5 Pedals EVERY Guitar Player Should Own

[Randy120]

Rhett Shull recommends these pedals for your board.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Randy120
Clarity

[Nutty 1]

Interesting video Randy, that pedal list was not the usual 5 suspects, I only predicted one of them. Very inspiring, I think I should mess around with pedals more and then maybe I will get into soloing and riffs (which I have really neglected!).😁

[Randy120]

@Nutty 1 Yes these pedals are not the usual suspects. I use Delay a lot. My amp has built in reverb, but it is barely noticeable unless it's cranking. A DI (Direct) pedal is really good for a lot of things. I have been exploring my Boss GT-1 pedal which has more effects than I will ever need, but I would consider this a "character" pedal like Rhett describes because there really is no limit to the sounds it can produce. Keep exploring! 

[NeilES335]

I havent been bitten by the "pedal bug"😉. My "old" Fender G-dec amp had about 99 different amp simulations and dozens of combined "FX"s built into a rather complicated digital menu. I rarely ever used any of them except the clean channel with a bit of reverb called "Jazzmaster" . With my new Princeton having a great reverb and tremolo on foot switch, and manipulating the pickups, tone/volume/eq knobs, you can get lots of different tones.So a Ditto x2 looper  is all i have and will likely ever have/need.

[Randy120]

@NeilES335 I still have my Fender G-DEC 30 which I used for a along time with just clean and delay. However, I didn't have the skill to use the other effects during the early years. My Peavey Classic 30 II has built in Reverb and a drive channel, but I wanted more. I purchased a few pedals, but it soon became obvious I would spend a lot of money buying pedals and a board. I decided to buy the Boss GT-1 and I am glad I did. The GT-1 sounds much better than the G-DEC. I spent the last few nights playing with the Leslie rotating speaker emulation which sounds incredible. The GT-1 also has a volume/expression pedal built in so I can do the swells that Steve Krenz frequently uses. Even my friend who usually plays clean acoustic was thinking of buying the GT-1. I want to add a Ditto also, but I can't think of many other pedals I would need. 

[ChrisJ032]

Just wanted to ask if it’s worth the extra money for the Boss ME80....seems the GT1 has a loop and did not notice that on the ME80 but maybe I missed something....sure both have their pros and cons. For experimenting as a beginner, seems for the money better to get a processor than individual pedals and their accessories....🎸🎼🎸 

[matonanjin]

10 minutes ago, ChrisJ032 said:

...For experimenting as a beginner, seems for the money better to get a processor than individual pedals and their accessories....🎸🎼🎸 

Chris, I can't provide a comparative statement about the ME80- vs. GT1.  I'm not familiar with either but I'm confident Randy is going to provide you with valuable information.

But the processor vs. individual pedals is a topic that has provided fodder for a lot of heated arguments on forums.  Not here...at least not yet.😮  But to me, your logic as a beginner is a very sound one.  Why not spend a couple (or few) hundred bucks on a multi-effects processor and get hundreds of pedals and dozens of amps instead of a hundred bucks, or more, per pedal?!?! 

This is going to provide you the opportunity to test drive a lot of different pedals, and amps, and decide what you like for your tone.  Then you can decide if you are a pedal guy or a multi-effects guy.  Or not😉

I have  a pedal board with 7 or so pedals and I run into a Fender Blues, Jr. 3 amp.  I also have a POD HD 500X multi-effects board running into my DAW and a couple monitors.  I will use one set-up for weeks or months and then switch.  I can't decide.  But it's fun. 

 

[Randy120]

@ChrisJ032 The ME-80 has a 38 second loop; the GT-1 has 32 seconds. I want to add a Ditto looper because you can't use effects during looping. Both loopers are appropriate for practice. I have a looper in my other delay pedal, but again no effects during loop so I want to add a looper. The GT-1 has 108 effects compared to the ME-80 with 59. I couldn't find a clear answer on amp models for GT-1, but there are plenty. The ME-80 has 9 amp models. The GT-1 has 99 presets, and 99 user programmable. The ME-80 has 36 presets, and 36 user programmable. The GT-1 uses 4 AA batteries for 7 hours; the ME-80 uses 6. The ME-80 will be larger if that means anything to you. Both pedals are stereo. I am sure you would be happy with either. It will come down to which interface you prefer. 

As @matonanjin writes you can experiment with a lot of effects for a little money before trying to build an expensive pedal board.

I have three other pedals, and I was thinking about a pedal board before I purchased the GT-1 for $199.

Flashback Delay    $99

Boss CE-5 Chorus $119

East River Drive      $69

Total                         $287

The pedal board I didn't buy $120 and up. 

The math is pretty clear. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Randy120
Clarity

[Six String]

Your ability to save some money by going with a multi effects pedal is directly proportional to your ability to ignore the grass on the other side of the fence.  Some are good at it, others, not so much.

I owned electric guitars and tube amps for a long time before finally starting to learn to play them at 50.  So with my background, I started down the tube amp and pedal path, and bought and sold several amps and pedals over a few year period.  Then I decided to try a multi-effects digital pedal with an inexpensive Digi-Tech pedal that put me off the digital trail and back on the tube amp path for another couple of years mainly due to how fiddly it was, but also it didn't sound "real" to my ear.

During this time I was hearing guys like CapM and a few others here getting fantastic results using 100% digital units like the Axe FX, so I knew what high end modelers were capable of. However, I thought they were more aimed at studio recording work and I was focused on trying to play live plus those units are pretty pricey.

At the point I started going to regular band practices, lugging an amp head, cab and pedalboard, the idea of something easier to move started to become attractive, so I again took the digital plunge and picked up a used Line 6 Pod HD500x and powered PA speaker.  The learning curve on that thing was like El Capitan, but I eventually got tones that kept me happy and the HD500x took me through a few live gigs as successfully as my tube rig.  I was eventually tempted to trade the 500x in for a Helix LT.  The 500x could sound as good as the Helix, but its way easier/faster to create a good sound with the Helix interface and there are a lot of cool effects in the Helix the 500x didn't have. Plus they continue to update the Helix, so I get new amps and effects when they update the firmware so I'd say its my main rig now though I still have my analog rig also.

So, I was pretty bad at ignoring the grass on the other side of the fence and now have a stage ready tube rig and a stage ready digital rig and bought and sold both types of units loosing money along the way but also learning what works for me.  So, don't worry if your path wanders, just enjoy the voyage and accept there are many paths to tonal nirvana. 

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

In Canada 

Boss ME-80 $399.99cdn

Boss GT-1 $299.99 cdn

 

https://www.long-mcquade.com/25682/Guitars/Guitar-Effects/Boss/Multi-Effects-Floor-Processor.htm?ref=suggestive-search

 

https://www.long-mcquade.com/74287/Guitars/Guitar-Effects/Boss/Guitar-Effects-Processor.htm?ref=suggestive-search

 

 

With my new Princeton having a great reverb and tremolo on foot switch, and manipulating the pickups, tone/volume/eq knobs, you can get lots of different tones.So a Ditto x2 looper  is all i have and will likely ever have/need.

yup, 50+ yr old technology plus hands = tone

 

[Randy120]

@Eracer_Team-DougH You need a better music store. Does Sweetwater ship to Canada? Even accounting for the exchange rate those prices seem high. Of course those items are imported from China; not the USA. You have my sympathy. 

Edited September 27, 2019 by Randy120
Clarity

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

4 hours ago, Randy120 said:

@Eracer_Team-DougH You need a better music store. Does Sweetwater ship to Canada? Even accounting for the exchange rate those prices seem high. Of course those items are imported from China; not the USA. You have my sympathy. 

 

Long and Mcquade biggest in the land

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ME80--boss-me-80-multi-effects-pedal

$299.usd, + 35% = $404 cdn

 

[Randy120]

@Eracer_Team-DougH Is that the exchange rate plus import duty? I imagine Sweetwater doesn't ship for free to Canada either.

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

Just exchange. 

Hopefully shipping would be free.

So that 404 +7% hst= $432cnd

But in Canada Ontario taxes is 13% so in Canada $452 from Canadian store 

Edit, if it comes up by ups, FedEx or purolator they usually add a $75  brokerage fee, if it comes up by nontrackable USPS, it may slide through as duty and tax free, or it might get charged 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Eracer_Team-DougH

[Randy120]

@Eracer_Team-DougH That's rough. It definitely doesn't seem to be any advantage to the local store. We are fortunate in New Hampshire with no sales tax. I am always surprised when I visit someplace and pay sales tax. We pay our real estate and meal taxes here though. 

[Oldjock]

This is a very interesting thread which is giving me GAS. Presently my pedal board consists of three pedals. Boss CS-3 (Comp), Boss RC-3 (looper) and Zoom MS-50g (multi-effects) plus a foot switch for the Boss Katana 50. I really can't complain about this setup as far as sounds go. I am intrigued by the idea of the ME-80 which would give me more options in a smaller package. As for the cost here in Canada ($400. + 13% tax) it is still cheaper than the individual cost of the three pedals. I do remember looking at the ME-80 on Boxing day last year at L & M, priced at $299. Based on this discussion and reading the reviews, I am beginning to hatch a plan to trade in my existing pedals towards the ME-80 on boxing day. Hopefully the difference should be less than $100.

Does anyone have any experience using the ME-80 with the Boss Katana 50 and a foot switch?

Henk

Edited September 29, 2019 by Oldjock

[Randy120]

@Oldjock You will regret trading in the looper. The looper in the ME-80 is limited and no effects. You will want to use the looper with the effects pedal. 

[Oldjock]

That's a good point Randy. I had been wavering about trading the RC-3. The RC-3 gives me 3 hours of storage vs 38 seconds. Plus it it designed to work as a looper rather than an add on to a multi effect system.

Henk

[Six String]

Very much agree with Randy on this.  

A Boss looper pedal is far more useful than the loopers built in to a multi-effects pedal even mid-high end ones like the Helix.

I'm not a huge user of the loop function but when I want to, I hook up my Boss rather that try to use the built in one.

[Oldjock]

A used Boss ME-80 has made it's way into my house. I've been browsing the online sites for a few months without any success. We had planned a trip to Myrtle Beach at the end of October, so I started to look at Craig's List to see what I could find. I found an ME-80 for sale in a suburb of Charlotte, NC., named Waxhaw. I convinced my better half that Waxhaw would be a good place for a rest stop. The unit is in mint condition and the seller showed me the different patch sounds to prove that it was in working condition. The seller had just purchased a Line 6 Helix, so I offered $150., explaining that I loose 25% on the exchange rate. The seller then said how much he liked Canadian beer. I added a case of 24 Moosehead, which I had picked up in Duty Free, to the offer and he accepted. Just returned home a few days ago and haven't really had much of a chance to run it through its paces. I will post a review before the end of the month.

Henk

[Randy120]

@Oldjock It sounds like a good trip.

[matonanjin]

Sounds like a good trade!!😉😂😎