Guitarophile.com

Tag: effects

  • Want a Better Guitar Sound? Try This Pedal

    Want a Better Guitar Sound? Try This Pedal

    I know a compliment when I see one

    And that text, my friends, is why you need an EQ pedal.

    Let’s rewind.

    My live tone problem

    The last show I played with my band, my guitar sounded way too muddy for my liking.

    Weirdly, I had dialed in what I thought was a good sound during our practice sessions. But when I got to the venue? No dice.

    Every room, building, and venue will have its own distinct acoustics that will change your sound in idiosyncratic ways.

    Something about the place was accentuating bass frequencies — whether it was the placement of my amp, the stage’s resonance, the house mix, or the room itself, I couldn’t say. But even with the bass dial on my Marshall turned all the way down, it still sounded woofy.

    Fun venue, not-so-fun room acoustics.

    As it turns out, this is normal — every room, building, and venue will have its own distinct acoustics that will change your sound in idiosyncratic ways.

    In this case, I simply wasn’t able to eliminate low frequencies with my amp’s control panel. So now what? How was I supposed to turn the bass down past zero?

    And that’s when it hit me: I needed an EQ pedal. But as I found out, an EQ pedal can do so much more.

    What is an EQ pedal, exactly?

    An EQ pedal is essentially a filter allowing you to independently boost or cut a wide range of frequencies in your guitar signal — to a much greater degree than your amp.

    Every brand will be slightly different, but in general, most EQ pedals have between six and 10 frequency bands. These bands are usually controlled by sliders that allow you to quickly isolate and adjust a specific frequency. You can cut each out entirely, send it through the ceiling, or do anything in between.

    Different EQ pedals allow you to control different frequencies, as well, but most are going to have sliders for a selection between 100 and 5K Hertz (Hz).

    An EQ pedal is essentially a filter allowing you to independently boost or cut a wide range of frequencies in your guitar signal — to a much greater degree than your amp.

    The lowest frequencies (below 250 Hz) provide depth and warmth to your guitar’s sound but can also cause muddiness (my stage problem).

    Mid frequencies (250–4K Hz) are where the main portion of your guitar’s sound sits, which should be no surprise since the guitar is a mid-range instrument. But overdoing things here can give you a boxy sound.

    High frequencies (above 4K Hz) enhance clarity and brightness, but too much emphasis on these frequencies results in a sharp, piercing tone.

    Some EQ pedals will also come with a volume slider. This is because—for scientific reasons that I don’t understand—when you adjust frequencies up or down, the volume level also changes. If you cut a few troublesome frequencies, for example, you’ll notice your guitar is no longer quite as loud.

    How to dial in an EQ pedal

    The short answer is “use your ears.”

    Seriously, I watched a ton of tutorial videos and did a lot of research, and there is no “right” answer. It 100 percent depends on what you’re looking to achieve with it.

    For example, if you have a guitar with humbuckers and want to make it sound closer to single-coil pickups, you can set up your EQ pedal to do that (tutorial here).

    If you like your distorted signal but it sounds a bit too harsh, you can dial back the frequencies between 1K and 3K Hz.

    If you want your guitar to have a lo-fi radio sound, you can boost the middle sliders and lower the rest.

    Generally speaking, cutting 400 Hz and boosting 800 Hz will both positively affect your sound.

    The possibilities really are endless, but there are some general rules that can help.

    Placement matters. If you want to change your tone, consider placing it at the beginning of your signal chain. If you want to keep your tone but just sculpt or shape it, add it at the end of your FX loop.

    Don’t be afraid to experiment. Take each slider down to 0 and up to 100. Crank the lows and cut the highs, or vice versa. See how a 25% cut compares to an equal boost. Mix and match. The best way to learn how any pedal works is to try things and listen.

    Cut first, then boost. If you don’t like your sound, try reducing certain frequencies before boosting anything. Sometimes the solution is as simple as removing a few unwanted frequencies.

    Use the 400–800 rule. Generally speaking, cutting 400 Hz and boosting 800 Hz will both positively affect your sound.

    Let YouTube be your guide. Seriously, there are so many quality tutorial videos that will get you started (I like this one and this one).

    The small yet significant result

    Using what I’d learned, I started messing around with the new EQ pedal I’d just bought (this one, if you’re curious). I decided to make it the last pedal in my FX loop because I wanted to shape the overall sound coming out of the amp, not fundamentally alter it.

    First, I tried about every setting I could think of just to see what each sounded like. What if I cut all the lows? What if I raised the mids? What if I made a smiley face? A frowny face?

    The result was slight yet significant. It was the same tone, just better. Tighter. More “professional” sounding.

    But each of these trials affected the sound too much. I wanted a light touch.

    I found that for my setup, it was as simple as boosting 800 Hz to about 75 percent and cutting 400 Hz to about 40 percent. I slightly cut the remaining low and high frequencies.

    The result was slight yet significant. It was the same tone, just better. Tighter. More “professional” sounding to my ears.

    I tested out my newfound pedal and setting at church a few weeks back. The text message from the beginning of this article? That was from my worship director after the service. She had no idea I’d used an EQ pedal — a perfect blind test.

    And now I can’t wait to go back to the “bassy” venue with my band and see how well it fixes my low-end problem.

    Going from 99% to 100%

    In my last article, I said that upgrading to a Gibson SG and Marshall tube amp took my tone from 95 percent of where I wanted it to be to 100 percent.

    I lied.

    I now realize it only took my tone to 99 percent. Adding an EQ pedal to the end of my FX loop added that last percent. I’ve now got a tighter, cleaner sound — and people can tell something is different.

    So does that mean you should run out and buy an EQ pedal? I have played for decades without one and lived to tell the tale, so no, I don’t believe they are necessary.

    But if, like me, you’re looking to gain an edge and get yourself closer to a desired tone, I’d absolutely invest in one. It might just surprise you how much it helps.

  • How to Dial in a Killer Chorus Pedal

    How to Dial in a Killer Chorus Pedal

    I’ve always treated my chorus pedal like a Crock-Pot: set it and forget it.

    I got my most recent chorus pedal, a Boss CH-1, a number of years ago. I found a decent enough setting, turned the effect way down for fear of bringing the 1980s back to life, and left it at that.

    But lately I’ve been wondering…how can I actually make use of this as a tool? What kind of tones might I be able to get from it that I’m missing out on?

    To answer those questions, I had to go on a journey to discover more about the chorus effect, how it began, what it does, and how to dial in the right tones.

    Here’s what I learned.

    A brief history of chorus effects

    The idea of chorus as an electronic effect dates back to 1975. This was the year Roland introduced the Jazz Chorus amplifier.

    The Jazz Chorus had two speakers, and when the onboard chorus effect was enabled, one of the speakers would be slightly delayed and modulated, while the other continued to play the unadulterated sound.

    The number of guitar-centric chorus pedals in the marketplace has skyrocketed, but they all perform in basically the same way.

    Interestingly, the amp was designed for keyboards and synths, but it soon found a home among guitarists as well.

    In fact, it only took until the next year, 1976, before the chorus circuit from the Jazz Chorus was installed into a pedal, the Boss CE-1.

    Since then, the number of guitar-centric chorus pedals in the marketplace has skyrocketed, but they all perform in basically the same way.

    Understanding what a chorus pedal does

    Chorus pedals are part of a larger group of effects known as “modulation effects.” These effects all slightly delay and alter a copy of your guitar’s sound in some way. (Note: For any effect in your signal chain, your guitar’s normal sound is called the “dry” signal; the altered copy is called the “wet” signal.)

    In short, a chorus pedal takes the sound of your guitar, copies it, delays the copied version by a few dozen milliseconds, and modulates it before playing it back alongside the dry signal.

    This process was designed to mimic multiple human voices singing together (hence the name, “chorus”). Since humans aren’t perfect, when a group sings together, even in unison, slight natural delays and waverings occur, which our ears perceive as making the sound bigger and fuller.

    (That’s also why a choir sounds like a group of people singing together and not just one person singing extra loud.)

    A chorus pedal takes the sound of your guitar, copies it, delays the copied version by a few dozen milliseconds, and modulates it before playing it back alongside the dry signal.

    It’s this natural variation, leading to a fuller sound, that chorus pedals are designed to emulate.

    They do this via two primary settings: rate and depth.

    • Rate affects the modulation. Turn the rate down, and the wavering gets slower. Turn it up, and it gets faster.
    • Depth controls how much of the effect you get. A low depth will be subtler, while with a high depth, the chorus effect will be quite noticeable.

    All chorus pedals will have at least these two settings, although they may call them different names.

    Other common settings include level and tone (or EQ).

    • Level allows you to dial in how much of the modulated sound you hear relative to the unmodulated sound.
    • Tone determines how dark or bright the modulated sound is.

    Dialing in a killer chorus tone

    Now that you understand the nomenclature, it technically shouldn’t be hard to dial in a sound you like.

    If you want faster warble, turn the rate up. If you want a darker sound, turn the tone down. And so on.

    You can get a wide variety of sounds out of most chorus pedals. And you can even use more than one at a time if you’re feeling feisty.

    But, of course, in the real world it’s not always that simple. Sometimes we don’t know what kind of sound we want until we hear it. And for some of us, our ears may not be trained enough to recognize the subtle differences a chorus pedal can sometimes produce.

    It turns out you can get a wide variety of sounds out of most chorus pedals. And you can even use more than one at a time if you’re feeling feisty.

    But rather than trying to explain all of your options, in my research I ran across a video that samples a range of options when it comes to using a chorus pedal, and even how you can mimic a chorus effect if you don’t have a dedicated pedal.

    The guitarist in the video dials in some really cool — and very useable — sounds, so be sure to check it out.

    As for me, I’m still fine-tuning how I use my CH-1. (Like most guitarists, I’m never satisfied with my tone.) But at least now I know what I’m doing, rather than relying on randomly twisting knobs as was my previous habit.

    So how about you? How do you use your chorus pedal? Did you know what all the knobs did, or, like me, was it an effect shrouded in mystery? Let us know in the comments.

  • Do You Need to Use an FX Loop?

    Do You Need to Use an FX Loop?

    Go get your amp right now. I’ll wait.

    Okay, now turn it around and look at the back. Do you see a pair of 1/4” input jacks with the words “send” and “return” next to them?

    If so, congrats! You are the proud owner of an FX loop! …Except, what the heck is an FX loop?

    If you’re like me, an FX loop is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. For a long time, I knew they existed but had no idea why. Send what? Return how? I had an idea you were supposed to plug some pedals into it, but I always ran my pedals straight into the amp with no problems. So what was I missing?

    Well, today we’re going to find out.

    A primer on FX loops

    In order to understand what an FX (or “effects”) loop is, you have to first understand how an amp is constructed. (This is important, I promise.)

    The key is this: your guitar amplifier is actually two amplifiers put together.

    When you plug a guitar into the front of an amp, you’re really plugging it into a preamp. This preamp takes your guitar’s signal, or instrument-level signal, which is very weak, and boosts it so that the second amplifier, the power amp, can make use of it. The power amp then takes this boosted, or line-level, signal and uses it to power the speaker(s) and produce sound.

    So, in simple terms:

    • The guitar inputs an instrument-level (weak) signal
    • The preamp converts it to a line-level (boosted) signal
    • The power amp turns the line-level signal into sound
    • Rocking out ensues

    This is where the FX loop comes in. It sits in between the preamp and the power amp and allows you to plug elements of your signal chain in the space between them.

    An amp with an FX loop, then, looks like this:

    • The guitar inputs an instrument-level (weak) signal
    • The preamp converts it to a line-level (boosted) signal
    • The FX loop adds effects to the line-level signal
    • The power amp turns the modified line-level signal into sound
    • Rocking out ensues

    So, why does that matter? It all comes down to distortion.

    When to use an FX loop

    Both the preamp and the power amp are capable of adding distortion to your signal. This is because, from a technical standpoint, distortion is the result of overloading.

    When you crank the gain on your amp but not the volume, you are overloading the preamp. When you dime the volume without turning up the gain dial, you are overloading the power amp. And you’ll get distortion either way.

    Of course, you can also get distortion by running an overdrive (or similar) pedal into your clean channel. But let’s say you prefer using the gain from your preamp (i.e., cranking the gain dial) instead because you prefer how it sounds.

    But while it might sound great, it can lead to a problem.

    This video shows the difference an FX loop can make.

    If you try to run a delay pedal into an overdriven amp, the resulting sound will be muddy and unclear. And the same thing will likely happen with other pedals — chorus, reverb, flanger, etc.

    But if you add these time-based effects pedals after the now-overloaded preamp — that is, add them to the FX loop — voila! Everything sounds crisp and clear again.

    So if you a) like to crank the gain on your amp and b) use delay, reverb, or modulation effects, the FX loop could be your best friend.

    How to use an FX loop

    Unfortunately, the standard terminology used by amplifier manufacturers is confusing. Most FX loops are labeled “send” and “return” (although Fender’s say “preamp” and “power amp”). But what do these terms mean?

    “Send” means you are sending the boosted signal from the preamp to your pedal(s) that you want in the FX loop.

    “Return” means you are returning the now-modified boosted signal to the power amp.

    With all that being said (finally!), here’s how to use your FX loop:

    1. Ensure all pedals in both chains (regular and FX loop) are connected to each other and a power source.
    2. Any pedals you don’t want to include in the FX loop (distortion, compression, wah, etc.) can be plugged into the main input jack on the front of the amp, just as you normally would.
    3. Next, plug the first pedal you want to be in the FX loop into the “send” input jack with a 1/4” cable.
    4. Then, run a second 1/4” cable from the “return” jack to the last pedal you want to be in the loop.

    Note that you’ll need two additional guitar cables (that is, a total of four cables) to make this work. Also, there is a small chance you could damage a pedal if it is not designed to handle a line-level signal, so it’s best to do a little research on your exact pedals before experimenting. (In full disclosure, a lot of resources I found had this warning, but not one provided a specific example of a pedal that could be damaged in this way. So who knows?)

    Cool things you can do with an FX loop

    An FX loop can clean up a muddy sound if you use it to run your delays and other time-based pedals. But it can do some other cool tricks too:

    • Plug a volume pedal into it to use as an attenuator. This allows you to crank the power amp at home without blowing out all your windows.
    • Plug in an EQ pedal to act as a boost for solos.
    • Plug in a noise gate if your preamp hisses.

    Like all things guitar, there is no right or wrong, only preference. You don’t have to use an FX loop at all. Or you can use it all the time. You can run some, all, or none of your pedals through it. In fact, you can try anything you want.

    So now that you know what an FX loop is and how to use it, why not give it a try? You might find a great tone you never thought possible before. If you do, let us know in the comments!

  • My Five Favorite Low-Cost Pieces of Guitar Gear

    My Five Favorite Low-Cost Pieces of Guitar Gear

    I love to nerd out on guitars. (No, really, Jon? We couldn’t tell.)

    I spend a lot of time learning about the industry, guitars, and gear, but the honest reality is I have a very limited budget. That means most of the cool gear I see out there will remain out of my reach — but thankfully, not quite all of it.

    Over the years, I’ve amassed a decent collection of mostly low- and mid-priced gear. And it turns out you can still find quality at this level.

    Here are my five favorite pieces of quality, low-cost gear that I’ve found. My hope is that this list gets your creative juices flowing and on the hunt for yourself.

    My TC Electronic looper pedal

    Arguably the most useful tool in my arsenal is my looper pedal. I’ve written about this before, but the gist of it is it’s a great tool that helps me practice and grow as a musician.

    If you don’t know, a looper is basically a device that automatically plays back whatever you record with it on infinite repeat. I have one of the most basic loopers out there, the Ditto by TC Electronic. But with just one button and one knob, it does everything I need it do to.

    It allows me to practice soloing by laying down a chord progression. It allows me to practice my composition skills by giving me a platform to create songs with multiple parts on the fly. It even helps me work on playing in time.

    It’s a great practice tool, especially when you are by yourself, and if I were a better player, I could do some amazing live stuff, like this:

    I’m not a huge Ed Sheeran fan, but you can’t deny his talent.

    My Epiphone SG Pro

    As of July 2022, I have a new favorite guitar: my Epiphone SG Pro.

    I’d actually never owned an SG before, but the more I play it, the more I like it. It’s lightweight, and while it does suffer from neck dive (like most SGs), it’s not terrible and it doesn’t affect me while playing. It also has a Slim Taper neck, which is basically a very skinny D shape, and I find it to be very comfortable to play.

    And it just has the “mojo,” you know? I feel like I can play everything better on that guitar.

    I love it so much, in fact, that I’m thinking about how I might get my hands on a Gibson version. And for a guy who sticks to the ~$500 range when buying instruments, I think that’s saying something.

    Plus, I get to pretend I’m Angus Young (minus the schoolboy outfit) whenever I pick it up. (Hey, I might be in my 40s, but I still try to be a kid at heart.)

    This review features an Epiphone SG that’s 99% identical to mine.

    My Joyo wireless transmitter system

    This is the newest entrant on my list of favorite gear, but it’s already a game-changer.

    For my entire musical life, I’ve used a cable. For most of that time, it was the only option. Only touring bands used a wireless setup; there simply was no option for a wireless signal chain for the at-home player.

    And then a year or two ago, I noticed a few people at church using Xvive wireless transmitters to run their signal from their guitar to their pedalboard. This was a new thing to me, so I decided to investigate.

    That’s when I learned that Xvive is very proud of their product — the set of dongles was close to $150! That was way above my comfort level for an optional product like this.

    But about a month ago, I decided to check out a cheaper alternative. I spent ~$35 on a transmitter system from Joyo. It works great, and it is amazing. I never realized how tethered I was to a certain spot — how my cable was in effect a ten-foot leash.

    As soon as I started going wireless, I felt a sense of freedom. I can now go wherever I want. I can move my feet and legs freely without tripping on a cord. I can sit on the couch and play at home or walk off the stage at practice to go get my phone if I need to, and there’s no cumbersome cable holding me back.

    I’m never going back!

    A fairly short but thorough review of the Joyo JW-03

    My Shubb capos

    Capos are a wonderful tool (and most definitely not a crutch as some players think), but the traditional spring-tensioned ones have a common problem: They tend to pull your guitar sharp when in use. This is due to the spring being overly strong.

    Shubb fixed this problem by using a different method. Their capos are more like a clamp with a screw that allows you to adjust the tension to just the right amount. And it’s not a one-and-done thing; you can change the tension based on the individual guitar you are using.

    I have several, including a partial capo, and they are wonderful. My Kysers are long gone — good riddance!

    Okay, it’s an ad, but at least you can see how these capos work.

    My Ibanez Mikro bass

    I’m a guitar player through and through. But I have the occasional need for a bass guitar.

    Enter the Ibanez Mikro bass guitar.

    The beauty of this bass is it is a super short-scale model at just 28.6″. This makes it very comfortable for guitarists like me. There’s no having to stretch for miles to get to different notes. (Seriously, I don’t know how bass players do it.) It just feels like you’re playing the guitar, but the sound coming out is a bass.

    I have one for a few reasons. The primary reason is so I can lay down simple bass lines when recording. But I also just like to play the bass every once in a while. There’s just something about the bass line on “I Can’t Tell You Why” that I love.

    (Additionally, I’m the self-proclaimed emergency secondary backup bass player at my church — someday I should let the worship pastor know — so as the Boy Scouts say, be prepared!)

    The best part? They retail for $200. How can you go wrong?

    A demo by someone who actually knows what they’re doing (unlike me).

    These are the five pieces of gear that would probably make my “deserted island” list — the things I wouldn’t want to live without. They bring that extra level of enjoyment to playing the guitar, and best of all, they don’t break the bank.

    So what about you? What are your must-have pieces of gear? I’d love for you to share them with us in the comments so we can all learn and be inspired together.