What do guitar pedals do?

Guitar pedals can alter your sound in very subtle ways or can change your sound into something entirely different. The scale of the effect is determined not only by the type of guitar pedal used, but by altering the settings on the pedal itself.

How do I choose the right pedal?

Choosing the right pedal can be daunting, there's a lot of different categories and hundreds of options to choose from. First of all, understanding the kinds of music you like to play and the effects commonly used in those genre's can help with establishing the kind of pedals you need.

Which guitar pedals are most popular?

Wah and looper pedals have proved to be a firm favourite over the years. Kirk Hammett, Dimebag and Slash have all used wah as part of their sound (and even have signature models) and players continue to use this effect to add extra style to solos and lead riffs. The looper is very popular with experimental artists and solo performers, with people like Ed Sheeran and Tash Sultana showing how songs can be built up using these pedals.

Do guitar pedals make a difference?

Yes. Guitar pedals make an enormous difference to your guitar sound. Pedals are one of the most important factors in defining your sound, they can have such a huge effect on your sound that without them your tone could be completely unrecognisable, especially when you utilise effects such as distortion, wah and fuzz.

What is the best way to arrange guitar pedals?

Generally speaking, most players will put their tuner first, then wah pedal, followed by compressor and then any drive pedals. This is then followed by modulation effects (chorus, flanger etc) and finally ambient pedals such as reverb and delay. While this order works best for most players, there are no rules and experimenting with this has been the key to some guitarists finding their signature sound. If your amp has an effects loop, it is also common for the modulation effects to be added there for a more natural sound.

Do you get different effects pedals for guitar and bass?

Many effects pedals work well for both guitar and bass however there are models that have been designed with guitar or bass in mind. An example would be the Crying Bass from Electro Harmonix which has a low-pass filter to keep the natural low end frequencies. Overdrive pedals also have both bass and guitar models but some bassists have found that the guitar models do a great job at helping them cut through in a mix by lifting the tone and adding definition. As is normally the case with pedals, it is often down to experimentation and personal preference.

How do I connect a pedal?

The connections for use with almost all guitars, effects pedals and amplifiers are the standard 1/4" jack to jack instrument cables. If you are using one pedal then you'll need 2 cables - one from the guitar to the pedal then one connecting the pedal to the amp. Adding another pedal to this chain would require another cable, and so on. If you are using a pedal with a battery, remember to disconnect the cable from the input jack when not in use to prevent the battery from draining!

Guitar Pedals | guitarguitar

Wampler EGO 76 Compressor Pedal

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Universal Audio Max preamp & Dual Compressor (Nearly New) #23282064004195

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Universal Audio UAFX Max preamp & Dual Compressor Pedal (Nearly New) #23282064004177

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Universal Audio UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor (Nearly New) #23502064005532

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BOSS IR-2 Amp and Cabinet Modeller Pedal

£199.00

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BOSS DS-1-WH Distortion Limited Edition White

£75.00

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Benson Germanium Preamp Pedal

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Ampeg SGT DI Blue Line Anniversary Edition Pedal

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Analog Alien Alien Tone Dragon

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Ashdown James Lomenzo Mega Drive Bass Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

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Ashdown Triple Shot 3S VU Drive Pedal

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Engl EP635 Fireball IR Pedal

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Eventide Riptide Overdrive Pedal

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Electro Harmonix Rams Head Big Muff Pi (Pre-Owned)

£99.00

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Electro Harmonix Metal Muff (Pre-Owned)

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Fredric Effects Regent 150 Preamp

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Fender Bassman Driver Overdrive Pedal

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Fender Hammertone Breakup Drive

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Catalinbread Carbide Distortion

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Catalinbread Sidearm 70 Overdrive Pedal

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Catalinbread Airstrip Console Preamp Pedal

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Cornerstone Colesseum Dual Overdrive Pedal

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Cornerstone Antique V3 Classic Drive

£269.00

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Cornerstone Colosseum Black Limited Edition Overdrive Pedal

£319.00

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Cornerstone Imperium V2 Overdrive Pedal

£319.00

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Danelectro Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive V2 (Pre-Owned)

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Dod Looking Glass Overdrive (Nearly New)

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Dod 50th Anniversary Edition Overdrive Preamp 250

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DSM & Humboldt Electronics Black Clouds Distortion Pedal

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DSM & Humboldt Electronics Silver Linings Drive/Preamp Pedal

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EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder Distortion Pedal

£159.00

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EarthQuaker Devices Blumes Low Signal Shredder Bass Overdrive Pedal

£125.00

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EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Analogue Amp Simulator

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Ebs Billy Sheehan Drive Deluxe Pedal (Pre-Owned)

£149.00

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KHDK Electronics Dark Blood Kirk Hammet Signature Distortion (Pre-Owned)

£149.00

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Keeley Mk3 Driver Andy Timmons Full Range Overdrive Pedal

£209.00

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Keeley Manis Iconic Overdrive

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JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Black

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JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Tan

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Guitar Pedals

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Wampler EGO 76 Compressor Pedal

Suhr Koji Compressor Black Edition

Universal Audio Max preamp & Dual Compressor (Nearly New) #23282064004195

Universal Audio UAFX Max preamp & Dual Compressor Pedal (Nearly New) #23282064004177

Universal Audio UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor (Nearly New) #23502064005532

BOSS IR-2 Amp and Cabinet Modeller Pedal

BOSS DS-1-WH Distortion Limited Edition White

Benson Germanium Preamp Pedal

Ampeg SGT DI Blue Line Anniversary Edition Pedal

Analog Alien Alien Tone Dragon

Ashdown James Lomenzo Mega Drive Bass Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

Ashdown Triple Shot 3S VU Drive Pedal

Engl EP635 Fireball IR Pedal

Eventide Riptide Overdrive Pedal

Electro Harmonix Rams Head Big Muff Pi (Pre-Owned)

Electro Harmonix Metal Muff (Pre-Owned)

Fredric Effects Regent 150 Preamp

Fender Bassman Driver Overdrive Pedal

Fender Hammertone Breakup Drive

Catalinbread Carbide Distortion

Catalinbread Sidearm 70 Overdrive Pedal

Catalinbread Airstrip Console Preamp Pedal

Cornerstone Colesseum Dual Overdrive Pedal

Cornerstone Antique V3 Classic Drive

Cornerstone Colosseum Black Limited Edition Overdrive Pedal

Cornerstone Imperium V2 Overdrive Pedal

Danelectro Cool Cat Transparent Overdrive V2 (Pre-Owned)

Dod Looking Glass Overdrive (Nearly New)

Dod 50th Anniversary Edition Overdrive Preamp 250

DSM & Humboldt Electronics Black Clouds Distortion Pedal

DSM & Humboldt Electronics Silver Linings Drive/Preamp Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder Distortion Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Blumes Low Signal Shredder Bass Overdrive Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Easy Listening Analogue Amp Simulator

Ebs Billy Sheehan Drive Deluxe Pedal (Pre-Owned)

KHDK Electronics Dark Blood Kirk Hammet Signature Distortion (Pre-Owned)

Keeley Mk3 Driver Andy Timmons Full Range Overdrive Pedal

Keeley Manis Iconic Overdrive

JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Black

JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Tan

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