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- This topic has 18 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 8 months ago by JiminFla.
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July 20, 2020 at 10:26 am #183099
I’m loving the blues and have a Marshall amp Dcl 5. Its a great amp, I’m ready to invest in a pedal. Any recommendations for a pedal that will do just about everything. I’m willing to spend the money. I have an American strats, that I love but overtime from playing its tough on my back. Is there a guitar that is lighter and good for the blues. I love Brians lessons. I have been playing for 3 years and learned more in the last 5 months than the beginning. I love playing lead. Don’t have much of an ear but I’m getting better everyday.
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July 20, 2020 at 11:06 am #183108
Boss ME80 seems to be a popular choice for multi effects, …click here..
..Billy..
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July 20, 2020 at 12:08 pm #183119
Laura,
The basic effects will be overdrive, reverb, delay and perhaps tremolo. Your Marshall amp probably has overdrive but sometimes the amp has to get quite loud to get a satisfactory overdrive sound. That’s where a pedal can give a nice overdrive at a lower volume. Billy has mentioned a digital multi-effects pedal which can offer the above, and more, quite economically. You can even get into quite expensive digital multi-effect pedals like the Line 6 Helix. People are often critical of the digital overdrives compared with analog pedals. Some overdrive pedals pair up better with particular amps. If your amps tone is on the warm or dark side some overdrive pedals may exaggerate that. Likewise some bright amps may do better with certain overdrive pedals. What I’m getting at, is that’s it’s hard to make recommendations and you might have to experiment. A return policy at your local music shop could be handy.
The Strymon Flint offers a beautiful reverb and tremolo but those pedals are already in the $300-400 range.
Happy hunting.
John -
July 20, 2020 at 5:31 pm #183131
A basic effects pedal that many have and which Brian used extensively was his boss BD-2 Blues Driver 2. There is an up market version called the BD2 Wazwa. I think the original Boss BD-2 can be picked up economically and will giver added blues tone and would be my choice. also if you have not got digital tuning then their tuning pedal is a great gadget.
https://www.boss.info/us/products/bd-2/
JohnStrat
PS if you do a search on it here in the forum you will find lots of folk commenting and yes they love them like me. -
July 20, 2020 at 5:32 pm #183132
Hi Laura,
Looks like you need some reverb and tremolo and maybe a bit of delay. Your Marshall is 5 watts with a 10″ speaker and loaded with gain already. If you are loving your amp it might be time to invest in a pedal board for it. The easy alternative is a solid state amp that has most of everything built in from the factory. These amps are inexpensive and have improved dramatically. For example the Boss Katana-50 comes loaded with all the effects, has a great 12′ speaker and can go from 50w to 25w to .5 watts. The 50 amp costs $225 dollars and $340 for the 100 watt that you can gig with. Fender and Blackstar make some great little amps in this catagory also. Just some food for thought. Like John said, Happy hunting!
MikeMike
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July 20, 2020 at 5:33 pm #183134
This has posted in error don’t know why!!
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July 20, 2020 at 6:24 pm #183144
Should also point out that adding the likes of pedals or multi effects can be something of a maze when starting out, i know i was more than confuse on how to find that “blues tone”, in the end i sold off all i had bought and went simple by only adding 3 pedals, BD2 (Boss) a Delay and a chorus pedal, after a bit I added a Tremelo pedal and stopped using the chorus pedal.
Was a bit later when i bought a Yamaha th10c amp, it has all the tones i could want from the pre-sets and the library on my pc… As i said, it can be something of a maze or rabbit hole as Brian termed it 8n one of his video lessons...Billy..
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July 20, 2020 at 7:30 pm #183147
Billy that’s wise comment in my book. I have just the BD2 plugged in and a tuner. its also worth pointing out that and most of those wonderful blues players we love didn’t use any!
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July 20, 2020 at 7:44 pm #183148
Billy that’s wise comment in my book. I have just the BD2 plugged in and a tuner. its also worth pointing out that and most of those wonderful blues players we love didn’t use any!
100% John, they just managed with their amps and fingertips to get what they could from their guitars.
Have to say that i do have 6 or 7 pedals on my boatd now, I added a new one last week or so ago, but other than my looper and Boss tuner the others hardly get any use at all...Billy..
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July 21, 2020 at 7:21 am #183170
Hi,
This is my first post on the forum, been a member a long time though, and I am a pedal addict.
As mentioned pedals can be a rabbit hole, because they are fun and most of us are on tone quest that you can never find. Anyway from my experience, the digital multi effects are ok but can be hard to learn how to use and make your own patches. I use a Boss GT-001 which is a table top version of the GT-100, it works an interface as well for recording into your DAW. I love this for this use and I use pre made patches because I can’t seem to build my own. I prefer normal pedals with knobs like the Boss Blues Driver BD-2 which there is a modified Waza craft version out provides more ranges.
for first couple of pedals Boss BD-2 paired with a delay might be a good start I use a TC Electronics Flashback digital delay decent price. For practice its nice to have a looper as well, a digital tuner is nice but now you have the headstock options gives maybe not quick as important.
There are some British guys that have you tube channel that Pedal Show might be a good place to start.
If you have the opportunity take your guitar and try the pedals at the store with your guitar and amp combo with the pedal. Anyway sorry to babble.
For me the main pedals I use are: Tuner: Compressor: Keeley Modified Blues Driver BD2: Delay
I also have a TC Electronic Spark clean boost I like versatile can be a clean boost or used as a Over Drive. -
July 21, 2020 at 11:22 am #183187
Thanks for all the help. I’ll probably go to the Guitar Center to check them out. However, from my reading I think I”m settling on Boss BD 2 Wazwa or Line 6 helix. Yes, my marshall amp has plenty of gain so I’m good and not really famaliar with equipment i.e. pedals, amps. I’ll keep you guys posted.
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July 22, 2020 at 12:02 am #183253
As for your Strat, if it’s too heavy, try this: Put a 100mm (4″) hole saw on your electric drill and cut a hole completely through the body. I’ve seen several people do this, and it lightens the guitar up quite a bit. Of course, you would have to paint the cutout. Or you could just go down and buy an Epiphone SG, preferred by many blues guitarists because they are so light. Or you could just spend more time in the gym building up your back muscles…..
Sunjamr Steve
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July 22, 2020 at 4:33 am #183267
Couple of options to making your guitar more comfortable, main one being to use a broader strap to distribute the weight across your shoulder. 3 inch width seems to be the preferred option.
Another is to buy a lighter bodied strat style guitar, Fenders “Squier classic vibe” guitars are extreamly light while still having that classic Fender strat sound...Billy..
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July 22, 2020 at 5:20 am #183273
Fender also makes a semi-hollow in a tele as well, not exactly a strat but you might like it. Not sure I would take a hole saw to any of my guitars, if you remove would it will affect the resonance and sound of the guitar.
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July 25, 2020 at 7:38 am #183487
Hey Laura,
Let me try and simplify this for you. If you want to dirty up your Strat tone with a pedal I would consider one of these three. It’s all a matter of preference as to which one you like.Ibanez Tube Screamer delivers a very warm mid rangey sound (Left)
Boss BD-2 delivers a more jangly, distorted overdrive with much clarity (Middle)
Wampler Plexi-Drive emulates a Marshall J45 and is both warm and edgy (Right)Keep it simple otherwise you will be overwhelmed with a menu of too many choices… which gets in the way of playing….
John
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July 28, 2020 at 8:16 am #183699
Lots of options here. Check out the Soul Food pedal by Electro Harmonix. An inexpensive nice transparent overdrive that can be used as a clean boost if you turn the drive down. I have it and love it. You can get one for around $80 used.
Greg
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July 28, 2020 at 8:21 am #183700
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July 28, 2020 at 11:22 am #183708
Thanks for all your help. I’ll go the nearest music store and try some pedals out. You guys rock.
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August 1, 2020 at 11:49 am #184939
This is a little more extreme, but I wasn’t happy with the sound I was getting from my Fender Telecaster…it sounded just like my Strat. I wanted more of a growl, especially from the bridge pickup for playing blues. I replaced both the neck pickup and bridge pickups with Humbuckers from Sweetwater. I put them in myself, but it involves removing the original Fender pickups and soldering the new ones in so you may want to have a guitar tech do it for you. But it made a big difference in the sound.
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