You have started playing the guitar and the first question is: What effect pedals should I get? At first you’ll read the introductory reddit forum about what’s essential in order to be relatively well covered for all styles. You’ll only have five pedals on the effects board they’ll say.
Boss, Walrus Audio, Chase Bliss, Meris, Eventide, Strymon, Line 6, MXR, TC Electronic, Electro-Harmoniz, Zoom or a little more niche like EarthQuaker Devices or PigTronics? You could spend weeks reading opinions on Reddit.com and still not quite know that exact kind of fuzz you want to add to your sound. Whether it’s the fascination with analog gear or the excitement of endless combinations of digital effects, once you’re caught in the cycle of buying pedals and then inevitably selling some of them again, you’ll be part of the never-ending search of the perfect sound.
Welcome to a $3.64 billion industry
Projected to be up 18 millinon from last year, Boss, Strymon, Line 6, Eventide Walrus, or slightly more niche with Earthquake or Pigtronics are only a few names in a sea of worthy contenders fighting for a spot on somebody’s pedal board. And in the matter of a few fleeing hours you will be sucked into the endless black hole of quantifying benefits, looking for the perfect pedals that will not let go even when your shelves are stacked and your pockets never empty enough to not buy the latest version of a compression pedal that will absolutely change your sound and finally give you that effortless presence in a mix you were looking for.
Personally, I also needed, among other things, a very small pedalboard for locations that are only equipped with small stages. There should also be space for some of my personal favorite effects. In my case, the maximum dimensions of the pedalboard were defined by the Pedaltrain Nano + I chose. If you want it to be even more compact, you could only use very small pedals and thus keep the board even more discreet with the same effectiveness.
