Ever since the invention of electric guitars, there were guitar pedals. Pros and seasoned veterans rely on these little contraptions to customize their tone, metalheads use them to pump up their high-gain amps, solo guitarists use them to spice up their solos – there’s no limit to what you can do with a few of them.
We’re here to cover all modern guitar effect types, including guitar pedals for beginners, and to suggest a couple of must-have pedals along the way, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!
24 Must-Have Guitar Pedals
Overdrive
People often confuse overdrive effect pedals with distortion pedals, but even though these two sound similarly, there are a lot of differences between them.
Overdrive effect pedals aim to ‘mimic’ the sound you’d normally get from a tube amp (a cranked one, for that matter). The gain boost is very dynamic, responding to your playstyle (unlike distortion effect pedals).
Table of Contents
Fulltone OCD
Here we are looking at a relatively humble drive pedal – Fulltone’s OCD. Though it does come at a hefty price, we can guarantee that you won’t find a more authentic, more unique drive guitar pedal within the price range.
There’s the ‘volume’ knob which governs the signal’s strength, the ‘tone’ which colors it up, and the ‘drive’ which adds or removes the gain from it. It’s highly responsive, very easy to use, and it sounds absolutely exquisite.
- Compulsive Drive Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
Distortion
Distortion pedals are very different from drive guitar pedals – they’re more aggressive and add substantially more gain, dirt, and grime to your sound.
Most people associate distortion pedals with hard rock and heavy metal bands, which is not necessarily wrong – all of these bands do, in fact, rely on distortion pedals to get their bread and butter. If you’re looking to score a quality dist pedal, take a look at Mudhoney II and Dark Blood.
T-Rex Mudhoney II
The T-Rex Mudhoney II is a huge, massive distortion, perfect for those high-gain lovers and metal fans. It features two gain level knobs and two tone controls, allowing you to shape and roughen up your sound to earth-
shattering depths.
If that’s not enough for your taste, there’s also a ‘boost’ knob which, suffice to say kicks things up a notch, and even that would be a major understatement.
As for the tone of this distortion itself, most people describe it as ‘vintage’, although it’s a bit more on the new-school side considering the extensive tonal range you’ll be able to play with, it provides a substantial boost to the already-great level of versatility it offers.
- Two channels of vintage gain classic dual distortion
- Vast tonal range delivers everything from smooth dirty edge to a harrowing wall of distorted sound
- New tone controls allows the timbre to be shaped for a signature sound
KHDK Dark Blood
We’ve got something rather special here – KHDK’s Dark Blood is Kirk Hammett’s signature distortion pedal. If you’re digging Metallica and want to sound like them, there’s just no better way of achieving it than having a piece of their gear.
In a nutshell, Dark Blood is not a versatile guitar effect pedal. It’s meant for ultra-gain distortion lovers exclusively, and all you’ll get to tinker around with is gain, gain, and more gain. It’s pricey, but it will blow the roof up given the chance.
- Dark Blood is built on KHDK’s original circuit combining solid state and mosfet technology.
- KHDK’s most evil pedal to date, Dark Blood delivers an angry, merciless amp-like distortion
- Richly articulate and deep, Dark Blood can provide the main tone into your clean amp and is ideal as a fly rig...
Boosters
Boosters are, without any doubt, the simplest effect pedals out there. All they do is simply add (and enhance) the gain to your guitar’s signal, amplifying the overall volume and any and all distortion or drive-based effects you have in your signal.
You can use them to accentuate certain passages in songs or to get the attention of the crowd during solo parts, but there are also other types of boosters (such as treble boosts, for example), which simply provide additional tonal versatility.
Catalinbread Naga Viper
Catalinbread has some of the most exotic guitar effect pedals out there, and by simply looking at Naga Viper you’ll understand what we meant.
As a treble booster, this pedal is a must have for every seasoned veteran. It aims to help you improve your mids without cutting back the other ends of the soundstage. The only downside is that it’s quite expensive, but it’s a tone saver – you’ll be able to retain your sound on virtually every amp with it, which is what makes it absolutely perfect for live performers.
- Based on the Dallas Range master
- Range knob for continuous control over EQ
- Head knob to control boost gain
Wah-Wahs
We all know what a ‘wah wah’ is, but let’s talk a bit about how it works. Generally, the wah pedal alters the frequencies of guitar’s signal, sweeping it up and down. This generates the ‘wah-like’ sound.
It was first discovered and used during the ‘20s by trumpet players (although they weren’t using a pedal), and nowadays it’s one of the most popular effects in the musical world.
Dunlop CBM95
Basically, this is a smaller version of the original CryBaby – it’s only half as big, although it rocks a solid, durable chassis and sports the same features. There are three levels of adjustable voicings, the sweep range is incredibly broad, and the overall performance is on a par to the original.
CryBaby Mini offers the benefits of a smaller footprint and compactness – the rest is virtually the same as with the original (which is held in high regard among the guitar enthusiasts community).
- Half the size of a standard Cry Baby pedal
- Three internally adjustable voicings
- Full sweep range
Vox V845
The Vox V845 is a reincarnation of the ‘60s model – it provides the most vintage-like wah sound, plenty of durability due to its robust chassis, and a very ‘stompy’ footswitch.
It’s slightly cheaper than CryBaby (and CryBaby mini), and we can safely say that if you’re looking for old-school wahs, you’ll be satisfied with this one. Though it doesn’t have the versatility of some boutique wah pedals out there, it’s certainly well worth the money due to its premium performance and sturdiness.
- Vox's V845 Wah Wah Pedal preserves the spirit and tone of the early VOX wah-wah pedals"a sound still sought...
- Designed to withstand the rigors of life on the road, the V845 features a solid yet lightweight die-cast...
- The Vox V845 Classic Wah Wah Guitar Effects Pedal is based on the specifications of the original pedal...
Fuzz
We can look at ‘fuzz’ as ‘distortion’s little brother’. Basically, fuzz pedals clip the sound (the term is square-wave clipping actually), saturating it with heavy gain, which in turn results in a ‘fuzzy’ kind of tone.
Fuzz pedals offer a more ‘synthetic’ tone, as with all the fuzziness there’s just a little bit of the ‘true sound’ left. If you crank the control knobs too high up, you’ll get so much hissing that the sound might become completely unrecognizable.
However ‘volatile’ this might seem, fuzz pedals are very fun to use and, if you know what you are doing, you can get something rather exquisite from them.
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof v2
The EarthQuaker Devices Hoof v2 is a very interesting pedal, as it will allow you to get to the edge of both extremes, be it a clear sustain with minimum drive, or absolute train wreck of feedback laden with more fuzz than you’d ever need.
It sports four control knobs which are all fairly sensitive. You’ll be able to color up your soundstage with Tone, Level, and Shift, adding as much ‘Fuzz’ as you want with the last one. It’s pricey, but it’s also one of the best fuzz pedals out there.
- Fuzz Guitar Effects Pedal with Hybrid Germanium/Silicon Circuitry True-bypass Operation
Reverb
In essence, reverb pedals tend to simulate the situation where the sound hits hard surfaces (and, of course, it being reflected back). These pedals date back to the 50’s, and some of the earliest reverb pedals were called ‘plate reverb pedals’. Though they were rather convincing, they were replaced in the next decade by ‘spring reverb pedals’ – an improved version which provided enhanced acoustics.
Nowadays, we can see digital reverb pedals that are capable of simulating virtually anything – church, room, hall, you name it. There are several parameters of modern reverb pedals, such as FX ratio, decay, tone, and (in most digital models) reverb type.
The FX ratio represents the volume contrast between dry and wet signals, decay time virtually represents the reverberation time, type is rather self-explanatory, and the tone colours up the end result.
TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2
The ‘Hall of Fame 2’ is among the most versatile analog reverb pedals out there. It allows you to choose between five reverb types, including church, plate, spring, hall, and room, but there are other tone prints at your disposal as well.
It also rocks the analog-dry-through feature, optimizing the blend of both signals into a perfect balance of sound clarity and performance. As for the connectivity, both stereo and mono ins and outs are available, so it’s safe to say that this pedal will fit any kind of setup.
- New MASH footswitch and shimmer effect
- Tone print- instant access to custom pedal-tweaks made by your idols!
- Stereo in & out - added flexibility to fit any set-up
Delay
Delay effects are pretty self-explanatory. Basically, the pedal records the signal and then reproduces it after some time (depending on the model). Certain models can reproduce this signal several times in short intervals, mimicking the idea of a ‘chorus’ on top of the delay.
There’s a whole bunch of things you could do with this pedal, from adding a bit of color to your sound, to creating something entirely unique. Solo players prefer them more than most, but they come in handy in virtually every situation – home practice, recording, even gigs.
Boss DD-7
Here we are looking at Boss DD-7 digital delay. It features four control knobs – level, feedback, delay time, and mode. The delay can go up to some 6,4 seconds, the tap tempo feature, and both wet and dry routing, but what makes this pedal special is its versatility – namely, you can switch between analog and digital modes (although you should be aware that this is a primarily digital delay pedal).
What’s more, you’ll be able to record your delays sound-on-sound style with the ‘hold mode’. In comparison to earlier Boss DD versions, the DD-7 tends to stick to the roots, but also adds valuable and innovative additions. Though it’s not mainly a beginner’s pedal, it’s fairly easy to use and play around with.
- Boss DD-7 Digital Delay Pedal
MXR M169
It’s small, it’s sleek, and it’s one of the best analog delay pedals ever – the MXR’s Carbon Copy stands for one of the latest letters in delay technology.
Packing three control knobs (mix, regen, and delay), it’s one of the most straightforward pedals in this category. On top of that, its sound is rich and performance exquisite. With adjustable modulation and an incredibly small footprint, Carbon Copy is held in high regard by both studio musicians and live performers.
- Rich, all-analog delay
- Up to 600 milliseconds of delay time
- Modulation controls emulate tape echo tones
Chorus
We’re moving on to chorus pedals, so let’s start by explaining what they do. Essentially, a chorus effect is used to thicken the guitar’s signal by simply copying it several times and playing them slightly delayed.
Unlike distortion and overdrive, the chorus effect is a modulation effect – you’ll get the feeling as if you played several guitars simultaneously. Now, this ‘effect’ doesn’t simply copy the main signal – it also colors it up a bit, and each copy is slightly different both from the main signal and from the other copies.
Boss CH-1
Boss had invented the CH-1 stereo super chorus at the start of this millennium, and it’s safe to say that people loved it and are still using it to this day. The reason why it’s so good is because it’s versatile – you’ll get to customize your chorus effect with ease with EQ control, rate, depth, and FX level control knobs.
Overall, almost all Boss pedals look the same and operate on a similar principle, and this one’s not an exception. If you’re content with how this brand makes their pedals, we can guarantee that you’ll be more than satisfied with the CH-1.
- Chus Effects Pedal f Guitar Keyboard with Stereo Outputs
- Depth Controls
- Effect Level
Electro Harmonix Small Clone
No products found.The Small Clone is, without any doubt, the easiest pedal you can use. It has a depth switch and only one control knob reading ‘rate’.
Most guitarists describe this chorus pedal as ‘classy and old-school’, and we completely agree with that statement, as it provides spacey, clear chorus without impeding upon your tone one bit. It’s a bit more expensive than most chorus pedals, but it packs a huge value for the money.
No products found.
Flanger
A Flange pedal (or a flanger) provides the guitarist with a sound-altering effect. Basically, most beginner guitarists can’t tell a difference between a flanger and a plain phase shifter, and rightly so – both of these effect pedals somewhat ‘distort’ the sound. Or do they?
So, what flanger does is literally split the signal in two different copies and let’s them on at the same time. The first part is unchanged, whereas the second part is slightly delayed. The result is somewhat hard to describe with words, as there are elements of fuzz, distortion even, on top of what we know as delay, and maybe even a bit of reverb on top.
So, why would you need a flanger? It can alter your tone in a dramatic fashion, and it’s widely used by solo guitarists who want their highlight moments to sound a lot differently than their leads and regular passages.
‘Width’ let’s you spread out the signal’s frequencies and add a bit of extra punch, or if you turn it the other way, it lets you narrow it down and sort of ‘tame it’.
Overall, this is a relatively cheap pedal which allows you to play around with your sound in the easiest manner possible, it’s definitely worth the buck, if not more.
TC Electronic Vortex
The one thing that makes the Vortex so good is the near infinite palette of sound options you’ll get with it. It features only four control settings, including speed, depth, feedback, and delay time, but what’s not so apparent that it packs TonePrint technology and two flanger types.
Basically, this is one of the more versatile flange pedals that, however, requires a certain degree of skill if it’s to be used the way it was meant to – it packs a huge punch for the cash even though it can’t be regarded as ‘cheap’ per se.
- Tone print technology Enabled
- Classic flange and tape flange modes
- Intuitive yet deep control set
Boss BF-3
Boss’ pedals are widely regarded as premium, and BF-3 is not an exception. This model is relatively easy to use – it has only four self-explanatory knobs, including ‘manual’, ‘depth’ ,’rate’, and ‘mode’.
Now, the Boss BF-3 can make your guitar sound like a wounded animal, a rabid dog, or even some of the darkest fiends the night shelters if you use it properly – the ‘ultra’ mode fattens up the flanging effect to the point where windows break and earth trembles (a bit). Overall, it’s pretty great, though it does cost a lot for a flanger pedal.
- Flanger Pedal f Guitar Bass with Momentary Mode
- Ultra Gain/Pan Modes
- Tap Tempo
Compressors
There are a lot of similarities between Compressor and EQ pedals. For example, both of these pedal types aim to ‘balance out’ the overall sound structure, but the main difference is that they do it in a different way.
Simply put, compressor pedals ‘compress’ certain aspects of tones your guitar pickups emit, making the punchy, stronger tones a bit more controlled, and on the other hand, making those subtle tones more pronounced and accentuated if need be.
Of course, just like with any other pedal type, compressors allow you to finely tune the end result. Even though different brands make different kinds of compressor pedals, most of them allow you to add a little bit of strength to your lows, enhance your sustain, and make the dynamics a bit more stable.
MXR Dyna Comp M102
First of all, let’s begin by saying that the MXR Dyna Comp compressor pedal is a fairly old pedal. In fact, it’s at least a couple of decades old, and you might see a lot of pros sporting it. One of the things it does best is add a bit of punchiness to the cleans, although it can smooth the leads out just as good.
People who’re looking to flavor up their sustain may rely on Dyna Comp, as it was practically built to provide just that. On top of all, it has only two knobs (output and sensitivity), so using it is practically a breeze.
Although you might need a day or two to find that sweet spot, this pedal is not exactly versatile. There are compressors that allow you to customize your sound more, but Dyna Comp does the job, and then some. In a nutshell, it’s reliable, fairly easy to use, and it’s good for guitarists at all skill levels.
- In-line compressor “evens out” the signal to your amplifier
- Useful for increased sustain with stable dynamics
- Nashville studio standard
TC Electronic HyperGravity Compressor
TC Electronic’ engineers have done an amazing job with this one. The HyperGravity comp is possibly one of the best compression pedals you’ll find for the buck – it’s easy to use, it’s even more beginner-friendly than you’d expect, and it will help you get the most vintage-like old-school tone in minutes.
The main benefit of this compressor is that it got pre-set EQ parameters, so you’ll just have to pick a ‘sphere’ and attune it as per your own accord. For instance, there’s ‘sustain’, ‘blend’, ‘attack’, and ‘level’ – crank up what you want and lower what you don’t, it’s as simple as that.
What’s also good about it is the fact that you can’t really mess things up too much – the knobs aren’t so ‘hyper sensitive’, but you’ll still get to feel the difference. Again, this is a beginner-friendly pedal that might serve pros and seasoned veterans alike.
- Studio-quality multiband compressor
- Vintage Mode for classic stomp box compression
- Tone print enabled - for a world of signature and customizable effects
EQ-Pedals
EQ, or equalizer pedals are basically your ‘fine tuners’. They are used to adjust the balance the low, mid, and high frequencies coming from your guitar’s pickups. There are simple models, such as Earthquaker’s Tone Job and there are more complex models such as MXR’s M198S – it’s up to you to decide just how much customization you need.
While most effect pedals aim to help the player customize the warmth, sharpness, and colorfulness of their tone, EQ pedals are there to add a finishing touch.
Empress ParaEq
Empress is a reliable, well-known brand in this branch of the industry, and we’ve taken a gander at their ParaEq equalizer pedal. It features six EQ knobs, including LF, MF, and HF (low, middle, and high frequency) knobs, and low gain, mid gain, and high gain knobs. Lastly, there’s a boost switch which simply enhances the given input (as well as a boost knob which fine tunes it).
It’s surprisingly easy to use it, it gives plenty of headroom, and best of all – it boasts pinpoint accuracy. Even the slightest twists of a knob will yield substantial results, so if you’re looking for quality, you’ve found some.
Truth be told, the ParaEq is quite expensive, considering that there are several times cheaper EQ pedals, but it’s safe to say that this is one of the most versatile and accurate models available on the market.
- True Bypass
- Ultra-Quiet
- 30dB of Boost
Noise-Gates
If you’ve been in the guitar world for some time, you have probably heard about so-called ‘noise gates’, to say the very least. There are millions of musicians who know them but don’t use them, but sadly, the vast majority of guitarists don’t know how to use these pedals properly. Explaining the matter in detail is what this section is all about.
First of all, let’s start off by defining the function of a noise gate pedal. Essentially, they’re used to alleviate the feedback produced by high gain pickups. Of course, some models are better at this, some are barely useful, but the biggest factor that will determine the effectiveness of a noise gate pedal is ‘fine tuning’. Knowing ‘how’ to use these pedals is sometimes more important than picking the ‘right’ one.
Now, since most noise gate pedals are built in a plain fashion, so you’ll ‘just’ need to learn how to set the proper ‘threshold’ limit. This parameter will determine the exact point below which the noise gate won’t start. In essence, most beginner guitarist set the threshold to one of the extremes, which is obviously wrong – setting it too high will mean that your noise gate will start kicking in too late, whereas setting it too low might eliminate the softer (pleasant) noises as well.
Next up is the ‘decay’ function. There are various pedal types that feature a ‘decay’ knob, but this time around it refers to the speed at which the feedback and hissing sounds are dealt with.
High decay means that these noises will be clean cut in almost an instant, but your sound will appear synthetic and unnatural. Low decay, on the other hand, will mean that your sound will gradually be cleaned from the feedback. Some people like how low decay affects their sound, but it’s usually best to keep it somewhere in the middle.
Now that we’ve understood what noise gates are, let’s see some of the finest noise gate pedals you can get for the money.
MXR M135 Smart Gate
You don’t get to see a lot of single-knob pedals, and MXR’s M135 Smart Gate is just the thing. It’s remarkably easy to use, but it doesn’t cut back on versatility as much as you’d think. Namely, there are 3 selectable levels of noise reduction – full, medium, and hiss. The ‘full’ cuts down any and all unwanted noise (as much as possible), the ‘mid’ level chops down most of them, whereas ‘hiss’ only alleviates the most accentuated, the most pronounced feedback effects.
This pedal didn’t earn the name ‘Smart Gate’ for nothing – it reacts slowly to long sustains and responds to syncopated notes in rapid fashion. That means that your sound won’t ‘suffer’, even if you didn’t hit that sweet spot by tweaking the knob.
It is somewhat expensive, but we can guarantee that you’ll have a tough time finding a better noise gate for the buck.
- Three selectable noise reduction ranges
- Reacts gradually to long, sustained notes and quickly to short, syncopated notes
- Fast attack time reserves picking transients and harmonic overtones
Electro Harmonix The Silencer
The Silencer – it sounds quite melodramatic, right? Well, rightly so. Electro Harmonix’ Silencer is a perfect mix of quality noise gate and FX loop, blending two very useful pedal models into one compact solution.
This pedal is better suited for more experienced players, mainly because you’ll have three knobs to tweak instead of the usual one or two – the threshold, reduction, and release. Given some experience and time, this pedal will become a vital key in your signal, as it provides superb versatility and offers zero compromise between quality and functionality.
Once you’ve dealt with the noise gate parameters, you’ll be free to experiment with the loop functions the Silencer has to offer. On a side note, this pedal is cheaper than MXR’s Smart Gate, but it’s a piece of work.
- Use it as an inline noise gate or to gate an entire effects loop
- Delivers up to -70dB of noise reduction
- Features 8ms to 4 seconds of release time
Multi FX Pedals
Basically, Multi FX (effects) pedals are combo pedals which feature several effect types. They offer a fine compromise between versatility and quality – though you’ll usually get the opportunity to utilize a bunch of presets and even combine them, these ‘effects’ pale in comparison to the real deal.
Now, one of the best things about Multi FX pedals is that you’ll be ‘gig-ready’ the instant you figure out how to use them. Flip through the plethora of presets and simply save the ones you like the most on the banks – most of these pedals come with a footswitch which allows you to switch between ‘saved’ banks.
Generally, Multi FX pedals are meant for people who don’t have the experience needed to tangle with several standalone pedals and for people who simply wish to play around with their tone. Pros seldom use them, though.
So, to wrap things up, it’s hard to imagine a ‘versatile’ pedal that doesn’t somehow fit into this category. If that’s what you’re after, take a look at our picks below.
TC Electronic G-System
The effects you’ll find here are top-shelf, and even though you’ll need at least a month to get a glimpse of what the G-System can do, it goes without saying that you’ll get to customize your sound in ways you couldn’t even dream of.
There’s just one thing that you’ll miss out on – there’s no overdrive and distortion effects onboard. On top of that, the G-system costs an arm and a leg, so if you can look past these small flaws, we’re certain you’ll find much value of this amazing multi FX pedal.
All things considered, this is a boutique level high-end multi-effect pedal which is absolutely perfect for musicians who perform live, session musicians, and people who simply want to toy around with their sound at home. Start saving up, and give it a shot – this is one of the most unique and exquisite pedals ever made.
- Can power up to 9 effects simultaneously
- Flexible board design - can be separated and used both in a 19” rack with the control board on the floor
- 4 switchable mono-loops for your favorite effect pedals
Line 6 Firehawk
Let’s talk about Line 6 and their Firehawk FX guitar pedal. In essence, this is one of the best all-around pedal boards you could possibly have for the money. It’s perfect for recording, gigs, and home practice due to its virtually unlimited number of presets.
This particular model is one of the newer Line 6 editions, and we can clearly see how the brand introduced a completely different approach to how it’s meant to be used.
The Firehawk has only a small number of onboard knobs and settings – the idea was to utilize the myriad of settings this pedal offers via smartphone (app), which brings a ton of benefits along the way. This is, in fact, a Bluetooth-enabled effect pedal which can be operated in a number of ways (directly and remotely).
Out of the box, you get to choose between 108 amp presets, some 120 effects, as well as 24 cabinets, and that excludes your own presets. So, with a plethora of effects and superior connectivity, Line 6’ Firehawk is definitely something you should at least take into consideration.
The only drawback, however, is that this particular pedal costs an arm and a leg (metaphorically speaking). It does pack quite a punch for the money, though.
- 300+ world-class amps and effects, including 48 HD models & 128 onboard presets.
- 5 FX on/off, channel and bank footswitches with colored LED rings
- Onboard tone control, plus detailed editing via Bluetooth Remote app for Android and iOS
Boutique Pedals
Boutique pedals are, for the lack of better words, those guitar effect pedals that have characteristics of at least two other effect types. Most people refer to ‘boutique’ items as ‘high-end’ or ‘expensive’, but that only comes secondly.
Now, there’s a very special reason why you should consider having at least one ‘Boutique’ pedal in your signal chain – finding a unique sort of sound and integrating exquisite textures into your tone will become substantially easier.
So, since this sub-category is quite broad, we’ve taken the liberty of picking out two ‘exotic’ pedals – the Hologram Electronics’ Dream Sequence and Dr Scientist’ Frazz Dazzler. Enjoy.
Hologram Electronics Dream Sequence
The Dream Sequence pedal is definitely one of the weirdest effect pedals you can find on the market simply due to the fact that it bears semblance to a dozen other effect pedal types. The brand refers to it as ‘octaver’, and as a ‘programmable rhythm pedal’, but it’s more than just that.
There’s a ‘shape’ knob that basically does a job a ‘sequencer’ would, as it adjusts the strength of the shifted signal, as well as a total of 24 built-in presets. You can use the ‘preset bank’ knob to switch between your own presets, factory presets, and saved ones.
Now, the ‘subdivision’ is by far the most interesting knob onboard. It lets you choose the sequencer pattern, allowing you to switch between no-shift, octave up, down, both, and even random. Suffice to say, you’ll get an opportunity to create some of the most peculiar and exquisite sounds and textures with this pedal.
Now, the biggest advantage of this effect pedal can be seen in its versatility. There’s plenty of room for sound customization, but even if you don’t want to tinker around with your sound all day long, there are enough presets to get you going.
The only bad thing is that it costs quite a lot, but even so, it does a good bang for the buck. It might not be so good for beginners, but it works like a charm in experienced hands.
Dr Scientist Frazz Dazzler
Here’s another great pedal for all of you searching for something a bit different. The Frazz Dazzler by Dr Scientist is, in essence, a ‘Frankenstein’ pedal, sporting elements of fuzz and EQ effect pedals, although it’s considered as a fuzz pedal primarily.
Now, for start, this pedal has a three-band equalizer onboard which means that you’ll be able to find the sound you’re looking for quite easy. Use the ‘mix’ knob to mix your signals in (wet and dry), as this way you’ll get to choose the amount of sound you’ll get on each end.
The volume knob is pretty self-explanatory – it governs the strength of the output. Now, let’s talk a bit about the ‘Gain’ knob. It uses special transistors to provide a uniquely sounding distortion-like fuzz which can be driven even further up with the ‘gain’ footswitch, resulting in a massive sound.
Although this is a relatively plain guitar effect pedal, it’s definitely among the most exquisite models on the market of today.
- Operation: Mono input, mono output
- Power Requirements: 9VDC @ 50mA
- Input/Output Impedance: 500kohm/1kohm
Tuners
Since the invention of clip-on tuners, the regular tuner pedals are kind of left in their shade. Nevertheless, a proper guitarist should know that pedals are far more reliable than those clip-on gadgets.
So, what does a ‘tuner’ do? It provides you with portable and accurate means of tuning your guitars with pinpoint precision.
Boss TU3
Boss’ TU3 is a stompbox-style chromatic tuner suited for tuning both guitars and bass guitars. It features a LED-lit display which is highly visible, and the premium hardware components ensure absolute precision at all times.
On the downside, it’s several times more expensive than a regular tuner, but it will last you for decades due to its mountain-firm chassis, to say the very least.
- Guitar Bass Tuner Pedal with High-Brightness Mode f Outdo Visibility
- 21-segment LED Meter
- Drop Tuning Suppt
If you want to know more about different the types of tuners, check-out our round-up of the best clip-on, automatic & pedal tuners available today.
Final Words
With such a vast number of guitar effect types, it’s really a great time to be alive if you’re a guitar player in the making. There’s just so much to choose from, so many brands and so many models, as the industry is at its prime.
We hope that you liked our selection of the best guitar pedals, and we wish you all the luck with finding what you’re after.
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Source: Amazon
There are so many great options that you have listed. Planning to get MudHoney 2 soon 🙂