Guitar effects pedals are the cornerstone of modern guitar tone. No matter which genre of music you are playing, you can still benefit from effects pedals given that you are using an electric guitar. With that said, the order in which you arrange your effects pedals is important. For many, this issue is a very personal one.
However, there are still some guidelines and unwritten rules that you don’t necessarily need to stick to completely, but will get you on the right track. Today we are going to take a look at those and talk a bit about what makes a solid signal chain.
Basic Order Of Effects Pedals
Different variations of pedal placement in your signal chain will give you different results. Finding something that works for you takes a fair bit of experimentation. However, if you are new to this, it is highly recommended that you stick to the basic order that is guaranteed to eliminate any conflict between pedals.
1. Tuners
If you are using a tuner pedal, it should always be the very first link in your signal chain. The reasoning for this is simple. A tuner pedal will give you the best results if the signal being fed to it is raw and clean. If you decide to put various modulation pedals between the guitar and the tuner, chances are that the readings will be all over the place. So, tuner goes first.
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