Essential Pedals for Home Player?

BRISTOL86

I’m pretty new to the world of FX so looking for a bit of a steer....

At present all I own is a loop pedal and a TS Mini which I interchange (just using a cheapo power supply) and they’re just loose on the floor. 

I’m buying a pedal train nano and PSU from the classifieds so time to think about what else I might want. 

Is there any merit to using a pedal tuner instead of a clip on for home use? I’m guessing not. 

My amp (Roland Blues Cube Hot) doesn’t have any kind of delay effect built in so I’m guessing that would be a good one to add to the board....suggestions please?

There is reverb on the amp so don’t think I need anything there. 

Also this is a real newbie question ... but having never used hem together - what do I need to do to make sure I can put down (say) a clean loop then an overdriven lead over the top .... do I just need to make sure the TS is before the looper in the chain? 

Cheers!

Fuengi

Probably put your looper last then you can record and effects into it you want on the rhythm loop.

I find a tuner pedal really useful as it also acts to kill the volume while you switch guitars. 

So many good delays... check the classifieds and see what's available. Rule of thumb -  If you want shorter warmer repeats go analog, for longer pristine repeats it's digital.

Personally I like an overdrive / clean boost with a fuzz in front for the fizzing dirt. 

stickyfiddle

Delay delay delay delay. Delays are brilliant fun. Unless you're the kind of player who hates them, but you'll only find that out by trying one. 

Personally I only get on with digital delays with tap tempo, but you might find you like the simplicity of a 3-knob analog pedal.

Teetonetal

I would do this... Tuner - Boost / OD - Dirt - FX - Looper amp.

Then the first looper track you record can use one set of fx, the 2nd track a different set etc. It's lots of fun.

You can also stick the looper 1st in the chain and use it to play with pedals whilst the loop runs. I love this for learnign how pedals work.

.

EricTheWeary

If you haven’t used delays before you could start with one of the digital ones that have multiple voices and functions like the EHX Canyon or the tc Flashback - there are still mark I Flashbacks going cheap. Helps you get an idea of what you want. 

Slimbert

Have you considered a mini wah? They aren't for everyone but I have loads of fun with mine.

Definitely a delay. I'd go digital to start with.

You're blues cube will probably cover this ( I know absolutely nothing about that amp!) a proper distortion rather than a TS. Something higher gain but try to avoid something too fizzy. Natural sounding with a bit of transparency is the key imho.

A bit of modulation wouldn't hurt...a phase pedal would be my first choice so something like a MXR Phase 90 or Mooer Elec Lady would do the trick. Again, this might be covered by your amp but honestly, I have no idea!

Lastly, an octive pedal like a Micro Pig or similar. Loads of fun to be had with them!

DesVegas

Yep. You got it. My favourite fx for home is a zoom multistomp. 100's of effects in there, including massive reverbs. I have the 100bt and put it before my looper so I have a clean loop then can play dreamy guitar lines over the top of the loop and the loop stays clean.

Branshen

Slimbert said:

Lastly, an octive pedal like a Micro Pig or similar. Loads of fun to be had with them!

Really cute but I don't really understand how to use them for my guitar playing..

BRISTOL86

Thanks all for the help, great stuff. 

FWIW my favourite guitarist is John Mayer, especially his bluesy and mildly jazzy stuff - so that’s probably a good feel for the sort of tones I’m after. 

If anyone has any recommendations on particular pedals then I’m all ears! 

Slimbert

Branshen said:

Slimbert said:

Lastly, an octive pedal like a Micro Pig or similar. Loads of fun to be had with them!

Really cute but I don't really understand how to use them for my guitar playing..

If you stomp on them hard enough they sound a little bit like a ring modulator.

Not everyone's cup of tea but I prefer the full analogue sound!

Branshen

BRISTOL86 said:

Thanks all for the help, great stuff. 

FWIW my favourite guitarist is John Mayer, especially his bluesy and mildly jazzy stuff - so that’s probably a good feel for the sort of tones I’m after. 

If anyone has any recommendations on particular pedals then I’m all ears! 

http://equipboard.com/pros/john-mayer/#effects-pedals

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_John_Mayer

Check these links out. His tone is really looked up to so resources are everywhere.

Also, Anderton's did a couple of segments on him. 

BRISTOL86

Thanks @Branshen - obviously the tone is mostly in his hands but I think for the main it’s fakrly simple - good guitar into a good clean amp and a bit of drive 

I follow someone on Instagram who swears by a Mad Professor SImble Predriver - anyone familiar with this? 

http://www.musicradar.com/reviews/guitars/mad-professor-simble-predriver-630796

I think I can get 4 normal or maybe 5-6 mini pedals on the Nano so was thinking maybe 

Simble > Drive (TS Mini or other?) > Delay > Looper 

And maybe a mini tuner if I can fit it on. But if not I have the clip on. 

rico

The always on pedals at home at the moment are a HOF mini reverb and a klon type pedal (Mayer is a famous user of this type of pedal...). The Tone City Bad Horse is a well regarded affordable mini klon pedal.

Also I can't recommend a pedal tuner enough. The TU3 is also an awesome buffer.

BRISTOL86

rico said:

The always on pedals at home at the moment are a HOF mini reverb and a klon type pedal (Mayer is a famous user of this type of pedal...). The Tone City Bad Horse is a well regarded affordable mini klon pedal.

Also I can't recommend a pedal tuner enough. The TU3 is also an awesome buffer.

Thanks will look into them! What’s the benefit of a pedal tuner instead of clip on at home out of interest? With only room for 3-4 pedals i just want to try and make the best use of the space!

JezWynd

Get a compressor. You may eventually decide that you don't need it but in the meantime you'll have learnt more than you ever wanted to about pick attack, decay, sustain and feel. Tuner is not neccasary, a clip on is fine. Delay makes everything a lot more fun. And get a looper of some sort.

Sassafras

Fuzz.

timbuk02

Always thought the Keely supermod looks a great jack of all trades for a mini board. Plenty of different effects to explore and pair with each other in one unit

EricTheWeary

I'm not sure there is a big advantage in having a pedal tuner for home use beyond silent guitar changes. However, if you are likely to take your mini board to a jam night or play any gigs it would be much better than a head stock tuner ( easier to see, won't fly off, you can silently tune and plug in or unplug). 

rico

@BRISTOL86 fair enough - if you are only ever going to play at home then a pedal tuner probably isn't essential buy if jams/gigs etc are on the horizon it's pretty invaluable. My limited experience with clip on tuners was that it wasn't very accurate then I lost it. I can also imagine that they could be quite fragile (falling off and stepping on them, getting chucked into a gig bag and breaking) whereas a TU3 will probably outlive all of us.

BRISTOL86

Thanks guys. Playing a team home only for the foreseeable future so will sack the tuner off for now! 

I’m thinking about trying that predriver (seems to be a bit of a jack of all trades, boost/compressor/‘sweetener’ -so it would be

Simble - TS or other drive - Delay (no idea which one) - Looper

Reverb on the amp means I won’t be able to independently control reverb on various layers of the loop but don’t think that’s too much of a problem

Teetonetal

BRISTOL86 said:

Thanks guys. Playing a team home only for the foreseeable future so will sack the tuner off for now! 

I’m thinking about trying that predriver (seems to be a bit of a jack of all trades, boost/compressor/‘sweetener’ -so it would be

Simble - TS or other drive - Delay (no idea which one) - Looper

Reverb on the amp means I won’t be able to independently control reverb on various layers of the loop but don’t think that’s too much of a problem

Can always buy a reverb pedal later if it is.