If you’re just starting your journey with the electric guitar and are intrigued by the vast world of guitar effects pedals, you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be overwhelming, so we wanted to offer some guidance on building your first pedalboard. To get a fresh perspective, we consulted Brian’s nephew, Kyle, a guitarist and vocalist for Red Letter Day from Gainesville, Florida. They recently released their single, “Dying to Stay,” available on all streaming platforms – definitely check it out! Kyle, currently studying at the University of Florida, has been playing guitar for eight years with significant recording and touring experience. He even attended NAMM Summer 2021 in Nashville with his band and plans to go again. Here’s Kyle’s take on Essential Guitar Pedals for beginners.
1. Tuner Pedal: The Foundation of Good Tone
No matter how many fancy guitar pedals you have, nothing can mask the unpleasant sound of an out-of-tune guitar. Even the most skilled guitarist will sound unprofessional if they’re not in tune. Most audiences, even those without trained ears, will notice if you’re not in sync with your band, especially if there are keyboards involved, where tuning accuracy down to the cent is crucial. Playing out of tune is a major mistake for any guitarist in a band, but thankfully, it’s easily avoidable. A tuner pedal is absolutely essential and should be the first pedal on your board. Skipping a tuner is like trying to play guitar without strings. Do yourself and your audience a favor and avoid the embarrassment of playing live while out of tune. For an affordable and dependable option, consider the BOSS Chromatic Tuner range. Choose a tuner pedal that matches your aesthetic and pedalboard size. Higher-end models often include beneficial features like switchable buffers and power outputs. Typically, a tuner pedal is placed at the very beginning of your signal chain.
2. Overdrive Pedal: Adding Grit and Gain to Your Sound
An overdrive pedal is another incredibly valuable tool for guitarists. Whether your amplifier has a built-in overdrive or lead channel, having a dedicated overdrive pedal on your board is still a wise choice. You can even combine your amp’s overdrive with a pedal to layer different levels of gain. Regardless of the musical genre you play, overdrive is essential for adding character and edge to your guitar tone. The sonic possibilities within a single overdrive pedal are astonishing, ranging from a subtle, crunchy breakup when you play harder to a full-blown, heavy metal distortion. A highly regarded option is the Klon™ pedal, known for its signature overdrive tones. However, for a more budget-friendly yet equally excellent alternative, the Wampler Tumnus™ is an outstanding choice for your pedalboard. (Editor’s note: Naturally, we’re going to recommend that one… or perhaps this one or even this one…). Position your overdrive pedal after your tuner, but feel free to experiment with its placement relative to other gain-based pedals to find what sounds best to your ears.
3. Compression Pedal: Sculpting Dynamics and Sustain
Compression pedals are sometimes overlooked as essential, but they are a fantastic addition to any gigging pedalboard. The primary effect of compression is to even out your guitar’s dynamics, reducing the difference between the loudest and quietest parts of your playing. This “squashing” effect is particularly useful for clean and crunch tones. Country guitarists, in particular, have made compression a cornerstone of their sound. A compression pedal allows you to enhance your clean tones and explore different playing styles, making techniques like finger-picking and chicken-pickin’ really shine. A highly recommended and affordable compression pedal is the Wampler Mini Ego™ Compressor, which is compact yet powerful. Many guitarists consider compression to be their “lightest” gain stage, placing it early in their pedal chain, often before overdrive pedals. Think of stacking a compressor and an overdrive like the perfect pairing of coffee and cream – they complement each other beautifully.
4. Reverb/Delay Pedal: Adding Space and Depth
Some guitar amplifiers come with built-in reverb, either through digital emulation or a physical spring tank. If your amp lacks reverb, it’s an essential effect to include in your pedal arsenal to replicate the classic guitar tones of your favorite players. Reverb pedals are commonly used to create spaciousness and smooth out the tails of notes and chords. However, reverb pedals are incredibly versatile and offer much more than just this basic function, making them a fun and experimental effect to explore. Most reverb pedals offer a variety of settings, such as room, shimmer, hall, and lo-fi reverb styles, among others. A fantastic and versatile starting point is the Hall of Fame Reverb by TC Electronic. Alternatively, if your amp already has reverb, you should consider a delay pedal as your next time-based effect. Delay creates an echo effect that is richer and more expansive than reverb, and it’s a deep subject in itself. You can also find pedals that combine both reverb and delay, such as the Wampler Ethereal™, giving you both effects in a single unit. Time-based effects like reverb and delay are typically connected to the effects loop of your amplifier if it has one. If not, they can be placed towards the end of your pedal chain.
5. Modulation Pedal: Adding Movement and Texture
Modulation pedals represent the most diverse category of effects pedals, with countless types to choose from. Common modulation effects found on pedalboards include chorus, flanger, phaser, vibrato, tremolo, u-vibe, and rotary. A modulation pedal can dramatically alter the texture and movement of your guitar tone. These effects are frequently used by lead guitarists to make their solos stand out. Perhaps the most iconic example is Eddie Van Halen and his use of the phaser. The signature tone of his lead playing and guitar solos, such as in “Eruption,” is significantly enhanced by modulation, allowing his solos to cut through the mix. Because this tone is so iconic, recommending the MXR Phase 90 pedal is only fitting. This is the very pedal EVH used to create his legendary guitar solo tones (though not that exact pedal – that one’s likely in a museum!).
So, now that you know the essential pedals to get started, go ahead and build your first pedalboard! With this knowledge, you might find yourself on a pedal-buying spree. You can thank me later – or maybe not, as we might all end up in debt from buying too many pedals! I’ve only scratched the surface of essential pedals here; the pedal world offers an enormous range of choices today. So, go explore, pick up some new toys, and have fun playing!
