What pedal for Graduation GIft?

[Arn C.]

My fiancees nephew is graduating from High School.  He is 18 and plays sort of alternative but not real metal or heavy.  He is new to guitar playing, but is real interested in progressing with it. 

I have no idea what pedal he may like.     Any suggestions would be helpful.

Preferably DIY

Thanks!
Arn C.

[R.G.]

The RT66 from Visual Sound is a good one to look at. It's a compressor and an overdrive/distortion in the same box, each independently selectable and controllable. Like two pedals in one, and comparable in price to single pedals. I say this not because I work for them, but because I think it's a good pedal. I use one I got before I went to work for Visual Sound.

It offers a lot of shades of tone in a single package, and it's very flexible in use. Beginning players can use some compression to help even out their dynamics whle they get other aspects of playing down pat, and it includes a distortion, which every guitar player wants.

In the interest of fair disclosure: I work for Visual Sound. But I work for them because I think they make good stuff, not the other way round.

[Mark Hammer]

Some people like quality.  Some are more distracted by quantity.  A Dano Fab gift pack (Fab Metal, Fab Echo, Fab Chorus, etc.) wouldn't set you back much and would give him a summer full of knob twiddling.  The uncle-in-law who gave him a small mountain of pedals would be remembered forever, if I've recalled my own thinking at 18 correctly.

A summer of knob-twiddling.....hmmmm.  Hey, why isn't that lazy bastard working!!

[geertjacobs]

Alternative?

AMZ Mosfet Booster - everybody needs a booster (especially when using a tube amp)
PT-80 delay - for the more professional sound
Rosey Ray - or some other overdrive/distortion pedal with a blend between clean and distortion for a "wider" sound
...

[KORGULL]

A delay might be nice since those are generally more expensive to buy and he might not be able to afford one for some time. Plus it is something you can find a use for in most any style of music.

[jonathan perez]

digitech whammy...the new ones sound like garbage in comparison to my original, but definitely can inspire you...

OR a good wah...i love wahs..

[pi22seven]

Anything from Visual Sound would be great. I got my son Jekyl & Hyde and it's pretty damn good. Best of all they stand behind their products. We had to send it in because one of the LEDs and a footswitch went bad and they fixed it for free with no hassle at all. No questions, crying or anyhting just "No prob, send it in!" Total time was 3 1/2 days! If I wasn't DIYing my pedalbaord would be Red (J&H), White (Rt 66) and Blue (H2O).

But the Fab Pedals idea sounds pretty good too.

For DIY though, I'd get a kit from Build Your Own Clone and an iron for the kid.

[Marcos - Munky]

I suggesti you to build something he will not find it the stores. A few suggestions:

- a modded Tremulus Lune
- a ROG circuit
- PT-80 delay
- a Tim Escobedo's circuit

[newbie builder]

If you want something DIY for him, maybe you could buy him either A) a BYOC kit- that takes no expierence, is rewarding, and sounds good. Plus it'll probably fire up and work the first time- a good confidence builder. Or you could B) buy him a soldering iron/basic tools and the parts to make something easy like an AMZ Mini booster or Fuzz face, whatever simple effect you think he'd like. Dano's I think are a GREAT way to go if you aren't gonna get him somethign to build himself- I have the fish and chips as well as the fab distortion and I think they are awsome pedals for the money and play them side by side with $225 pedals and still think they sound good. It'd be a good way to introduce h im to multiple different effects. A boutique pedal at low cost would be the Tim or Timmy by paul cochrane (150 and 105 respectively) which are amazing overdrive pedals.

[blanik]

for an 18 yold kid starting on guitar, i'd definitively go with a couple of cheap effects like the dano or even better for him, the behringer clones... you can get him 4-5 pedals for the price of one boss... get him at least a distortion/overdrive, a delay, a chorus or flanger and a wha-wha... as he will probably change his tase in music and get better on guitar, he'll be on his own quest for "tone"    in the meanwhile he just wants to make cool sounds...    (don't we all still do?... lol)
http://www.behringer.com/02_products/ftsearch1.cfm?lang=ENG&SEARCH1=GUITAR%20GEAR

or the BOSS ME-50 multi-effects... (here i go again...lol) works on batteries, he can plug a CD player in it and play along his fav music, all the effects in the world (even a tuner) are in there AND he doesn't have to program it... for the price of 2 good pedals...
http://www.bananas.com/productdetail.asp/pid_404/productname_BOSS-ME50-Guitar-Multi-Effects-Pedal

R.

[jimbob]

I think this would be cool!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-AD9-Analog-Delay-Effect-Pedal?sku=150345

I'm thinking about getting one. If he doesn't like it, than he's just an ungrateful little f__ker. But your Karma was in the right place.

[Jaicen_solo]

If it was me, I'd want to give something unique that he'll have for the rest of his playing career.
By that, I don't mean something outlandish that you can't use on more than a handful of songs, but something versatile.
For example, it might be a bit extreme, but when I started out building clones, I was 17 I think and all I wanted was Univibe. That's the sort of thing you can't just go and buy any more. So build him something that you can't get anymore and i'm sure he'll be a happy bunny!

My top 5 suggestions:
Univibe
Wah-Yoy
Filter Sample-hold
Mastro ring mod
Fuzz Face (of course!)

[Torchy]

Do two things ...

1). Buy him a Boss ME-5.

I know its digital, but they are real cheap S/H, they are metal-cased (really sturdy) and they look the business. They go for about £70 on ebay quite regularly.



2). Build him an Easyvibe.
Its personal, thoughtful, and inspiring.

[Arn C.]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

I think that I am going to give him something I have made.  I think it would be more personal.

I believe I will be giving him a DIY Phase 45 w/univibe mod and I am almost finished with an easyface that I started yesterday afternoon.   

I figure if he really gets into it, he will have the option to ask for another pedal from me anytime.  Maybe once he "really" figures out what he wants for a sound.

Again, thanks for all the suggestions, it helped point me in the right direction.

Peace and Happy Friday!
Arn C.