How to choose your first three guitar pedals
Where to begin? Firstly, we recommend you keep it simple when starting out on your guitar fx pedal journey! When starting out we recommend you begin your pedalboard adventures with just three (yes that's 3!) pedals. Otherwise, it's really easy to get lost in the sea of pedals, types and technicalities! Step away from the shiny, colourful boxes calling your name and shouting 'buy me' and just keep it simple to start with.
There's loads of pedals to choose from to suit every budget and our recommendations below when starting out are a great way to get your board underway without wasting loads of time and money.
Overdrive is often considered a fundamental pedal for guitarists. It allows you to add grit, saturation, and a mild to moderate level of distortion. An overdrive pedal is great for adding sustain, enhancing dynamics, and creating a warm, responsive tone. It's particularly useful for rock, blues, and classic rock styles.
A delay pedal is another essential effect that can significantly enhance your tone. It produces echoes/repeats of your original signal, creating a sense of spaciousness and depth. A delay allows you to achieve anything from simple slapback to large ambient sounds. Delay gives you the ability to create rhythmic patterns, add texture to solos, and create atmospheric landscapes. The versatility of delay pedals makes them a popular choice.
A modulation pedal typically includes effects like chorus, phaser, flanger, and tremolo. These effects add movement and colour to your tone by subtly altering the pitch, time, or amplitude of the signal. They provide a way to expand your sonic palette and experiment with different sounds and textures, adding depth and dimension to your playing.
Together, these 3 pedals offer a solid foundation for crafting a diverse range of tones and also inspire creativity in your playing.
