clean signal by adding an aggressive amount of gain and clipping. While overdrive simply adds harmonics, distortion creates thicker, gritty tones with aggressive clipping that adds harmonics.
Before purchasing any pedal, it’s essential to determine your desired sound. Overdrive pedals may achieve similar effects; if you prefer heavier tones however, distortion should be your go-to choice.
Start off right by exploring classic distortion pedals like the Boss DS-1, Pro Co RAT2 and MXR M75 Super Badass – they are some of the most well-known on the market and used by numerous iconic guitarists for both recording and live performances. Owning one will give you that iconic tone heard in numerous songs while helping inspire your playing as a whole.
One of the greatest aspects of a quality distortion pedal is that it’s both versatile and cost-effective; you can find an adequate pedal for under $50 that provides all of the sounds necessary for most genres. However, keep in mind that cheaper options might not retain their resale value as much as more costly brand name pedals do.
Notably, many distortion pedals can also be combined with other effects like reverb or delay to save both money and space on your pedal board. You might also come across pedals which combine compression with distortion for even greater convenience – making these ideal options for newer guitarists.
Overdrive
At the core of it all lies an individual guitarist’s sound – their sensibility, instrument and amplifier – is their guitar sound; however pedals make finding and expressing unique sounds easier. When purchasing pedals for the first time it is wise to invest in those that serve practical functions that will remain useful as you progress in your learning experience – for instance overdrive (for natural distortion) compression (to maintain volume when playing at lower volumes) or delay (which expands and deepens songs).
Fulltone Soul Food is the ideal overdrive pedal for beginners, offering both transparent boosting and overdriving depending on how the knobs are set. Additionally, its wide EQ enables you to craft sound to cut through a mix or simply to enhance clean guitar tone.
Jim Dunlop MXR Phase 90 is another highly coveted option, providing classic modulation effects in an accessible package. It has become a standard part of both blues and country music genres alike.
A chorus pedal is another fantastic choice for new guitarists, as it enables you to create lush, shimmering tones that add depth and dimension to your guitar parts. It works by producing two slightly detuned copies of your signal that are blended when playing chords or single notes; this effect is popular across genres from 80s pop music through to funk and soul music.
Wah-wah pedals offer an organic tone and are popular choices in funk, soul and blues music genres; additionally they add expressiveness and excitement to lead lines.
Chorus
Chorus pedals modify your guitar signal in such a way as to produce shimmering textures that add depth and dimension to chord-based playing, especially those found in 80s pop music. They make for great tools in creating rich sounds such as those found in 80s pop. By adding one of these pedals into your rig, chorus effects add depth and dimension that makes playing even more interesting and versatile.
There is an array of guitar effects, such as distortion, reverb, delay and chorus pedals available today. To get the most from them and make them work best for your musical style it is essential that you understand their operation as well as which will suit it best. Once you decide what effect to use you can begin experimenting with their controls and settings to find one that fits seamlessly with your songs and styles.
Guitar pedals are small electronic devices that utilize digital or analog circuitry to transform the audio signal from your guitar in different ways. They are typically mounted onto a platform called a pedalboard for easy organization, running off either 9-volt batteries or AC power supply; most pedals also include an input jack to connect directly with your instrument as well as an output jack that leads directly into your amplifier chain.
Beginners looking for their first guitar pedal purchases should start by considering purchasing three of the most common pedals: tuner, overdrive and chorus pedals. These pedals will enable you to sculpt your tone for both live performances and studio recordings with versatility and functionality that’ll allow you to stand out among competitors. Although purchasing guitar pedals may seem intimidating at first, take your time shopping around before selecting which ones best suit your musical style and budget.