Personal Effects

Not every guitarist gets into using effects pedals (see cover story, page 54), but those who do often find them a lifelong interest that’s as much a part of their passion for guitars as a good Tele or a tweed combo. The first pedal I ever bought was from Dan Hawkins of The Darkness. We were teenagers then, long before he won fame with the band. Jamming in his garage, we played around with Boss pedals, which were new things to us then. Eventually, he sold me a DS-1, which was the first effect I ever bought. Like so many other pieces of gear I’d like to have back again, that one’s long gone and, truth be told, although it’s a classic, I wouldn’t have much use for one these days, musically speaking. But in another way, that’s the nice thing about effects – they’re relatively cheap to buy, provided you stay away from collectable stuff, and pedals by good brands tend to hold their value pretty well, too, and are generally easy to sell on. So if you want to bring some variety into your musical life without making a loss on gear you might not click with, pedals are the way to go.

Over time, my own pedalboard has evolved – and like a football team, it’s interesting to note which pedals got sent off after a few minutes on the pitch and which stayed part of the team, match after match. Right now, the longest-serving pedal on my ’board is a JTM45-style overdrive pedal by J Rockett Audio Designs called the .45 Caliber. A Free The Tone Ambi Space reverb is another staple, and, at a push, I could make do with just those two pedals for most gigs. Does that mean I’ll stop looking for more pedals now? Not a chance, it’s too much fun. No, effects aren’t a substitute for playing well – but like salt on chips they can make a good thing a whole lot tastier. Enjoy the issue and see you next month.