Knowing how to order your guitar’s effect pedals is very important. Your sound can change drastically (for better or worse) if you don’t know the correct guitar pedal order or chain of effects.
How do I organize the pedals, and what is the best signal chain? This is a question that all guitarists ask themselves. This order of guitar pedals is not exactly of the greatest importance. It is actually a matter of personal preference and taste. However, there are also a series of guidelines and quite objective factors to follow to get a better sound. So we decided to go deeper into the whole matter. Although this is not the definitive form, it is a combination that many guitarists use and something that we believe works quite well.
My personal advice is that you experiment, try different setups, and then compare. Maybe you will discover interesting sounds. In fact, combining the pedals with different orders will allow you to sound more original.
But well, if you do not want to go crazy trying combinations, there are some basic rules that will allow you to get the most out of your pedals without suffering your tone. Let’s see them!
How do I place the guitar pedal order correctly?
As we already said, there is no true, definitive guide on how to place the guitar pedals. Everyone is free to do it their way, try, and experiment until they find the desired sound.
So in this post, we will see a guide as orientation so that you have a basis on how to place the effects by different blocks and then see how they give you a better result depending on what you are looking for.
We find three main categories. The effects that act on the gain (distortions, overdrives, compressors, EQs, limiters, Wah-Wah, activators, filters), the modulation effects (chorus, phasers, flangers, volume), and the effects of time (delay, reverb). Let’s discuss them briefly.
Overdrive and gain pedals, the first
By driving pedals, we do not mean only the effect of basic overdrive but also everything related to it. This includes overdrive, distortion, boost, fuzz, and gain pedals in general. But why have these pedals secured a place in the first line? Because the distortion must be as close as possible to the original, clean signal of your instrument.
The goal is to distort and overload the purest form of sound, and that is achieved by first placing those gain pedals. If you are using both the overdrive and the boost, we believe it is a good idea to place the boost first so that the drive pedal emits the strongest possible signal.
Wah and EQ Guitar pedals Chain later
Next in line to arrange guitar pedal orders are the wah pedals and the equalizer. When these devices are directly attached to a signal that has only been subjected to distortion, amplification, or overdrive, they perform incredibly well. They can enhance and restore the quality of the signal. The wah is simply a type of effect that sounds at its highest level when it has distortion that supports it, while the equalizer will give that overdrive a boost that will brighten the final audio output and sound better.
Also, if you want to use a compressor pedal, it fits somewhere around here. If you want a more natural and rock tone, place the pedal right after the distortion or the effects of the equalizer. However, if you are looking for a classic country vibration, the compressor should be placed just at the end of the chain to give the sound a little pumpkin.
Third modulation of the guitar pedals Chain
Next, place the modulation pedals to arrange the guitar pedals in order. “Modulation effects” is a broad term that brings together devices such as chorus, flanger, phaser, and vibrato pedals. As for the reason why the modulation crowd is at No. 3, it is because its sound is significantly richer and more complex when placed after distortion, wah, and EQ.
It is also a common belief that pedals of this type should not be placed at the end of the signaling chain since they can dominate the other effects that were placed in front of them. And if that overwhelming is the entire pedal chain, that’s simply not good.
Effects and pedals related to time at the end
If you’re wondering what the guitar pedals’ order effects are related to time, it’s delay and reverb. Placing these pedals at the end of the signal chain ensures a more natural echo, which is exactly what you need.
And if you are using both reverberation and delay, which is great and not a rare case at all, experts agree that placing the reverberation at the end is the solution. Because it provides a natural echo for all effects. Another option you have is to use the built-in reverb that comes from your amplifier. This is a viable solution, but a little more vibration is also expected in the final sonic attack.
The order of effects in a multi-effect pedalboard
In a multi-effect pedalboard, we are generally not going to have so much freedom to be able to place the different guitar effects in the order we want. Although, indeed, the latest technology multi-effects increasingly offer greater performance and great freedom when configuring your rig as you wish.
The multi-effect pedalboards, which are not so advanced, commonly have the blocks of effects already ordered (filter-distortions-modulation-time), and in some, you can change places with loose effects. But it is not the same as if you had the loose pedals and placed them to your liking.
In the case of virtual programs such as Amplitube, Guitar Rig, and Bias FX, the same thing happens. In some versions, you will find some limitations when experimenting with the order of the effects. But the most advanced ones allow you to do almost everything.
The perfect sound chain
It is up to each guitarist to write down their personal preferences regarding the signal and sound, needs, and budget of available expenses. And then select the product that best suits their needs. Gradually adding pedals and sounds to the chain, a sound is a setup that must always be unique and personal. In the end, there is nothing forbidden. The only thing forbidden is not to try.
Definitely. This small guide aims to guide you on how to place the pedals. But in no case do you take it as something fixed. Try, experiment, and if you know different configurations, do not hesitate to comment! And once you have your ideal setup, it is time to consider riding a good pedalboard!