Looper pedals are incredibly useful and versatile tools that guitarists can use to experiment, practice, and fine-tune their sound. This has made them a universal mainstay on the pedalboards of guitar players across all genres. But, if you are just starting out and are new to the world of effects pedals, you may just be wondering where to put a looper pedal on a pedal board.
While it may not seem like a big deal at first, pedal chain order is incredibly important and can have a huge effect on your overall tone and sound. Getting this order right is essential if you want to be able to craft your sound and differentiate yourself as a guitarist, so just what is a looper pedal in the first place, and where should you put it in your pedal chain?
Looper pedals are some of the most unique and versatile guitar effects pedals available. Unlike some of the most common effects pedals, which add to or manipulate frequencies in some way, looper pedals take the signal that they receive and save it to either be repeated or manipulated in a variety of different ways. This can be an incredibly helpful aid in experimentation and is also a fantastic way to practice and flesh out songs that you’re writing.
The vast majority of guitar players use these types of pedals to save and playback or loop guitar riffs that they can then continue to play a new riff on top of. Depending on the type of looper pedal that you have, you may even be able to create multiple layers that can make the songs you play sound a lot more like you’re playing with a full band instead of all by yourself.
No matter what genres you like to play or how far along on your guitar journey you are, looper pedals are an essential tool that every guitar player should save space for on their pedalboard.
While there are certainly plenty of guitar players out there who prefer to place their looper pedals in effects loops, the vast majority stick to placing their loopers at the very end of their chain.
There are a lot of reasons for this, but by far the most important is that by placing it at the end of the pedal chain, you’ll be able to loop guitar parts that utilize any combination of the effects pedals before it in the chain.
For example, one common use for looper pedals is to loop a rhythm guitar part that you can then play a lead or solo on top of. Putting your looper at the end of the chain could allow you to loop a chorus rhythm part drenched in reverb, which you can then play over using a completely different combination of effects like distortion or overdrive.
If you place the looper anywhere else in the chain, you simply won’t have the same amount of freedom to do this, so unless you’re overtly trying to experiment, there’s really no more optimal place to put your looper pedal than at the very end of your pedal chain.
Setting up a pedalboard is a rite of passage for many guitarists, but jumping into the world of effects pedals for the first time can be intimidating. With so many different types of pedals out there and so much information to absorb, it can be a significant challenge just figuring out where to start.
The good news is that you already know where your looper should go in your pedal chain, which is a great starting point. However, with so many other effects pedal options out there, it doesn’t quite paint a complete picture.
Many guitarists have conflicting opinions when it comes to pedal order, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with experimenting. But, If you’re wondering how to set up your pedal board and just want a proven pedal order that will work right away, here is everything that you need to know.
Again, there is really no right and wrong when it comes to pedal chain order, and there’s plenty of room for experimentation. However, there is also plenty of conventional knowledge about how to organize effects pedals for those who want something that will work right away.
In general, your pedal chain should start with a buffer, followed by compressors, boosts, overdrives/distortion pedals, and fuzz pedals. Then comes delay pedals, reverb, and modulation pedals, including chorus pedals, flangers, and phasers. Then, if you have a wah pedal, this should be the final piece of your chain, right before your looper.
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