Pedals of different types

Audio equipment

Guitar pedals for beginners. Which one do I start with?

Pedals of different types

Like the vast majority of guitarists, we have all felt a little disoriented when choosing our first pedal among so many guitar pedals that exist. A lot of time is spent looking for the one that meets our needs and offers us that sound that we have in our minds.

And it becomes even more difficult when we start to investigate and we come across so much diversity of pedals, effects and they explain to us how each one works. A real show.

So that you don’t go through this, we want to help you and we offer you a brief guide on the different types of pedals that existsome recommendations and that, ultimately, when you finish reading it you have the basic notions to be able to decide on yours.


But what is a guitar pedal and what is it for?

It’s about a Electronic device which is used to modify the sound of a source, such as the guitar in our case. He has no more.

The difficulty comes in having to choose between so many different pedals and appreciate the unique functionalities found in each of them.

At first, when we started playing the electric guitar Do we really need to have a pedal?

Well, on the one hand, yes and on the other, no. This will depend on you and whether you want to have sounds that the guitar itself cannot give you. They are normally used for play live or to record. So if you’re just starting your own band or playing in a friend’s garage, you don’t need it.

Although of course, the sound of the pedals is very seductive! Once you try them, you will want to get more and more, they are pure addiction.

Without a doubt, we recommend that you don’t miss this post where we will investigate a little about the world of the guitar pedal and what every guitarist should know.

Let’s get to the important thing: What are the types of guitar pedals that exist? What are its effects? Which one shouldn’t you miss?

There is five pedals that we consider as main and that are basic for a guitar. Any type of guitarist, regardless of his level, should know them.

To be honest, the truth is that they bring spectacular creativity and bring life to both performances and recordings. These 5 classes are:

ReverbHall of Fame 2 Guitar Pedal

It is difficult to find a guitar or music professional who has never used or, at least, dabbled with the reverb of an amplifier or microphone. With this pedal we can reach the next level and we can control it with our foot while giving fire to the chords and plucks.

He reverb pedal offers a deep and dimensional effect. This effect is completely natural and is generated by the shock of the waves bouncing on nearby planes, which is why it seems indispensable, it cannot be missing from your pedal board. We can find it in a good number of musical genres, since it is a very versatile effect.

If what you are looking for is a great and legendary sound, this is your pedal, without a doubt.

What guitar pedals do we recommend?

Of course it is difficult to choose between so much quantity and quality. However, you cannot miss the following models:

Tc electronic Hall Of Fame2, Zoom MS70CDR, Boss RV6

guitar pedal Overdrive/distortion

Tube Screamer Mini Pedal

The kind of overdrive pedal It is one of the most popular and recommended for beginners in the world of music and guitar. They reproduce the natural saturation of an amp by giving it color.

On the other hand, distortion pedals are the opposite. It’s like a overdrive hormoned, its distortion is firm, energetic and intense.

Musical genres like rock or the same blues they use the pedal a lot overdrive. However, if your band leans into genres like heavy metal either punkyours is a distortion pedal so you can feel all the music in your chest!

Following our line of recommendationsthese pedals are sure to blow your mind:

Ibanez TS Mini, Ibanez TS9, TC Electronic MojoMojo

Wah Wah Guitar PedalCry Baby Pedal

No, it is not a bus even if you are from the Canary Islands…joking aside (hehe), the wah wah pedal It is a classic in the world of six strings and tries to emulate the sound of a trumpet.

To achieve that sound, the pedal plays with the frequency range and achieves an effect similar to that of a potentiometer with different tones, which it moves at the same time.

What you hear is something similar to “waaah”, hence its name, and we can adjust it with our foot.

Once you master it, you get a wide repertoire of acoustic options to incorporate into your performances. It adapts very well to all styles, being almost essential in genres such as soul or the wonderful funk.

A very interesting option is combine it with a distortion pedal and get some rock touches. Brutal!

Come on, you too we will advise some of them:

Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby, Vox V845, Mooer The Wahter

guitar pedal delay

Carbon Copy Pedal

You were waiting for us to name this pedal, right? He delay pedal Is one of the most iconic that exist. Its effect is very popular and has been used by countless recognized (and unrecognized) artists of all genres ever and ever. It has even been copied on devices for DJs because of the game it offers during the performance.

He guitar delay pedal What it does is reproduce the sound we just played. You can set the number of repetitions, increase or decrease their volume and speed.

It may be difficult to master at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s wonderful.

It covers the sound gaps very well, it gives beauty to the sound and Pairs great with distortion and overdrive pedals.

Models that you we advise for you to bug:

TC Electronic Flashback 2, Zoom MS70CDR, MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay

guitar pedal Compressor

MXR Pedal

Last but not least, for any guitar professional worth their salt, having this device on their pedal board is a real boon. must. It is capable of compressing sound and then limiting it. What it really does is minimize the high signals and increase the low signals. The dynamic becomes different and equal.

One of its greatest virtues is that Can be combined with a large number of guitar pedals and thus obtain clearer sounds.

Our suggestions of the compressor pedals:

MXR M102 Dyna Comp, TC Electronic Forcefield, MXR M87 Bass

Here we leave you a video from our colleague Adry Serrano where he makes a series of recommendations to take into account 😉

Avatar photo
Simon Müller

Simon Müller is the driving force behind UMusic, embodying a lifelong passion for all things melodious. Born and raised in New York, his love for music took form at an early age and fueled his journey from an avid music enthusiast to the founder of a leading music-centered website. Simon's diverse musical tastes and intrinsic understanding of acoustic elements offer a unique perspective to the UMusic community. Sporting a dedicated commitment to aural enrichment and hearing health, his vision extends beyond just delivering news - he aspires to create a network of informed, appreciative music lovers. Spend a moment in Mueller's company, and you'd find his passion infectious – music isn’t simply his job, it’s his heartbeat.