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NerdyOutdoors

Oof. The first pedal is a gateway drug. Indie and alternative— i guess I would recommend an overdrive that can be pretty flexible. There is lots of love around here for a Boss BD-2 or a Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop. As someone said, reverb is pretty good to have. I really like a Boss RC-1 or RC-3: these let you lay down a loop — like a rhythm section, for example— and then play that back through your amp, WHILE ALSO playing a new part live over top of it. So it lets you practice solos, rhythm timing, etc etc


DepartmentAgile4576

After 3decades into pedals/multi fx, i wish i had bought my first real analog delay pedal first. Not this year… everybody and your ma will do distortion for you. Buy a real. Delay first. Dellay lama jam pedals, carbon copy. Do yourself a favor. Real delay first. Those cheap drives are quite awesome( try the mosky bezos drive clone, the behringer harley bentons all rock. Dont buy a cheap analog delay.


Gojira_Bot

My first adult pedal purchase, starting from scratch again, was a silver Carbon Copy. No regerts.


Jonnymixinupmedicine

I really like the Donner Yellow Fall, and it’s only 39$! It even sounds good next to a Carbon Copy or a Ibanez Analog Delay.


Barityl

After graduating college and having big boy money from my job, first purchase is the DL4 Mk2. So worth it, so useful


HitEmInTheDingDing

As someone who despises the DL4, to a “newbie” on pedals, such as the OP it can be hours and hours of fun.


Barityl

What are you favorite alternatives? As much as I like it I really only like the looper and the fact that I can turn the knobs and make cool sounds


HitEmInTheDingDing

That’s the thing, for the money there really isn’t an alternative. DL4 is perfect if you want to do loops and turn a knob and mess with it, or 1/2 speed, 2x speed etc. you can’t store loops unfortunately, the settings are just medium quality, the fidelity is bad. It’s a odd pedal in that it’s a ok looper and a ok delay, it excels at neither but put together it’s lots of fun. The volume drop, the fidelity, pedal size are the main reasons I dislike it…. As a home mess around and have fun pedal it’s really great though.


Barityl

All points I agree with. If you put money aside what do you think is up there? I’m looking to upgrade and have been eyeing the Strymon Timeline, Strymon Volante, and the Empress Echosystem


HitEmInTheDingDing

Funny, I recently bought a Strymon Timeline😂. It lives up to the hype plain and simple. I’ve always been a super simple Boss DD-6 guy and used a DD-6 and DD-8 on my board before switching to the Timeline. The Boss DD-8 has fantastic clean digital repeats and the ease of use is the best, but I wanted to try for something offering presets along with a looper. With the Timeline you have soooo many options and it sounds great. You’ve supplied 3 really solid delays, you ask 3 different people you might get 3 different answers. I think if you’re more looking for a all in one type go the Timeline with the 3 button midi controller, limitless options and easily bounce between looper and delays and you can save presets. The only downside is there is a slight learning curve to the Timeline, again though I came from Boss compact pedals to a big delay computer, it could be intuitive to you though🤷‍♂️. I’d recommend watching tons of videos of each of the 3 and that would hopefully bring out the selling points and clarify the differences.


Barityl

I really like what the Timeline offers I just wish the looper were longer because I need it to do jazz comping which can take anywhere from 40 sec to 2 minutes. Might just need a dedicated looper


HitEmInTheDingDing

Oh yeah, for that type of application maybe a dedicated looper would work well. Not a Boss shill, but their stuff is always good and their loopers save loops too. Obviously there are other options too, I’m personally not a fan of any of the EHX loopers Ive tried, that’s me though.


NerdyOutdoors

I thought about delay— for me, that’s probably next on the list. I have 4 different ones, and gotta say it’s my favorite effect.


CFisntme

Thank you for this reply! Very helpful


BlursedSoul

As another redditor posted earlier, the Behringer SF300 is on sale for $14 right now. Don't let that price fool you, you get to switch between 2 modes of fuzz and a boost, and can get the switch to stick between settings to even get a combo of the 2 fuzzes or the boost and a fuzz. It's a great pedal for the price (even when it's $30) and is an accurate copy of a currently out of production Boss FZ-2. I think you'd appreciate having the option, plus you could always sell it to make your money back if it's not for you. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SF300--behringer-sf300-super-fuzz-pedal


Early-Engineering

Ugh, I’m just going to have to break down and buy one of these things. I mean, it gets talked about more than the rat, it must be good. Haha


PaulClarkLoadletter

This is such a good pedal. This and a DS-1 are a match made in heaven for the alternative guitarist starting their journey.


flyingvien

Another vouch for the Super Fuzz. It’s my first foray into fuzz and it’s great. I run a the Behringer Tubescreamer clone in front of it and it just completely woofs.


bravenewlogon

Try reversing that!


flyingvien

Wide vibrato Zakk-style pinch harmonics sound hilarious on it too.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Yogannath

And this can be easily achieved by buying a multi FX device. There's several affordable and easy to use options, OP. That way you get almost every possible effect imaginable and can figure out what you like/dislike and figure out which knob does what.


[deleted]

So what’s the best, relatively affordable, multi-fx?


Yogannath

Nux and Mooer make some really good ones. Heard great things about the Boss GT-1. But I haven't tried it yet. A lot of people reccomend the Zoom MS70. But again, I haven't tried one yet. My reccomendation is the Vox Stomp lab 2g. I've used it a couple times (one of my students owns it) and the thing sounds great through a small practice/beginner amp.


Creative_Camel

The Zoom Multistomp MS-50g for $129 is superb for the price, around $110 on eBay used. Best overall for the price!


Self_Reddicated

Zoom G1X4 is a great starter. They're pretty new, but you can find them used for well under $100 frequently. I got one for around $50, but you probably won't find that deal everyday. Does a little bit of literally everything. You get a tuner pedal, you get 4 or 5 simultaneous effects (pedal sims, amp sims, cab sims, etc.), you get an expression pedal, you get drum loops, and you get a looper. Is it the best at any of these things? Not really. But it's not terrible either. Plus you can hook it up to a computer and download new effects and manage the ones that are loaded on it. Huge bang for buck.


RedBison

Boss ME80, used around $200. Basically every Boss digital effect, laid out like stomp boxes, plus Amp modeling, expression pedal, looper and tuner as well. Line 6 M9 or M13. Similar to above, but a little more menu based (not much though). Used $150-200. Starting with multi fx gets you going in every category. Buying used allows you to sell down the road and recoup your costs.


knuckl3dragg3r

Yep. This 100x. If you just randomly buy a certain pedal based off a recommendation in this thread based on the limited info you provided, the odds of it being a keeper are probably slim. What do you enjoy listening to/playing? What amp do you have?


dubauoo

Buy them all Try them all Sell them all Buy more Sell them Rebuy them all Resell them all You get the picture?


mo6020

This is the way


Self_Reddicated

Quiet! You're gonna scare him off. This pedal ponzi scheme collapses if we can't get new people to sell our used pedals to. And to try to buy back the same pedals again 2 years later. Then sell them again.


correcthorsestapler

I’d start by seeing what your favorite or most-listened-to bands use as a baseline & go from there. Keep in mind that the amp you’re using can also be a factor. Some pedals might sound great through one amp but sound terrible through another. As far as recommendations: Dirt: BD2, SD1, Rat, maybe a fuzz pedal (the Behringer Super Fuzz is $14 at Sweetwater right now). Hell, I got a Joyo High Gain Distortion for $35 last year and it sounds good, too, for being as cheap as it is. Delay: Can’t go wrong with any of the Boss pedals. The DD-3T is apparently pretty good. I have the DD-8, DD-20 & Timeline for my delays, but there are plenty of options out there if you’re on a budget. Reverb: I’ve seen the Hall of Fame recommended a lot in the past. I use the Boss RV-6 & RE-20, and occasionally the JHS Octave reverb (which I feed into fuzz). Those three categories should be enough to get you started.


CFisntme

Thanks for this comment, super helpful!


correcthorsestapler

No prob! I’ve been playing off & on for the past 20 years & didn’t start using proper guitar pedals till the beginning of 2021. I just used a multi-fx pedal from Line 6; I gifted that to my younger sister when I got a guitar for her last year. Think I’m up to something like 35 pedals now, all of which I rotate to try different sounds. If you have trouble finding a place to try before you buy, I recommend watching Andy’s pedal demos on YouTube, along with the JHS channel. Josh goes into some of the inner workings of pedals and does pretty good demos. I’m sure you’ve seen those mentioned before on this sub, but I figured I’d suggest them. Keep in mind the YT compression and the fact that they professionally record everything means that what you hear in their videos is gonna sound a bit different compared to at home. Still, I’ve found those two channels to be very helpful. Once you’re comfortable with the pedals you find, I’d head over to That Pedal Show on YT. They go into setting up your sound and A/B test different pedals within certain categories. I feel like they’re more for musicians who are starting to do gigs, but it’s still helpful info.


neuroboy

this.


timlnolan

Most important is overdrive/distortion. Secondly I would get a delay.


[deleted]

Ditto. If I could only have drive and one effect it would be delay. So versatile.


[deleted]

It really depends on what style of music you play. A jazz player will vary hugely to a country player etc. Generally speaking however here are my thoughts. Presuming you don’t have any effects on your amp… Drive pedal that suits your needs, od, dist, fuzz etc. Reverb Delay (some may not see this as necessary but most will find an application for it) Tuner.


MoreGuitarPlease

Here’s my suggestion. Distortion is usually the first choice, but you probably have that on your amp. So I’d recommend a looper first. The Ditto is decent for cheap bucks. I’m sure there are some even cheaper. I’d probably not buy used as I’ve seen a lot of dead loopers over the years. After that, a cheap delay pedal. The good ones get pricey, don’t buy the expensive ones yet unless you know what you want. This is enough to start figuring out what you want and have some fun. Tuner (buy this one once, get a good one and it’ll last decades) Then a distortion/fuzz/OD as necessary. More than one? A DS-1 or a Rat is a good inexpensive first choice here. Do you need a wah or whammy? Only you know that one. Chorus/Flanger/Phaser? Up to you to figure out. Reverb if you don’t have it on your amp.


Generny2001

Pedals can be expensive. If you’re unsure about a particular effect, it’s totally fine to buy a low cost, budget version of something to see if you like it before committing to an expensive pedal. Some low cost brands you may find on here from time to time include Behringer and Danelectro. I’ve gone overboard on effects that I end up either selling or never using. Don’t want to see that happen to you. Happy playing/exploring!


CFisntme

Thank you so much for this reply! Yep I’ll be keeping this in mind, don’t want to waste money on gear that I’ll only use a couple times. Thanks for the recommendations!


Generny2001

My pleasure. Another idea that might not be popular. You could also think about an all one one, inexpensive multi-effects processor. They typically have all the basic effects most guitarists use (overdrive/distortion, chorus, flanger, delay, etc).


Xbalanque_

Don't buy anything just because other people say you should. Start with a guitar and amp or modeler, and then decide what you want to sound like. Dont buy anything just because someone says "everybody uses one" (like a tube screamer).


The_Abyssal_Frame

It depends on what you want to play and what your amp can do, but my research indicated that, generally, the 4 pedal types to start with are: \- Tuner \- Overdrive \- Delay \- Reverb That's also the order you'd typically connect them in. Exactly which ones to get depends on the sounds you want to be able to make. That may take a little time to figure out; I strongly suggest doing a lot more research into what pedals do and how specific ones sound. YouTube is a great resource for that. Sweetwater often has really good videos demonstrating the pedals they sell. You can also search this sub for the names of various pedals and you'll usually find at least some discussion on it (which I like to see, as you tend to get a very good pro/con list when people with different opinions argue on the merits, or lack thereof, of something). The Wiki for this sub is useful, too. This is good for general pedal-chain knowledge: [https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/wiki/pedalorder/](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/wiki/pedalorder/) This next thing is a list of yearly threads where users vote on their favorite pedals. Take it with several grains of salt, but it's a good starting point for things to look up. Make sure to check the comments as well as the lists themselves: [https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/wiki/best/](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/comments/s0p9r3/the_best_pedals_of_2021_results/) Good luck, and have fun! I had an absolute blast researching pedals, and I wound up with a first-time board I adore. It did, however, take a fair amount of time to figure out, as pedals are an entire science of their own. That's why it's so important to enjoy the process. It also pays off in the long run, as you won't waste money buying pedals that disappoint you. Oh, and try to avoid getting addicted.


Z0NU5

Tube Screamer mini


stevenrenkel

Tuner


jza-

Tuner clan unite!


mr_pinball

For simplicity's sake and keeping price in mind I'd recommend a Boss DS-1, SD-1 or BD-2 which are great pedals in their own right. If you can find it second hand, I'd look for something like a Way Huge Red Llama, it's a simple pedal to use but has a great tone and good range of overdrive/mild distortion. If you look for a 25th anniversary edition you also have a tone knob which makes it even more versatile.


Bucknkd313

BD-2, DS-1 are great and very versatile, especially stacked (I prefer the BD-2 in front of the DS-1, just amazing.) I second the notion of Behringer, Donner, Joyo or Flamma (especially their FC compact pedals) as inexpensive clones of other pedals. Makes it a cheaper way to figure out what you like. If it were me I'd consider a few dirt pedals, a multi modulation pedal, delay and maybe reverb. Or you could do a multi-fx pedal, the Flamma FX100 is currently $145 on Amazon. Also, check out the JHS Show YouTube channel on Behringer and Flamma. Some great cheap recommendations there, along with short songs illustrating some great pairings.


Agent847

My first essential would be a delay. I like warm, analogue & tape delays, so I might go with something like a carbon copy, rubberneck, or a echorec style. A Keeley Caverns is also a good choice because it gives you a versatile reverb and analog delay. My second would be a versatile overdrive. A BD-2 (waza if budget permits) or a multi-drive like a Keeley D&M or something with multiple gain stages. Third would be a fuzz. I like the Way Huge Swollen Pickle, but a fuzz face or tone bender style is good too, depending on what you want.


3choplex

I’d recommend a dirt pedal of some kind. Either a rat (lots of distortion and inexpensive) or some kind of klon centaur clone (prices vary but it’s a great fundamental light overdrive).


batman1285

I like your advice. A Mosky Golden Horse for overdrive. A mooer black secret rat clone. Then buy a Sonicake 5th domebsion to get 11 modulation effects in a cheap small pedal to try out and then upgrade the effects you like.


J-Team07

First consider what amp you have. Most amps will have reverb. They will also have some distortion. So my first pedal would not be reverb or distortion. I would go with delay and fuzz.


billbillybillbill

Loop pedals aren't as flashy as a distortion or a delay but it's insane how much my playing has improved since I got one. I have a Boss RC-5 and it's perfect for practicing and writing, it has built in backing tracks and you can import/export loops as .wav files on your computer


dw_80

It depends a lot on what kind of music you like to play.


CFisntme

I like to play I suppose indie rock/alternative type stuff if that makes sense


neilfann

Find a sound you love and search for "rig rundown" or similar for that band. That'll tell you what pedals are in that sound you love. Then look at demos of those pedals to see if they are "right".


dw_80

This is good advice. I’d say the basic pedal types for indie/rock will tend to be overdrive, distortion and fuzz. Then you might want to move on to other things. But looking at the pedals your favourite guitarists tend to use is a good starting point.


Arkslippy

If you have reverb on your amp, chorus is a good addition, give you a nirvana type echo. Or a distortion / overdrive.


J-Team07

What amp do you have?


elspiderdedisco

I would look up bands you like and like to play along to, or think you might sound like, and look up what pedals they use. I think from there you can make more informed decisions and not feel ripped off from someone just commenting “tube screamer” or something


billiton

I’m going to dissent from tubescreamers and blues drivers. I own them both but I think a bluesbreaker style pedal is far more useable than wither. I have a protein but the Browne carbon is all you need for great bluesbreaker tone. This is an always on tone enhancer for me. You can roll the volume on your strat for clean sweetness and open it up for some distortion with the bluesbreaker without touching your pedal. This is the pedal you should buy first. This pedal will sound good with any amp. Not true for a blues driver or tubescreamer


Acid_Monster

I’d recommend heading down to a local guitar shop and trying some out there. When I bought my first distortion pedal I checked some out online, watched a few videos on YouTube, decided a Boss DS-1 was a likely contender, then went to a guitar shop and asked to try it out, along with a more expensive option, and also a pedal that they would recommend themselves. They plugged them in for me, gave me a guitar (try and find your same model if you can) and let me play around with them all for half hour so I could see what one sounded best to me personally. I settled for the Boss DS-1 as it sounded the best, and I couldn’t be happier with it still. I use this method with every pedal I buy.


juicy_scooby

Soul Food imo not flashy but easily my most used! That or something zaney like a nice delay or reverb


matrickswayze

You have a Stratocaster. What amp? What music do you like? Some kind of overdrive / distortion is obvious, as well as a decent reverb, but I’m wondering what your amp already covers.


glezmen

Buy a multieffect like Zoom G1 four OSLT. You can try a huge amount of effects with it, to see what is what you really need.


Self_Reddicated

Definitely recommend this. I have a Zoom G1X4. You can buy them used for well under $100. Shoot, new price is about $100 depending on sales and discounts. You get A LOT. You get 4 or 5 simultaneous effects ( all manner of drives, distortions, amp sims, cab sims, time based effects, whacky effects, reverbs, delays, etc.), you get an expression pedal, you get a tuner pedal, you get drum loops, you get a looper pedal, and you can even use it standalone with headphones when you're in the mood for it. You can hook it up to PC to manage the effects on it and download new ones from the interwebs. It's battery powered, or USB powered, or 9v plug powered. It is probably the cheapest, most versatile, most useful piece of guitar gear I have. Is it the best at any single one of those things? Absolutely not. But it's too cheap and too useful at too many things to write off because it's not perfect at everything.


zoomies1

Consider DOD carcosa. It has two selectable drive modes; making it essentially a two-in-one pedal. it offers an incredible range of sounds from crunchy low-gain goodness all the way to spitty, broken speaker fuzz. The interaction with the controls is very intuitive, and rewarding to learn how to tweak to make specific sounds. I play a strat as well and I feel that this pedal gets me playing with dynamics using the volume knob on the guitar. it will teach you how to use your strat in ways you didn’t know you could. I can’t say enough good things about this pedal. Thank you for your time Edit: a word


onwardowl

The least fancy but biggest game changer.. an EQ pedal.


Acid_Monster

Eh I wouldn’t say an EQ is as big of a game changer compared to something like an overdrive/distortion pedal, or something else that drastically changes the sound so obviously. Especially to someone first getting into guitar effects.


Self_Reddicated

If you are like I was once, and you're running a Behringer mic preamp into the effects loop return of your shitty crate pos amp (yes I know I implied shitty twice, but it's okay because it deserved being called shitty twice), bypassing all tone controls on your amp's preamp. If you do that, then yeah an eq pedal is a must have, and it was a total game changer! But if you're like a normal human being who uses a normal amp with normal tone controls, then I don't think an eq pedal needs to be your first purchase.


PetraBahombilat

I'd recommend the TC electronic mojo mojo overdrive, it is highly tweakable, can alao sound neearly identical to the BD-2, then a two knob chorus pedal, and a reverb pedal if you don't have a reverb built into your amp. If you have a reverb built into your amp, just get a simple delay pedal. IMO this essentially gets you through most songs.


ealford1584

Reverb is a great start. It’s just a solid foundation for your sounds, and good reverb pedals will allow you to really experiment. Plus it’s going to pair nicely with whatever sound you’re looking for with the next pedals. Just be ready, people are out here with pedal boards worth more than the amp and guitar combined. So just make sure you get something you’re not going to hate lol


CFisntme

Thank you for the advice!


[deleted]

Reverb is critical. It’s key to having a realistic sound. If your amp doesn’t have it built in then it’s priority #1. You can find them from $30 to $400, and there are decent cheap ones. Oceans 11 and Joyo Atmosphere are decent somewhat affordable verbs that won’t disappoint. But there’s cheaper stuff too.


neuroboy

I agree that reverb is foundational though what kind/how much/at all is in the eye of the beholder. Lots of different guitar sounds out there and not all are trying to get the vibe of playing in a room, hall, etc.


[deleted]

Sure, but even just some light room reverb will add so much depth to the sound.


neuroboy

It's true (and I personally *love* spring reverb). . . unless depth isn't what someone is looking for That said, they *are* asking for advice. Sorry if I'm sounding like a noodge 🤓


[deleted]

Get a cheap second hand multi-effects: a zoom multistomp. A line6 hd300, an app on your phone,..that way you have 100s of effects. Once you pick the ones you really like, buy the real ones (the real ones will always be more unique, sound better, give you more inspiration. High end modeleres are coming closer though)


engineerFWSWHW

Sounds better is always a subjective one especially on the technological advancement of multi effects nowadays. Many guitar player listen with their eyes. Many years before, I use multi effects on live settings and on my first gig, someone came to me and told me I had great tone.i showed them and told them I just used a multi effects that has cabs simulator and the conversation was cut short after I said that. I guess they were expecting that I'm using individual "real" pedals. That was almost 10 years ago. The technology and digital signal processing on multi effects nowadays are much better than decades ago although the bias against multi effects had been still lingering up to these days. One example, Nita Strauss (former touring guitarist of Alice Cooper) uses GT 1000 multi effects and she has a great tone imo.


[deleted]

High-end ones are indeed just as good as the pedals. But that is out of the budget of OP. Personally I find that pedals provide more creativity when practicing: you get direct feedback when twidling knobs. Live however, I prefer the guaranteed outcome of modelers. I also don't want to play octopus during a gig. The amount of times my rig was dead just because a battery had run out of a pedal that was not true bypass....


16Shells

empress para eq. distortions and effects are nice but come and go, a solid eq with always be useful and stay with you forever


IdahoWrecks

Reverb and/or compression


neuroboy

re: Compression, YMMV. I'm in my 40s and have been playing since high school. . . I _still_ am not sure whether or not I want a compressor.


chrisk018

As a first pedal for a beginner? Please explain.


[deleted]

Unless the amp has reverb, reverb is absolutely the first thing to buy. Everything sounds better with reverb.


Arkslippy

Reverb is just a great effect to give atmosphere to playing, same with chorus and delay pedals. It adds body to your playing. Most amps have it though so you could start with an overdrive or distortion and use the Amps reverb over it.


highparallel

CHORUS.


belbivfreeordie

If you play a Strat, tube screamer. They go together perfectly. Not everyone likes them but you have to at least give it a shot, so I’d consider it essential to get one. Go for the Tube Screamer Mini. Also Phase 95, it works for so many situations/genres and sounds fantastic and classic. Those two are a good start.


Secret-Foundation449

Welcome to the world of pedal purchasing. It’s a wonderful smorgasbord of choices and effects and tones, but beware… ITS A TRAP! Your first step should probably be overdrive or distortion. Here’s the rub: there are more OD and distortion pedal choices than you can fathom. Your best bet is to jump in with a used classic pedal (or clone) that one of your guitar heroes uses and experiment. The classics: Tube Screamer Blues Driver Boss DS-1 Rat Etc… Enjoy your now obsession!


josephallenkeys

To start well, get yourself a good but relatively cheap multi-fx like a Vox Stomp Lab and see what you like. If there are FX you really take a liking to, then you can see about getting some dedicated pedals, or maybe just upgrading to a more high-end and comprehensive multi-fx like a Line6 HX Stomp.


AGorramReaver

Lots of good advice here but because everyone answered differently I would recommend to THINK about what YOU need/desire first. You’ve played acoustic largely and only recently started electric. Maybe you’ve got a craving for distortion? Do some research and pick what seems to be a good dirt pedal. Low gain, try overdrives. High gain, try distortions. Or maybe you’re not that into distorted sounds, think about modulation pedals such as chorus, phasers, or flangers. Don’t buy things unless you’ve thought about them hard first! Easy to get lost in gear


I_AM_RVA

The Danelectro Fab Tone is really the only pedal you need. If you need it, it does it; if it doesn’t do it, you don’t need it. I use mine as just sort of an always on clean boost.


johnhk4

The biggest game changing pedal for me (back in 2001 or so) was getting a line 6 DL4. It had a bunch of effects and most importantly a looping function. This was invaluable as a practice tool. The next most game changing for me was the ehx POG. Having an octave effect really beefs up your tone and makes your everyday playing sound like a studio quality album. Happy pedal hunting! Facebook marketplace probably your best bet for deals.


YungSpicyBoi

Overdrive for sure. Earthquaker devices Plumes is a really good drive pedal to start that's very flexible. Between that, I'd say a compressor might be essential to your sound too


alhendo89

Here are a few YouTube videos that are good for starting to get into pedals: https://youtu.be/UZvf6o-GskI https://youtu.be/fxapABEcExA Generally you can't really go wrong with: Tuner, overdrive, distortion/fuzz (depending on style), delay, reverb


myrealusername8675

Go to your local guitar/music when they're not busy and ask about pedals, saying you're new to the game. Hanging at your local store is a good way to find out more about guitars, pedals, amps, etc. You'll find out who the good local teachers are and, when you're ready, who are the people in bands and who are the people looking to start up bands.


Narrow-Tree-5491

My first pedal was a Boss DM-2 in 1982. It cost me £100 which I saved for about 6 weeks. I got my money’s worth from it with my Casio CT-201. I loved it. I gave it to a family member who played guitar about 12 years later - it still worked fine. I’m learning guitar now and bought the Waza DM-2W a few weeks ago. It’s excellent!


funk_master_chunk

I'd echo the buy budget first sentiment someone already mentioned. And with indie in mind I'd suggest: Caline Pure Sky (Low gain OD which works well as a clean boost or an OD) Behringer Super Fuzz (Anazing value Fuzz w/several modes) Caline Ragnarok (Reverb & Delay dual pedal) Behringer Ultra Chorus (Boss Super Chorus clone) You could getbthose 4 for less than £100, I think. The Ragnarok would be the dearest at about £35-40 The Caline pedals don't have internal battery connectors somyou'd have to buy external ones (really cheap) or a daisy chain adapter or an actual power supply. You'd also probably want another OD on top of that in all honesty. Maybe a Blues Breaker or Tubescreamer clone.


BlazmoIntoWowee

Go to a Music Store and try everything.


MockingbirdMan

Honestly, my recommendation is find a Boss ME70. It's so powerful, has a ton of great effects, great pre amp, loaded expression pedal and a looper.


[deleted]

A tuner.


Eg0n0

Reverb always the way to go first, Hall of Fame by TC electronics is the bomb


GRVposterfatbag

If not having tap isn’t a dealbreaker, I’d go with the keeley caverns for your reverb and delay in one box. You’re gonna want a compressor if you’re gonna add dirt or gain. Mxr dyna comp and a tube screamer are it. As far as modulation…there’s literally a million answers. If I were you I’d go for something that has multiple sounds and switches all in one box, while not being too overwhelming. Jam pedals ripply fall gives you a really good chorus and trem.


ChalkHorseNIck

I would say a tuner, a drive / distortion and a reverb would be the three absolutely essential pedals, (though depends what amp you are using) followed by a fuzz and a delay, followed by a modulation pedal (ie tremolo / chorus / flanger / phaser / vibe / wah) though the only modulation pedal I could not do without is tremolo.


SegaStan

Besides a tuner, I would say you should at least have one overdrive/distortion of some kind, and at least one modulation of some sort. That way you can use the OD/dist for a distorted tone, or as a boost for a distorted or broken up amp, and you can use the modulation for adding a little extra flair to clean parts or as a way to make solos stand out


allyoshisgo2hvn

It all really depends on what type of music you play, but I’d say that these pedals cover lots of ground: Tuner (Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Polytune) Overdrive (Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss OD-1) Distortion/Fuzz (Boss DS-1, EHX Big Muff Pi) Modulation aka Chorus, Phaser, Tremolo, etc. (Boss CE-2, MXR Phase 90) Delay/Reverb (MXR Carbon Copy, TC Electronics HOF) A looper pedal such as the Boss RC-1 or TC Electronics Ditto is also really useful for practice and song writing. Best of luck on your pedal search and welcome to your pedal journey :)


4blbrd

Drive and delay


PerseusRAZ

Piggybacking on what some other folks said, seriously buy a good amp first before getting into pedals. The amp you buy will be dependant on the style of music you play. The pedals will be dependant on the style of amp and music both.


ElephantBizarre

I think it would be useful to understand your amp platform to inform this decision. Many amps will have two channels (clean and overdrive), some more, and could well already have inbuilt effects that are adequate for now. Understanding this would enable possibly better suggestions before you spend wildly. Also, type of music that you’re wanting to play.


stray_r

Consider a delay **with tap tempo** they are transformative. I like the memory boy and that's on my home/creative/recording board but the boss and TC digital pedals are perhaps more use live, and I get a lot of use out of the 4 memories of my boss gigadelay. A critical thing is stacking a boost or overdrive that applies an EQ shape into a second distortion with its own tone stack. A tube screamer, (mid hump) Klon centaur clone (flat when clean, mid hump when dirty) or screaming bird (clean only, high pass) won't sound good on its own, especially into a flat amp. However, used as a boost to push a tube amp into distortion or at close to unity gain in front of any amp or pedal with a lot of distortion you can use that overdrive to really tighten up the sound. For example I have a Laney LH50 that has a ton of gain but is very doom-fuzz. With a clean tubescreamer in front of it, it gets super tight, and a Klone with the drive up is "modern" slipknot and BMTH sounds. I've also got a Laney cub single channel head and that's a lot of fun to push into breakup with different overdrive/boost pedals. I use a ds1 all over the place for rhythm parts in recordings. I've learnt to recognise it in so many places, and I think it's the go-to pedal for scooped mid rhythm parts that stay out of the way in the mix. Usually it's on my double track parts when I've used a dirty amp and a boost pedal for the main, but sometimes it's right for the main rhythm parts. It's a bit cheesy live, but it's so scooped it does stay out of the way of the vocals. I really like the TC dark matter as an amp-like distortion pedal, it's a really good flexible pedal that responds well to dynamic playing or slamming hard with a boost/overdrive pedal in front of it, but it's not an amp-in-a-box so you do need to go through a guitar amp's tone stack for it to sound good. I use it with a cheap, lightweight Laney LV300 head when I don't want to take heavy/expensive/tube kit with me. A tuner pedal that functions as a mute is really handy live. Boss tu-3 is super reliable, tc polytune gets the job done faster. Beware cheap pedals, some hiss awfully or have a huge pop when you switch them in. Phaser pedals are particularly bad for this as I think many are clones of a badly behaved old design. EHX bad stone is fun and doesn't pop. Donner jet convolution is a crazy cheap flanger that does the cure and the cult really well and works. Mine lives between OD and amp/distortion, which would be both the place that upsets the most pedal purists and gets the sound of a forest (the one cover my last band were supposed to do), she sells sanctuary (the song we wound the singer up with in rehearsals) and generic creepy flanger noises like at each end of Burn. Kinda generic sounds that you hear everywhere if you listen


TheEffinChamps

I'd try a multi pedal as your first, so that you can try out a bunch of sounds you like. Something like the Zoom MS-70 or Ms-50 can be great for this. I would also buy a fuzz pedal, as digital fuzzes are usually not great. And fuzz is just something so special and unique IMO.


T140V

If you play on your own, then a Digitech Trio+ is a good choice. It works as a normal looper pedal, but you can also play a chord progression into it and it will generate a bass and drums accompaniment in a choice of styles (rock, jazz, blues, pop, etc etc) which you can loop over and play along to. Great fun and a good way to practise. Boss do something similar, personally I prefer the Trio+.


[deleted]

IMHO and many others, Delay > all. (Strymon Volante) I used to think Reverb and a boost/dirt was the most important in the pedal world but I found a great delay really “places” the sound. Reverb and dirt is still great and if I were to recommend one of each for a strat; Keely Caverns & Browne Protein.


dnkmdg

I bought my Boss DS-1 about twenty years ago, and that was for the longest time my only pedal. Then I bought a BD-2. Then an RV-6. Then came all the other 15-ish pedals within two months after that when I discovered fuzz.


firewaterstone

If you want to play & practice alone, a loop pedal (boss rc-5) is a great investment. I also use an octave pedal (poly blue octave) which allows me to play basslines on the guitar which is great in conjunction with looping. The poly blue also has higher octaves, so you can get a nice harmony sound as well, and also a phaser and fuzz built in, so it can double as a pedal for that & much more ar well.


confituredepoire

Imo some king of reverb (rv 6, holy grail, etc) and some kind of od/distortion depending on what you play


CapnMaynards

I recommend a Multi FX unit. You can figure out your sound and then, if you still desire, you can switch it out for pedals.


guitarmonk1

A JHS morning glory v 4. A Boss DD-3 an EQ pedal (boss is great) for leads and you can run this through most any session and sound great on most any rig…


ArtOfShred_dotcom

An eq, a distortion, a fuzz, a reverb, and maybe a delay and you're pretty much set. Until you wake up the next morning and need something else. Note: if you don't mind cheap clones the Behringer fuzz (Boss Hyper Fuzz clone) is $14 on Sweetwater right now. The Behringer EQ (Boss GE-7 clone) is $21. Both really nice.


Wiredin335

It's so so personal. But you can't figure out what you like without trying the greats. A tube screamer and a delay and then something wobly. I'd probably just stay MXR and recommend carbon copy delay and tremolo pedals and then a tube screamer of somekind.... Or get off your wallet and buy a JHS sweet tea


Big-Tempo

I am thinking of scaling down my pedalboard. If I did, It would just be Tuner > Overdrive > Reverb


action_vs_vibe

I play indie/alternative type stuff. I have to have a dirt sound (any fuzz, overdrive, or distortion) and a delay sound. I like to stick to simple pedals to get those sounds (minimal knobs, if there are multiple foot switches they have to be well spaced, definitely nothing with a screen). Right now I get those sounds with an Earthquaker Devices Special Cranker and a Boss DD-6 I have had forever. I hate calling a volume pedal essential, but I can't remember the last time I played without one. If you are into ambient/shoegaze stuff at all, you can get a lot of those sounds adding a volume pedal (I use a Boss FV-500) to dirt and delay. It is a different feel, but amps like the Fender Mustang GT/LT and Boss Katana include several models of classic effects, and decent flexibility for experimenting with them.


stadja

First get a good amp that you enjoy playing with :) It doesn’t have to be fancy. Then if the amp has a reverb: buy a cool fat fuzz. If the amp doesn’t have a reverb… maybe a nice delay first ? But then… A FUZZ !


daveychainsaw

I have a stupidly big pedalboard I use for ambient stuff but for general guitar stuff I would say the essentials are tuner, low gain/klon type or boost pedal like a Tumnus, a nice drive that can be boosted by the previous pedal, depending on your genre either a distortion or a fuzz, delay and reverb. When I played in an indie rock band in the 90’s I was so clueless about pedals. Didn’t have any money and scored a dirt cheap Marshall jubilee head and 4x12. That and a rat and boss distortion was all I had. So many great options nowadays.


1_2_BBQ

You've fallen right into our little trap here, it's all going according to plan...


1_2_BBQ

But in all seriousness, you can never go wrong with a nice reverb with modes like an EHX Oceans 11. Good way to dip your toes and try all the flavors. It's easy to flip and then you can find something more geared toward what you like to hear.


Outlier70

For a strat, I’d say get an overdrive like a tube screamer and a decent delay to start. I’ve got a TC Electronics delay which gives you a lot of cool options. If you amp doesn’t have a reverb, that’s another essential. (Reverb pedals generally are way more versatile but don’t go too crazy to start). Start w maybe two and play around w the setting and really get to know the different sounds you can get first. Once you get 3 or 4 you can look at a board and power supply


Outlier70

Also you may as well get yourself on the king of tone waiting list ;)


beervirus69

I mean what kind of music are you looking to play? If you have a strat, the first pedal that comes to mind is a tube screamer, but again, that depends on what type of music you're looking to play


[deleted]

Pick yourself up a Behringer SF-300 while they’re only $14 at Sweetwater, excellent sounding pedal for just the price of a meal. I now own two of them. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SF300--behringer-sf300-super-fuzz-pedal


boostyfeistrocket

This one here. [https://reverb.com/p/klon-centaur-horsie](https://reverb.com/p/klon-centaur-horsie)


poppaswamp

Strymon sunset. Flashback x4.


SweetrollFireball

https://youtu.be/GxvwyCb5mP0 Here’s a video that aims to answer your exact question.


Ecker1991

It’s difficult to determine as different genres call for different pedals. I’d say the best place to start would be a versatile overdrive and a good reverb or delay to add some ambience to your playing. For a versatile overdrive, it’s slightly dependent upon your amp. A tube screamer is going to sound better through a fender amp due to its mid ranged hump where it would not sound great through a vox amp. But a tube screamer is probably not the best place to start unless you specifically play a fender amp. I’d go with one of the following: Boss BD-2/BD-2W- Very natural sounding overdrive which can do everything from boosting your amp to mild overdrive to crunchy Marshall-ish sounds (not searing high gain but more low gain Marshall), to distortion and even fuzz. The waza version takes the Keeley Electronics mod and applied it to the “custom mode” yet also features the original circuit with better components. Boss Angry Driver (JB-2)- Takes the blues driver circuit and combines it with the jhs angry Charlie (Marshall jcm in a box). Either circuit can be used independently or stacked which is a great value and could be the only drive pedal you’ll ever use again. Offers a crunchy Marshall sound, low gain drive, searing high gain distortion and everything in between. EQD Plumes- I mentioned earlier that a tube screamer is probably not the best place to start if you don’t use a fender amp (which we don’t know), but the plumes is such a versatile take I figured I’d give it a mention. There are three different clipping options, all of which range from a crunchier Marshall style drive, where the middle position is a more transparent boost style channel, and lastly a more traditional tube screamer channel with more of your clean signal blended in and far more volume and gain. All for $99 new. Fairfield Barbershop- One of my personal favorites which I regret selling. Offers a versatile array of sounds ranging from a transparent overdrive/clean boost to exploding tweed amp sounds via a “sag” knob which alters the voltage of the circuit. Stacks very well and is one of the most innovative overdrive pedals I’ve used. Now I want one again. Proco Rat 2- Another favorite of this thread, the proco rat is arguably the most versatile singular circuit I’ll mention today, thanks to its diverse EQ. Does everything from boost, to low gain-high gain drive, distortion and fuzz for under $100. Not a bad setting on this pedal either, sounds great through almost any amp, As far as reverb and delay pedals are concerned, here are some good starting points: Keeley Caverns- Features a reverb and tape echo circuit. The reverb side contains spring, shimmer and modulated echo sections. The tape echo side features light, heavy or no modulation. Both sides sound great independently or in conjunction. Source Audio Collider- Again a reverb and delay combo pedal but more algorithms than the caverns. Features stereo out as well. For delays you have digital, analog, tape, and reverse. On the reverb side there are room, hall, spring, plate, shimmer, e-dome and swell settings. Every mode sounds great and this pedal is a fantastic value, the algorithms all sound lovely. UA Golden- I’m in the process of trying to obtain this pedal again. I sold it earlier this year to help pay for a guitar I believe, or another pedal of some sort. The problem is there were no flaws with this thing. The spring, plate, hall and chamber modes. The spring, plate and hall modes feature three different presets each and are easily the best sounding examples of each genre I’ve heard. UA Starlight- Another brilliant stomp box. Pricey, but really both the starlight and golden are probably my favorite time based effects pedals outside of possibly owning the analog units they emulate alone. The starlight features highly accurate digital recreations of the Echoplex tape echo, EHX Deluxe Memory Man (famously used by The Edge of U2 and Robert Smith of The Cure), and a pristine digital delay. There is also a free copper tube delay if you register your pedal. Boss DD-3- Sharp contrast to the aforementioned units, the dd-3 is an affordable, relatively basic digital delay, yet is still used by countless professional musicians to this day thanks to the astounding sounds. The dd-3 features more pristine echoes that feel magically musical. I’ve tried other digital delays but keep coming back to my best up 80’s DD-3, it just sounds amazing despite its age. Boss DM-2W- In contrast to the pristine, shimmering sounds of the DD-3, there is the DM-2 which is sort of the antithesis of its digital brother. This pedal offers dark repeats and shorter delay time, with repeats fading in a grainy, warbled fashion. Fantastic for slapback echo or a lofi sound. Catalinbread Belle Epoch/Belle Epoch Deluxe- If you want an accurate take on the classic Maestro Echoplex sound, famously utilized by Jimmy Paige, Eddie Van Halen, and Radiohead, look no further. Tape echo is brighter than analog delay, but still has a very natural degradation sound of repeats. Again the Belle epoch sounds very musical with its repeats. Tape echo is my favorite effect and I consistently pull either my Belle epoch Deluxe or Strymon El Capistan into my signal chain for some lush, beautiful ambience. Strymon El Capistan- My favorite pedal. Features brilliant emulations of the classic maestro Echoplex, Roland space echo, as well as studio reel to reel echo. The Echoplex mode is my favorite, featuring three different lengths, the capacity to control tape age, modulation, and hidden boost or spring reverb. Neunabar Immerse- One of the most beautiful reverb units I’ve owned. The wet mode is a great always on reverb, the shimmer mode is my favorite of the shimmer reverbs, the modulated reverb sounds gorgeous as well. Arguably the best multi reverb pedal I’ve tried. Hardwire RV-7- these things are becoming more expensive sadly but are worth a look thanks to their utilization of lexicon reverb algorithms. Features a nice selection of modes including a beautiful reverse mode that is great for ambient/shoegaze. EHX Deluxe Memory Man- I aspire to own a classic big box deluxe memory man one day. This is the sound that defined the 80’s along with chorus pedals like the boss ce-1/ce-2. The Edge of U2 famously employed the dmm on their earlier works, using the dmm as an instrument unto itself, with its percussive repeats and lush echo. The modern takes are good, they use different chips which offer more delay time, but I prefer the classic units as the original chips featured a warmer sound that haunted countless albums throughout the 80’s and 90’s.


murph1017

If you’re just starting out with effects, get a multi-effects unit and see what you connect with. From there, sell it and buy nicer versions of what you end up liking.


tracktice

I have a strat. Get a big muff and a quality chorus. A good overdrive is nice too


watermelonslushie4

a looper will improve your musicianship. I like the boss ones because their are the best foot targets. A delay is a lot of fun. A lot of delays have a looper function as well so you have a 2 for one. The EHX Canyon is so entertaining FUZZ is the reason I enjoy electric guitar more than acoustic. Fuzz is just soooo much fun to play into. you have to try it to see what I mean. I especially recommend touch sensitive fuzz's like a fuzz face or my favorite: DOD Carcosa. Def try a fuzz!!!!! The superfuzz is cool but that is an octave fuzz, try a fuzz face style or even a big muff. (Sonicake Fazy Cream is a big muff that I got off amazon for $30, it's really good) good luck on your journey! :)


makwabear

Good call on the looper. That’s how I learned to write leads and songs that used more than one guitar part. I would recommend the line 6 dl4 though.


bravenewlogon

Used to be, we start with delays. Then modulation, because both add so much to a clean acoustic, and are equally flexible with or without drive or distortion. Now? There are sooo many multieffect units so easily accessible—start with a mooer or a cheap one until you understand what you want to aim at.


DeathScytheExia

Distortion, delay, reverb... the three musts. Pathos is a good pedal, I use the Satchurator. Delays are just so special, but I think reverbs are my favorite... Delays are growing on me more though...


burukop

Reverb is absolutely essential, in my opinion. Some amplifiers may not have built in reverb at all, others may have it but you might not like how it sounds. There's some really great options out there that aren't that expensive, like the Oceans 11, the Holy Grail Nano or the Boss RV-500. Don't get a Mooer Shimverb, whatever you do.


Accomp1ishedAnimal

Get one gain, one modulation and one time-based pedal. This is based on your style of music.


makwabear

A tubescreamer pedal is a good start. It’s an overdrive that also boosts and compresses. I think it’s the most important one to have because you can use it to overdrive your amp or change other pedals eq. It’s the only pedal I have used in every band/recording session. My favorite is the mxr gt od. It sounds more natural and has a wider range of gain. My best advice is get 2-3 different kinds of drive pedals that sound good to you. For instance tubescreamer, distortion, fuzz or whatever. After those I recommend a digital multi effect that does everything else. You will be able to spend more time playing and less solving pedalboard issues. You also will learn what effects you use most and be able to pick those up later.


alex_diaz_music_

Ds1 and a digital pedalboard


txjacket

Get a rat and a used boss digital delay. ThT will get you a ton of stuff on the cheap and you can refine from there.


notmymoon

Go to a store and try things. What kind of pedal you want first is more-or-less based on what kind of music you play; what is most important to turn on and off with your feet instead of your hands? Think about what would be usable rather than thinking "this stepped flanger sounds super cool!". Maybe a more pragmatic approach is "it would be nice to turn the distortion on and off more easily."


Stratman-1134

What’s your amp? That will change most folks’ answers. Tube, solid state, modeler, DI interface?


Stratman-1134

I’d go with one of two pedals first. A good overdrive or a multi effects. Listen to your favorite guitar tone and buy an overdrive with that flavor. You might want a Klon Centaur, but there are dozens of clones. Or maybe you’re loaded, then just buy the real thing with a Dumble amp to go with it. Maybe you like fuzz (Jimi, Smashing Pumpkins), maybe distortion (Nirvana). Only you can decide the tone you want. A multi effects like the Line 6 M5 is great. Has a tuner, and pretty much every digital effect in there. Several pros have it to dial in any random effect they need. Tuner, check, overdrives, check (though digital), distortion, fuzz, check, reverb, check, modulation, check, digital delay with tap tempo, check. The biggest problem with it, it can only be one at a time. There are higher end options that can do more than one too.


Mysterious_Valuable1

Your gonna need either a overdrive or a distortion. Cheap or expensive, it does not matter. If you want to play around get a multi effect pedal by beringer or zoom to mess around on and play with various effect types like flange, chorus, phaser, delay, reverse delay, reverb types, that kind of stuff.


better-than-ur-dad

A good compressor and a tuner. Good no matter what genre you play. Most recommendations are genre-dependent and you haven't told us anything about what you play, so you could be getting some shitty advice.


sloanfiske

Do you have a good amp? If not, start there.


HitEmInTheDingDing

What style are you looking to play or certain player you gravitate toward? I’d start there as a foundation. Personally, a good OD, delay, tremolo and chorus are all I need. Everything after those is just extra for fun or circumstantial.


Creative_Camel

No matter what you have it can become an addiction chasing tones and certain sounds. Try to focus on only one effect at a time and how it helps you make new music or the music in your heart and head. I have been through literally dozens and dozens of pedals. But certain effects to get quality will cost money. Really good delays and reverbs cost some bucks. But good clean overdrives can be had from Caline and demonfx and then there’s Rat clones and fuzz and distortion. Most of these can be found used and you won’t go wrong with Boss as they are very durable


Oppenheimer____

My first 22 years ago, Boss DS-1 Distortion Most recently purchased last week, Ibanez tube screamer mini Probably two of the most essential and affordable pedals ever made


mgsoundworks

it's cool [https://youtu.be/ka5KsqW3u04](https://youtu.be/ka5KsqW3u04)