I honestly don't how these sounds can be described by words. I'm sure there are sound samples, demonstrations, etc. on YouTube and other web sites. The music store might be a good place, too.
Ok, so far in my guitar playing journey, i have successfully managed to avoid any type of effects, concentrating on learning my guitar/amp sounds and capabilities. Now my interest has been piqued in effects. So, the floor is your's gents; compression, screamer, delay, chorus, distortion, overdrive, flanger, etc; teach me (in laymans terms) what these effects do, what do they sound like (recommend songs to listen to that demonstrate these effects).
I'm not asking for recommendations of the best pedal in each category as that is probably subjective but if there is a definitive stomp box, please feel free to force it down my throat (figuratively speaking!).
I honestly don't how these sounds can be described by words. I'm sure there are sound samples, demonstrations, etc. on YouTube and other web sites. The music store might be a good place, too.
The first ones that pop into my head:
Chorus: The Police - Message in a Bottle, pretty much anything by them actually
Wah: Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)
Delay (extremely wet): U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, etc.
I'm sure there are good examples of phaser, flanger, and the like out there, but those are what I can think of at the moment.
Guitars: Gibson LP Studio, MIA Fender Precision, Carvin C350Originally Posted by Spudman
Amps: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 + Avatar B212 / Genzler 12-3, Acoustic B20
Pedals: Pod HD500X, Diamond Compressor, Tech 21 VT Bass, Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
Nicely put Eric
Phaser: Breathe (pink floyd)
Flanger Eddie Van Halen (most songs i guess)
Tremeolo How soon is now The Smiths
Fuzz Pedal: Satisfaction, Rolling Stones , Purple Haze Jimi Hendrix
Treble Booster: Queen, Pink Floyd
echo: The Shadows. most 1950/60 groups
Good call on The Smiths. I actually thought VH used phaser, but I did some googling and it turns out you're right -- it is flanger.
To the OP, you might also find this discussion useful:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=574219
Guitars: Gibson LP Studio, MIA Fender Precision, Carvin C350Originally Posted by Spudman
Amps: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 + Avatar B212 / Genzler 12-3, Acoustic B20
Pedals: Pod HD500X, Diamond Compressor, Tech 21 VT Bass, Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
Many thanks chaps, much appreciated. I am familiar with most if not all of the music you have mentioned so far. So, am i to assume that a 'Fuzz' is 'Distortion Plus' which, in turn, is an 'Overdrive plus'? I'm totally thrown by an 'Extremely Wet Delay' though.
I'll tell you, i'm toying with the idea of getting some pedals to experiment with. Inexpensive but not cheap if you get my meaning. Having read through some threads and done a little research, i think my first purchase may well be a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver as this seems a little less extreme compared to a 'metal' pedal though that should'nt be discounted entirely. It's good to be able to associate an effect with a song as it can be heard in context, especially when i'm not too familiar with the names.
Thanks again fella's, keep 'em coming!
That's pretty fair; I'd say you have the general idea.Many thanks chaps, much appreciated. I am familiar with most if not all of the music you have mentioned so far. So, am i to assume that a 'Fuzz' is 'Distortion Plus' which, in turn, is an 'Overdrive plus'?
One of the biggest things for me with learning how to use delay has been getting the mix (i.e. how much of your signal is affected by the delay, or essentially what % of your original signal is repeated) right. U2 / The Edge uses close to 100% mix on his delay, which results in his crazy sound. I'd say the vast majority of people use a considerably lower mix.I'm totally thrown by an 'Extremely Wet Delay' though.
The BD-2 is a good start, and a pretty nice overdrive. If I may, I might suggest you look into a multi-effects pedal that offers you a bunch of different effects. It's a good chance to get familiar with how they all work and what they sound like. I would say either the Boss ME-50 or the Digitech GNX series should be pretty cheap and either would work well for teaching you about effects. Just be sure to get one with a straightforward interface. Units like the Boss GT-10 are so complicated, it can take forever to figure them out. That's why I liked the ME-50 so much.I'll tell you, i'm toying with the idea of getting some pedals to experiment with. Inexpensive but not cheap if you get my meaning. Having read through some threads and done a little research, i think my first purchase may well be a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver as this seems a little less extreme compared to a 'metal' pedal though that should'nt be discounted entirely. It's good to be able to associate an effect with a song as it can be heard in context, especially when i'm not too familiar with the names.
If you decide to go with individual pedals, that works too -- I'm just offering up another way to explore. It took me a long while to get up to speed with effects.
Guitars: Gibson LP Studio, MIA Fender Precision, Carvin C350Originally Posted by Spudman
Amps: Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 + Avatar B212 / Genzler 12-3, Acoustic B20
Pedals: Pod HD500X, Diamond Compressor, Tech 21 VT Bass, Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
The tremolo effect does this...
"I happen to have perfect situational awareness, Lana. Which cannot be taught, by the way. Like a poet's ... mind for ... to make the perfect words." - Sterling Archer
I found this cool web page that has explanations and audio samples
http://www.betterguitar.com/equipmen...explained.html
Boss has clips for all of their pedals. Here's the overdrive/distortion group. http://www.bossus.com/gear/productlist.php?ParentId=254 If you listen to the clips for the Blues Driver, Distortion, and Fuzz, you'll get a good idea of the difference between them. You might want to check out the Danelectro Cool Cat pedals, assuming that they are available in the UK. http://www.coolcattone.com/ They sound really good, they are made well, and are true bypass. Best of all, they are cheap. I've got their original Fuzz pedal. They have clips of their site too.
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
ROG. I think the only track that trumps 'Bang Bang' for tremolo is potentially, "Rumble" by Link Wray. They were certainly the two tracks that inspired me to build a tremolo pedal that's for sure.
As for learning about what FX you like, I would suggested an inexpensive multiFX unit would definitely be worth considering. You have all the FX you could want, they all work nicely with each other (with a pedal board now approaching 20 pedals myself I can assure you not all pedals work with all others) and you get to find out what you like and don't like with minimal outlay. Then if you decide you really need a better fuzz/chorus/delay whatever, you have a benchmark to shop against.
That's what I did anyway. I started with a Zoom 505. Just awful by today's standards, but it did teach me what most of the typical guitar FX sounded like.
Be warned though, as a few of us on here can attest, once you go down the rabbit hole of chasing the best individual FX sounds, it can be a lengthy and expensive process and you might just find at the end you really only needed a good guitar and amp after all
Thanks chaps, this is coming together quite nicely. I must say, the 'Multi FX' units were tempting at first and i have not totally disregarded them but i'm cautious of being swamped by effects and the temptation of using them for the sake of using them to the extent of losing focus of the actual playing. If i could use a military analogy; the single effects pedal could be like a Sniper in that the precision of the action means you have a better than average chance of sloting your target. The Multi FX could be seen as carpet bombing in that yes, you'll probably hit the target but it's all the collateral damage that comes with it! I may be way off...........
Call me an old traditionalist, maybe even a Luddite but i quite like the idea of having a box of pedals and messing about with them. Is it that they are so tactile? Maybe it's because each have their own job to do with limited variables within that premis? Maybe the Multi FX pedals mean i have to sit down and read a manual for hours when the individual pedals could be seen as more intuative? I'll go to a shop when i get the opportunity to try some Multi FX pedals for size and maybe, in the meantime, i'll trawl e-bay for some 'pre-loved' reasonable standard pedals cheap.
Thanks again guys, keep 'em coming........
I like the path you're on, Mac. While I love sculpting my sound with effects, I also enjoy the simple guitar-cable-amp route. Sometimes when I use different effects, my playing style also changes.
If I were to suggest a few boxes to start with, I'd go with an overdrive and a delay. After that, perhaps a chorus and maybe a compressor.
Some multi-effects have too few foot switches, which means more time scrolling through menus and using your hands instead of simply tapping a switch to toggle a single effect on and off.
So yes, go try a few boxes and effects to see what appeals to your ear and needs. Also, check out threads like this,
What's the pedal you can not live without?
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.ph...t-live-without
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
For something not as complicated as a multi-effect pedal, you can get an amp with multiple effects. My Vox VT-30 has 11 effects +reverb that has given me a nice intro to what each effect is like.
I always think of Rebel Rouser for tremelo. Am I right there, right?
Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Ultra; pretty red Squier Acoustic;
Amps: Vox VT30;
Pedals: Dunlop Fuzz Face; Dunlop Crybaby Wah
My kids have: Squier Affinity Stratocaster MII; Fender G-DEC; Squire Acoustic; Jay Turser Strat-copy, Roland Cube amp
"I am a sworn enemy of the saccharine, and a believer in grace over karma." Bono 2001
An interesting article worth reading...
http://www.guitarworld.com/back-peda...-effect-pedals
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
Mm. I'm always a bit torn about pedals. Basically I think all you need is a good amp turned up loud and a nice strong guitar hooked up to it.
But. Always good to have a couple of variations of gain, so at least one OD/drive pedals is great to have. For instance, I have one OD pedal dialed way lower than normal sound, but with more drive, and that's what I use when the other guy plays a solo.
A delay can be nice to thicken up leads some, and make them stand out a little better. I wish I would some day learn to dial in a very nice solo delay myself, but I'm usually not happy with the results. But I do use some in the background to give it some width.
But, basically...I find them a distraction too often. Sure, on some songs...say CCR's Born On The Bayou you do need a specific effect like a tremolo, sure...but more or less, whenever there is a guitar intro with some clearly chorus sound or flanger or even delay, I tend to think it'd sound so much better without the effect masking the sound so much. Thus I don't use them myself. Maybe a touch of reverb in the studio or if the amp has one built.in. Maybe. But it's hard to find a verb that actually _adds_ to the sound and makes it bigger, instead of washing away all clarity and intensity. But there are some good reverbs out there.
What's my point? To each their own. It's not that I don't dig FX in guitars, it's just that they tend to be overused so easily. I would not mind having a dozen different fx pedals, if someone would turn them on when needed, and in that case I might use some pedal maybe on one song for 10 seconds, and another pedal in another for same, etc. etc. Just droplets of spices here and there.
Dee
"When life's a biatch, be a horny dog"
Amps: Marshall JVM 410H w/ Plexi Cap mod, Choke Mod & Negative Feedback Removal mod, 4x12", Behringer GMX110, Amplitube 3/StealthPedal
Half a dozen custom built/bastardized guitars all with EMG's, mostly 85's, Ibanez Artwood acoustic & Yamaha SGR bass, Epiphone Prophecy SG, Vox Wah, Pitchblack tuner plus assorted pedals, rack gear etc. for home studio use.
Know what you mean Dee, thats why i thought i'd ask on here and start simple. Anyway, an update. I've bought a bunch of pedals for a reasonable price that were advertised in the back of a local free paper. I went round to the guys house and he was selling off his son's gear as he's lost interest in guitars and gone to Uni (the son was there as well and could'nt be less interested). Anyway, there were a load of Boss pedals; DS-1, DD-3, CH-1, OS-2 and a Keeley modified BD-2 all on an old BCB-6 pedal board. They all seem to work well, the BD-2 really sounds great. I'm just playing around with them individually at the moment, particularly as i don't think i need two different overdrives in one chain. I'll do some reading up on what order they should be in but i've heard that Boss used to supply a document with 'recommended settings' to get you started and i've looked on the Boss site but can't anything on there, anyone have any pointers? Thanks again peeps!