No Pedal thread

[eyesore]

It seems like there are a lot of effects pedal users here .I like effects but don't use them. How many giggers just plug in and play? I 've had a few thru the years but just sold them because when I play thru them ;it just doesn't sound good for me. I plug into my Soloamp and thats it. Most guys I go see ;make those effects sound good.

[lkingston]

I do both. If I am doing a solo or duo act, I will pretty much forgo any added electronics and just concentrate on the songs.

But if I’m added to any sort of group as a guitarist, I look at it as part of the gig.

[Mobilemike]

I’ve never used any effects pedals for acoustic guitar. Don’t really have any interest in it, and don’t really love listening to heavily effected acoustic guitars either. I add some reverb and/or delay at the mixing console, but that’s all.

My acoustic pedalboard is just DI, tuner, and volume.

[leew3]

I remain ambivalent. I try a pedal, then just plug and play as I love simplicity. I'm currently the latter so we'll see whether I stay that way!

[PaperMoon]

I've grown into loving pedals! For acoustic I use compression, reverb, and delay (and boost but that's not really an effect). I've been using a Mira (Walrus Audio) for compression and a Dispatch Master for reverb/delay; both pedals are warm and natural, so they serve acoustic guitar well. I find compression essential for preserving the feeling and response of playing unplugged at home; it also makes the signal 'sound' more acoustic by softening the attack, increasing sustain, and warming up the tone.

I have an electric guitar pedalboard that's basically Team Strymon plus an overdrive pedal: Compadre for compression/boost, Blessed Mother for overdrive, a Flint for reverb/trem, and a Deco for tape saturation, tape delay, and general chaos. It's a utility board so acoustic can work well through it, but the pedals I mentioned earlier are a better fit in general.

Of course none of the above matters without a good preamp--that's probably the most fundamental 'effect' pedal one needs; the rest is just season to taste.

[Medford Guitar]

Originally Posted by PaperMoon

I've grown into loving pedals! For acoustic I use compression, reverb, and delay (and boost but that's not really an effect). I've been using a Mira (Walrus Audio) for compression and a Dispatch Master for reverb/delay; both pedals are warm and natural, so they serve acoustic guitar well. I find compression essential for preserving the feeling and response of playing unplugged at home; it also makes the signal 'sound' more acoustic by softening the attack, increasing sustain, and warming up the tone.

I have an electric guitar pedalboard that's basically Team Strymon plus an overdrive pedal: Compadre for compression/boost, Blessed Mother for overdrive, a Flint for reverb/trem, and a Deco for tape saturation, tape delay, and general chaos. It's a utility board so acoustic can work well through it, but the pedals I mentioned earlier are a better fit in general.

Of course none of the above matters without a good preamp--that's probably the most fundamental 'effect' pedal one needs; the rest is just season to taste.

I use an Acoustic Fly Rig for the compression, reverb and boost when I solo over a loop rhythm. On a few songs I use the chorus effect. I like the AFR EQ settings as I can dial out the piezo quack.
I find a little compression goes a long way. Just enough to even things out and makes the finger picking stand out.

Truthfully though, I also really enjoy just plugging my guitar into the group's Allen Heath ZED 10FX mixer direct from the looper without the AFR. The mixer has an amazing EQ on the channel and decent reverb.

[Mbroady]

Plug and play. I will bring a reverb peddle just in case the PA reverb is not working but never had to use it….yet.

[Mandobart]

I've got a few pedals I never use. The only ones I use anymore is my Redeye preamp (when needed for impedance matching) and my Korg tuner/mute pedal.

If I'm using my Carvin AG300 on HI Z I only use the tuner. I set the EQ flat on my amp and add just a touch of reverb on the vocal mic channel.

I usually play bluegrass and Americana where there's really no need for much effects.

[Rudy4]

Guitar to amp with only my looper in between, but that's not an effect. My amp has true stereo reverb and chorus, and I LOVE the sound. True stereo effects are really only effective for those with two ears, though.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by eyesore

It seems like there are a lot of effects pedal users here .I like effects but don't use them. How many giggers just plug in and play?

When I play electric I need reverb and like overdrive and tremolo. Don't like delay, chorus, flange, compressor, wah, or any other soul sucker.

When I play acoustic, I don't want effects. I pay so much for good-sounding acoustic instruments that it would be crazy to mess it up. Any room has natural reverb, so dialed-in reverb sounds fake and artsy. That means that when I'm playing folk guitar (or mando or harp), I only use reverb for recording, where there isn't a big room to bounce the sound around.

Originally Posted by eyesore

I 've had a few thru the years but just sold them because when I play thru them ;it just doesn't sound good for me.

Amen. I wouldn't even try!

Originally Posted by eyesore

I plug into my Soloamp and thats it. Most guys I go see ;make those effects sound good.

Soloamp? You mean the Fishman SoloAmp thing? Looks like a nifty little rig.

Keep on pluckin'!

[LFL Steve]

Like others here, I've seen plenty of musicians who can make pedals sound good. I think the pedal is an instrument, and you have to put in the hours.

When I play acoustic guitar, it's because the song calls for the sound of an acoustic guitar. For my use, the only thing that improves the sound significantly is more practice time. Pedals don't make an acoustic guitar sound more like an acoustic guitar. In a cover band situation, it might make sense to use whatever effect was used on the recording. But even though it might make sense sometimes, I don't use pedals. Guitar to PA.

[Marshall]

FX are one thing. IR modeling is another thing. A good IR modeling pedal can improve an acoustic pickup sound without having to color the sound with fancy FX.

[nostatic]

I have a certain sound that I prefer, and want the guitar (and vox) to "feel" a certain way when amplified. I get that with some compression/eq, a bit of delay and reverb, and for a few songs, some chorus. For dobro, a Jam Pedals Harmonious Monk (harmonic tremolo), slow speed, low/med depth is always on along with the comp/eq and delay/rev. But on dobro I'm going for my sound, not anyone else's, as I'm using it differently than it usually is (solo, accompanying vocals on classic rock tunes).

There is no right/wrong answer. Nothing wrong with plugging straight in, it just isn't what I'm going for in my current solo thing. For better or worse, it sounds like me/this https://youtu.be/XaLbYkAiG3Q?feature=shared

[DrunkUncles]

Does a DI count? I mean it aint really a pedal, but it is the only thing between me and the PA.

[Goat Mick]

I use a tuner pedal between my guitar and the amp sometimes. Does that count?