Guitar effects pedals (or "stompboxes") have been a mainstay in guitarists' sound-palettes since the early 1960's when engineer Roger Mayer is purported to have built the first guitar effects pedals, the "fuzz" pedal (the precurser of the modern overdrive and distortion pedal) and the wah-pedal. Mayer's creations graced the stages of such rock luminaries as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix (supposedly, Mayer created the first pedals for his friend Page in the early 1960's). Mayer's legacy lives on, as guitar effects are used by guitar players across the globe.
Effects pedals are so popular with guitar players, especially electric guitarists, because they can easily expand the tonal range of the guitarists' sound. True, it's possible to use the guitar amplifier to change these sounds, but most amplifiers do not have built-in effects and the settings would have to be changed from song-to-song. Usually, guitarists want to be able to affect their sounds during a song or in various sections as well, so it makes sense keeping the pedals in front of them so they can change it themselves.
So, just like the electric guitar and the amplifier offered guitarists a wider variety of tonal choices, effects pedals, too, give them even more options in shaping their tone. Electric guitarists are not the only ones to use effects pedals, however. Acoustic guitarists and classical players often draw upon them as well, but they tend to eschew the sounds of overdrive and distortion pedals enjoyed by electric guitarists.
After effects pedals became popular, rack-mounted effects saw more wide use amongst guitarists, especially during the 1980's. The Yamaha SPX-90 and Eventide Ultra Harmonizer were two of the most popular rack effects that guitarists used at this time. However, guitar players soon realized that effects pedals were far more convenient and useful than rack gear, especially since the sound quality of digital pedals increased dramatically and eliminated the need for much rack equipment.
When they have their effects selected, most guitar players will mount their pedals on a pedalboard to facilitate transportation and storage of their effects. This system makes it much easier to activate the pedals as well, since they are contained in a relatively small space. Since wah and volume pedals operate a bit differently (they are rocked back and forth rather than simply switched on), they are mounted to make this usage easier.
Most pedals, though, have a simple on-off feature. For instance, the ubiquitous distortion tone of hard rock and metal guitar players can be instantly switched off and the guitar's "clean channel" allowed to be played, to give a different feel to different sections of a song. Another simple stomp, and the distorted tone comes roaring back.
It's safe to say that most guitarists expend a lot of effort to get the "perfect" sound, and this involves configuring their guitars, amps, and effects pedals in the right combination. There are many different types of effects for players to chose from today: delay, vibrato, tremolo, chorus, pitch-shifting, flanger, overdrive, distortion, and the list goes on and on. Such effects can have significant changes on a guitarist's sound, which explains their ever-increasing popularity.
If you are interested in broadening your sound or just trying something different, then you should give some of the above effects a try. Who knows? They may inspire your next killer solo!
Effects pedals are so popular with guitar players, especially electric guitarists, because they can easily expand the tonal range of the guitarists' sound. True, it's possible to use the guitar amplifier to change these sounds, but most amplifiers do not have built-in effects and the settings would have to be changed from song-to-song. Usually, guitarists want to be able to affect their sounds during a song or in various sections as well, so it makes sense keeping the pedals in front of them so they can change it themselves.
So, just like the electric guitar and the amplifier offered guitarists a wider variety of tonal choices, effects pedals, too, give them even more options in shaping their tone. Electric guitarists are not the only ones to use effects pedals, however. Acoustic guitarists and classical players often draw upon them as well, but they tend to eschew the sounds of overdrive and distortion pedals enjoyed by electric guitarists.
After effects pedals became popular, rack-mounted effects saw more wide use amongst guitarists, especially during the 1980's. The Yamaha SPX-90 and Eventide Ultra Harmonizer were two of the most popular rack effects that guitarists used at this time. However, guitar players soon realized that effects pedals were far more convenient and useful than rack gear, especially since the sound quality of digital pedals increased dramatically and eliminated the need for much rack equipment.
When they have their effects selected, most guitar players will mount their pedals on a pedalboard to facilitate transportation and storage of their effects. This system makes it much easier to activate the pedals as well, since they are contained in a relatively small space. Since wah and volume pedals operate a bit differently (they are rocked back and forth rather than simply switched on), they are mounted to make this usage easier.
Most pedals, though, have a simple on-off feature. For instance, the ubiquitous distortion tone of hard rock and metal guitar players can be instantly switched off and the guitar's "clean channel" allowed to be played, to give a different feel to different sections of a song. Another simple stomp, and the distorted tone comes roaring back.
It's safe to say that most guitarists expend a lot of effort to get the "perfect" sound, and this involves configuring their guitars, amps, and effects pedals in the right combination. There are many different types of effects for players to chose from today: delay, vibrato, tremolo, chorus, pitch-shifting, flanger, overdrive, distortion, and the list goes on and on. Such effects can have significant changes on a guitarist's sound, which explains their ever-increasing popularity.
If you are interested in broadening your sound or just trying something different, then you should give some of the above effects a try. Who knows? They may inspire your next killer solo!
About the Author:
Author R. S. Rasnick is the owner of JustEffectsPedals.com, where you can find all the effects devices mentioned here and purchase them today!
0 comments:
Post a Comment