[gbeard]

Yes, I need lots-o-help!

My son has an Ephiphone Les Paul and a 1980's vintage Music Man guitar amp. I would like to buy him an effects peddle for his b-day. I have a budget of $100 or less. Is there anything worth buying for that much dough?

Thanks, gb

 

[null]

what type of effects pedal are you looking for?

 

[gbeard]

My answer to your question will tell you a lot--I don't know. He would like to be able to have distortion effects similar to those available on the solid state Marshall amps. The Music Man amp has reverb and phase controls but I think that is all. I know, I know, I'm not much help...

 

[Gord SW Ont]

I'm no expert but something like an Alesis Nanoverb might be the answer. Many multi-effects units are expensive and the cheaper ones only have one or two effects at most. The Nanoverb has about 16 effects and I bought one for my son when he had an Epiphone Les Paul guitar (no kidding

). He's since moved on to Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars, Marshall amps, etc but the Nanoverb gave him years of enjoyment and he even uses it today when he's recording on his multitrack deck.

You can see some reviews at:

http://www.harmony-central.com/Effec...noVerb-01.html

Good luck ... Gord SW Ont.

 

[Jahn]

Ibanez Tube Screamer. Your ears will hate you and your kid will love you. Under $99 is no prob at all - scour ebay for the more vintage reissues!

Here's a nice one - a TS-9 modded to TS-808 specs, plus more oopmh in the bass.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...749482972&rd=1

 

[psychogentoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbeard My answer to your question will tell you a lot--I don't know. He would like to be able to have distortion effects similar to those available on the solid state Marshall amps. The Music Man amp has reverb and phase controls but I think that is all. I know, I know, I'm not much help...

The type of distortion will depend on the style of music... For example the Ibanez TS9 (Tube Screamer) is a great pedal for blues. I like the setup with two TS9s one using the distortion and the other as a gain boost. For heavier type of music like metallica and such where a scooped distortion is desired you can't go wrong with a Boss MT2 (Metal Zone). The MT2 has EQ to scoope out the mids and it has tons of sustain and over-the-top crunch. Another good pedal for rock is the Boss DS1. Its more of a general rock distortion.

Hope this helps.

 

[D-EJ915]

Just a thought, the DS-1 sounds like crap because it has no bass at all. If there's a guitar-center near you I suggest going and trying them out, if you want one, buy one from eBay, usually 40 dollars cheaper there.

 

[psychogentoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-EJ915 Just a thought, the DS-1 sounds like crap because it has no bass at all. If there's a guitar-center near you I suggest going and trying them out, if you want one, buy one from eBay, usually 40 dollars cheaper there.

I agree that DS-1 may sound thin but it really depends on the type of amp that you're using it with. I have a Marshall JCM600 combo and it sounds very good with it. I can almost get that Satriani sound with that setup...only if my fingers would cooperate more.

 

[pne]

does he own any pedals right now? a distortion pedal is nice, but you could get him a digital pedal that does more than just distort.

check out this behringer digital pedal. distortion, wah, chorus, flanger, etc.
http://www.axemusic.com/Pictures/behringer_xvamp.jpg

Digitech makes a similar model
http://www.axemusic.com/Pictures/digitech_rp80.jpg

i'd suggest a wah pedal over a distortion pedal. instead of just cranking up the distortion he can learn how to use wah to enhance his playing and style.

 

[gbeard]

Wow! This is a little like starting out as a newbie in audio. No he does not currently have any pedals, and I guess I have a lot to learn from the info you guys have thrown me.

Armed with the info you've all given, I'll do a bit more sleuthing.

My kid is almost 18, plays several wind instruments with a degree of proficiency and a couple others fairly well. He has only played guitar less than two years, is self taught, and is decent for never having had a lesson. He loves Led Zep (way to go dad, teaching him the good stuff!

) and lots of other classic guitar rock, jazz, fusion, and Ska. Actually, he likes everything! So, in the past 8 years, I've had to learn about Saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, and...well you get the picture, its been expensive to be dad.

Keep the idea's coming, and I'll be checking them out.
Thanks to all, gb

 

[tiberian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-EJ915 Just a thought, the DS-1 sounds like crap because it has no bass at all. If there's a guitar-center near you I suggest going and trying them out, if you want one, buy one from eBay, usually 40 dollars cheaper there.

yea seriously, using my roommate's ds-1 on my bass turned it into a guitar heh.

 

[cpw]

OK
For where it sounds like he is, I've got one word for you:
ZOOM.
Zoom makes very affordable multi-effects that are not professional quality (read:"not for stage performance") but are incredibly fun to play with and even to do some home recording. He'll love it and as he progresses he can upgrade to "higher end" stuff.
Trust me. Check out what you can get for the money. It'll keep him busy for hours with tons of different sounds and effects to try. The sound quality is amazingly good and can easily be used for "garage band" levels just maybe not a "pro" deal.
I've spent thousands on rack-mount pro gear and vintage stompbox pedals and for the money you're looking to spend, this is for sure the best bang for the buck.
Check out the ZOOM 505 II on Musicians Friend for $69 or the Digitech RP50 as another possible option (it's a bit cheaper yet). From there you can look at other offerings from both companies and decide how much you want to spend.
Good Luck,
CPW

 

[Jahn]

I have a zoom palmstudio or whatever you call it, and I rarely use it because i'm an idiot. It's so complicated i just can't get into it - we guitarists aren't necessarily gear heads. sometimes it's just better to stomp on something that makes a cool noise and start wailing.

If your kid likes to dabble and has a future in being a studio musician, get him a multieffect pedal. if he wants to become the next jimmy page - or even the next jimi - grab him a fuzzbox and cut him loose.

 

[erix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbeard Yes, I need lots-o-help! My son has an Ephiphone Les Paul and a 1980's vintage Music Man guitar amp. I would like to buy him an effects peddle for his b-day. I have a budget of $100 or less. Is there anything worth buying for that much dough? Thanks, gb

I like the MXR Distortion+ for basic grunchy sounds. I used to be able to cop a pretty convincing Billy Gibbons with a Distortion+, a Les Paul and a Fender Deluxe.

Buy the cheapest one you can find and then you won't feel bad about modding it when you read this thread!

www.diystompboxes.com is a great site to learn about building the effects, how they work and how to mod them.

Alternatively, you could buy him a soldering iron and a kit for 'Tweak-O', a simple distortion box, from Small Bear Electronics for $36. This is a smoking deal and might entice him to explore DIY electronics.

ok,
erix

 

[psychogentoo]

Another suggestion. A used Korg Pandora PX-3 might be a good multi-effects box for a beginner. You should be able to pick one up on ebay for around $100. I've owned the first generation Pandora and it sounded decent. It also comes with a built in metronome/drum machine.

It also has a line-in so that you can hook up a CDP to it to play along with. Also has a key transposer so for example the guitars on a given recording was tune 1/2 step down you can compensate without the need of retuning your guitar (a bonus if you own a guitar with floyd rose trem

).