I wrote an article called “Gear That Has Changed My Life” last year where I talked about various types of gear that have had a huge impact on who I am as a guitarist. But today, I realize that there have been several pedals that completely changed my approach to playing, and I thought that I’d focus on them here.
BOSS CE-2 Chorus – This was the very first pedal I ever purchased, and I also sold it after a few years because I didn’t know any better. Kicked myself frequently until I finally got another one earlier this year. To me, this pedal produces the chorus sound that means “chorus” to me. There are some great ones out there, but this to me is the original and definitive chorus sound. And despite its little quirks, like adding a slight gain boost when activated, I can’t think of a chorus pedal that does it better.
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay – I’ve had a love/hate relationship with delay pedals over the years. Digital delays always seemed so “processed” and analog delays were always way too dark-sounding to me. I got close to what I wanted with the VOX Time Machine, and I actually still use that pedal for some specific songs. But then I auditioned the Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay, and my prayers to find a delay that I could love all the time were answered! From adding just a touch of ambience to drowning in heavy, pulsating, analog echo, the Deep Blue Delay delivers, all without turning mushy or going dark in character. I got mine before the PCB version came out, so I paid a premium for the hand-wired version at $325. The PCB version is a more reasonable $199 and apparently sounds great (though a touch different according to a well-trusted source). But hand-wired or PCB, there’s nothing like this delay.
Creation Audio Labs Mk.4.23 – I mentioned this pedal in my previous article, but it truly has had a HUGE impact on me as I use it a lot in place of an overdrive pedal to push my amp into distortion. When I want to retain the natural overdrive tone of my amp, the Mk.4.23 is where it’s at for me.
Fulltone OCD – Though I sold this pedal long ago, it was my first “boutique” pedal. Up to then, I’d stuck with the mainstream. It really demonstrated to me that there were sounds beyond the mainstream. Unfortunately – or fortunately depending upon how you look at it – it also was responsible for me to go on a quest to test out other boutique gear. Now I have a lot of it. 🙂
DigiTech Bad Monkey – This pedal reinforced the notion that great tone can come cheap. A Tube Screamer clone for sure, the one thing that this has got over the the TS is adjustable bass and treble knobs. It sounds great to boot! I no longer have this pedal as I gave it to a kid in my church band, but whenever I get the inking to spend big bucks on gear, I look back to the Bad Monkey and tell myself that there is great gear out there that doesn’t have to come at a premium in price.
Dunlop Original Cry Baby – This was my very first wah pedal, and up to that point, I had NEVER even considered playing wah. But curiosity got the best of me, and I got a second-hand one at a used gear shop. I still love playing with it now and then, though my main wah is a VOX Big Bad Wah. But the Cry Baby opened a whole new realm of expression; and even though I’m not playing it much, I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.
I’ve gone through so many pedals in my lifetime, and something tells me I’ve missed something. But these are the pedals that come to mind. Care to share and pedals that have changed your life?
I just got a Paul C Tim overdrive pedal… Amazing. (Could be that first day love affair but I don’t think so)
Boss DD-20 Gigadelay Great delay that gave me a look into a lot of delays. Also simple with the presets for gigging..
Zvex Fuzz factory.. The pedal that made me like fuzz.. (MADE ME like fuzz!!!)
Fargen/Menatone VOS pedal over the top overdrive with that velvet overdrive tone and a boost. With the right amp it’s one of my favorites.
HBE CPR.. Best compressor I’ve tried.
Bodenhamer modded TS7, CE-3 and his own Bloody Murder handwired and custom painted for me.. (purple of course) DD has them for the project.
Dumbest moves I’ve made selling pedals..
CE-1, a WH-1
Ooo… A Tim… I just got on the list for a Timmy. Don’t get it until February, but that’s cool!
CE-1? Yeah… I hear ya… But that WH-1! Did you have the original IVL Tecnologies one or the DigiTech?
The OCD is the best OD I’ve had so far. Very versatile and without the mid-range hump of tube screamer type pedals, which sound hollow to me (no bass).
I also have the Bad Monkey, but there is a certain “hardness” to it that I couldn’t quite bond with. Not as pick sensitive as the OCD, which also has a “spongier” quality that I prefer, but for $40 it’ll do the job, no question.
I’d love to know what you think of the Catlinbread ODs/distortion pedals, especially the Formula 5. It sounds good on paper and in the clips…
If you haven’t checked it out, the Boss FBM-1 (Fender Bassman in a box), is pretty cool. Kept that on my board for a long time and it really does bring a Fender amp quality to your tone, if not exactly the Bassman. Sounds best clean or mildly overdriven. Good for toning down the mid-range in an overly middy amp.
Big props for the Boss GE-7 equalizer. Essential IMO if you have a small 5-watt amp with only one tone control, like the VHT Special 6, or my other 5-water, the Simple Amps Student SE. It’s great for fine tuning your tone with different guitars, or drastically altering it for that matter. I would go so far as to say that it’s the desert island pedal for small amps in that can take the place of OD or distortion depending on where you set it or how much you boost it (It’s a damn good neutral booster on its own with all frequencies set to 0).
I also like the MXR 10-band EQ for all the same reasons, and it also has a volume slider in addition to gain, but the Boss is easier to dial in, so between the two, I’d pick that one.
If you have’t tired it, check out the MXR Custom Bad Ass 70’s distortion. It really does bring on that classic rock distortion, and for only $79. A Bad Monkey type value, only better in my opinion, although it can’t do a clean boost like the Bad Monkey. Still, it can do a lower level OD type crunch (Keith Richards) with the gain all the way down, or turn the volume down and the gain up for low volume grind. Pretty versatile.