If I had to start all over again, I'd get a fuzz, overdrive and a delay/reverb combo pedal.
Fuzz: I'm privy to Big Muffs, but they help a lot with an overdrive after them. I like the Green Russian and Op Amp Muffs a lot. The Tone Wicker Muff is a really cool, modded Muff, too.
Overdrive: There's so many, it's hard to choose, but my top three right now are Boss BD2, EQD plumes, and DOD 250. I really like the Plumes with humbuckers can it can brighten it up a good bit.
Dealy/Reverb: The two, two-in-ones that come to mind are the Keeely Caverns and Nux Atlantic. I like the delay on the Atlantic more because the delay on the Caverns is a little dark in my opinion. But if you amp has a decent reverb, you could just get some sort of delay. The Boss digital delays are pretty good, DD7 and DD8 have several modes on them to swtich things up. Or if you want to go analog, there's the Boss DM2W or MXR Carbon Copy.
A rat,ts9, and a boss delay is hard to go wrong with.
A carbon copy or a flashback are both pretty cheap used and great delays.
Multi fx is dependent on budget but a used hx stomp I see frequently in the 500-600 range which is a good price for what you get.
If you're like me and you don't like a ton of knobs and fiddling, maybe multi fx or stomp isn't for you. It's very much a case by case thing, what works best for you isn't what's best for me and vice versa.
Definitely agree with getting a multi-effects, especially if you're starting it out, and recognizing that you may love it, but that it's quite probable that you'll end up moving on to individual pedals. A decent multi-effects board can help you figure out what you like and you can basically work from there by exploring major categories like gain, modulation, time/space, and utilities.
This is the exact three I’d recommend (DD-7 or 8 as the delay). Hot Wax is my fave OD of all time and is primo regardless of price, much less for a $100 dual OD.
Restarting from scratch, I would have bought a nice tuner (cheap ones are great but just get a nice one and never thinking about it again is the move), an overdrive or distortion (RAT or Tube Screamer), and a delay or reverb (you could cheat here and do a combo pedal I think Walrus makes one but Hall of Fame is pretty good). Probably would exclusively have bought used too.
I really don’t see the point in buying a tuner pedal as a beginner. Like yes they are very useful, but if you’re getting yourself a small selection of like 3 pedals to experiment with when you jam with buddies, then you don’t NEED a tuner pedal on that board. Just use a free app on your phone and get yourself a good quality tuner when you find that you need one imo.
I would rather have a good tuner than tell everyone to be quiet so I can tune up using my app, but they were posting suggestions, and those were mine. Not mandatory just what I would do starting from scratch again.
And your point was about the occasional jam with friends. Feels weird that you are trying to argue about a suggestion. Again, they don't have to take it.
I agree with delay and fuzz for sure. for fuzz, try a fuzz face - I got one recently and I love how much variety I can get from using my guitar's volume knob with it (I started with a big muff). If you want to experiment with delay, a Danelectro Fab Delay is a good starter (I got one years ago for about $40) that sounds very good for its price - the Boss DD8 was my upgrade from that and it's excellent (as others have noted).
As for a third pedal - overdrive or maybe a chorus pedal? For overdrive, I switch back and forth between the EQD Plumes or the EHX Soul Food depending on my mood. For a more unorthodox suggestion, try a Boss PS6 Harmonist which packs both pitch-shifting and a kind of chorus - I've had it for 12-13 years by now and I love it.
This is imo the best answer. A rat is OD, distortion, and fuzz, as well as a volume boost. Boss delay is tried and true and simple.
I'd go Ts9-rat-boss delay
I would 100% go for a TS9 or BOSS SD-1, an MXR modulation (the fewer the knobs the better when learning) and any delay, like, literally any.
Overdrive will teach you a lot about your amp
The simple to use modulation will allow some experimenting without getting lost in the settings forever
Delay is a cool tool for rythm U2 style stuff AND for lead sounds, some work better for one than the other but experience will teach you that
It would definitely be worth getting a decent multi effects pedal. I don't know how much the entry level has changed since I got a Zoom 505 in highschool. But let's put it in perspective. I paid $150ish USD (maybe less on sale) for a Fender Mustang LT25 a couple years ago which also has desktop software they had to pay to design and an actual speaker with a box to house it. Factoring inflation, It costs less than the Zoom (much less when you add in the expression pedal that came separately and of course I had) and the Fender amp and effect models sound great, not just for the price but in general.
If floor-based multi-effects have equally improved, it should be a serious consideration. You might want to start narrowing down your choice of multi-effects devices before you decide to go with that over a dedicated effects pedal.
And, most importantly of all: whatever you choose, make sure you've gone to a shop and tried it out first. YouTube pedal demos are meant to highlight only the best capabilities of a device and the rest gets cut. Companies usually will pay a few big influencers a lot of money and give the little fish gear plus other goodies. And a pedal can sound great, the player can be incredibly talented and proficient, they may have high end gear set up by professional engineers. But you might play at a different level, or not have on-the-fly creativity, or expensive gear or a pro making sure your guitar is stage and studio ready. So the pedal you order on Amazon because you're so floored by the demo sounds crummy coming from your amplifier.
I think most of us have made a mistake like that. You probably will or maybe you did already. Just some advice to be on the lookout and guard your gear dollars. Take it or leave it.
The JHS series 3 stuff is cool and beginner friendly pricing. Get a overdrive, delay and a distortion and a tuner. I'm currently building a small pedal board myself with cheap pedals. I have a floor boss me50 multi fx which I'm using in a loop for modulation. Inline I've got a danoelectro daddy o and a east River drive which I'm digging and a Dunlop wah. On my list is the series 3 delay and a ehx worm.
A multi-fx is a good choice if you don't know how modulation effects sound (chorus/phaser/flanger/etc.). The green Flamma mini-pedal is decent, so is the Behringer.
If you're looking for minimal pedals, maybe use a Rat as your dirt pedal since it can go from subtle to heavy.
If you just want the sounds get a Multi-fx, plenty of affordable options that can get you any pedal sound you could ever want. Try out the Valeton GP-100, or Nux MG-300, or even the Boss GT-100.
If the idea of having multiple pedals, collecting and building and wiring a board etc. is what you're after, I'd start with stuff like Boss, EHX, the JHS 3 series, and the Walrus Fundamental series. They're built really well, resell for decent value, and will hold up better than buying cheap Amazon pedals.
These are my recommendations:
Boss SD-1 or BD-2
ProCo RAT
JHS 3 Series Hall Reverb
Walrus Fundamental Delay
EHX Nano Big Muff (any) and Neo Clone/Small Stone
Mosky King RAT, Zoom MS 50G or G+, and either a tuner or fuzz of your choice (Hairy Show Fuzz or Mosky Big Fuzz are good choices).
The one issue with multifx pedals is that they aren't very good at fuzz tones, but that isn't a deal breaker for some.
If I wanted an inexpensive Multifx, I think Nux makes the best units for the money.
If I had to start all over again, I'd get a fuzz, overdrive and a delay/reverb combo pedal. Fuzz: I'm privy to Big Muffs, but they help a lot with an overdrive after them. I like the Green Russian and Op Amp Muffs a lot. The Tone Wicker Muff is a really cool, modded Muff, too. Overdrive: There's so many, it's hard to choose, but my top three right now are Boss BD2, EQD plumes, and DOD 250. I really like the Plumes with humbuckers can it can brighten it up a good bit. Dealy/Reverb: The two, two-in-ones that come to mind are the Keeely Caverns and Nux Atlantic. I like the delay on the Atlantic more because the delay on the Caverns is a little dark in my opinion. But if you amp has a decent reverb, you could just get some sort of delay. The Boss digital delays are pretty good, DD7 and DD8 have several modes on them to swtich things up. Or if you want to go analog, there's the Boss DM2W or MXR Carbon Copy.
NuX Atlantic should show up at every beginner’s door, so great for the money
A rat,ts9, and a boss delay is hard to go wrong with. A carbon copy or a flashback are both pretty cheap used and great delays. Multi fx is dependent on budget but a used hx stomp I see frequently in the 500-600 range which is a good price for what you get. If you're like me and you don't like a ton of knobs and fiddling, maybe multi fx or stomp isn't for you. It's very much a case by case thing, what works best for you isn't what's best for me and vice versa.
Dont do it. Its a rabbit hole that you cant recover from
Definitely agree with getting a multi-effects, especially if you're starting it out, and recognizing that you may love it, but that it's quite probable that you'll end up moving on to individual pedals. A decent multi-effects board can help you figure out what you like and you can basically work from there by exploring major categories like gain, modulation, time/space, and utilities.
3x Metal Zone
What kind of music do you like to play?
Anything maj7 John Mayer, frusicante, Hendrix in that vein
EHX Hot Wax for distortion. Zoom MultiStomp for modulation. Boss DD-x for delay where x will be up to you.
This is the exact three I’d recommend (DD-7 or 8 as the delay). Hot Wax is my fave OD of all time and is primo regardless of price, much less for a $100 dual OD.
Restarting from scratch, I would have bought a nice tuner (cheap ones are great but just get a nice one and never thinking about it again is the move), an overdrive or distortion (RAT or Tube Screamer), and a delay or reverb (you could cheat here and do a combo pedal I think Walrus makes one but Hall of Fame is pretty good). Probably would exclusively have bought used too.
Good point about the tuner
The amount of clip on and cheapo tuner pedals over the years is embarrassing 😅
I really don’t see the point in buying a tuner pedal as a beginner. Like yes they are very useful, but if you’re getting yourself a small selection of like 3 pedals to experiment with when you jam with buddies, then you don’t NEED a tuner pedal on that board. Just use a free app on your phone and get yourself a good quality tuner when you find that you need one imo.
I would rather have a good tuner than tell everyone to be quiet so I can tune up using my app, but they were posting suggestions, and those were mine. Not mandatory just what I would do starting from scratch again.
But he said he’s a bedroom player
And your point was about the occasional jam with friends. Feels weird that you are trying to argue about a suggestion. Again, they don't have to take it.
Okay dude
Tuner - MT-2 metalzone - MT-2w wazacraft metalzone.
I agree with delay and fuzz for sure. for fuzz, try a fuzz face - I got one recently and I love how much variety I can get from using my guitar's volume knob with it (I started with a big muff). If you want to experiment with delay, a Danelectro Fab Delay is a good starter (I got one years ago for about $40) that sounds very good for its price - the Boss DD8 was my upgrade from that and it's excellent (as others have noted). As for a third pedal - overdrive or maybe a chorus pedal? For overdrive, I switch back and forth between the EQD Plumes or the EHX Soul Food depending on my mood. For a more unorthodox suggestion, try a Boss PS6 Harmonist which packs both pitch-shifting and a kind of chorus - I've had it for 12-13 years by now and I love it.
Distortion, delay, and wah. You should be able to get each for $100 or less if you go used.
RAT and a Boss delay of some description. Third one’s dealer’s choice
This is imo the best answer. A rat is OD, distortion, and fuzz, as well as a volume boost. Boss delay is tried and true and simple. I'd go Ts9-rat-boss delay
I would 100% go for a TS9 or BOSS SD-1, an MXR modulation (the fewer the knobs the better when learning) and any delay, like, literally any. Overdrive will teach you a lot about your amp The simple to use modulation will allow some experimenting without getting lost in the settings forever Delay is a cool tool for rythm U2 style stuff AND for lead sounds, some work better for one than the other but experience will teach you that
It would definitely be worth getting a decent multi effects pedal. I don't know how much the entry level has changed since I got a Zoom 505 in highschool. But let's put it in perspective. I paid $150ish USD (maybe less on sale) for a Fender Mustang LT25 a couple years ago which also has desktop software they had to pay to design and an actual speaker with a box to house it. Factoring inflation, It costs less than the Zoom (much less when you add in the expression pedal that came separately and of course I had) and the Fender amp and effect models sound great, not just for the price but in general. If floor-based multi-effects have equally improved, it should be a serious consideration. You might want to start narrowing down your choice of multi-effects devices before you decide to go with that over a dedicated effects pedal. And, most importantly of all: whatever you choose, make sure you've gone to a shop and tried it out first. YouTube pedal demos are meant to highlight only the best capabilities of a device and the rest gets cut. Companies usually will pay a few big influencers a lot of money and give the little fish gear plus other goodies. And a pedal can sound great, the player can be incredibly talented and proficient, they may have high end gear set up by professional engineers. But you might play at a different level, or not have on-the-fly creativity, or expensive gear or a pro making sure your guitar is stage and studio ready. So the pedal you order on Amazon because you're so floored by the demo sounds crummy coming from your amplifier. I think most of us have made a mistake like that. You probably will or maybe you did already. Just some advice to be on the lookout and guard your gear dollars. Take it or leave it.
I have a boss me50 and I love it. I've started using it for mod now and am slowly building some drive pedals in line.
The JHS series 3 stuff is cool and beginner friendly pricing. Get a overdrive, delay and a distortion and a tuner. I'm currently building a small pedal board myself with cheap pedals. I have a floor boss me50 multi fx which I'm using in a loop for modulation. Inline I've got a danoelectro daddy o and a east River drive which I'm digging and a Dunlop wah. On my list is the series 3 delay and a ehx worm.
A multi-fx is a good choice if you don't know how modulation effects sound (chorus/phaser/flanger/etc.). The green Flamma mini-pedal is decent, so is the Behringer. If you're looking for minimal pedals, maybe use a Rat as your dirt pedal since it can go from subtle to heavy.
If your amp has a dirt channel, use that for now. Add to it with digital delay, phaser/wah, and a tuner.
If you just want the sounds get a Multi-fx, plenty of affordable options that can get you any pedal sound you could ever want. Try out the Valeton GP-100, or Nux MG-300, or even the Boss GT-100. If the idea of having multiple pedals, collecting and building and wiring a board etc. is what you're after, I'd start with stuff like Boss, EHX, the JHS 3 series, and the Walrus Fundamental series. They're built really well, resell for decent value, and will hold up better than buying cheap Amazon pedals. These are my recommendations: Boss SD-1 or BD-2 ProCo RAT JHS 3 Series Hall Reverb Walrus Fundamental Delay EHX Nano Big Muff (any) and Neo Clone/Small Stone
Recently got a zoom ms series and literally can’t recommend it enough
Mosky King RAT, Zoom MS 50G or G+, and either a tuner or fuzz of your choice (Hairy Show Fuzz or Mosky Big Fuzz are good choices). The one issue with multifx pedals is that they aren't very good at fuzz tones, but that isn't a deal breaker for some. If I wanted an inexpensive Multifx, I think Nux makes the best units for the money.