Signal Chain Basics

When you’re just starting into building a pedalboard, it’s crazy to look at some of your favorite guitarists boards and think “How does that even work?” or “How did they put that all together?” Let me tell you, that board didn’t just appear. Many guitar players go through multiple boards and many pedals to finally reach the setup they are using now, typically getting more complex with each iteration. But everyone has to start somewhere! And that’s what we are exploring today: the basics of your first signal chain.

Compressor Pedals

SP Compressor Pedal

 

Compressor pedals are an essential part of a great guitar pedal board. They take the tone inherent to a great guitar and push it to the next level. Here are some of our favorite compressor pedals and why we love them. 

The Ins and Outs of Compression

Compression Graph

Compression is extremely important in music and guitar playing today. It can be quite daunting to begin to understand how compression works and what is actually happening to your sound when using a compressor. But don’t fret, by the end of this, you will know exactly what is going on when a compressor is engaged!

Delay Pedals

Delay Pedal Pedalboard Image

One great way to liven up your guitar playing is with a delay pedal. Whether it be a short slap delay, a rhythmic dotted-eight delay, or a long and subtle delay sound to fill out solos, a delay pedal can be magical. With all of the delay pedals out there on the market, it can seem daunting to begin the process of buying one. Here are three of our favorites that might give you a good idea of where to begin!

February 15, 2019 — Sean Newell

Reverb Pedals

One of the most important parts of any worship guitar player’s tone is their reverb. A reverb pedal typically emulates one of three types reverb: spring, room/hall, or plate, but will often times have all three functions on a single unit. We have picked our favorite reverb pedals at varying price points to serve as a guide to worship guitar players from amateur to professional.

November 14, 2018 — Chris Dunkley

Tuner Pedals

One of the most important parts of any pedalboard is the tuner pedal. Whether
you’re playing to 50 people or 50,000 people, the easiest way to lose the listeners
attention is to play an out of tune guitar.

November 14, 2018 — Chris Dunkley