The moment an electric guitar student steps on a distortion pedal for the first time is a moment we especially love. Suddenly the song sounds like the song. But the world of effects is huge, and the question “what should I buy first” comes up in every lesson. Here are six effects that cover most of the sounds you’ll hear on the radio, in the order of importance we recommend.
1. Overdrive / distortion
The heart of rock. Overdrive gives gentle “warmth” and a bit of grit; distortion pushes much harder. If you have an amp with a dirty channel, you may not need a pedal at first. If the amp is clean, this is the first pedal to buy.
2. Delay
Repeats the sound after a pause. A short delay thickens solos, a long delay creates the spacious sound of U2, Pink Floyd and almost all modern pop. Tip: set the delay time to the tempo of the song.
3. Reverb
Simulates a space: a small room, a hall, a cathedral. Many amps include built-in reverb. It turns a “dry” sound into a sound that feels recorded.
4. Chorus
Doubles the sound with a slight pitch deviation, creating the wide, shimmering sound of the 80s and countless ballads. Great for clean tones on bass and guitar too.
5. Wah
The pedal you talk with. Move your foot and the filter “opens” and “closes” the sound. Funk, Hendrix, and metal solos too.
6. Tuner
Not exactly an effect, but a tuner pedal on the floor is the most useful thing in the chain: it mutes the guitar and tunes it between songs. Every gigging guitarist needs one.
In what order do you connect them?
A common order, from guitar to amp: tuner, wah, overdrive/distortion, chorus, delay, reverb. Gain effects first, time and space effects last. There are no sacred rules, but it’s a starting point that always sounds good.
What to buy first: pedals or a multi-effects unit?
For beginners, one multi-effects unit (or even an app with a guitar interface) gives you all six for the price of a single pedal, and that’s excellent for learning. Once you discover which sound you really love, you start collecting individual pedals. In our electric guitar lessons at Rockstar we teach this part too: how to build a sound, not just how to play.
Read also: The Secret to Tuning a Guitar Easily · Guitar Setup Explained
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