Your most hated pedal sound ?

Dopesick

That really honky, boxy, mid-heavy high gain sound. Used predominantly in djent. Sounds fucking awful to my ears.

Legionreturns

Metal zone 

Ugh

Hattigol

And flangers. Seriously, why do they even exist?

Plus chorus, unless you're Andy Sunmers and it's 1983, in which case, it's fine.

Dominic

I like a slippery but tight bit of flange 

TTBZ

Hattigol said:

And flangers. Seriously, why do they even exist?

Plus chorus, unless you're Andy Sunmers and it's 1983, in which case, it's fine.

Wasn't Andy Summers more EHX flanger than chorus?

stickyfiddle

I like a hint of chorus, flange and phase in the right context. But the right context represents maybe 5% of total uses. 

I’ve never like vibrato when it’s on a consistent LFO, but it can be nice when it’s based on a random wobble, esp on synth/keys. 

Wah is stupid. There are about 12 instances of it being used in a non-horrible way in the entire history of music. So of course I own two of the buggers. (And I’m honestly struggling to think of more than 6 examples tbh)

Delay is amazing but overused. It’s my favourite effect but I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a covers band and the blues fusion thing where you buy a £400 just to set it where you can barely even hear it is hilarious. 

Similarly POG can be great but that thing that every other guitar record did with +1 octave 50/50 mix around 2007 is just as cliche as chorus+strat position 4 is in the 80s. 

impmann

That over-gained, gain knob turned up too high sound where the notes just kinda collapse on themselves... that some seem to think is "cool".  Much like the compressor 'dialled in' that removes most (but not all) of the attack leaving a woolly, bloom that some seem to think levels out their playing... yup it does. To a dreadful noise.

Otherwise, I like pretty much everything - if used creatively. Sadly, the vast majority of guitarists I encounter these days either all sound the bloody same, or use effects in cliched ways... or are trying to sound "authentic" in their blooz toanz whilst playing through a Booteek drive pedal, and a Strymon delay into their £2k+ Booteek amp. In a pub. Too loudly. With bad intonation. And overbending those double stops.

But otherwise... I don't 'hate'... :-)

EricTheWeary

stickyfiddle said:

I like a hint of chorus, flange and phase in the right context. But the right context represents maybe 5% of total uses. 

I’ve never like vibrato when it’s on a consistent LFO, but it can be nice when it’s based on a random wobble, esp on synth/keys. 

Wah is stupid. There are about 12 instances of it being used in a non-horrible way in the entire history of music. So of course I own two of the buggers. (And I’m honestly struggling to think of more than 6 examples tbh)

Delay is amazing but overused. It’s my favourite effect but I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a covers band and the blues fusion thing where you buy a £400 just to set it where you can barely even hear it is hilarious. 

Similarly POG can be great but that thing that every other guitar record did with +1 octave 50/50 mix around 2007 is just as cliche as chorus+strat position 4 is in the 80s. 

I think cocked wah is one of those things you aren't always aware of. On Bowie records, Allman Brothers, Brian May, Bob Marley, Schenker and probably people who weren't recording in the 1970s. Probably Soundgarden, certainly Khruangbin. But maybe more useful like that than as the waggly wacka wacka thing. So I think it gets a let off for having a dual use. 

ScreamingDave

Flanger.  Never owned one, never will.  The only decent use I ever heard one put to was at the very end of Across the Border by ELO where they recorded a CO2 fire extinguisher being discharged into a waste paper bin and then red it through a flanger.

Having said that, I'm probably being a bit unreasonable, because flanging is just the same as phasing and chorus only with more delay, or did I dream that?

ryanverbena

This

https://youtu.be/DuhV40ciWHw

ScreamingDave

That's the funniest thing ever!  Was it an April Fool joke?

LastMantra

I don't really like certain fx therefore anyone that does like them must be a complete arse hat.

Dominic

EricTheWeary said:

I think cocked wah is one of those things you aren't always aware of. On Bowie records, Allman Brothers, Brian May, Bob Marley, Schenker and probably people who weren't recording in the 1970s. Probably Soundgarden, certainly Khruangbin. But maybe more useful like that than as the waggly wacka wacka thing. So I think it gets a let off for having a dual use. 

No mistaking it on 'Money for nothing '

CaseOfAce

stickyfiddle said:

Wah is stupid. There are about 12 instances of it being used in a non-horrible way in the entire history of music. So of course I own two of the buggers. (And I’m honestly struggling to think of more than 6 examples tbh)

Delay is amazing but overused. It’s my favourite effect but I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a covers band and the blues fusion thing where you buy a £400 just to set it where you can barely even hear it is hilarious. 

I'm not keen on hearing wah... but I firmly believe playing wah is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Every guitarist should own one. It's too much joy not to have in your life! 

And thank you for stating that blues fusion / delay thing. I thought I was the only one who thought that. What's the point of having an effect on your signal if you can't hear it. I'm currently knuckling down and trying to get a DD-3 to work with my covers band as an (mostly) always on / thickener sound that does actually make a difference in a band mix... It's taking some trial and error with the level, feedback and times... you don't get this served to you on a plate... (which I guess can be taken for any effects usage).

LastMantra

I think an electric guitar and a wahwah is one of the most expressive instruments ever. Love it!

It's certainly not just white room and porn. 

Dominic

CaseOfAce said:

stickyfiddle said:

Wah is stupid. There are about 12 instances of it being used in a non-horrible way in the entire history of music. So of course I own two of the buggers. (And I’m honestly struggling to think of more than 6 examples tbh)

Delay is amazing but overused. It’s my favourite effect but I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a covers band and the blues fusion thing where you buy a £400 just to set it where you can barely even hear it is hilarious. 

I'm not keen on hearing wah... but I firmly believe playing wah is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Every guitarist should own one. It's too much joy not to have in your life! 

And thank you for stating that blues fusion / delay thing. I thought I was the only one who thought that. What's the point of having an effect on your signal if you can't hear it. I'm currently knuckling down and trying to get a DD-3 to work with my covers band as an (mostly) always on / thickener sound that does actually make a difference in a band mix... It's taking some trial and error with the level, feedback and times... you don't get this served to you on a plate... (which I guess can be taken for any effects usage).

You should get a cheap doubletracker ......perfect for the job .......it's a micro delay with a variable bit of modulation built in
can't remember who but somebody makes a cheap mini one ........can find them secondhand for about £35

EricTheWeary

Dominic said:

EricTheWeary said:

I think cocked wah is one of those things you aren't always aware of. On Bowie records, Allman Brothers, Brian May, Bob Marley, Schenker and probably people who weren't recording in the 1970s. Probably Soundgarden, certainly Khruangbin. But maybe more useful like that than as the waggly wacka wacka thing. So I think it gets a let off for having a dual use. 

No mistaking it on 'Money for nothing '

Happy to be corrected on this but I think there’s a gap in the market for a cheap cocked wah in a box type pedal. There have been and are some expensive ones but if you can buy a wah for £60 why can’t you buy a cocked wah pedal for £60? Obviously you could just buy a wah but they are a bit weird in terms of pedal board use. Maybe it’s a bit niche. 

SRich

Dominic said:

digital Octave up devices that give a metallic plink to the back end of the note

On a whim many moons ago (the the worst kind of gas) I bought a ZVEX Jonny Octave and that put me off the ring modulator, metallic thing forever........I just couldn't find a way to use it. Nice looking hand painted enclosure, but I fear it's still being flipped around a wider circle of guitarists as the years progress.

Just nasty.

26.2

Pretty much anything sounds ok if used in moderation, although I’m not keen on heavy use of chorus, vibrato etc for seasick type noises. 

There are effects that I’ve tried and not liked but I think I just haven’t figured out how to make them work for me eg univibe, wah

The one effect that I really really dislike for my own use is compression but it may well work for you. Maybe I’ll think again if I join a funk band! 

TTBZ

I don't like compression when I use it either but I may just be doing it wrong. Just takes all the fun out of playing and makes it sound/feel dead.