For a guitarist who wants to enhance their Guitar playing experience, the most obvious choice is the use of Electric Guitar Effect Pedals.
Five effects pedals in popular use are as follows
1. Compression Pedal
This is an extremely useful pedal, which is probably the hardest to use, and the least understood. Effectively the Compressor enables the performer to play over a wide dynamic range – from soft rhythmic chords to blistering solos – while maintaining the same output volume of the Amplifier. This way the audience can not only hear those softer passages, but also the more dynamic lead work without drowning out the other musicians (and making your ‘ears bleed’).
Another effect put to good use, is the ability of the Compressor to enable long sustained notes, far beyond the natural ability of the instrument. Ideal for all those eyes closed, posing moments while stretching that note for as long as possible.
Care must be taken when using a Compressor however, as improper use can lead to the introduction of noise, or lead to a rather bland dynamic performance.
2. Tremolo Pedal
Still used today, this pedal was at its most popular in the 60’s. The Tremolo Pedal produces a vibrato effect to the single note or chord by changing the amplitude (volume) of the signal, by a variation determined by the user. The Pedal allows control of both the rate of the speed variation and the signal depth. Electronically, a sine wave is applied to a Voltage-Controlled Amplifier; this in turn affects the signal from the Guitar. It’s the control of the Frequency and Amplitude of the sine wave that affects both the rate and depth.
3. Overdrive and Distortion Pedals
This is a pedal which amplifies the guitar signal to the point where the sound produced ranges between warm rich ‘clipped’ sounds, to a dirty or gritty tone. The number of controls, and hence the available tone variations, vary from pedal to pedal from just a few simple pots and a footswitch, to more complex versions incorporating Tone Shaping facilities.
4. Wah Wah Pedal
This is another very popular Pedal. This unit produces an effect, which sounds similar to a human voice saying – yep you’ve guessed it ‘Wah’. The guitarist varies the effect via a foot pedal in the form of a rocking treadle, and is great for enhancing lead or rhythmic playing.
Getting a bit technical again, the Wah effect is produced by a low-pass filter whose cut-off frequency is control by the foot pedal. Interestingly, this type of low-pass filter is used often in modern Dance or Trance type music where the high frequencies of the song are gradually filtered out until only a kind of muffled beat is left. The effect is then gradually reversed until all frequencies are restored again.
5. Phaser Pedal
Probably the best known of all, the fifth pedal is the Phaser. Basically, two signals are produced from the Guitar signal going in, and then they are mixed together but slightly out of phase. This is what produces the Phasing effect.
Conclusion
Guitarist set up their effect pedals in two ways. By use of multi-effects Units that have various types of Guitar Effects in one ‘box’ – which range in price depending on the facilities available. With the arrival of microprocessors, huge variations of tone range and parameter settings are at the guitarist’s disposal.
The second method is by ‘daisy chaining’ various pedals via short cables. Many guitarists have favourite individual pedals, which they prefer and know very well. Also, if you are on a low budget, pedals can be bought separately as time goes by, and added to the chain. The downturn is that the set-up time takes longer and more cables are involved (which always seem to go wrong at the gig).
Chad Cooper's archive - Joyo Effect Pedals 