Guitar Effects Pedals - Do They Really Make a Difference?
Guitar effects pedals have been on the scene since the 1960's when guitar-based music became frequent. An engineer named Roger Mayer is credited with inventing the first guitar effects device, a "fuzz" box, that developed into the contemporary distortion and overdrive pedal, and the wah pedal.
Mayer's creations adorned the stages of such rock luminaries as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix (supposedly, Mayer created the first pedals for his friend Page in the early 1960's). Mayer's legacy lives on, as guitar effects are used by guitar players across the globe.
Effects pedals are so standard with guitar players, especially electric guitarists, because they can easily expand the tonal range of the guitarist's sound.
True, it's viable to use the guitar amplifier to change these sounds, but most amplifiers do not have built-in effects and the settings would have to be changed from song-to-song. Usually, guitarists want to be able to affect their sounds during a song or in various sections as well, so it makes sense keeping the pedals in front of them so they can change it themselves.
Just as the invention of the electric guitar and the amplifier gave the guitar player a far more powerful voice and greater sustainability of notes, so the effects pedals gave him a far wider range of expressive alternatives.
Today, even some acoustic guitar players and classical guitar players use effects pedals although the distortion and wah pedals used by electric guitar players aren't usually part of their tonal palette.
Since the first pedals were created, rack-mounted guitar effects have become more common. These were more popular during the 1980's, thanks to companies like Yamaha and Eventide.
However, with increased quality in effects pedal technology, most guitar players moved away from rack-mounted gear back to floor-mounted effects pedals, embracing their simple usability.
When they have their effects selected, most guitar players will mount their pedals on a pedalboard to help transportation and storage of their effects. This system makes it much easier to activate the pedals as well, since they are contained in a comparatively small space.
The wah-wah pedal and volume pedal are a little different than the others in that the player "rocks" the pedal back and forth to set the sound.
For ease of use, most (if not all) effects pedals can be turned on or off with a simple step of the toe, which can be useful in many musical situations. For example, if one wanted to switch from a heavily distorted tone to a clean tone promptly and easily, in order to have different tones for contrasting sections of the song, it's easy to do so. Another quick motion and the distorted tone returns. Effortless!
Guitarists often spend a great deal of time fine-tuning their effects, amps, and guitars just to get the "perfect" sound that they've been searching for.
There are literally thousands of effect devices for you to chose from. Some more standard effects include volume, wah, compression, distortion, overdrive, chorus, echo/delay, tremolo, and vibrato. Effects such as these can drastically and effectively process a guitar player's sound.
So if you are a developing electric guitar player who wants to explore new sonic landscapes, check out some guitar effects pedals now! - 2361
Mayer's creations adorned the stages of such rock luminaries as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix (supposedly, Mayer created the first pedals for his friend Page in the early 1960's). Mayer's legacy lives on, as guitar effects are used by guitar players across the globe.
Effects pedals are so standard with guitar players, especially electric guitarists, because they can easily expand the tonal range of the guitarist's sound.
True, it's viable to use the guitar amplifier to change these sounds, but most amplifiers do not have built-in effects and the settings would have to be changed from song-to-song. Usually, guitarists want to be able to affect their sounds during a song or in various sections as well, so it makes sense keeping the pedals in front of them so they can change it themselves.
Just as the invention of the electric guitar and the amplifier gave the guitar player a far more powerful voice and greater sustainability of notes, so the effects pedals gave him a far wider range of expressive alternatives.
Today, even some acoustic guitar players and classical guitar players use effects pedals although the distortion and wah pedals used by electric guitar players aren't usually part of their tonal palette.
Since the first pedals were created, rack-mounted guitar effects have become more common. These were more popular during the 1980's, thanks to companies like Yamaha and Eventide.
However, with increased quality in effects pedal technology, most guitar players moved away from rack-mounted gear back to floor-mounted effects pedals, embracing their simple usability.
When they have their effects selected, most guitar players will mount their pedals on a pedalboard to help transportation and storage of their effects. This system makes it much easier to activate the pedals as well, since they are contained in a comparatively small space.
The wah-wah pedal and volume pedal are a little different than the others in that the player "rocks" the pedal back and forth to set the sound.
For ease of use, most (if not all) effects pedals can be turned on or off with a simple step of the toe, which can be useful in many musical situations. For example, if one wanted to switch from a heavily distorted tone to a clean tone promptly and easily, in order to have different tones for contrasting sections of the song, it's easy to do so. Another quick motion and the distorted tone returns. Effortless!
Guitarists often spend a great deal of time fine-tuning their effects, amps, and guitars just to get the "perfect" sound that they've been searching for.
There are literally thousands of effect devices for you to chose from. Some more standard effects include volume, wah, compression, distortion, overdrive, chorus, echo/delay, tremolo, and vibrato. Effects such as these can drastically and effectively process a guitar player's sound.
So if you are a developing electric guitar player who wants to explore new sonic landscapes, check out some guitar effects pedals now! - 2361
About the Author:
If you are a guitarist who is looking to expand your sound using Effects Pedals, then you should visit Just Effects Pedals today. We have the most comprehensive selection of effects pedals available on the Internet. It doesn't matter if you're looking for the perfect overdrive, flanger, or delay pedal, we've got what you're looking for. Visit our site today!
posted by Marcondes Allen at 12:48 AM
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