I'd tell a beginner to avoid pedals until they learned how to play the instrument, chords, strumming & pick techniques. They're going to have their hands full with the instrument and a basic amp, that they don't need to complicate tone with a 7-9 or more band EQ. In that regard, I'd steer a beginner at a slightly better amp, 3 knob EQ tone stack instead of 1 or 2 EQ knobs. OD & reverb is about all they get for effects until they can play a basic song or few. What I found annoying, the noise in between play on a crunch channel of a starter amp & single coil beginner level guitar. So my first pedal recommendation if that's even going to happen is a Noise Gate. A simple affordable one at that, one that really just works for around $ 20-30. If the amp is decent enough, there's going to be a noise gate built into it as well as amp sim models & effects. And that's going to start to distract from learning guitar.
Really great insight! I'm absolutely there with you :) I wouldn't bother buying pedal until learning how to play to the extent where I feel that pedal is going to open up new possibilities for me. I didn't buy a guitar pedal until 3 years of playing guitar, so there's that. I went with the assumption that usually guitar player would have some kind of amp to play through and aimed this topic at first pedal buy. 5 band Graph eq would be the best pick for beginners in my opinion. Before moving onto Parametric EQ's which have certain "mojo" to them. And noise gate - yes yes yes, get one as soon as you buy your first amp!
learning what each frequency can do when added or subtracted is like learning the alphabet ....and like Petar says ...it saves you switching instrument to get results that are similar to switching instruments ....also ...this experience enhance one's ability make decisions when mixing an entire ensemble ...later one learns about phase and how the get their tone out to the PA or recording medium,.... ( NOTE: proper phase manipulation is not the 180 degree flip switch ...that is live mix band aid )....but something the likes of a little labs IBP www.littlelabs.com/ibp.html , this little box opens up a whole new world of tones that do not add noise to the signal chain ....the IBP or the IBP JR is are indispensable mix/mastering tool. if one wishes to understand tone and sound ...go here jaygraydon.com/index.html
words of wisdom right here :) Totally true phase statement, I feel a lot of musicians don’t know basics and resort to complex solutions instead of learning basics and avoiding those problems in the first place!
What would be your pick as first guitar pedal? And why :) ?
I'd tell a beginner to avoid pedals until they learned how to play the instrument, chords, strumming & pick techniques. They're going to have their hands full with the instrument and a basic amp, that they don't need to complicate tone with a 7-9 or more band EQ. In that regard, I'd steer a beginner at a slightly better amp, 3 knob EQ tone stack instead of 1 or 2 EQ knobs. OD & reverb is about all they get for effects until they can play a basic song or few. What I found annoying, the noise in between play on a crunch channel of a starter amp & single coil beginner level guitar. So my first pedal recommendation if that's even going to happen is a Noise Gate. A simple affordable one at that, one that really just works for around $ 20-30. If the amp is decent enough, there's going to be a noise gate built into it as well as amp sim models & effects. And that's going to start to distract from learning guitar.
Really great insight! I'm absolutely there with you :) I wouldn't bother buying pedal until learning how to play to the extent where I feel that pedal is going to open up new possibilities for me. I didn't buy a guitar pedal until 3 years of playing guitar, so there's that.
I went with the assumption that usually guitar player would have some kind of amp to play through and aimed this topic at first pedal buy.
5 band Graph eq would be the best pick for beginners in my opinion. Before moving onto Parametric EQ's which have certain "mojo" to them. And noise gate - yes yes yes, get one as soon as you buy your first amp!
sick video man, :)
Thanks man! :)
learning what each frequency can do when added or subtracted is like learning the alphabet ....and like Petar says ...it saves you switching instrument to get results that are similar to switching instruments ....also ...this experience enhance one's ability make decisions when mixing an entire ensemble ...later one learns about phase and how the get their tone out to the PA or recording medium,.... ( NOTE: proper phase manipulation is not the 180 degree flip switch ...that is live mix band aid )....but something the likes of a little labs IBP www.littlelabs.com/ibp.html , this little box opens up a whole new world of tones that do not add noise to the signal chain ....the IBP or the IBP JR is are indispensable mix/mastering tool. if one wishes to understand tone and sound ...go here
jaygraydon.com/index.html
words of wisdom right here :) Totally true phase statement, I feel a lot of musicians don’t know basics and resort to complex solutions instead of learning basics and avoiding those problems in the first place!
First pedal to buy…a good tuner. Sonic research, strobostomp, etc.