A Beginner’s Guide to Guitar Pedals: Must-Have Effects for Your Pedalboard
While it may be quite easy for beginner guitarists to strum the basic chords of their favorite rock song, their guitar lines rarely carry the original's immediate power and distinct musical quality. It doesn’t take long to discover that the iconic tones of electric guitar heroes from Jimi Hendrix to the Edge to Jack White simply don’t happen without the right effects pedals. In fact, guitarists in genres that range from country to jazz to pop rely on guitar pedals to get the right sonic effect on each note.
Read on for an overview of different types of guitar effects pedals and how to chain them together for optimal sound. Start building a multipurpose pedalboard that’s right for you.
What Are Guitar Effects Pedals?
True to their “stompbox” nickname, guitar effects pedals typically take the form of small, circuitry-filled metal boxes that musicians step on to activate and deactivate. When switched on, these pedals affect guitar sound in many ways. Thanks to these sound modifications, effects pedals often inspire and enhance guitarists' creativity.
Which Guitar Pedals Should a Beginner Have?
Different guitarists will inevitably gravitate toward different effects pedals based on the type of music they play and their desired sonic impact. If you’re looking for a good place to start exploring, check out the following guitar effects pedals for beginners:
Distortion and Overdrive Pedals
Because they produce a similar “overblown” sound, distortion pedals and overdrive pedals are often lumped together. However, they use different types of clipping to create subtly different effects. The hard clipping of distortion creates a crunchy, heavily-distorted tone; while the soft clipping of overdrive is distinctly dirty yet significantly smoother and less distorted. Walrus audio makes many fine distortion and overdrive pedals that are great for beginners.
Delay Pedals
By temporarily storing your guitar output signal and then playing it back, delay pedals can create simple echoes as well as cascading walls of sound. Delay is prevalent in all types of moody and ambient music, but it can also provide a driving rhythmic element on louder, upbeat songs. Beginners might want to try some of the quality Earthquaker delay pedals at Brian’s Guitars.
Reverb Pedals
Another time-based effect, reverb is designed to simulate the ways that sound waves bounce off different surfaces in different environments. Subtler reverb settings can recreate the auditory feel of a small room, while extreme settings can recall the sound of yodeling in a mountain valley. Both Walrus and Earthquaker make great reverb pedals for beginners.
Modulation Pedals
Walrus and Earthquaker also offer exceptional modulation pedals for beginner guitarists. These pedals change the sound of each note in terms of vibration, oscillation, and other sonic characteristics. Chorus pedals multiply each note played, allowing you to sound like a group of guitarists. Flanger pedals also add thickness and depth but with a more pronounced sweeping or whooshing quality. Phase shift pedals make a similar sweeping sound, allowing guitarists to hit various high and low tones to mimic the sound of a taxing airplane.
Tuner Pedal
A tuner pedal is a great way to ensure that you always remain in tune. You can readily stomp it at any time to retune quickly and silently. The Walrus Canvas Tuner is a dependable and easy-to-use model for beginners.
How to Chain Your Guitar Pedals for Optimal Sound
To avoid signal interference and provide intuitive use, guitarists must generally experiment with the chain order of their effects pedals and refine it over time. Changes in this order can have a huge effect on your sound. Most guitarists begin their pedal chain with basic functional pedals such as tuners and volume pedals. In many cases, dynamic gain effects pedals such as distortion and overdrive come next, followed by modulation and then time-based effects pedals.
Enter the World of Guitar Effects Pedals at Brian’s Guitars
Explore the creative potential of guitar effects pedals and start building your pedalboard today with Brian’s Guitars. Check out our in-store collection of beginner-friendly effects pedals and other guitar accessories.
FAQs About Guitar Effects Pedals for Beginners
What are the best guitar effects pedals for beginners?
After considering your desired sound and playing style, you may want to begin with a tuner, modulation, reverb, delay, overdrive, and/or distortion pedal.
How many pedals should a beginner have?
Once again, the answer to this question will depend on the wants and needs of each guitarist. However, many experts recommend becoming proficient with a single pedal before attempting to incorporate more into your playing.
Can I use multi-effects pedals instead of individual pedals?
While more experienced guitarists often prefer individual effects pedals, some beginner and intermediate guitarists can benefit from multi-effects pedals or processing units that can produce many different effect types. Multi-effects pedals are a great way to get a number of effect options at a cheaper price point, but individual pedals allow you to build your sound over time while getting the exact qualities that you want from each effect.
