How to Find the Right Guitar Effect

The guitar effect landscape goes on forever. Ask the right questions and you'll know the right way to go.

A question we get often is about which pedal somone should buy. The easy answer would be to tell you exactly which one is best, but the answer isn't that easy. We'd rather help you make the decision rather than make it for you.

Below are five factors you should consider when choosing a piece of gear.

Budget

How much money do you have to spend and how badly do you need that effect? I’ve been in love with the Z.vex Fuzz Factory for as long as I can remember but  chose to pick up an Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff instead. Would I trade straight up for a Z.vex? You know it! Still I’ve tracked plenty with the EHX and no one’s ever complained so I don’t need to upgrade.

No pedal is worth going into debt over. Sometimes you just have to do what’s right for your wallet.

Tone

How does it actually sound? It’s easy to get caught up in pretty lights and fancy paint jobs, but a pedal is about more than how it looks on your board. Compare the tone to similar effects. What sounds best to your ear? If you are concerned that you don’t have a discerning ear, reach out to some friends who do. Most gear heads are happy to talk with you for hours.

Features

It’s important to weigh the value of the pedal’s features. Does it offer everything you need in that effect or will you have to purchase an additional box to get an extra sound? There are also plenty of do-everything pedals that require you to pay for a ton of features when you may only need one or two. It’s good to have an idea of how you will use a pedal before you make the purchase.

Convenience

How important is convenience and what are you willing to give up to have it? I’ve played with drummers who will play with just a kick, snare and hi-hat so they don’t have to make more than one trip to the car, but others pack an 18 piece drum kit for the coffee shop gig just in case they want to hit that 6 inch tom. For guitarists, it’s usually a question of amp and pedal board versus a modeler.

If I was starting guitar today and my ambition was to play at home and at church, I would most likely drop $500 on a Pod HD500X and be done with it. It’s portable, customizable, sounds good enough for 90% of sound systems and would put a smile on my sound engineer’s face. It may totally be the right solution, but you also have to consider.

The Fun Factor

Let’s be honest, there are only a few pieces of gear you really need to play the majority of songs; pedals are toys. You play a guitar and you play with pedals. Either way, the key word here is “play”. What about that pedal is going to make it fun to use? When I was searching for a boost pedal, I found two that were comparable but the one that cost $30 more had a blue light. I decided it was worth it. You might scoff, but every time I step on that pedal I get a little extra satisfaction out of it. If you are going to spend the money, you might as well get something you really love.

It all comes down to a question of value. What do you value and how much do you value it?  One thing I will say is that good tone is no substitute for skill.  A great player can make anything sound good so focus on that first.

You’ve Got the Heart, We’ll Teach You the Skill.

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