Tagged: pedals

Fuzz on an acoustic-electric can sound glorious or fall apart completely. Doug explains why the pickup type decides everything, and what to try first.

Most overdrive pedals were designed for guitar. Here's what happens when you plug a bass into them — and how to get dirt that still locks in the pocket.

Running fuzz into a high-gain amp sounds like a terrible idea — until it isn't. Daz breaks down why the combination works, when it collapses, and how to dial it in.

True bypass is one of the most-argued terms in pedal-land. Here's what it actually means, why it matters (and when it really doesn't).

Fuzz pedals aren't just for rhythm mayhem. Jez explains how to shape a fuzz lead tone that sings without turning to mush.

Fuzz pedals respond to your guitar's controls in ways overdrive and distortion don't. Here's what's actually happening in the circuit, and how to use it.

Tube amp breakup and pedal distortion both add grit, but they work differently. Here's what that means for your tone and how you use them together.

Feedback and decay are the most misunderstood controls on any delay pedal. Marc breaks down what they actually do — and how to use them musically.

Fingerpicking and overdrive pedals have a complicated relationship. Here's what's actually happening when your tone cleans up — or collapses — under your fingers.

Your overdrive pedal isn't broken — your amp might just not be the right partner for it. Rob explains why amp type changes everything.

Regular looper use rewires how you hear your own playing — and quietly exposes every weakness in your effects chain. Here's what it taught me.

Your guitar's volume knob isn't just an on/off switch. Marc explains how it reshapes overdrive response, cleans up dirt, and gives you a dynamic range most players leave on the table.

Humbuckers and single-coils don't just sound different through a fuzz — they change how the circuit behaves entirely. Here's what's actually happening.

Fuzz knobs don't work like distortion or overdrive controls. Here's what Fuzz, Volume and Tone actually do — and how to dial in sounds you'll actually use.

Fizzy, thin, buzzy distortion is one of the most common beginner frustrations. Here's why it happens and exactly what to fix first.

Running a fuzz pedal through an acoustic-electric is tricky. Doug explains what actually works, why most fuzz circuits fight piezo pickups, and how to get useful sounds.

Gain, tone, level — three knobs, endless confusion. Rob breaks down exactly what each control does and how to set them as a beginner.

Sheildon breaks down the three main fuzz circuit types — germanium, silicon and op-amp — so you can choose the right dirt for your tone.

Hard clipping, soft clipping, asymmetric clipping — what's actually happening inside your dirt pedal, and why it changes how your tone feels.

Stacking two overdrive pedals unlocks tones neither can reach alone. Doug explains the signal chain logic, gain staging, and why order matters.

Overdrive on acoustic sounds wrong — until it doesn't. Doug walks through how to run dirt into an acoustic-electric without losing what makes the instrument alive.

Single-coil pickups and fuzz pedals have a complicated relationship. Doug explains what's really going on — and how to get the best from the pairing.

The way you pick doesn't just shape your dry tone — it fundamentally changes how every pedal on your board behaves. Here's what to listen for.

Fuzz on bass sounds huge — until it eats your fundamental. Here's how to pick the right fuzz, set it up, and keep the groove sitting where it should.

Confused about using an overdrive as a boost rather than a distortion? Rob explains the technique in plain English — no jargon, just results.

Spring, room, hall, plate, shimmer — what the reverb modes on your pedal actually do, and when to reach for each.

The oldest dirt sound in rock, demystified — what fuzz actually does, and how the two great fuzz families differ.

Warm and dark or clean and precise? The real differences between analog and digital delay, and how to pick the right one for your sound.

Three flavours of “dirt”, three different jobs. A plain-English guide to the pedals that make your guitar growl — and when to reach for each.

Signal chain order, power, patch cables and the mistakes everyone makes first time. A friendly walkthrough to building a board that actually works.