Aviator Worship

Pedal Essentials

Oct 12, 2011 Aviator Worship
Posted by Weston

Worship leaders are often asked “what pedals should I get?” and if you are like me, and prefer to use a custom pedal board over a multi-effects board, this is a difficult question. Many guitarists are fine with using their amps distortion, I am not. I prefer to be able to control my tone and make my guitar sound like whatever I wanted to.

If you are solely a rhythm guitarist, you can get away with the clip on tuner and trusty “crunch-metal-overdrive-distortion-death-monkey” distortion channel on your amp, whatever floats your boat. However, if you are a lead guitarist, or want more sound to choose from, you will want more.

First in line, is the guitar. Many people go out and by a pedal because “It sounded awesome when I heard (enter guitarist’s name here) play with it” but they get the pedal, rip open the box, plug it in, and are disappointed. That’s because the signal going into the pedal is just as important as the signal coming out. If you have a  First Act guitar, then your sound will be incredible (immeasurable amounts of sarcasm, in case you didn’t catch it), but if you have a nice Gibson or Fender, the sound and tone will sound a lot better.

Next in ye ole pedal chain is the tuner. You want the tuner up front so it gets the cleanest, most untainted signal possible. I personally have guitar>ABY channel splitter>Korg Pitchblack Tuner. This allows me to have my tuner on while I play.

After your tuner, you may want a wah pedal. Again, you want a pure signal in this pedal. Not much to say about this, except, I would suggest using a Weeping Demon by Ibanez, that or take off the rubber stoppers on the underside of the pedals so you don’t have to stomp a hole in the floor trying to turn it on.

Next in line, is an EQ. This just helps shape your tone, very simple. It can also be used as a boost pedal, if needed.

After the EQ comes overdrive. Overdrive is not a necessity, it is used as a very light distortion for picking parts, slower songs, and for build ups. On overdrive pedals, don’t skimp. You can have a fantastic sound but once you kick on the  OD, it will suck your tone into a black hole.

(fancy word that is a synonym for “after”) the overdrive pedal, comes good ole faithful, distortion. This is hugely personal preference. It also depends on what style you are playing. Once again, be careful, these pedals can make or break your tone.

Following a distortion pedal, how does a flanger sound? I don’t use this much, mainly because it is hard to reach on my board, but it adds A LOT of depth to rhythm. Also, if you ever do any D Crow (David Crowder Band) tunes, you will need this for the shrilly guitar effect (like in You Are My Joy).

Next, is a volume pedal. This is very important for stopping excess noisesand silencing your guitar. It is also used for volume swells with delay tacked on. I like this after distortion, if you put it before, it is like turning the gain nob up on your distortion pedal, whereas, if you put it after, it is a consistent amount of distortion all the way through, only the volume changes.

Second to last, Is delay. Mmmmm, delay. You will definitely want some way to use tap tempo with your delay, unless you don’t like Hillsong (kidding… sorta). You want this after the volume, one, because it will continue to trail off after you turn down, and two, it’s necessary for good volume swells.

Psych! This is second to last: reverb. I actually use a delay as my reverb. This really just adds a nice presence to your sound, making it sound like you can play more epically.

Finally, your amp. If you use a small 12″ amp, the tone will obviously differ from a nice Mesa Boogie or Orange cab. The amp has just as much say in the matter of tone as your guitar, make them friends, they play nicely together (puntastic… this is why they won’t let me have a microphone on stage).

If you are like me and prefer to start with a few pedals, start with a tuner and distortion. Those two are necessities. Then build up by getting a delay, then volume, then reverb, then EQ, then whatever you want.

Your connections between the pedals are pretty crucial as well. I use Planet Waves 6″ patch cables. They have a life time guarantee and are flexible. If you can afford a nice set of George L’s, they are ideal. They are solder-less cables. You basically get the 1/4″ head and cable. You cut it to size, put the wire in the head, and you have connection. This eliminates a lot of extra cordage.

None of this will make you or anyone else worship better. It simply adds to your sound and allows for a smoother (often times more awesome) set. Getting pedals will not hide suck, you still have to practice and be excellent in everything you do for God. This is why I am here, and I can’t lose sight of that. Yes, these pedals are FUN, but so is stopping to play my guitar to just lift my hands and praise God. No amount of equipment can change how people worship, but seeing a true worshiper’s heart can.

Your bro in Christ

-Weston Heflin

Worship Leader, Aviator Students Derby