Grateful Dead Music Forum

I play a Gibson ES335 through a cheap fender amp (its FM65 DSP, a solid state modeling amp, 65 watts). I don't have any effects pedals, and don't know much about them, but I feel its about time that I start to use them, learn about them, and basically play around with my tone a lot more. I have a few ideas on getting started but I am definitely open to suggestion.

While I have a few friends who have given me advice in this area and let me play around with their effects none of them play a hollow body. Does it make a big difference when it comes to choosing pedals?

I was thinking of first getting overdrive and delay. Do you think this is a good way to start? If not, what do you consider to be more essential effects? In the future I hope to get chorus, envelope filter, octaver, and possibly wah as well.

As far as specific models go I am pretty clueless. I could definitely use some recommendations for overdrive and delay pedals, or other effects if you consider them essential. My ideal price range is $100-150 per pedal, being that I have about 300 to spend now and would like to get at least two effects, but its flexible. As I am looking to get a few effects together soon, I do not need the top-of-the-line, but I would like decent equipment I can use for a while.

Sorry for such a wide question, pretty much just looking for tips to get started. I appreciate any advice you can offer.

Rev_Roach wrote:none of them play a hollow body. Does it make a big difference when it comes to choosing pedals?

For some FX yes. Definitely for anything that boosts as it may cause your HB to feedback. Anything that regenerates like a delay may take some finessing to not muck & muddy the sound.

Rev_Roach wrote: I was thinking of first getting overdrive and delay. Do you think this is a good way to start? If not, what do you consider to be more essential effects? In the future I hope to get chorus, envelope filter, octaver, and possibly wah as well.

Good starts. I build my FX system with only essentials in mind. They are, IMO, Envelope, OD, Phaser & Delay. I find chorus pedals to have very little musical qualities.

Rev_Roach wrote: My ideal price range is $100-150 per pedal, being that I have about 300 to spend now and would like to get at least two effects, but its flexible.

Trust me, spend the cake and get good FX. Cheap FX will only leave you wanting more and you will trade up and spend more money in the long run.

In the guitar section we have reviews on alot of pedals.

i agree with strummin that the chorus pedal is sort of useless...i'm going to sell mine.

i have all boss effects except for my MXR Dist +.

my chain....boss AutoWah, boss oactive div OC2, boss Super OD, boss Blues Driver, MXR Dist +, boss comp sustain, boss Delay DD3, boss eq, boss tremelo, boss flanger, boss phase shifter.

i also have a boss pitch shifter that i never use.


out of all these effects, i will be deep sixing my auto wah for an Emma Dicombobulator, and my delay for another make....

CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A GOOD DELAY PEDAL OTHER THAN A BOSS MAKE?

bucketorain wrote: out of all these effects, i will be deep sixing my auto wah for an Emma Dicombobulator, and my delay for another make....

CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A GOOD DELAY PEDAL OTHER THAN A BOSS MAKE?

Good choice on the Emma Dis!

For delay, check out the Deeelay by CMATMODS:
http://www.cmatmods.com/portal/Home/Eff ... px#Deeelay

My recommendation would be to first work on getting a solid foundation via a tube amplifier. A clean organic tone is far more important then any effect pedal will offer you. The Fender Blues Deluxe is an excellent choice with that classic tone and a major bang for the buck. One can be had for slightly more then you're looking to spen on your first two pedals.

When you do add pedals, I would suggest playing amything you're interested in through your exact rig to be certain it's the tone you are looking for before you buy. The guessing game will be costly.

I've been playing an es335 semi-hollowbody for years and play with very few pedals by choice. The ones I do use are 100% analog.

SoulShakedown wrote:My recommendation would be to first work on getting a solid foundation via a tube amplifier. A clean organic tone is far more important then any effect pedal will offer you.

Totally agree! That's usually my first recommendation!

SoulShakedown wrote:When you do add pedals, I would suggest playing amything you're interested in through your exact rig to be certain it's the tone you are looking for before you buy. The guessing game will be costly.

And again totally agree! Another thing to consider is buying new pedals so you can benefit by a return policy. I stopped buying used for that reason alone.

If you want to use pedals, and they are going to be in between your guitar and amp, definitely make sure they sound good with your setup first. Good points made.

Also if you are looking for a non muddied, clean sound i would suggest spending the extra cash for True bypass pedals. They are worth it.

+1 on the Cmatmods deeelay. Never used one (yet...that'll be changing soon) but everyone I've talked to who has one loves it.

Personally, I love my silver modded Tubescreamers (Ts9 & Ts808) by Analogman, though some will say he's overpriced. http://analogman.com/ts9.htm#silver I love them anyways and they are the most important pedals in my chain; constantly use them.

+1000 for the Emma - great pedal and best envelope I've heard yet. Got mine here: http://www.musictoyz.com/guitar/pedals/emma.php

Also, if you're looking for a wah, look no further than Gary @ http://www.garmopatmods.com/wahs.html#W ... %20Options. Great guy to deal w/ and the best modded wah I've ever heard. Tell him Benny from Portland, ME sent ya.

If you're looking for compression/sustain, I prefer Analogman's OS Juicer: http://analogman.com/rossmod.htm#os and Keeley's 4 knob compressor: http://www.robertkeeley.com/product.php?id=8

And I have to agree w/ the chorus being a fairly useless pedal, even though I have one in my chain, I rarely use it. But, if you are looking for one, this Visual Sound H20 (which is the one I have) is a chorus/echo 2-in-1 pedal, and may be neat for you: http://www.musictoyz.com/guitar/pedals/jekyll.php

shakedown_04092 wrote:+1 on the Cmatmods deeelay. Never used one (yet...that'll be changing soon) but everyone I've talked to who has one loves it.

You will be happy. Your honey will be jealous.

I play a Ibanez AS200 which is a copy of the Gibson 335.
Check out my chain below. I love my Maxon OD808 overdrive. I have recently added a Line6 DL4 and a ZVex Fuzz Factory. Check it out, It is wild! (http://media.zvex.com/FLASH/fuzzfactory/)

I have been playing the same ES335 for over 20 years.
at times, Au natural guitar straight to the amp, and at times loaded with effects.

The important thing to remember is that it sounds good right out of the box, so you dont want to get all that tone burried in a bunch of goofy effects.

I agree with getting a tube amp.
But thats not what you asked, now is it?

The key is to let your tone shine through and allow your effects to enhance that, not detract.

A good overdrive. I also have an AM Silver and absoulutely love it, but you can get the reissue Tube Screamer and latter have it modded if you dont like it.
A good delay. I know alot of peeps like analog delay, but I love my Boss DD5. For me there is no point in having one if you can not tap select the tempo on the fly. I also have this modded so I can control the volume of the repeats with a foot pedal.

For me, those two are essential. I like a bit of compression sometimes for feedbacky sustatined leads. I know its sac-religious but I also use a multi FX as a tuner, and for phase and phlange effects and not much more.
An eq can be helpful as a clean boost.

But drive for leads and just clean ol 335 into a tuber and you will love your tone.

Hey Now,
this is all very interesting
I have a question and hope it is not too dumb
Can someone please explain what some of these different effects are and do?

For example
what is a phase shifter
what is envelope
what does a tube screamer do and why does it need to be modified
what does compression and sustain do
what does eq do

thanks for the info and the education
I have a Music Man HD 135 amp and play straight thru that...get distortion by cranking it up...

much obliged

hotasaPistol wrote:Hey Now,
this is all very interesting
I have a question and hope it is not too dumb
Can someone please explain what some of these different effects are and do?

For example
what is a phase shifter
what is envelope
what does a tube screamer do and why does it need to be modified
what does compression and sustain do
what does eq do

thanks for the info and the education
I have a Music Man HD 135 amp and play straight thru that...get distortion by cranking it up...

much obliged

phase shifter - gives a swirling Leslie type vintage sound

envelope filter - this like an automatic Wah Wah pedal

tube screamer - this is made by ibanez and acts as an overdrive, which essential reproduces naturally overdriving your tube amp which will give you that crunchy distorted stevie ray vaughan type sound. i'm not sure why you need it modded...

compression sustain - Compresses louder signals while boosting lower signals for smooth sustain without degrading the original sound quality

eq - this will help shape certain sounds. best used in the chain after your overdriver or distortion pedals.

hotasaPistol wrote: Can someone please explain what some of these different effects are and do?

Here ya go:
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/fx-desc.htm

Hey SS, is "phase shifter" the same thing as a "phaser?" In other words, does the pahser I have in my UE400 suffice? Also, I want some sort of Leslie emulator and I know they're out there. What's the best?

Peace,

Gil