Just curious about how others use and feel about the use of effects?
I find that near everyone hear is using effects in the renditions of songs that they are sharing.
This includes me!
The longer I play and try to do songs, the more Iām deciding that perhaps less is better.
The effects at some point seem to start to cover up what Iām trying to do. The effects are hiding my playing behind the effect.
This notion of less may be better kinda goes along with my not playing a modeler type amp. There are so many effects on these type amps that it near encourages you to add effects to your playing.
Iām not against effects. There for sure is a time and place for them.
But it just seems to me that perhaps Iāve been using to many effects, even on my none modeling amps.
I still got a couple pedals + the daw has effects that can be added too. Thatās a lot of cover up Iām starting to think.
What does the folks here on this forum think about how much to use these effects? Is there such a thing as too many effects on yours or my song?
Iām just thinking out loud. This is not a anti effect post. I truly am wondering. Hence the question.
I donāt claim to be a role model for guitar players, but all I use is a little reverb. Keith Richards has said that he prefers just the sound he gets straight out of his amp.
Interesting post, Jim @HappyCat. Timely too, as Iāve been thinking about this a lot lately! Hereās where Iāve landed: I suspect people approach playing guitar with different goals, and that these goals might change over oneās journey. Some really want to emulate their favorite musicians. Some are interested in the interaction between their hands and the instrument. Some are fascinated by the unique instrument itself that they are interacting with. Some want to be in a band. Some are just amazed that they can make music at all.
If thatās an accurate observation, it makes sense that different players would have different feelings about effects and amps. Iām an āadvancing beginnerā, and at this stage am focused on improving my skills and learning music (theory). I love Brian May, but (at this point) donāt try to emulate him or anyone else. I donāt amplify my acoustics. I have two very different electric guitars, and each really sounds better through a different type of amp. So - Iāve opted for a simple modeling practice amp (no app, no downloads), using a bit of reverb. I hear the differences between the amp models and switch them up depending on the song Iām working on. While Iām sure I could get better āsoundā thatās not my main concern right now. I expect ā and even hope! ā that this will change as my skills progress. At this point I wouldnāt even know what amp(s) I want to own (given limited space and funds). So, thatās my pennyās worth of input!
Music is creativity in audio, its all about the sound, effects are fine if you want effects and thats what you are going for
Youāre not doing ambient stuff without them
But then if you are doing acoustic guitar stuff youāre probably going to be holding them back a fair bit ( again not none unless thats a choice, EQ, reverb, compression etc can all be used subtly)
Music moves on by pushing boundaries and effects are part of that
Whether itās too much or not enough is in the ear of the beholder, I think. Personally, Iāve got a Vox wah-wah pedal and a Fender modeling combo amp for the guitar and a Boss amp with some built-in effects for the bass, and thatās it. As a bedroom player, I tend to play with a clean tone or only turn the gain up most of the time to get some crunch. The wah-wah is self-explanatory, itās really a unique sound but can also serve as a high-pass/low-pass filter if itās set to a fixed position. I play the bass only with some added gain for a bit of grit pretty much all the time.
However, as a listener, Iām always in for some cool effects, whether itās the wacky mindblowing Hendrix school of guitar playing or that wobbly bubbling tone that Bootsy Collins had on the bass, or something more subdued like some gentle phasing on a rhythm guitar part or some delay + reverb combination for a psychedelic feel. As long as thereās some variation, Iām open-eared, but hearing the same effect for a long time diminishes its effect.
Less is better is always a good reflex.
something to take the edge off of make it a tad less dry is ok.
Soem compression to add some sustain, a tiny bit of reverb smoothens up the edges as well.
There is a thing as too much effects.
Unless your song is a big trippy psychedelic soundscape
context, context, context,ā¦
My effects:
Vocals: big room/hall reverb but subtle setting
Acoustic guitar: same reverb setting or similar
Electric: High gain amp with noise gate
ā¦
and thatās about it.
A subtle tremolo pair well with a bit ov grain provided by an overdrive.
I use that for some solo work or some bluesy jobs now and then.
Thatās why a cheap multieffect is a great tool to play around with if youāre unfamiliar with effects
some self-oscillating effects on extreme settings that go wishy washy ā¦ sure is fun
I personally love effects. With my current set up, I have the ability to pretty much make any type of sound my little inner rockstar heart desires
That being said- I donāt throw everything in all at once. It really just depends on the song. Since Iāve been writing my own songs, part of the fun for me is figuring out what kind of sound will best serve each song. I absolutely love Fuzz, but it tends to really take over anything I put it in, so Iām pretty picky about when I use it. I donāt like delay, so I donāt add it. I also like to switch between both (mostly ) clean and dirty tones in the same song. It just depends.
I like effects as well. I dont have much really and I got Just cheap stuff. Basically I knew what I wanted that would get me close to sounding like a few of my favorite bands. I have just barely started messing with them also as I am fairly new at the electric. I am not dropping big money on stuff I dont have a clue how to really use yet. 25 bucks a pop I dont mind even adding or changing a resistor value for a different sound.
Right now for practicing I am only running a plexi clone type effect. It sounds fairly good, does not cover anything up and all notes standout, as my classmates can hear my mistakes fairly easily.
I generally use compression and reverb as āstapleā effects, as well as EQ.
A drive pedal too fairly often. Delay and chorus also a bit too, at different times.
As Iāve gained alot more experience, Iāve also find that adjusting volume, pickups and split coil options can also give me alot of permuations on one effects chain.
And, although not an āeffectā as such, changing the IRs can produce significant changes to a tone.
I exclusively use S-Gear, so switching effects is pretty quick and easy. Has been a great learning tool as well.
Wow, didnāt even get lunch made by the time you had a lot of replies.
I initially thought that effects were how to make the electric guitar do itās thing, but quickly realized that all I really needed was an amp. I liked adding a small reverb and have used this for a couple years of my 3+ playing. By fiddling with the amp input (gain) and the guitar output (volume) I was able to get a wide variety of clean to distortion out of nearly any amp model in my Helix processor.
In the last 6 months, I have started to fiddle a bit with adding an overdrive/distortion in front of the amp. I find I can control the amount of distortion better this way. I have fiddled a bit with a compressor as well to give me a larger range which I hear about the same distortion.
So, in general, it really depends on what I want to play - some songs need a clean sound, some need distorted, but many can be whatever you want to hear. I use each of these methods myself.
I have never liked the sound of lots of effects. too much echo or reverb sounds fake, too much modulated effects like wah or phaser donāt sound natural. I donāt find myself using those. Maybe some day I will find a use, but I expect it will be only lightly applied.
Thanks to all for their observations on the use of effects.
Seems many folks are using the less is better idea. Cool, I seem to be heading the right direction for toning down my use.
Also seems that there is a time and place for using more prevalent effects too. I hear this also. Some songs do seem to plain require the more notable use, or āsaidā song may not sound proper.
I think I will continue to try toning down my use. Except where the song in question really does use much notable effect.
Less does seem to be the general consensus. Cool, Iām catching on slowlyā¦
I think part of limiting effects is just the learning process. Not everyone here is at the same level, but I do think as you (anyone) are learning, you should learn on a clean tone and add effects slowly and strategically along the way. The better you sound clean, the better it will come out when you add the appropriate effects. That said, if all you want to play is metal, I donāt know how you are going to get there always clean.
Long term it matters where you want to go with the sound, but I donāt know how you start without having a solid tone with just wood, strings and fingers.
I don`t have any pedals but sometimes turn the dial to crunch 1 or 2 hammer out some barre chords sounds great cant hear the bum notes but usually play without effects unless its a shadows number then use echo or delay
I agree. I think I started a thread a while back wondering if folks started to learn the song they were doing on acoustic or elec.
I seem to generally start with acoustic.
Agreed, I want to find that solid tone to start with. Plus, as a added bonus, I find it generally harder to play a acoustic. So when I do get the idea of the song, playing it on electric seems easier.
Cool! Seems like your in good company with Keith Richards.
Even if ya got pedals, ya donāt gotta turn them on.
Exactly, that was kinda the point of this tread.
Effects (Iām thinking) can sometimes cover up the bum notes. And itās not just distortion/overdrive I donāt think.
for this 
