Guitar Pedals & Effects

Guitar Pedals & Guitar Effects Explained

Very few subjects dealing with electric guitar are as deep and unending as guitar pedals and effects. An industry unto themselves, players still use everything from old amps with built-in reverb and tremolo to brand-new technology such as Line 6’s Helix multi-effects units. Guitar effects are so pervasive that just about every guitarist always keeps several in their rig. From single guitar pedals designed to enhance your guitar’s tone to otherworldly designs that create sounds never heard before, there are enough types, brands, and formats of guitar pedals to keep every guitarist’s gear addiction satiated for a very long time.

Distortion and Fuzz Guitar Pedals

What type of guitar pedal you should add to your collection completely depends on what tone you’re going for. But one style of guitar pedal that almost all of us use at some point is drive. Drive pedals include overdrives such as the Ibanez Tube Screamer guitar pedal, distortions such as the BOSS DS-1 pedal, and a classic example of fuzz such as Electro-Harmonix’s Big Muff Pi. Blues players who want to punch their amp a bit harder and jazz fusion guitarists looking for a thick, sustaining lead tone rely on these pedals to get their message heard.

Delay and Reverb Guitar Pedals

Time-based guitar effects are another popular pedalboard addition. These are your delay and reverb effects pedals. Pedal companies such as MXR, JHS, Line 6, and TC Electronic all make stellar examples of these guitar pedals. Delay pedals are incredibly popular for adding ambient repeats to your sound or creating a rhythmic element. Reverb pedals, on the other hand, can place your tone perfectly in the mix or even imbue your sound with the sonic signature of a massive cathedral, the 1960s’ finest spring tones, or anything in between.

Modulation Guitar Effects

Modulation guitar effects, such as chorus, flanging, phaser, vibrato, and rotary effects, are where the sonically adventurous tread. The chorused sound of “Message in a Bottle,” the jet-plane flange of “Unchained,” and Hendrix’s Uni-Vibe-soaked “Star-Spangled Banner” simply wouldn’t have had their genre-defining impacts without the tones generated by iconic guitar pedals and effects. Whether you prefer subtler tones or sonic anarchy, you’ll find it here.

Shop Guitar Effects Pedals

So you know the sound you want and the effect type you need. Now you just need to figure out what type of guitar pedal you’ll get it from. Single pedals are more popular than ever. Each pedal offers its own signature tone. And these pedals can be mixed and matched to achieve the exact tone in your head. Or maybe the ease of use and sheer versatility of a multi-effects unit is for you.

Today there are so many exciting things to think about when looking for guitar pedals and guitar effects that it’s an exceptional journey that never ends. Do you want true bypass or buffered? Do you need to incorporate a looper pedal into your setup? Should you consider one of the many mini guitar pedals to save on board real estate? Often the answer to all these questions is yes. So, whether you’re looking for a go-to stomp for a bit more sustain or an endlessly powerful multi-effects unit such as the Line 6 Helix, give our Sales Engineers a call and let them help you on your personal road of sonic discovery.

More About Guitar Pedals & Guitar Effects

Guitar Pedal Buying Guide

Choosing the right guitar pedal doesn’t have to be an arduous process. If you are wondering where to begin on your guitar pedal journey, then Sweetwater’s expert content team created a guitar pedal buying guide for you!

13 Best Effects Pedals For Bass Guitar

Looking for the best preamp, fuzz, chorus, and filter pedals for bass guitar? Check the 13 best effects pedals for bass guitar to enhance your tone.

What Is the Best Pedal Order?

Any pedal order will work, but every combination will yield specific results. Check out Sweetwater’s article, “What Is the Best Pedal Order?,” to learn more about pedal order and how it can affect your tone.