Recommended FX Pedal for beginner guitarist

[dmaher]

Well as a present, my brother is spraying his guitar which he's barely used in pearlescent paint and giving it as a gift. I thought I'd follow the theme and make an effect pedal and have it done in the same colour to match..

However knowing not much about guitars, I wouldn't have a clue what sort of effect to go with, if it matters it's for a youngster that likes more modern rock I guess and also stuff like electro pop etc.

Electronics side of thing is covered, my knowledge pretty much ends at making anything other than tiny modifications though. Limitations on materials would be that is preferably made with easy to source parts, so not so much NOS parts or tubes.

Just basically don't know which one to build as I am no guitarist so if anyone has any recommendations that would be appreciated. Sorry I know it's a broad question...

[phuzle]

tubescreamer.  with all the nice mods.  thats all a kid needs until he can play.

[Processaurus]

The Proco Rat is a great, generally useful pedal.  Been using mine for about 8 years.  Don't know if it's electro-pop though. 

A Big Muff (especially with the swollen pickle .033uF in the tonestack) is everything the Rat isn't.

Both of those classic, simple sounding pedals are the kind most guitarists would find handy, off and on, forever, as the sound is good without being too specialized or niche.  A double Rat Muff pedal would be the bees knees, haven't seen one yet...

[bipedal]

How about an easy/quick build like a Bazz Fuss, or (a bit more complex) a Whisker Biscuit?

Relatively simple circuits, but either would probably be pretty cool for a new guitarist...

[anchovie]

Do you know what amp this will be going into?

[jacobyjd]

I don't have anything specific in mind that hasn't already been mentioned, however, I agree that some sort of distortion is the best idea for a beginner.

I tend to see distortion as a tool of playing electric guitar--meaning there are some things that you can't do without it. Modulation effects are just flavor, and while they can be great to have, they're more like toys than tools, if that makes any sense.

I'd recommend against any sort of fuzz for a beginner. While it sounds amazing, it's not good for learning, since it's much harder to identify mistakes, etc.

[Al Heeley]

How about an easy/quick build like a Bazz Fuss, or (a bit more complex) a Whisker Biscuit?

Whats the whisker biscuit like? Worth a build compared to the tubescreamer, bassdrive or OD250 - type? 

[Mark Hammer]

Steve Daniels designed the "Tweak-o" (well, actually, I think someone else "designed" it, but Steve wrote it up) for precisely this purpose.

http://www.smallbearelec.com/Projects/TweakO/TweakO.htm

[wavley]

I'm partial to what I had for my first pedal, the MXR Distortion+, which can also be the Ross and DOD 250 circuits, good sounding, versatile, and easy to build.

What other pedal can be the sound of both Randy Rhodes and Bob Mould?

[Naz Nomad]

I'm partial to what I had for my first pedal, the MXR Distortion+, which can also be the Ross and DOD 250 circuits, good sounding, versatile, and easy to build.

+1 for this build ... this is still my favourite. I guess it all depends on what sound you like?

[edvard]

IIRC, Bob's sound was MXR Dist+ at the front end which then splits off to some processing and direct to board on one leg, the other leg going through compressors and amps.
I've heard rumors of Fender Concert, Roland Jazz Chorus and Marshall JC120's being part of the amp section, but there's definitely a direct-to-board sound in there.

Randy Rhoads apparently used the same MXR box, but it went through an EQ and hit some big Marshall Super Leads cranked wide open.

[oldrocker]

+1 on the Tweak-O and DOD 250,MXR+.  Also the Easydrive would be an easy first build.

[Paul Marossy]

"Howie's Metal Simplex". It can get a decent range of tones and there's not many higher gain circuits simpler than this one is.
http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/mtlsim.bmp

[chi_boy]

Have you considered a kit?  Unless you are going to go crazy with this stuff, a kit is probably the most economical way to go.  Unless, of course, you already have a stash of parts and can etch and drill at will.

GGG is well recognized as have a good reputation for quality and service.  You may consider this:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=151&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=45

Cheers,

George

[dmaher]

Have you considered a kit?  Unless you are going to go crazy with this stuff, a kit is probably the most economical way to go.  Unless, of course, you already have a stash of parts and can etch and drill at will.

GGG is well recognized as have a good reputation for quality and service.  You may consider this:

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=151&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=45

Cheers,

George

I have a pretty big parts stash, some press and peel blue and some blank boards. 


Okay well thanks for the suggestions, based on what I have and can get without too much trouble I'm thinking of the DOD 250.

Does anyone know if an OPA2132 would play nice in that circuit ?

[DUY1337GUITAR]

+1 for Howie's Metal Simplex.  I heard it's like a more gainy version of ACDC.  I might be wrong, nvr heard a sound clip myself but I'm planning on building one.  Also, a SHO (Super Hard On) boost is very simple to make. 

I made two SHO boosts this week for me and my friend


You got any pics of the guitar you're brother's painting?  I'd like to see it

Here's my guitar I've been working on for a long time.  Flamed maple veneer stained with greenish blue as the base and blue tinted burst following a blackburst.  Took me months

[oldrocker]

Yes the Metal Simplex is on my bread board.  I used a green LED with two 2N2222's.  I've tried many other diodes and tranny's and this was my favorite combination.  It makes the circuit less fizzy.  I will perf and box it since it sounds great for such a low parts count and a great beginners project.

[DUY1337GUITAR]

Yes the Metal Simplex is on my bread board.  I used a green LED with two 2N2222's.  I've tried many other diodes and tranny's and this was my favorite combination.  It makes the circuit less fizzy.  I will perf and box it since it sounds great for such a low parts count and a great beginners project.

ooooooooooo show us when you're done, I'd love to see it

[tref_h]

Assuming you haven't already, it's worth researching the rigs of your favorite guitar players and seeing if you want to try to build anything out of that lot...

Someone mentioned 'amps?' above... quite important in many respects!  I started out with a little old 80's 12W Marshall combo.  It actaully had a really big sound, and was quite light on confusing controls - (MV, Gain, B/M/T, i think...!)  It made *plenty* of fuzz and taught me a lot about how to use a guitar's volume control.  We made outrageous noise for about 6 months straight and then began to sound like someone trying to play... ^_^

Someone else ragged on fuzzes... mixed feelings here for me.  Major point:  Electric guitar is meant to be FUN!  Fuzzes are great for this!  On the other hand, they can mask many many points of bad finger technique.  So turn them off/claen up a little if you want to practice the finer points.  Then turn them on to rock out!  Obviously a full-bore Marshall stack or whatever is going to sound different to a little Peavey or Fender practice amp with pedal X into it, you have to be reallistic if trying to clone someone's sound with limited equipment.  My second amp was a bizarre 70's no-name 150W all-tube half stack...

FWIW, my first pedal was a CE-2.  I didn't really need to add fuzzboxes until I was playing with other people regularly.

Maybe find a friendly music store that likes beginners and ask if you can hear a few stomps for yourself if still unsure?

Have fun! ^_^

[bassmannate]

I like my valvecaster quite a bit. It was a pretty simple build.