Guitar Multi FX Discussion

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Guitar Multi FX - Friend or Foe? by Tony Williams

Killer Guitar Sounds? Maybe...

Guitar multi FX units are undoubtedly one of the best value-for-money tools available to today's guitar player. Even a cheap multi FX unit found on eBay will house some great sounding effects to brighten up or add interest to even the most mediocre guitarist's playing.

With so many different guitar sound effects available in the typical multi FX unit it is a great temptation to try and use as many as possible. However, that temptation could also destroy your credibility as a player and leave your audience nonplussed. In fact, when it comes to guitar multi FX, that old cliché less is more can very often be absolutely true!

The solution? You need to get your basic sounds right and stick with them before adding any extra 'sparkle'.

So what is meant by 'basic sounds'? Well there are really only three and they are:

* Clean - You know how this sounds; crisp chords and sparkling arpeggios.

* Mild Distortion / Overdrive - This can vary from slight breaking up of a clean sound to a satisfying crunchy distortion. * Heavy Distortion / Fuzz - The all-out blistering solo sound, think Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall stack turned all the way up to eleven!

(A little tip about distortion - don't be tempted to use too much! What sounds great plugged into a small practice amp or headphones in your back bedroom will often sound like undefined mush when it is cranked up to gig volume.)

Anything on top of your basic sound, whether it be chorus, flange, delay, or whatever, should be considered as extra that is added to compliment and enhance. The basic sound should not be sacrificed or altered in any way.

Listen to some of your favourite guitar players and try to work out how many different combinations of sound effect they are using - I guarantee that however many there are (and it's probably fewer than you think) they will be sitting on top of a great basic sound.

So in conclusion;enjoy your guitar multi FX and make the most of the variety of different sound effects available, but don't sacrifice your guitar sound for the sake of guitar sound effects.

About the Author

Tony Williams is a musician, writer, and self-confessed eBay fanatic. He is the editor and webmaster of Rich Pickings, the online guitar advisory service, you can find it at: www.rich-pickings.com

John Petrucci - Pedalboard and Demo

Music Man John Petrucci 6-String Electric Guitar Mystic Dream The Music Man John Petrucci 6-String Electric Guitar has a maple neck featuring an adjustable truss rod and 5-bolt mounting to the basswood body for perfect alignment and no slipping. A sculpted neck joint allows free access to upper frets. Its rosewood fretboard has 24 wide, high-profile frets. Schaller locking tuners and custom John Petrucci tremolo complete the hardware. 2 Custom DiMarzio humbucking pickups were specially designed for Petrucci. 3-way selector has a custom center-position configuration.

Artemis Editions Crash Course on Guitar Effects (Book/CD) Get the most out of your effects with this ultimate beginner's guide! Jargon-free and packed with professional hints and tips, it covers: how effects pedals work; how to use distortion, chorus, compression, delay, reverb, wah-wah and other effects; how to combine effects; multi-effects units and how to use them; getting the most out of your gear; and more. The CD features over 50 demo tracks, sample settings and FX do's and don'ts and the book has tons of photos and diagrams.

Alesis AcoustiFX Acoustic Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal The Alesis AcoustiFX Acoustic Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal boasts a huge range of amp models combined with stellar sound quality that belie its tiny price tag. Easy-to-edit effects include an amazing array of modulation effects, delay, and reverbs. Super-simple Alesis interface lets you control the AcoustiFX all with your feet onstage. Stereo line/headphone out; effect selector and value knobs; bright LED readout; plus increment, decrement, and bypass pedals. Alesis installed 25 effects algorithms, 19 effects types, and 6 effects modules in the AcoustiFX Multi-Effects Pedal to give you powerful flexibility.

Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal The Boss OS-2 OverDrive/Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal delivers killer separate overdrive and distortion effects that you can combine for cool blended effects! This integration gives you more options than using serially connected units. Best of all the OS-2 is designed to provide raunchy, hard distortion while maintaining the nuances of single-coil pickups. Level, Tone, Drive, and Color controls offer plenty of tweakability.

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Updated: 3/4/07