Recommended Gear Thread

[fineline]

Ok then, should I get a multi-effects unit or single effects and why? People have been telling me different things. I tried out a boss gt8 and the zoom equivalent yesterday and got confused, but maybe that's just because I don't know how to use them. I guess if I got used to them it would be alright, if multi effects then what would people recomend?(not looking at paying too much more than 250 quid really.)
If single effects then I'm looking for a delay, a wah and a distortion. I've tried a few out but I know from experience that something can sound great in the shop, and even when you get it home for a while, but then you grow to hate it after a while. I want something that will last me for years.

[haze015]

Originally Posted by fineline

Ok then, should I get a multi-effects unit or single effects and why? People have been telling me different things. I tried out a boss gt8 and the zoom equivalent yesterday and got confused, but maybe that's just because I don't know how to use them. I guess if I got used to them it would be alright, if multi effects then what would people recomend?(not looking at paying too much more than 250 quid really.)
If single effects then I'm looking for a delay, a wah and a distortion. I've tried a few out but I know from experience that something can sound great in the shop, and even when you get it home for a while, but then you grow to hate it after a while. I want something that will last me for years.

right....

for mutli-effects:

gives you loads of effects to play with, relatively cheap (compared to buying each individual effect) and doesn't take up as much room as a pedal board with loads of individual effects, great way to learn about effects and what they do, where they can be used

against multi-effects:

bit "jack-of-all-trades", can be limiting as they usually order the effects for you, can be awkward to use as you said, don't get as much 'on-the-fly' adjustability, got to go through menus and stuff, new multi-effects with amp modelling can have problems with amps, so therefore requiring a way to bypass the pre-amp on the amp to get the best sound out of them. patches.

for individual pedals:

allows you to be specific with how the effect sounds, generally better quality sound, alot simplier to use, lots of flexibility, there's no fixed orders or ways to use them, don't usually need to set them up stupidly to get the best sound of them.
if you have a gig where you only need one or two effects, you can just take those, taking up less room, rather than a huge unit with lots of knobs and switches.
allows you to be a pretentious cunt

against individual pedals:

comparitively expensive, if you want loads of different effects they can take up a shit load of room and they become slightly addictive
everyone thinks you are a pretenious cunt.

[Phill]

Originally Posted by haze015

everyone thinks you are a pretenious cunt.

[donbenjy]

ok well IMHO, all beginners to gear (even if you're fantastic at actually playing the guitar) should try a cheapish muti effects unit just for the variety of sounds. Who cares if they arn't the best vintage tones, cos as a n00b, you won't knwo the difference really anyway

Once you get bored/realise that the multi FX thing is actually crap (most people will do after trying some analog single units.) then you can go onto stompboxes. Best thing is to try them all out in a shop, but failing that its bst to get a solid distortion/fuzz/overdrive base of stuff sorted - then I'd suggest a delay, wah, chorus etc. and modulation. Lastly you can look at EQ pedals, compressors n stuff that you can finalize your sound with. Personally I don't feel the need to use a comp or EQ in my current rig, as it all sounds nic and dandy as it is

[fineline]

yer, I think I'll probably go for single effects. I like the idea of multi effects but what I really want is quality and simplicity. I want to know what I'm doing on stage without confusing myself choosing the wrong effect in the middle of a song etc. So what pedals then, mainly for delay, wah and distortion but I want to try some things I wouldn't usually think of so any recomendations would be great.

[donbenjy]

Originally Posted by haze015

right....
comparitively expensive, if you want loads of different effects they can take up a shit load of room and they become slightly addictive
everyone thinks knows you are a pretenious cunt.

That whole paragraph is completely understated

[Dramatic Hammer]

The other good thing about multi fx is that they can help you choose a decent amp when the time comes... Especially if you're using something which has nearly-real names !

[Dramatic Hammer]

Originally Posted by fineline

yer, I think I'll probably go for single effects. I like the idea of multi effects but what I really want is quality and simplicity. I want to know what I'm doing on stage without confusing myself choosing the wrong effect in the middle of a song etc. So what pedals then, mainly for delay, wah and distortion but I want to try some things I wouldn't usually think of so any recomendations would be great.

This is why you should get a cheapish multi ... At least then you'll know what you're aiming for!

[donbenjy]

Originally Posted by fineline

yer, I think I'll probably go for single effects. I like the idea of multi effects but what I really want is quality and simplicity. I want to know what I'm doing on stage without confusing myself choosing the wrong effect in the middle of a song etc. So what pedals then, mainly for delay, wah and distortion but I want to try some things I wouldn't usually think of so any recomendations would be great.

well distortion falls into roughly 3 sections: Overdrive (bluesy type in-your-face guitar but with all the definition of playing clean...kinda crunchy), Distortion (more gritty-can't always make out every note...tends to be quite saturated and full: makes your guitar sound BIG) and fuzz-listen to PIB or any hendrix

[fineline]

Both the guitarist and the bassist in my band have a fuzz face and, although I like the tone, I'm deflinitely looking for a distortion rather than a fuzz/overdrive. Bit of background on me though (might help you give me advice,) I've been playing guitar for just over 2 years but have only just got a job, so have just started to be able to afford effects. My band is indie/rock. I play a strat through a Marshall AVT 50.

[haze015]

Originally Posted by fineline

Both the guitarist and the bassist in my band have a fuzz face and, although I like the tone, I'm deflinitely looking for a distortion rather than a fuzz/overdrive. Bit of background on me though (might help you give me advice,) I've been playing guitar for just over 2 years but have only just got a job, so have just started to be able to afford effects. My band is indie/rock. I play a strat through a Marshall AVT 50.

if you're after distortion, you may find upgrading the amp might do a better job than a pedal. i'm sure someone on here will recommend a proco rat, but to get a distortion sound i'm happy with, i've had to modify mine and boost it with an overdrive pedal.

do you know what kind of sound you're after? modern marshall crunch, mesa saturation, orange fatness......

[fineline]

I really like the mesa distortion sound. I can't really afford to upgrade my amp until the end of the year and I'm going to get either a mesa or a better marshall.

[haze015]

Originally Posted by fineline

I really like the mesa distortion sound. I can't really afford to upgrade my amp until the end of the year and I'm going to get either a mesa or a better marshall.

go for the mesa


no idea what sort of pedal would do that sound though.

[Phill]

try a Tech 21 Sansamp, they've got a Fender model, a marshall model and a mesa model, you can get a lot of different distortion sounds from one and they sound pretty good!

[Dramatic Hammer]

Originally Posted by Phill

try a Tech 21 Sansamp, they've got a Fender model, a marshall model and a mesa model, you can get a lot of different distortion sounds from one and they sound pretty good!

Cunning! Even more cunning: Get the stompbox Behringer version !