Effects - When and How

[Tim]

I am having difficulty understanding and also kind of puzzled when it comes to using effects. I have read numerous articles about where the different effects are placed in the daisy chain order (Compressor, Distortion, EQ, Modulation, and Delay/Reverb).

My problem is the understanding when to and not to use them. As I understand Compression and some Reverb are used all the time. The other effects are used in relation to the sound or song one is trying to emulate. This would mean turning off/on the different pedals as one plays a song or set of songs.

Do I have the right conception in this process? Thanks for any help in this request.

[SuperSwede]

You certainly doesn´t have to use compressor all the time, but the benefits of using it is a more focused and tighter sound, perfect for chord work or snappy country leads.

I would advice you to try a lot of different effect combinations for a specific song and choose the one you like the most, not the one that tries to emulate the guitarist on the CD. Innovate, dont emulate...
Eventually you will learn how each effect work, and maybe more important: how they work together.

Well, that wasnt exactly the answer of you question (I bet one of the other members will give you a better answer) but maybe you got a little inspiration to explore the world of guitar effects.

[Spudman***]

I'm kind of with Swede on this one - experiment! Sometimes I try to get the most bizzare sounds I can with my effects. The sounds might have a place in a song somewhere, but most importantly it really helps me to understand just what each effect can do. Changing the order is fun too.

There are some accepted ideas for placement depending on what you are after. You can be either conventional or unconventional. Your choice.

Try this too.
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effec...explained.html

or look at these resources
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/