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There are a lot of guitar pedals on the market these days. So, which ones are the best guitar pedals for beginners? In this article, we will take a look at some of the best guitar pedals for those just starting out. We will also provide a few tips on how to choose the right pedal for you.
What To Look for in A Beginner Guitar Pedal
If you are new to electric guitar, there are a few things you should look for in a guitar pedal. Below we will list a few features that are important in choosing the right pedal for you.
Look for a sound that compliments your guitar’s tone
When looking for a beginner electric guitar pedal, it’s important to find one that not only works well with your instrument but also has a sound that compliments it. This is because you don’t want the pedal to overpower your guitar or vice versa.
Quality
When you’re just starting out with guitar pedals, it can be tempting to buy the cheapest options available. However, it’s important to remember that pedals are a key part of your sound, and cheap pedals can often produce poor quality sound. So what should you look for in a beginner guitar pedal? Look for a pedal that is built with quality components. This will ensure that the pedal will last longer and produce better sound. We do not call them stomp boxes for nothing. The pedal will undergo regular stress, so it is important that it is built to last. You will want to find a pedal that has a solid, metal case that is going to hold up to the rigors of regular use.
The switch is also important. A good pedal will have a switch that is easy to use and is not likely to break. The spring-loaded footswitch is the most common type of switch found on guitar pedals. This type of switch is designed to withstand the rigors of regular use.
True bypass
When you are looking for a beginner guitar pedal, you may want to make sure that it has true bypass. True bypass means that when the pedal is turned off, your signal will not go through the pedal, hence a tone bypass of the pedal. This is important because you don’t want your signal to be altered when the pedal is turned off.
Some beginner guitar pedals come with an effects loop. This means that you can put other pedals in between the guitar and amplifier. This can be helpful if you want to use multiple pedals at once.
Quantity
When looking for beginner guitar pedals, it is important to consider how many you need. You may want to invest in just one of the same type of pedal instead of buying two because they will produce similar sounds.
Additionally, if a pedal has multiple effects, you can usually get them all with just one pedal. For instance, distortion, chorus and reverb are all common effects that are often included in beginner pedals.
Size & Portability
Pedals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you’re just starting out, you’ll need to get a pedalboard if you have more than 5-10 pedals, depending on their size.
The final pedalboard should be functional and not an inconvenience during live shows. For instance, it’s helpful to have a True Bypass Looper so that you can easily access your most often used pedals from one footswitch.
Find a pedal that has simple controls
Beginner guitar pedals come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of features. When looking for your first pedal, it’s important to find one that has simple controls. This will make it easier to learn how to use the pedal and get the sounds you want from it.
Some great beginner pedals include models from Electro-Harmonix, Boss and TC Electronic. These pedals have straightforward controls that are easy to understand and operate. They also offer classic analogue sounds that budding guitarists will love.
Consider your budget
When you’re looking for your first guitar pedal, it’s important to consider how much money you want to spend. You can’t go wrong with a $50 or $60 purchase, but keep in mind that you may need more than one pedal if you play multiple instruments. Some pedals will run into the several hundred dollar range, but they offer a wide range of features and sounds. When you’re just starting out, it’s important to find a pedal that is affordable and easy to use.
Type of Sound and Type of Music You Want to Create
When looking for a guitar pedal, it’s important to first think about the type of sound and type of music you want to create. Do you want a distortion pedal so you can emulate the sound of overdrive from your amp? Or maybe you’re looking for an overdrive pedal to get that grittier sound without getting an annoying crackle or “break up” from your amp.
Are you looking for a fuzz box or fuzz pedal so you can create an unmistakable sound? Maybe something with more versatility, like an overdrive/distortion pedal?
Once you know what type of effect you’re looking for, it becomes easier to find the right pedal.
Determine If You Want Analog or Digital
When looking for a beginner guitar pedal, it’s important to determine if you want an analog or digital delay. Analog delays give a darker sound and the delays “drop off” differently than digital. They can be more expensive, but they offer a pure analog sound.
If you’re looking for more features, such as additional delay time or different types of reverbs, then a digital delay is the way to go. However, they can be less expensive and come in smaller sizes.
What are the best guitar pedals for beginners?
When you’re just starting out on the guitar, it’s important to have the right gear. Not only will this make your learning process easier, but it’ll also make playing more fun. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best guitar pedals for beginners.
First and foremost, an overdrive pedal is essential for any beginner guitarist. An overdrive pedal gives your tone that extra edge, and it can be used to create both clean and distorted sounds. For our top pick, we recommend the Ibanez Tube Screamer. This pedal has a softer side as well as a harder side, so it’s perfect for both beginners and experienced players alike.
Another must-have pedal for any beginner is the Boss Digital Delay. This pedal has been loved by players for years, with an enormous history behind it. The Boss Digital Delay is capable of producing many different types of delays, making it perfect for all kinds of music styles. It’s easily one of the best guitar pedals for beginners on the market today.
Below I will walk through some of my favorite electric guitar pedals for beginner guitarist that will round out any pedalboard.
Best Beginner Delay: Boss DD-8T delay pedal
Best Delay Pedal for Beginners
The Boss DD-8T is a great beginner delay pedal for a few reasons. It is easy to use, sounds great, and is built well. No wonder why so many guitarists love Boss pedals. Plus, the large rubberized footpad makes it easy to control during long delays.
This digital delay has been used on records by bands such as Tool and Radiohead. The DD-8 has a pleasant character as far as digital delays in pedals are concerned. It makes a great sound delay for any type of music. The DD-8T adds tap tempo to an already great pedal, making it even easier to use.
The Boss DD-8T is a high quality delay pedal that can be used to create a variety of effects. It has 11 delay settings, which can be used to create everything from a short echo to a long, sustained delay. The pedal also includes an Expression pedal input, which allows you to control the wet/dry mix or the delay time.
The DD-8T also features buffered switching, meaning that your signal can be affected when the pedal is turned off. Overall, the Boss DD-8T is a versatile and straightforward delay pedal that is perfect for anyone looking to add some extra depth and dimension to their sound.
Best Beginner Fuzz: Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff
Best Beginner Fuzz Pedal
If you’re looking for one of the best fuzz pedals that can give you a huge, distorted sound, the Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff is a great option. This pedal is capable of producing a range of classic sounds, from gentle overdrive to full-on fuzz. It’s also very versatile, with controls for volume, tone, and sustain. The Little Big Muff is one of the most popular distortion pedals on the market, and it’s easy to see why. It’s affordable, easy to use, and has a signature sound. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, the Little Big Muff is a great choice for anyone who wants to add some serious distortion to their sound.
The current crop of EHX Big Muffs guitar effects pedals are based on the five main versions which we broadly refer to as “very broadly speaking.” There are several other Electro Harmonix pedals in particular; the nano version is more “pedalboard friendly” than most. So if you’re looking for a versatile fuzz pedal that will work well with many different styles of music, the Big Muff Nano is a good choice.
Best Beginner Overdrive Pedal: Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Best Beginner Overdrive Pedal
When you’re just starting out playing guitar, it’s a good idea to buy an overdrive pedal to give your sound some extra oomph. And the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9 is a great option for beginners.
Even though it’s not true bypass, the pedals are still very popular and represent a significant percentage of the worldwide pedal market, just on their own. Plus, they’re versatile drive pedals with an emphasis on the midrange that can be used with both acoustic and electric guitars.
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The EQ profile of the Tubescreamer emphasizes the guitar’s mids around 1kHz, which can help you cut through a band mix either live or in the studio. And if you need more volume or want to get that “pop” sound, the Booster function makes it easy to do so to create great sounds with ease.
Plus, at under $100, this pedal is inexpensive compared to other guitar effects on the market. So if you’re looking for a great beginner overdrive pedal that will give your sound some extra punch, check out the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9!
If you are looking for an alternative to the Tube Screamer, consider the Fulltone OCD Overdrive pedal. It is a well known pedal and also a very versatile overdrive that can be used to create a wide range of sounds. It has two modes, Normal and Boost, which can be used to create different levels of distortion. The OCD also has a “Tight” switch, which helps to tighten up the low end when you are using higher levels of distortion. The Tube Screamer and OCD both sound great so check them both out to see which suits your playing style and tone for a drive pedal.
Best Beginner Distortion: ProCo RAT Distortion Pedal
Best Beginner Distortion Pedal
The ProCo RAT distortion pedal is a great choice for beginner guitarists. It’s affordable, versatile, and easy to use and one of the best pedals for beginners. The RAT can be used with tube amps that already have some dirt on them, and it has a wide range of sounds from classic to modern.
This pedal is good for low-gain or high-gain settings, and it’s perfect for live or studio settings. The hard clipping diodes changed the tone of distortion pedals, making them more punchy and hard.
So if you’re looking for an affordable and versatile distortion pedal, the ProCo RAT is a great option!
Best Octave Pedal: DigiTech Whammy
Best Beginner Guitarists Octave Pedal
When it comes to octave pedals, the DigiTech Whammy is one of the best on the market. This pedal combines the functions of an octave pedal with some additional features that make it a great option for beginners and experienced guitar players alike.
The pedal features two octave buttons, one for up and one for down. You can also use the pedal to add harmony to your playing, or to create pitch-shifted sounds. This is a digital pedal so for those with discerning ears, you may sound it a bit unnatural sounding.
Plus, the pedal is very easy to use, with a simple interface that makes it easy to get the sound you want. It is a higher priced pedal but allows a lot of sound exploration for the price.
So if you’re looking for an octave pedal that offers some great features and is easy to use, the DigiTech Whammy is a great option!
Best Wah Pedal: Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby
Best Wah Pedal for Beginners
When it comes to the best wah pedals, the Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby is always a popular choice. This pedal is made of a heavy die-cast metal construction, perfect for stomping on. The rubber top gives the Wah pedal an aggressive and wide ranging sound. It takes some time to perfect, but once mastered it’s super versatile.
It is a bit of an acquired taste, but the GCB95 is one of the most versatile wah pedals on the market. It can go from classic wah tones to funk and metal.
So if you’re looking for a great wah pedal that is built to last, the Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby is a classic pedal that is a great choice!
Best Reverb Pedal: TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2
Best Reverb Pedal for Beginner Guitarists
The TC Electronic Hall of Fame is one of the best reverb pedals on the market. It’s a stereo pedal, which means it has a lush, wide sound. You can choose from different reverb styles, including Spring, Plate, Church and Mod. And you can even tune the tone to your preference with TonePrints! There are plenty of options when it comes to how much reverb you want from the Hall of Fame.
The TC Electronics Hall of Fame is great for both newbies and experienced users. It has tons of sounds, including Plate Reverb, a church-style reverb, and gated reverbs. Plus, there are plenty of options when it comes to settings. So whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, the Hall of Fame will work great for you!
An alternative to the Boss that adds some additional functionality is the TC Electronic HOF Mini Reverb. This delay features true bypass and allows you to load different reveb settings via your PC or phone. These are called TonePints and they open up a world of different options. If you are looking for more of a “set it and forget it” delay, than the Boss is probably the better option.
Best Boost Pedal: Xotic EP Booster Mini
Best Boost Pedal for Beginners
The Xotic EP Booster Mini is a popular pedal among guitarists. It is designed to boost the input signal of your guitar, giving you a louder, more distorted sound. The pedal has only one knob which is able to boost the signal by up to 20 db. Simple to use, small, durable and great tone make it perfect for any beginner or experienced guitarist.
The Xotic EP Booster Mini is a great pedal for those who want to add a little extra oomph to their sound. It can be used to fatten up clean tones or push an already distorted sound over the edge. Whether you’re looking for a bit of extra volume or a whole new tone, the Xotic EP Booster Mini is definitely worth checking out.
Best Compression Pedal: Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher
Best Beginner Compression Pedal
There are a lot of compression pedals on the market these days, and it can be tough to decide which one is right for you. In this passage, I’m going to compare my favorite compressor pedal–the Electro-Harmonix Soul Preacher–to some other popular options.
Compression pedals are great for bass guitar, but they don’t always work well with guitars. That’s because distortion is already added in when you’re playing guitar, so there’s no need for compression. However, compression has a place in the mix and can be used to great effect sometimes.
The Soul Preacher is one fo the best guitar pedals for beginners because it offers a lot of features and benefits. For starters, it’s simple to use–you just plug it in and start playing. The pedal doesn’t add fuzz, drive, or distortion even when compressing hard. And EHX gear is known for its quality sound and great value for money.
Does the Order of Pedals Matter?
When you’re just starting out learning to play guitar with the best guitar pedals, it can be hard to know what order to put them in. We have a full article on how to organize your pedalboard for best performance but will repeat the highlights for reference. After all, if they don’t work the way they’re supposed to, your sound can end up completely messed up. Here are a few tips on how to correctly order your pedals:
At the start of your guitar signal you will want your compressor and whammy pedals immediately following the guitar signal. They will almost always come ahead of boost and distortion effects. This is because they can change the signal in a way that affects how the rest of your pedals will interpret it.
After your drive and distortion pedals, you’ll want to add in any modulation effects pedals like chorus, flanger, or phaser. Effects pedals can go before or after your distortion effects, depending on what kind of sound you’re going for.
Finally, reverb and delay always go at the end of your signal chain. This is because they are “ambient” effects that don’t really interact with the rest of your pedals.
These are just general guidelines–in the end, it’s up to you to experiment and figure out what guitar tones best using your effects pedals. And don’t forget, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to playing guitar. So if you want to put your delay pedal before your modulation effects, go for it!
Is A Pedalboard Needed for Beginners?
When starting out with playing the guitar, many people wonder if they need a pedalboard. A pedalboard is simply a board that you place your guitar pedals on. While a pedalboard is not required, there are several benefits that make it worth considering, especially for beginners.
First, a pedalboard keeps your pedals organized and in one place. This makes it much easier to set up and take down your equipment before and after practice or performances.
Second, a pedalboard can help to protect your pedals from being stepped on or damaged. Pedals are often delicate and expensive, so it’s important to keep them safe.
Third, having a pedalboard can help you become more efficient with your signal chain. By placing your pedals in the order that you’ll use them, you can eliminate superfluous steps and save time when setting up your sound.
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Ultimately, whether or not you need a pedalboard is up to you. However, for beginners, a pedalboard can be a valuable investment.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it–a beginner’s guide to the best guitar pedals on the market. I hope this has been helpful in giving you an idea of what to look for when shopping for pedals. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
FAQ
If you are looking for more information on electric guitar pedals for beginners, checkout our FAQ below.
Should beginners use guitar pedals?
For beginners, the question of whether or not to use guitar pedals can be a difficult one. On the one hand, pedals can help to create a wide range of sounds and textures, giving beginners a chance to experiment with their tone.
On the other hand, pedals can be expensive, and they can also be complex to use, which can be frustrating for beginners who are still trying to get a handle on the basics of playing guitar.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to use pedals boils down to personal preference. Some beginners find that pedals help them to express their musical ideas more effectively, while others prefer to keep things simple and focus on developing their technique.
There is no right or wrong answer, and ultimately it is up to each individual beginner to decide what approach works best for them.
What guitar pedals do you really need?
Any serious guitar player knows that pedals are essential for getting the perfect sound. But with so many different pedals on the market, it can be tough to know which ones are really worth your investment.
If you’re just starting out, there are a few essential guitar pedals for beginners that every guitarist should have. A distortion pedal is key for adding some extra grit to your sound, and a delay pedal can be used to create interesting speech-like effects or add some extra sustain to your notes. For more experimental players, a wah pedal can add an extra dimension to your sound, and a pitch shifter can be used to create radical new sounds.
Of course, everyone’s rig is different, and ultimately it’s up to you to decide which pedals best suit your style of play. But if you’re looking to get started in the world of guitar pedals, these are definitely a good place to start.
How do I know which guitar pedals to buy?
When it comes to electric guitar, there are a lot of different options out there when considering guitar pedals when learning guitar. With so many choices, it can be difficult to know which first pedals to buy. However, there are a few things that you can keep in mind that will help you make the best decision for your needs.
First, think about the type of music that you want to play. Different pedals will create different sounds, so you’ll want to choose ones that will complement your style.
Second, consider your budget. You don’t need to break the bank to get good quality pedals, but you also don’t want to skimp on quality if you’re serious about playing guitar.
Finally, take the time to read reviews from other guitarists. They can give you a good idea of which pedals are worth the investment and which ones aren’t. By taking these factors into account, you can narrow down your options and choose the best guitar pedals for your electric guitar.
