First pedal to buy?

[Darg1911]

Re: First pedal to buy?

I had a TU2 forever. It finally died shortly after the TU3's replaced it. The reviews for the 3's were mixed and the prices on remaining 2's were jacked up. I didn't want to buy used so I relented, and bought a 3. It was a P.O.S. out of the box. I obviously got a bad one but returned it and got a TC Polytune instead. I needed TC to send me a firmware update right off the bat. There was a funky noise in bypass (which kind of raises some questions about the bypass circuitry itself). At any rate, I don't think it's perfect. Polyphonic mode doesn't always match Chromatic or "Strobe" mode. But the Polyphonic mode is cool and good for a quick tuning check. I like it but I'm betting it doesn't last as long as my old Boss did.

All that said, if I had to buy a Boss TU3, it would probably be the Waza just for the option of being able to shut off the buffer. But it's an expensive upcharge if the buffer isn't going to be used. I had no real complaints about the buffer in the TU2 but I'd rather have the option of if, where and which buffer.

 

[Mincer]

Re: First pedal to buy?

Eventually, you will have all 3. Go for a clip on tuner to save money. Lots of great drive pedals on the cheap, but I am sort of biased towards the Seymour Duncan offerings.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: First pedal to buy?

I would go for a tuner first.

I've got a Planet Waves Tru-Strobe pedal tuner. I wouldn't recommend it. It's accurate alright, but it's also super finicky. I'd just go for the plain old Boss tuner.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: First pedal to buy?

I would go for a tuner first.

I've got a Planet Waves Tru-Strobe pedal tuner. I wouldn't recommend it. It's accurate alright, but it's also super finicky. I'd just go for the plain old Boss tuner.

Got one too when they were on blow out for 35 bucks. They had a reputation for the screen dying. I don't use it on the board, but it should be good for intonating ... if I ever get around to trying it.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: First pedal to buy?

Delay is the biggest game changer I think, like a delay will actually change how you play your instrument and give you a lot more tonal ground to cover so I always think it should be a priority. A cheap clip on tuner will do you just as well for starting out, you can get the Polytune clip or a Snark tuner for dirt cheap. To my students who ask about effects I suggest the order (of buying) as something like this:

Delay, Looper (a simply ditto or something is GREAT for practice and songwriting), a versitile drive pedal, then a tuner, then start experimenting (modulation, fuzz etc depending on the music you like). Most digital practice amps now have decent drive channels without pedals so it's not a priority like it was with the garbage practice amps from the 90s that I grew up with.

Come to think of it, TC has a lot of great options for beginners to effects; the Flashback is an amazing delay and will keep you long after you 'upgrade', the Ditto is a great and simple looper for practice and jamming with yourself, the Dark Matter distortion is a versatile and smooth sounding distortion (making it great for a lot of genres without any of the negative tonal artifacts more specialised drive pedals have), the Polytune Mini is cheap small and accurate. It'd be a great beginner board with no real downsides or issues.

Another drive to look into would be the MXR Double-Double, it basically has a tubescreamer and an OCD (two of the most famous and significant overdrive pedals ever) in one box, and it's fairly inexpensive. It'd be a really solid long-term solution to all your drive issues.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: First pedal to buy?

Actually a huge one I forgot about, the Zoom MS-70CDR

Not every effect in it is perfect, but it has some genuinely amazing sounding Delays, Choruses and Reverbs which you can stack (eg you can have a preset with delay and reverb AND chorus in one, up to 6 effects in one preset, limited only by the memory of the pedal). It also has a built in tuner. Every few months I see Zoom release patches for it as well with new effects, they just released one a few weeks ago with a bunch of new tremolo and EQ shaping effects.

 

[LLL]

Re: First pedal to buy?

I don't consider a tuner to be part of the signal chain.

The first pedal you need to buy is an EQ.

Frequencies are everything in sound. And in many cases, you can use it to push your amp's gain
like an OD/Dist, but have more control.

 

[Aceman]

Re: First pedal to buy?

If I am reading correctly, you have 5 guitars and a Microcube amp.


You need a new amp! (Not that I don't love Roland Cubes....)

Based on the amp, a Delay with a lot of control will make the most difference. way more control than the delay in the amp.

You have multiple flavors of dirt and a tuner there. Get the Delay.

But seriously...think about a bigger/better amp!

 

[frostopsy]

Re: First pedal to buy?

Get a Boss TU-2 or TU-3. It's probably the one pedal you will have forever.

 

[Jacew]

Re: First pedal to buy?

It really isn't worth the extra money. Boss pedals have a good buffer that can easily sound better than true bypass; particularly if you're running a longer signal chain. Personally I prefer Korg Pitchblacks to either Boss Tuner; I paid $35 for one and $40 for the other.

I don't know... I've had DD-5 and RC-3. Both had a buffer that flattened out dynamics too much for my comfort.

 

[Jacew]

Re: First pedal to buy?

I don't consider a tuner to be part of the signal chain.

The first pedal you need to buy is an EQ.

Frequencies are everything in sound. And in many cases, you can use it to push your amp's gain
like an OD/Dist, but have more control.

I consider that if you need an EQ, you have badly balanced gear.

I suggest you to get cheap tuner: pocket model, clip on etc.. whatever suits to you, and focus first on pedals you absolutely need (cheap tuner will almost always be just as good for the job than expensive one): Better to buy one good pedal, than handful of cheap ones, you'll want to get rid of later on anyway.