Let’s talk guitar pedals

My amp has onboard reverb which I really like, but if I was going to buy a reverb pedal, it would be a Holy Grail reverb.

I don’t have a good delay recommendation for you. My delay pedal sucks, but it only cost me $20, so i got my money’s worth.

Definitely get an independent power supply.

You could use a chorus pedal. My Boss super chorus does the job really well.

The shining centerpiece of my rig is my Komet K.O.D.A. pedal. It is an incredible overdrive amp that is extremely versatile.

I would also recommend adding a flanger, tremelo, octive fuzz, volume pedal, and wah. Behringer makes a good cheap octive fuzz and tremelo. Boss makes a very good flanger. Dunlop cry baby for the wah, and ernie ball vp jr for the volume pedal are all good choices.

Since you’re just playing in your bedroom, an effects processor might not be a bad idea. However, those things typically don’t produce effects that sound anywhere near as good as conventional pedals, and they can be extremely unwieldily to use on stage when trying to switch between effects.

quote:

---

I just can’t get into the wah pedal

---

For me, the wah is mostly used to add a little wrinkle during solos. It makes what you play come across as a little more impressive and impactful once you learn where to use it. You don’t need to be playing disco funk to find it useful. I can’t imagine any guitarist not using one on their board.

TC Electronics Flashback for bang-for-the-buck delay. They make a few varieties nowadays, I've have the original one for many years now. Mine stays on top of my amp with its own AC feed, running in the effects loop, and on 99 percent of the time in their 2290 sim.

I'll pipe in later with more on my faves for different effects and colors.

I’ve been thinking about experimenting with my effects loop. What all do you put in yours? Is it necessary if you’re not using your amp’s onboard overdrive/distortion?

Is it worth looking at the flashback 2? Does it improve over the original in any significant way?

Dunno, I've been so pleased with my original Flashback I haven't explored any revisions. I just read the F2 description and I'm not seeing any new feature that makes me say "gotta have." I'll admit, however, that I like the idea of the X4's three preset delays and tap tempo on command. I'd probably splurge for that if I was still gigging. But until then, which could very well be "never again" lol, my original is just fine.

Signal chains would make for good conversation too

I always start my chain with a Boss tuner and one of my Boss modulation effects at or very near the end so I have their buffer circuitry starting out and finishing out the "out front" chain. Before you ask, here is a great, easy to understand article on the subject ... The mystery of true bypass versus buffers.

I'm constantly adding and removing pedals from my oversized board's chain for me and my clients' test-drives. I have maybe 5 or so out-front pedals at any given time. But if I took all my boxes and wired them in my preferred order, here's how they would stack up. FYI, all the Boss boxes with the exception of the tuner are from the early to mid 1980s.

Boss TU-3 Tuner
Morpheus Droptune pitch shifter
Boss TW-1 Touch Wah envelope filter
Teese RMC Wah
Fulltone DejaVibe Univibe clone
Barber Tone Press Compressor
Xotic BB Preamp
Bogner LaGrange (Marshall dist)
Tech 21 Double Drive (Vox/MB dist)
Boss PH-1R Phaser
Ibanez Airplane Flanger
Boss CE-2 Chorus
FullTone Supa-Trem ST-1 tremolo

If you asked me which were my "desert island pedal(s)" you'd get a different answer every other month.

The Boss DD-3 in the best delay pedal anyone come need. That being said, I have a digitech delay pedal that works just fine. Ibanez TS-9 is the goto overdrive pedal.

I love effects, but to be honest...it’s like going down a rabbit hole. It’s a money pit.

So many big names use run of the mill effects because, they the player use them to accent and because they’re dependable and easily replaced.

Carry on.