Using Effects Pedals
All examples recorded with a Fender Telecaster into the clean channel of a Peavey Classic 30. The pedals used are the ones shown in the photos (some of which I have sold since this article!)
Tremolo
The terms tremolo and vibrato are often mixed up. This is mainly due to the fact the Fender got the terms around the wrong way on their instruments and amps right from the start.
Tremolo is oscillation of volume - volume going up and down at a regular rate. Most tremolo pedals have a rate control (how fast) and depth (how much). Some let you control the attack of the volume change from fast choppy effect to a more gentle slope.
Phaser
The phase pedal is a filter based effect. The signal is combined with an out of phase copy giving a "whooshing" sound.
The slow phase gives a fading in and out sound while a fast phase can give a kind of "underwater" effect. Notice how different the effect sounds after overdrive (where the overdriven signal is phased) and after overdrive (where the phased signal is distorted by an amp).
Chorus
Chorus is produced by splitting the signal. One part is modulated, creating a vibrato effect. When this is combined with the original signal it produces the characteristic "jangly" sound.
You usually have controls for speed (how fast) and how much (depth). Slow speeds create more of a swirling sound. Chorus after overdrive gives a very big sound.
Fuzz, Distortion and Overdrive
I have grouped these three together since they all do a similar thing though there are subtle differences.
The Fuzz pedal was one of the earliest pedals produced. The sound was meant to reproduce the sound of an amplifier breaking up though as players wanted more gain and sustain. Fuzz pedals tend to have a lot of gain (distortion) so are popular for lead playing. They can sometimes sound a little out of control on low notes. A good fuzz pedal will respond to pick-up changes. Listen to the examples recorded on the front pick-up and then the front pick-up with the tone control down.
Distortion pedals gives a harder edged tone by adding odd harmonics to distort the waveform. Distortion pedals are more popular in heavier styles of music where a harder edged distortion is required.
Overdrive is softer distortion, designed to sound more like an amplifier (and in particular a Valve amplifier) distorting. This is more popular in classic rock and blues styles.
There are many variations on the three basic types. You can of course use your amplifier's overdrive. Most modern guitar amps offer enough distortion not to require an separate pedal.
There are also hybrid overdrive / distortion pedals and pedals that use a valve in circuit to produce a sound more like an valve amp. A Treble Booster boosts the treble frequencies to overdrive an amplifier. Bass boosters and full range boosters have also been produced. Though these are associated more with the 60s they have become popular again with modern players looking for a more vintage tone.
This Article: © 2006, Graham Nunn Guitar Tuition
