What guitar pedals should I get? That question is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to guitar pedals – that it actually might surprise you. There are so many pedals on the market today, that it can get very confusing when it comes to picking out the ones that are right for you. Luckily, we have a simple, straightforward way, that will help you make a decision. We’ll start with two simple questions:
1 – What style of music am I playing?
2 – What effect pedal would help to enhance that style?
Most of the pedals you will choose greatly depend on the style of music you’re playing. For example… some styles of music benefit from ambient sounds. Pink Floyd and U2 are good examples of this. Delays and reverb can add space and depth to this style of music and not only help to greatly enhance it – the effect actually becomes a part of the sound of the music itself. The same is true for Rockabilly. Pink Floyd would require a longer delay and reverb times while Rockabilly would use much shorter ones. But both styles of music are enhanced by these effects. So if you are playing these styles, or if you want to add depth and space to your guitar’s sound, a delay and reverb pedal would be a good choice. Some pedals are more complicated than others and have features on them that are pretty cool, but not very piratical. The Analog Alien Rumble Seat features overdrive, delay, and reverb all in one cool pedal. It is simple and straightforward to use yet very powerful and flexible.
Modulation pedals, such are chorus and phase, can give your guitar’s sound a whole new dimension. These effects can take something like a simple chord change and transform it into a complex tonal landscape.
You may want to do a search on YouTube and listen to what some of your fellow guitar players are doing with effects pedals. When you find something that interests you – a pedal that you may what to try out for yourself, see if your local music store carries it. Then you can go and test it out to see if it’s right for you.