BEST GUITAR MULTI EFFECTS PEDALS FOR BEGINNERS
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HELLO to Our List of Awesome Multi FX pedals
Lugging around a huge bundle of pedals can add stress to any guitarist dealing with:
The overall weight of the pedals
Making sure every knob is still dialed in.
Checking every guitar cable to make sure none break down mid set.
It can get exhausting, so maybe having an all-in-one solution might take away all those problems.
Lets get into our 9 Recommended Guitar Multi Effects Pedals:
Vox Stomplab2G
- 100+ Effects
- 40 Amp Models
- Can Stack Up to 8 Effects
- Built-In Tuner
- Expression Pedal Included
This awesome multi effects pedal has alot bundled up in this compact device. The are alot of Overdrives / Distortions as well as delay effects and reverbs among many other effects built in. Since it is a modeling multi effects pedal, the amps and cabinets don't serve much use in a live setting, but can be great for recording direct. The expression pedal adds extra control over how you use the effect. Since it is made byVOX, the sounds that come out of this are guaranteed to be really great.
Line 6 M5 Stompbox Modeler
- 100+ Effects
- 1 Footswitch
- Tap Tempo
- Built-In Tuner
- Expression Pedal Input available
- Midi In/Out Inputs
This multi effects pedal is built like a tank. It can take alot of abuse. This Stompbox Modeler pedal has alot more control over your sound with the parameter dial ins for each effect. If you need to tune, all you have to do is hold down the right switch to access it, which is great in a live setting. The sounds out of this are great - from full on heavy distortion effects to echo spring reverbs. It also has great unique sound effects to bring character to any song.
Mooer Audio Red Truck
- 6 Effects
- Some settings include different variations of effect
- Effects Loop
- Built-In Tuner
- Preset options
This multi effects pedal is closer to having a set of pedals in a guitar chain, which can be great for dialing in the perfect analog guitar tones you need. This also includes a preset setting option which allows you to set saved presets which can trigger multiple pedals at once. The MOD section includes a Tremolo, Phaser, and Chorus options, and the DELAY section includes an Analog, Echo, and Digital delay options as well. The built-in tuner can also be used by simply holding down the far left switch. This pedal is great for getting those analog sound effects in a compact build.
Mooer GE100
- 66 Effects
- 80 Presets / 80 User Patches available
- Built-in Drum Machine
- Looper On/Off Switch Option
- Expression Pedal Included
This great deal of a multi effects pedal is very compact and has many effects and settings to dial in what you need, including 23 distortions, a 3 minute looper. You can go to a preset setting you like, and customize it by dialing in using the MODE
and VALUE
knobs and footswitches. It also has 7 amp models if you choose to plug this in direct to record. The Expression Pedal helps with adding character to playing live. There is also a Drum Machine feature built-in, with 40 drum patterns which is great to jam to. There is only one footswitch to activate during a live set so you might want to consider that if you need multiple variations in one song. Overall, the price is fantastic for this great sounding pedal and give any beginner guitar player many options to consider.
DigiTech RP360
- 85 Effects
- 55 Amp Models
- 198 Presets (99 Built-in / 99 User Available)
- 40 Second Looper
- Computer App to customize via USB
- Built-In Tuner
- Built-In Drum Machine
- 3 Footswitches
This multi effects pedal is unique by allowing you to dial in effects on your computer and saving them by connecting your pedal via USB. You can also customize what effects each footswitch will trigger on each setting. There is a built-in tuner to allow for easy tuning access. There is also a built-in drum machine with 60 drum patterns to jam to. There is also an expression pedal added option on the RP360XP for a little more, which you can
see on Amazon here.
Donna Alpha Cruncher
- 3 Effects
- Analog Delay, Chorus, and Distortion
- 3 knobs for each effect
- 3 Footswitches
The Donna Alpha Cruncher is a simplified multi effects pedal. If you're looking for a few effects to work with in a simple multi effects pedal, this might be your pedal to get. The price for these are great as well and sound amazing with great analog effects.
Hotone Ravo MP10
- 130 Effects
- 100 Presets / 100 User Presets
- Assignable Expression Pedal
- 30 Second Looper
- Built-in Tuner
- Built-in Drum Machine
Just like the RP360, you can customize your settings using the RAVO computer app by plugging in the USB input. This can also be used as an audio interface as well. The multi effect pedal contains a Drum Machine with 100 drum patterns. The Drum actually sound studio quality. All in all, a great compact multi effects pedal with a great variety of options for any beginner guitarist looking to expand.
Valeton Dapper Mini MES-1
- 4 Effects
- Analog Delay, Chorus, Drive / Overdrive
- Built-In Tuner
- Headphone output option
- 3 Footswitches
Similar to the Alpha Cruncher, this is a simple multi effect guitar pedal suited for any guitarist looking for a few effects to get started playing guitar. With the Drive / Overdrive toggle switch, this multi effects pedal gives you 4 effects on this compact pedal. This also includes a built-in tuner as well. You can even plug in headphones to jam quietly in your home. The analog sounds on this are quiet and sound great.
Zoom G3n
- 100+ Effects
- 5 Amp Models / 5 Speaker Cabinets with downloadable extra model options
- Can Stack Up to 7 Effects
- Built-In Tuner
- 6 Footswitches
Similar to a few of the other multi effect pedals on here, there is a downloadable Zoom Software to customize your guitar sounds via USB, including patches created from popular artists. You can even edit the settings using the knobs on the pedal itself for more customization. The G3N doesn't include an expression pedal, but if you're looking for one, there's an expression pedal included on the G3XN - which you can also
check out on Amazon here.
Issues can cause unnecessary stress to any musician. Ideally, you would want everything technical simplified so you can focus on other things worth your focus:
Writing Music and
Sharing Energy With Your Audience. So some might ask ~
What should a beginner look for when buying a multi effects guitar pedal?
Purchasing a multi effects pedal is a great choice for beginner guitar players, but there are a few things to look for when buying guitar multi effects pedal:
Number of Pedal Switches
This is all dependent on how 'pedal-happy' you are. If you only need 1-2 sound changes a song, you should only look for the 1-2 switches as this will help you out budget wise.
Amount of Effects Available
Some guitarists only need the basics (distortion, overdrive, reverb, delay) while others are looking for many other sounds. Having many other sounds available can be great, but having a multi effects pedal that focuses more on the main guitar effects can give you great variations on those basic guitar effects as well so keep that in mind.
Guitar Pedal Size
Some multi effects pedals can be bulky. Typically less pedal switches = smaller size = less stress.
Guitar Effects Customization
Each multi effects guitar pedal has varying degrees of customization on the guitar effects available. Having more options can be great to dialing the 'perfect sound', but it can also be a crutch by an overwhelming amount of choices and the potential to alter the effect in a negative way.
Volume / Wah Pedal
Some multi effects have volume/wah pedal but it all depends on if you need this as most modern musicians don't use these as often.
What are the BEST Guitar Effects for your Guitar Pedal Setup?
There is no 'Perfect Guitar Pedal Setup' - every Style
and Genre
requires different Guitar Effects. There are however things you should be mindful about if you decide to buy individual pedals.
For an example, you definitely want to be mindful on where you place your Reverb in the chain as placing a reverb before a distortion pedal will sound more compressed and alters the sound of the distortion pedal, while placing it AFTER
the distortion pedal will give more room to the distorted sound the pedal creates.
Now, the best multi effect pedals take care of this automatically and give you exactly what you dial in and save.
List of Guitar Effects
What are the best guitar pedal effects you should have?
It depends on the guitarist and what sound they're going for, but there are some general types of guitar effects that every guitarist should have.
- Distortion
- Delay
- Reverb
- Chorus
- Overdrive
- Looper
- Phaser
- Wah
PRO CO RAT2 Distortion Pedal (Amazon)
Distortion
Typically Distortion pedals are used for heavier music like rock and metal, but they are great for producing dynamics in songs.
Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy (Amazon)
Delay
Delay effects are great for adding a bounce effect which adds depth and length to any sound you play on the guitar. You can generate some pretty unique sounds by manipulating the timing of the delay.
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Neo (Amazon)
Reverb
Reverb effects are great for creating a 'room' sound which adds a great atmosphere to whatever you play. Different reverbs produce different effects so it would be a good idea to see what reverbs the multi effects guitar pedal offers.
Boss CH-1 Stereo Super Chorus (Amazon)
Chorus
Chorus guitar effects are typically used to add unique sounds to a guitar sound. Recently modern bands like
Mac Demarco use this sound effect through their whole set. It creates almost a 'watery' effect to your guitar playing.
Ibanez TS808 (Amazon)
Overdrive
Overdrive guitar effects are a good in-between from Distortion and Clean guitar sounds. They are great if you want a little 'edge' to your guitar sound all the way to full blown distortion.
Overdrives have a more smooth, 'controlled' distorted effect where as Distortion is a heavily compressed sound.
TC Electronics Ditto (Amazon)
Looper
Loop guitar effects are great for quickly overlapping a particular guitar part by essentially recording a specific part a guitarist plays and repeating it. This can be a specific guitar riff, or possibly combined with a delay can be a great option to finish a song by manipulating the delay.
Morley MWV Mini Wah (Amazon)
Wah
Wah guitar effects are THE effect for Funk music as well as every lead guitar track in the 80s. They are great for giving controlled character effect to any lead or rhythm part you play. The sound is almost a 'warp' in the tone of what you're playing as if your guitar is talking.
They typically require a footpedal to control the effect, and some multi effect pedals don't have a footpedal feature so check the multi effect pedal to see it has this feature if this is an guitar effect that you feel you require.
Why should you buy a guitar multi effects pedal?
There are some Pros and Cons you need to know when buying a guitar multi effects pedal -
PROS
- Less to carry
- Has everything you need setup to get started easily
- Less Clutter onstage / practice area
- Less hassle
- Much cheaper compared to buying multiple pedals
- No need to purchase extra guitar cables
- Less needed footwork
- Can trigger multiple effects all at once
- Everything is dialed in and ready to play
- You can save all settings for future shows/practice
CONS
- Less Customization
- Some Multi effects only have 2 triggers which limit the control and dynamics you can use during a song
- Some can be expensive
- Cannot update the guitar pedal order
- Some can be large in size
We spent some time finding some of the best multi effects pedals available, but if you have any recommendations, put it in the comments below - we'd love to check it out.
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