Music Magazine The Guitarist's Guide to Effects Pedals Eighth Edition Back Issue

Computer musicians have their plugins, drummers have their cymbals, singers have their bottles of water, and bassists have their… lead. But of all the musicians, guitarists are truly blessed – not only do we have the most expressive instrument in the world in our hands and towering stacks of amplification behind us, but at our feet, we have rows of beautifully designed, diminutive, yet all-powerful boxes of sonic possibility, ready and waiting to be unleashed with a single well-timed stomp.

From open-mic night performers all the way up to arena-filling rock stars, every guitarist loves and relies on their pedals – and in these pages, we begin by acquainting ourselves with how they evolved, in an article written by renowned author and effects aficionado, Dave Hunter. We name the best effected sounds of all time, and examine all the main types of modern effects, with expert buying advice for all budgets. Next up are how-to guides on building your own pedalboard, placing your effects in the right order, powering them and more. Then we take a closer look at the contrasting pedalboards of a selection of real life pro guitar players, before we launch into our definitive collection of the ultimate boost, overdrive and distortion pedals.

Finally, we go deeper still into the tone-rich world of overdrive and distortion – the most popular effects on the world’s pedalboards – with an expert-led, 12-page guide to getting the best from these workhorses of tone that will help you dial in everything from molten crunch tones to screaming lead sounds with the ease of a practiced professional. Enjoy the issue.