Pedals & Accessories · 17 articles
Pedals & Accessories
Effects pedals, pedalboard power, strings, straps, cables — the gear that shapes your tone and keeps you playing. We help you build a rig that makes sense together, whether you're running three stomboxes or a full Strymon setup.
Pedalboard Power Done Right: Isolated Supplies, Board Sizing, and Signal Chain Order for Strymon-Level Rigs
A plain-language guide to choosing the right power supply, sizing your pedalboard, and ordering your effects chain — so your rig sounds as good as the gear in
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Multi-Effects Floor Processors for Advancing Players: Boss ME-90, Valeton GP-200, Donner Arena 2000, and Flamma FX100
Four mid-range multi-effects floor processors go head to head — here's how to pick the right one for your rig, budget, and playing style without guesswork.
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Wah, Chorus, and Phase: The Tone-Shaping Pedals That Define Your Sound (And How to Use Them)
Wah, chorus, and phaser pedals are the building blocks of expressive guitar tone — here's how each one works, what to buy at every budget, and how to use them
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Boss Stompbox Essentials: DS-1, BD-2, RV-6, and TU-3 — The Building Blocks of a Real Pedalboard
Four Boss pedals that belong on almost every guitar player's board — whether you're gigging three nights a week or just building your first serious signal
Read the guide → Arthritis, Aging Hands, and Guitar: How Real Players Over 50 Are Choosing Their Gear
Joint pain and sore backs don't have to end your guitar playing. Here's how players over 50 are rethinking their gear choices — from body shapes to strings to
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Multi-Effects Pedals Decoded: Which Floor Processor Fits Your Signal Chain and Budget
Multi-effects pedals pack dozens of sounds into one box — but not every unit fits every player. Here's how to find the right one for your setup and budget.
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Analog Delay, Overdrive, and Reverb: The Three Pedals That Complete Any Beginner Board
If you're building your first pedalboard, these three effect types — overdrive, delay, and reverb — give you the most tonal range per dollar. Here's exactly
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The Guitar Setup Nobody Tells Beginners About: Action, Truss Rods, and Why Your New Guitar Might Not Be Ready to Play
Your new guitar might not play its best straight out of the box — and that's normal. Here's what action, truss rods, and saddle height actually mean, and what
Read the guide → Pickup Height, Tuner Pedals, and the Five-Minute Tweaks That Make Budget Guitars Actually Play
A new guitar under $300 almost always ships with a mediocre setup — here's how a few simple adjustments can transform how it feels, sounds, and stays in tune.
Read the guide → Multi-Effects Under $200: Zoom G1X FOUR, Boss GT-1, and Mooer GE100 for Real Players
Three budget multi-effects pedals go head-to-head so you can figure out which one fits your rig, your room, and your budget — no guesswork required.
Read the guide → Cheap Guitar, Real Pedalboard: How Budget Multi-Effects Units Transform Entry-Level Tone
A Squier or Ibanez GRX doesn't have to sound like a toy. Discover how three affordable multi-effects processors — Zoom G1X FOUR, Boss GT-1, and FLAMMA FX100 —
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The Pedalboard Power Problem: Why Cheap Built-In Supplies Kill Your Tone (And What to Buy Instead)
That hum or high-pitched whine coming through your amp might not be your guitar — it's likely your pedalboard's power supply. Here's how to diagnose the
Read the guide → Floor Processor or Stompbox Stack? How to Choose Before You Buy Anything Else
Should you build a pedalboard full of individual effects pedals, or grab one all-in-one floor processor? This guide breaks down the real tradeoffs so you can
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Your First Looper Pedal and Why the Boss RC-1 Is the Only One Beginners Should Consider
If you've ever wanted to play with yourself (musically speaking), a looper pedal is the answer — and the Boss RC-1 is the one most players end up wishing
Read the guide → Budget Pedalboards with Built-In Power: Are They Actually Any Good?
All-in-one pedalboards with built-in power supplies promise a clean, ready-to-gig setup out of the box — but are they worth trusting at the gig? Here's what
Read the guide → First Overdrive and Distortion Pedal: Boss DS-1, SD-1, MT-2, and BD-2 Decoded for New Players
Four legendary Boss pedals, one honest comparison. Here's how to pick the right drive pedal for your playing style, amp, and budget — without the gear snobbery.
Read the guide → Noisy Pedalboard? Why Your Power Supply Is Probably the Problem
That annoying hum or whine coming through your amp isn't always the pedals — it's usually the power supply feeding them. Here's how to diagnose the problem and
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