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Crafting a unique tone is an essential part of any guitar player’s journey, and from trying out different guitars and amps to playing around with pickup switches and tone knobs, guitarists have plenty of tools to work with. Still, while these methods can bring you a long way, it’s no secret that effects pedals are undoubtedly the most impactful tool that guitar players have to help them achieve their ideal tone.
Effects pedals offer a ton of freedom and tonal variety that guitar players can use to create everything from heavily distorted sounds that shake the building to twinkly reverbs that feel like a dream and everything in between. But, with so many pedals to choose from, diving into the world of effects pedals for the first time can be incredibly intimidating for newer players.
By far, the most important thing to consider is that you want to pick pedals that match your playing style and the sound that you want to create, but this is often easier said than done. So, how can you help yourself ensure that you choose the right pedals for your unique style?
When choosing the first few pedals of your collection, it’s essential that you get off to a good start, and the best way to do that is to look to your favorite guitarists for inspiration. Every guitar player has at least a few favorite guitarists that they look up to, and chances are that your favorites are a big influence on the type of sound that you want to create. So, doing a quick Google search to see if there’s any information about the pedals they use is always a great place to start.
You may need to dig pretty hard for some of your favorites, but even if they’re hard to find, there’s a good chance you can find an interview or concert picture that gives you more insight into what pedals your favorite guitarists like to use.
With so many different types of pedals to choose from, knowing a bit more about the most common types of pedals and what they do can go a long way to helping ensure that you make the right decisions. So, if you want to make sure that you start your collection off right, here are some of the most common and essential pieces on any guitarist’s board.
Overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals are all great choices when looking for a pedal that packs the extra punch your tone needs to truly rock. However, they also all provide vastly different sounds, so deciding which one is right for you may require a bit of experimentation.
In general, overdrive pedals are great for achieving more classic rock and bluesy tones; distortion pedals are more often used in metal and hard rock, and fuzz pedals provide the fuzzy tone you might recognize from bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Tame Impala.
Reverb pedals are another mainstay on many guitarists’ boards and are used in across almost every genre. Providing a beautiful, church-like echo effect that can add a ton of depth and emotion to clean and distorted tones alike. Whether you want to create a euphoric light dream pop sound, a darker, sad, or mysterious one, or anything in between, adding a reverb pedal to your board is a no-brainer.
Chorus pedals do exactly what their name says. They take the sound of you playing and multiply and tune it slightly up and down to add a choral effect that provides a much fuller sound that can add a tone of tonal possibilities to your playing. From creating bright and sparkly pop leads to stranger, more detuned sounds, every pedalboard is better off with the addition of a good chorus pedal.
Delay pedals are often a bit more difficult for new players to get used to, but their versatility makes them an essential tool for any guitarist. From simple delays and echos to more extreme and even glitchy sounds, delay pedals have become an essential part of the sound of tons of different bands, from Pink Floyd and Radiohead to Van Halen and Guns N’ Roses.
There’s no pedal more expressive than the wah, and for that reason, it has become an essential part of the sound of many of the most famous and talented guitar legends of all time. If you’re a fan of the solos of Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton and even more experimental guitarists like Tom Morello, a wah pedal will be a welcome addition to your board.
Once you’re confident that you’ve chosen all the right pedals, you’ll need a place to put them, which is where Pedal Pad Comes in. Pedal Pad is the number one custom pedalboard/hardcase solution that gives guitar players the freedom of complete customizability without the stress of having to do the hard building work yourself.
Every one of our boards is hand-made from the highest-quality materials and constructed by our expert board builders to ensure the highest quality, durability, and longevity possible, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
With tons of optional features, including built-in input/output jacks and extra storage room for power cables, spare Velcro, and even integrated power supplies, you can rest easy knowing that your new custom Pedal Pad board will have everything you need to help bring your unique sound to life.
Are you ready to start designing your new custom pedal board? Give us a call or send us an email. Our team is always here to answer your questions and help you design a custom board that meets all your needs. So, don’t settle for anything less than the perfect board. Call Pedal Pad and take the first step toward getting your dream board today!