What Are Your Essential Pedals?

[James Freeman]

List them in order of importance to you, first to last.

Tuner
Equalizer
Overdrive/Boost
Amp-in-a-box Distortion
Noise Gate
Wah

For me, after the tuner an equalizer is the most useful pedal to have, I can overdrive/boost/shape any amp to my liking with an eq.
If I can't have an eq I will choose a good boost/overdrive to tighten and push a crunchy amp into high gain.
Next is a versatile distortion pedal that has amp like quality, can turn a clean channel into crunch or high gain when stacked with the previous pedal.
When it chugs it makes noise, noise gates are useful.
The first "effect" I would use after shaping my core tone is a wah.
Don't care much for modulation, or 'wet' effects.

What are you essential pedal?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Delay.
I love delay. Many types.

 

[dronerstone]

Preamp
Fuzz
Octaver
Slapback delay
Reverb
Wah
Cocked wah

 

[laxu]

Tuner and Delay. Everything else is negotiable.

If I had to make as minimal pedalboard as possible, it'd be something like a Turbo Tuner and Strymon Deco. Deco could probably do enough of a delay to work for me.

 

[northern_fox]

Tuner -> gate -> Wah -> EQ +/ OD -> tonex/nam -> EQ -> delay

If real amp then just
Tuner -> gate -> Wah -> EQ +/ OD -> AMP -> send -> EQ -> delay -> return

 

[HotRats]

The Really Essentials List

Volume boost for solos aka a boost/eq in the amp loop: a must have if you play solos within most band configurations
Phaser: I love a phaser in front of an amp.

The Not Essential but Nice To Have List

Reverb or Delay: I'd choose one the other depending on the project
Rotary or Tremolo: a second modulation is a really, really nice addition
OD/Boost: I always have one but truth is you can play without an OD most of the times

The I can live with out them List

Wah: I love them but I'm not Kirk Hammet therefore I use it rarely
Volume pedal: nice to have. I mostly use it as a manual noise gate.
EQ: it here at the bottom even if I always use them.
Noise Gate: I need one only if I'm forced to play with gains higher than usual.

 

[Piing]

My essential pedals:

Edit:
I forgot to say that the binder is controlling the Axe-FX III, where the actual pedals are

 

[James Freeman]

Very interesting.
You think you know a guitarist, apparently not until you see his essential pedalboard.

 

[Stone]

I dont have any real physical pedals
but ill use what ever is song appropriate
FM9 fulfills this in spades

 

[BahamaDada]

For me the only effect, that goes on ANY board is the Tubescreamer. A board without a Tubescreamer is pathetic. () Doesn't matter which. Never owned a TS808 or TS9, but still have a TS7, that does the job just fine. Also had and sold a Bad Monkey before the Bad Monkey craze for like... 20$ or something. As I use amp distortion 100% of the time I don't need anything else. Nice thing on the TS7 is, that it has a "HOT" mode, that acts more like a Distortion. So if you have to play through an amp without OD channel: Voilá.

Aside of that: A Wah. Just a classic Dunlop CBG95. Have an old Morley lying around and had a Ibanez Weeping Demon once and... the CGB95 is just classic. Though if I could I would gladly swap it with a Slash Wah bc of the Fuzz circuit in there.

With these 2 and a nice amp I can go through a whole gig. Actually I did that some years ago whe I was too lazy to have a pedal board. Everything else is not essential to me.

 

[Cirrus]

Specific pedals?

If I had to gig with one pedal, it'd be my rat clone. I'd adjust the gain with my foot.

If I had to gig with two, I'd add my SDD-3000 because it's cool.

If I was allowed a third, I'd bring a tuner along.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Octave/Dirt/Trumpet/Dual Detune/Delay. Reverb for the jesus riffs.

 

[dronerstone]

Octave/Dirt/Trumpet/Dual Detune/Delay. Reverb for the jesus riffs.

What's the trumpet pedal, a fuzz maybe?

 

[JiveTurkey]

What's the trumpet pedal, a fuzz maybe?

GR55 (Trombetta will work in a ($500 for one thing or wtever outlandish price)) pinch.

 

[DrewJD82]

If I’ve got a delay I’m good to go!

 

[sleewell]

boost
comp
2 octave up on momentary
delay
reverb

 

[Achilles]

In front: Tuner > Bluesdriver > Klone > CE2W
Loop: EQ > DD3 > DM2W

 

[Whizzinby]

Comp > OD > Chorus > Reverb > Delay

 

[James Freeman]

Compressor is essential?
Unless I play Gilmour or country (I don't) I can't imagine a use for compressor.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Compressor is essential?
Unless I play Gilmour or country (I don't) I can't imagine a use for compressor.

I like that you question the essentialness of a compressor but not of a trumpet pedal