Have you ever felt like your guitar tone needs a little something extra? Well, you’re in the right place. And you’re certainly not alone. Effects pedals can transform your sound from tame to insane with just a stomp of your foot.
But there are so many different types of effects pedals out there! Where do you start? Especially if you don’t know your fuzz from distortion or your modulation from your delay.
Don’t worry. We’ve got your back.
In this piece, I’m taking a look at the most common types of guitar pedals, their functions, and a few tips to help you understand how to use them.
Key Takeaways
- Effects pedals can change your guitar sound, adding everything from distortion to ethereal reverb.
- Pedals can inspire creativity, help recreate iconic tones, adapt your sound to different genres, and make your guitar stand out in a mix.
- Common types of pedals include distortion and overdrive for crunch and grit, modulation for movement and texture, delay and reverb for echoes and spaciousness, and wah and filter for expressive, vocal-like sweeps and unique tone shaping.
- Buy pedals that fit your style and desired sound, and don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust.
- Look at the setups of your favorite guitarists to get inspiration and ideas.
Table of Contents
What Are Guitar Pedals and What Are They Used for?
Guitar pedals are electronic devices that modify your guitar’s signal before it reaches the amplifier. You simply plug your guitar into the pedal and then connect the pedal to your amp. Despite their small size, these pedals can significantly shape and enhance your sound.
What Do Pedals Do?
So, what can these pedals actually do? The possibilities are endless! Here’s a glimpse of some of the sounds you can create with guitar pedals:
- Add Distortion or Fuzz
- Create Spacey, Ethereal Reverb
- Produce Wild, Wobbling Wah-Wah Effects
- Generate Rhythmic, Pulsating Tremolo
- Layer Your Sound with Lush, Swirling Chorus
And that’s not even scratching the surface!
Why Guitar Players Love Pedals
Guitar pedals aren’t just about sounding cool (although, let’s be honest, that’s a big part of it). They’re also incredibly versatile tools. Here are 4 reasons guitar players love effects pedals.
1. Inspire Creativity
Pedals encourage you to explore new sounds and techniques and push your creativity. Each pedal offers unique effects and sounds that can inspire you to write new riffs, solos, or chord progressions that you wouldn’t normally write.
2. Help to Recreate Iconic Guitar Tones
With the right pedals, you can emulate the signature sounds of your favorite artists, bringing some classic tried-and-tested tones to your own playing.
3. Change the Sound for Different Songs and Genres
Pedals offer the versatility to adapt your sound to fit any musical context. Whether you’re switching from a clean, jazzy tone to a heavy metal distortion or adding ambient reverb to a ballad, pedals can help you easily achieve this.
4. Stand Out in a Mix
In both recording and live performances, pedals can help your guitar cut through the mix and shine. They add texture, depth, and presence to your sound.
The Main Types of Guitar Pedals Explained
One of the biggest mistakes new pedal players make is jumping in and buying a load of pedals without fully understanding what each pedal can do for their tone.
There are four main types of guitar effects pedals available. These are:
- Distortion and Overdrive Pedals
- Modulation Pedals
- Delay and Reverb Pedals
- Wah and Filter Pedals
Remember, these four effects pedal types are just the tip of the iceberg. There are arguably so many more, but for the sake of our sanity, I’m going to keep things simple.
Overdrive and Distortion Pedals
You know that crunchy, gritty sound in rock music? It’s mostly thanks to distortion and overdrive effects. These pedals are perfect for adding character and a bit of a punch to your guitar tone.
What’s the Difference?
Overdrive and distortion pedals might seem similar, but they each have distinct characteristics:
- Overdrive Pedals
Overdrive pedals replicate the sound of a tube amp being pushed to its limits. They produce a warm, smooth breakup that’s perfect for blues and classic rock. Overdrive adds a natural-sounding crunch to your tone, making it ideal for genres that need a bit of grit without too much distortion. - Distortion Pedals
Distortion pedals provide a heavier, more aggressive sound – think heavy rock or metal music. They deliver everything from crunchy rhythm tones to face-melting leads. Distortion pedals alter the signal more drastically, resulting in a more saturated and powerful sound, which is a staple in rock and metal genres.
You can read more about this in my article, where I break down the difference between overdrive and distortion in greater detail.
Modulation Pedals: Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, and More
Modulation pedals can transform your tone from ordinary to extraordinary with just a tap of your foot. Let’s dive into the world of modulation and explore some of the most popular pedals in this category.
Chorus
You might know chorus as a lush, watery guitar sound from the 80s. The Chorus effect creates a slightly detuned copy of your original signal, making it sound like multiple guitars are playing at once. It’s perfect for adding depth and dimension to clean tones or beefing up leads.
I like to use chorus when I’m gently picking arpeggios and broken chords to create a dreamy, floating feeling.
Flanger
If you’re after that jet-plane swoosh or a psychedelic swirl, a flanger pedal is the one for you. This effect splits your signal, slightly delays one part, and then combines them back together. It results in a sweeping, metallic sound that can range from subtle to intense. It’s great for adding movement to rhythm parts or creating otherworldly solos.
Learn about what is a flanger pedal, in our guide to flanger pedals.
Phaser
If you want to add some motion to your tone, a phaser might be just what you need. A phaser creates a series of peaks and troughs in your frequency spectrum, resulting in a sweeping, undulating sound. It’s perfect for adding subtle movement to clean chords or creating trippy, swirling leads.
Eddie Van Halen was a big fan of the phaser!
Tremolo and Vibrato
While not always lumped in with modulation, tremolo and vibrato pedals deserve a mention. Tremolo rapidly varies the volume of your signal, creating a pulsing effect. Vibrato, on the other hand, slightly bends the pitch up and down. Both can add a really cool, vintage vibe to your playing.
Delay and Reverb Pedals
My favorite effects are delay and reverb. These effects create depth and atmosphere in your sound, and trust me; they’re addictive!
Delay
Delay pedals take your guitar signal and repeat it back to you after a set amount of time, creating echoes of your notes. It’s almost like having a little side-kick guitarist mimicking you a split second later. You can go from subtle, tape-like echoes to wild, spacey repeats that seem to go on forever.
The Edge from U2 is famous for using delays.
Reverb
Reverb pedals simulate the natural echo you’d hear in different spaces. From tight, springy sounds that mimic classic amp reverb to massive, cavernous washes that make you sound like you’re playing in the Grand Canyon, reverb adds that extra dimension to your tone.
A touch of reverb can make your clean tones shimmer beautifully as your playing. But I have to say, in my opinion, less is often more with reverb, especially when you’re playing with a band. Use too much, and your guitar tone with turn to mush – this is especially true when you’re using overdrive too.
Wah and Filter Pedals
Wah and filter pedals add expressive sweeps and unique tone-shaping possibilities to your playing, making your guitar stand out in any mix. Let’s take a look at what these dynamic pedals do and explore why you might want to add them to your rig.
Wah Pedals
Wah pedals are iconic for their distinctive “waka-waka” sound, popularized in funk and rock music. These pedals let you control your tone with your foot, sweeping through different frequencies to create vocal-like effects. By rocking the pedal back and forth with your foot, you can emphasize various parts of your guitar’s sound, adding expressiveness and emotion to your solos and riffs.
I like to use a wah pedal to highlight key parts in my solos and to try and add rhythmic interest to my rhythm playing – especially if I’m playing a funky-type rhythm.
Filter Pedals
Filter pedals work similarly to wah pedals but offer even more tone-shaping possibilities. These pedals can create a wide range of effects, from subtle frequency boosts to dramatic, synth-like sounds. Filters are great for creating funky, futuristic tones that make your guitar sound like it’s from another dimension.
Some popular filter effects include envelope filters, which respond to the dynamics of your playing, and auto-wahs, which automatically sweep through frequencies based on your picking attack.
Which Pedals Should You Buy?
The bottom line? There’s not one pedal type that you need to buy, and you certainly don’t need one of everything. Some guitar players like to go for a very basic pedalboard, whereas you’ll see others with pedalboards that look like spaceships.
Whatever approach you take, make sure you’re buying pedals that create a sound you like and want to play. Research some of the guitar players you like, and see what they play. Try some pedals out and see what works for you.
If you don’t like a pedal, sell it and buy one you do like – don’t become a pedal hoarder. Unless, of course, that’s your thing.
