Gain, Crunch, Overdrive, Distortion, Fuzz ...

Here's your introduction guide to using guitar effects!

Most beginners will want to experiment with guitar effects at some point in their guitar journey. If you want to play rock or blues - you'll want to add some dirt to your sound - this is where guitar effects come in!

If you're new to this, check out bands like Metallica or Black Sabbath - they have a much heavier, crunchier sound to their guitar playing. They achieve this by using distortion - and it's the perfect time to learn all about it. In this lesson, you'll learn a rundown of the basics of guitar effects, 4 different pedals and we'll explore and 3 types of gain: Overdrive, Distortion, Fuzz.

Let's get stuck in. :)

What Is Guitar Distortion?

Guitar effects allow you to manipulate your electric guitar sound. This can be built into your amp - or accessed through a pedal.

A CLEAN sound is what that word means - it's not supposed to sound messy! But rarely is a perfectly clean guitar sound very pleasing. Even the most 'perfect' clean sound - like a mid 60's Deluxe amp - has a kind of grit that makes it feel good. The guitar you use - specifically the pickups you use - will play a big part in the amount and type of gain you get.

Single coil pickups are generally 'thinner' and can be noisy. They cut through the sound and have a great bite.

Humbuckers are bigger pickups and 'buck the hum.' They give a lot of grain - it's what I'm using in the video.

The type of pickup depends on your preference! Be aware that the gear you choose will make a big difference in your sound.

Built Into Amp Or A Pedal?

A nice valve amp will deliver sweet dirt but not usually a heavily distorted tone.

Pedals are convenient, easy to swap around, and commonly used (often with valve amps!).

If you are a beginner and new to all this stuff, I recommend getting a Boss Katana amp. This amp has many kinds of dirt built-in. You'll develop a taste for what you like, what you don't and what you want more of! It also has the advantage of having almost every other effect built in too. Loads of free Katana presets are available throughout the website. :)

If not a Katana - see if you can get your hands on a multi-effects device. Pick something that has everything you need to explore!

4 Different Guitar Overdrives

Here are 4 pedals overdrives that are worth checking out!

Tube Screamer Mini

The tube screamer is an all-time classic dirt box, and this mini one sounds fantastic and is a super great value! This is Overdrive!

Buy a Tube Screamer Mini Here

Boss DS-1

The first and another classic Distortion box.

Buy a DS-2 here (probably better for beginners and cheaper!)

Nobels ODR-1

Best bang for buck pedal ever? I know loads of pro players with the best gear that still use one of these bad boys!

Buy an ODR-1 Here - but note they've gone up in price since I last checked. They cost more than the previous 2 pedals here, but it's still a great option!

Dan Drive Austin Pride

Seems I have no budget Fuzz pedals - so this is my favorite of all time. Incredible sound, extremely versatile, looks super superb - mega on every level. Matching price tag.

Contact Dan about making you a Fuzz pedal here!

The Knobs

Most of the time, you'll find 3 knobs on a dirt box. Some will have more Tone controls, like a Top and Middle, but Fuzz boxes can have a lot more!

Here are 3 three of the most common knobs:

Gain / Distortion / Crunch This will set how much dirt you get from the unit.

Tone This will either take or remove the high sounds or high mids. It'll drastically change your whole sound! This will have other names sometimes, like Spectrum or EQ.

Level The gain might make the pedal louder, so you might need to adjust the overall level. Or, you might want it to get a lot louder for your guitar solo!

Brief History of Distortion

Here's a quick breakdown of guitar effects throughout the years:

In the early '50s, people started experimenting more with sounds. They would turn up amps louder than they were designed to go. This was when OVERDRIVE-ing the amps started!
In 1960, a song was released by country crooner Marty Robbins called Don't Worry. There was something wrong with the mixing desk, and the lead guitar came out sounding funny. The song became a big hit, and everyone wanted the sound. So - his friends made an effect box to replicate the sound - the Gibson Maestro FUZZ.
1965, Keith Richards used it for Satisfaction. This started the whole Fuzz effect obsession for guitarists!
Vox Tone Bender was born - which became the sound of Jeff Beck, The Yardbirds, and Led Zeppelin.
1969 - Fuzz Face (that Jimi Hendrix sound!) and the Big Muff distortion pedals were born - the birth of the term distortion!
1970's amps get bigger, people want more distortion
1977 - 3 amazing new stompboxes that use HARD CLIPPING were born. This includes the MXR Distortion +, The RAT pedal, and the BOSS DS-1 Distortion.
1980's amps like the ubiquitous Marshal JCM800 had the DISTORTION built-in.
By the 90's - there was a crazy amount of new distortion types and digital emulations of distortion. And now, it's forever growing.

For the detailed history of guitar effects, check out JHS Pedals on The History Of Distortion.

Next up, we're checking out one of the greatest rock riffs of all time .. Enter the Sandman by Metallica!