A list of essential guitar effects? Help please :-)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Feanor IV
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Feanor IV

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Hello,

I'd like to know what's included in a pretty complete list of guitar effects I'll need to buy (either now or in the future) to have good control over my sound. Please give me your lists for what I should buy, and please also mention how important each one of the effects is.

Ah, to make this clear, I'm not asking for specific models etc, just the effect, for example EQ or wahwah. Now, if you could mention a good model for some effect, that wouldn't be too bad! :)
 
I think it would be dependant on the style of music being played. There is no be all end all list of guitar effects. My effects include a Mesa Boogie Rectifier, Strat and good technique. That's all I need. :cool:
 
All I use is the amp settings on the POD and my Les Paul......

Having said that, we did use the delay/swell effect the other day for a nice ambient sound.
 
HangDawg said:
I think it would be dependant on the style of music being played. There is no be all end all list of guitar effects. My effects include a Mesa Boogie Rectifier, Strat and good technique. That's all I need. :cool:
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You da man. It depends. There are a few classics, though.

With a wah-wah, delay, flanger/chorus, compressor, and some distortions, you can probably reproduce 80% of what you've ever heard.
 
boingoman said:
You da man. It depends. There are a few classics, though.

With a wah-wah, delay, flanger/chorus, compressor, and some distortions, you can probably reproduce 80% of what you've ever heard.
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You forgot reverb :p
 
I have a preprogrammed effect named Edge after the U2 guitarist. It's mainly an echo effect brightened with some chorus. It's awesome..............

Ever tried the famous acoustic effect? ;)
 
Of course it all depends on what sound you're trying to accompish, but here's a basic tool kit:

1. Reverb, although your amp probably has it built-in.

2. Some sort of distortion/overdrive, unless you're depending on your amps overdrive and/or you just play clean. There are tons of different pedals out there that all sound different so you've got to figure out which one(s) you like.

3. Delay. A little bit of dealy can add a lot of character to your sound.

4. Chorus. If you like the chorus-y sound, anyway.

I have a multi-fx unit (an old ART SGX2000) which comprises most of my fx. One of the advantages is that I have several different distortions I can dial in. It's got the above-mentioned fx as well as other, although it's chorus & compressor aren't that great.
 
jfrog's on the right track. I would only add:

5. Compression.



A
 
Fuzz/overdrive/distortion--fuzz face, SD-1, DS-1, big muff, etc

Wah--Dunlop GCB95

Phaser and/or flanger--Maestro phaser, EH small stone (or clone if you're into chorus...think Come as You Are), MIJ BF-2

Delay--Ibanez DE-7

And the number one effect of all time: cranked tube amplifier. These days, I usually just use guitar, wah, amp; but when it's time to get jiggy with effects, I'll add the fuzz, phaser, and delay.
 
The only one that is essential is some kind of EQ, and a higher end EQ box, mixer, whatever, is probably worth the effort. All else is detail. Good detail, perhaps, but it will involve stuff that is useful or not depending on your style. For electrics, the sky's the limit. For acoustics, you have a complicated and subtle task ahead of you. I'm an acoustic guy and if you're into that I'd send you first to Raven Labs to look around. Next to Yamaha / Boss / Digitech / Korg, in that order.

For electrics, what comes to mind for my own jump blues style, is maybe a reissue Ibanez overdrive pedal. But first, before anything else, would be a small, Class A tube amp. Something like an Ashdown or a Gibson / Trace amp. The perfect amp for me would be the one Steve Gibbs and his buddy are building - you can get more information by sending a PM to Upstate Steve here. With something like that, you will have overdrive and compression right off a hot set of tubes - which is what all the digital stuff "emulates." You'll have the real thing.
 
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I would say none.

Guitar is a great instrument without any effects. Most of the time I play without effects. I play a lot of acoustic as well as electric. Acoustic is pretty much always clean and sans effects. I do use overdrive a lot on electric guitar, but still not more than just plain ol' clean guitar. I have a full set of effects that I pull out once in a while, just for grins, but they just don't speak to me these days.

For recording I use a compressor on guitar usually, but always on mix and not while tracking.
 
Aaron Cheney said:
jfrog's on the right track. I would only add:

5. Compression.

A
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I was about to list compression, but to me it's "essentialness" is debatable. It's definitely the most subtle of the above list. However, after years of being unimpressed by the compression on my SGX2000, I just recently bought an MXR super comp pedal - and I love it. It adds a lot of sparkle to my Strat. It doesn't do a whole lot for my PRS though.

I guess the long and short of what I'm saying is "it depends"...a compressor is definitely worth considering, though.
 
I have a severe addiction to delay. I'm starting to think that this effect is actually more important than having strings.
 
These have made it possible for me to do almost any sound I have ever needed:

1. A good instrument that is properly adjusted.

2. A sweet tube combo.

3. A Vox wah.

4. A good overdrive(or the amps overdrive).

5. A good rich chorus and/or the Dunlop Univibe.

6. A tremolo.

7. A digital delay with tap tempo.

Other things that can always improve your arsenal would be reverb, an ebow, and never forget the most important; taste.
 
Howdy,

Everyone is holding out so I'll mention it. Talkbox! One of those talkbox things with the tube that goes in your mouth so you can play guitar and formulate sounds with your mouth. You know.. Peter Frampton stuff.


Now here is what you do. You get your rig all ready with the talkbox then call your local music store. When they answer you say, "Good morning kind sir.. I am a disabed person who would like some assistance please." while riffing an E chord to the words. Then tell em you lost your voice to cancer but still like to sing and was wondering if they had any good microphones that would work for your voice. (Keep riffing the E chord.. don't play any notes or they might figure out the joke)

However, many people actually do wonder what microphone would work best for the talkbox so in all fairness.. it's any honest question.




You've gotta get a Talkbox. No professional studio or home recording bum should be without one.
 
AdrianFly, that is an AWESOME IDEA!!! (that cracks me up)

I love your signature as well.
 
I think Tremolo has only been mentioned once. This is not an obvious effect, but can be used in many types of music, not just retro. For example, it's great for creating pad-type sounds on the guitar, ala Fender Rhodes. I feel that, like most effects, it's best when used in a subtle way, unless you want to re-create the opening of the Smiths' How Soon Is Now? :D

In fact, Tremolo is only one of 2-3 effects I use, the others being Wah, and a little Delay here and there. I also use Reverb and Distortion/Overdrive, but use my amp's built-in reverb and drive for those.
 
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