Pedals Galore

There’s one go-to person when trying to understand what to buy from a pedal and amp perspective, hopefully, you’re already following his YouTube channel, if not, the link is included. Brett Kingman is a close mate of Phil’s, an incredible guitarist featured on too many records to mention. You’ll catch him live with James Reyne. Here are Brett’s suggestions.

Buy a pedal to suit the style of music you’re interested in, here’s a quick guide to some classics.

A Tubescreamer, despite its name, is more of a ‘utility’ pedal – it’s good for sending an amp that’s already breaking up into a smoother distortion. It won’t give you instant gratification or a completely different sound like a fuzz, distortion or flanger will. 

The Boss DS1 can transform a basic, clean amp into a raging monster, so it’s probably a good start. 

A flanger, chorus, phaser or other modulation effect is fun but niche and should be used sparingly. 

The Big Muff is great again if you have a clean amp and want to play soaring Gilmour-style solos or stoner rock. 

My vote? If you have a basic clean amp, try the DS1 for fun. They’re not expensive either. My second choice would be a basic delay pedal as you can use them for reverb, ambience, room and slapback tones if you know what you’re doing.