Most practical effect(s)?

[rarefish]

Just to summarize as I'm not aware if something similar exists, even after a search, and I imagine this would be a pretty valuable resource for people who are new to effects such as myself:

In your opinion, what is the most practical effect (e.g. compressor, fuzz, etc) in your arsenal? Examples of specific pedals are more than welcome, as of course are pictures! And just a heads up, I think it's only fair to ignore tuners for this considering the use of them is pretty self evident. So from a purely pragmatic standpoint, what is your favourite effect?

(Apologies if such a thread already exists, I blame tiredness and vast quantities of cheap beer upon return from Prague)

[pinkzepphish]

overdrive, wah, flange, and delay is more than i will ever need.

[cybersnyder]

The most useful pedal is probably a tuner. After that, it's wide open and varying from player to player. But I think you're just looking for an opinion, so I'll list my favorite(s) in order:

MusicElectronix Submarine
Boss OC-2
MXR Phase 90

Near the pack for favorites would be a Punch Factory

[nad]

Subdecay Noise Box = a pedal for any and all times

Although many others may say that a simple yet effective compressor, chorus, or overdrive are more for the standard fare, and they might be correct. Might.

[Ryan Mohr]

The most important for me are tuner, compression, chorus, and overdrive.

[Ryan Mohr]

But according to the bassplayer article, the most commonly used are overdrive, envelope filter, and octave.

[kevteop]

IMHO pedals are about finding different sounds you can use, rather than identifying categories of pedals that might be generically useful. And in terms of getting creative, buying the pedals that the majority have deemed worthwhile would be 100% the wrong way to go about buying pedals.

[GianGian]

I think that a compressor is useful in any music style.

[Gashaponcito]

A tube overdrive its probably the best way to add presence in almost any type of rock band.

[SpankyPants]

I wouldn't know; most of my underwear don't have the front flap thing. It's like a button fly. Makes you feel cool until you pee on yourself.

[JJBass30]

Compressor, Chorus, Delay, Fuzz/Overdrive in that order

[KsToaDangr]

Originally Posted by SpankyPants

I wouldn't know; most of my underwear don't have the front flap thing. It's like a button fly. Makes you feel cool until you pee on yourself.

gloriously off topic spanky

anyway, essentials for me are overdrive, distortion, flanger, chorus, EQ, clean boost, fuzz, delay, phaser...pretty much my whole board. Everything has it's place somewhere in my music, depending on what style I'm playing.

[Thunderscreech]

I like Fuzz, Wah, and Delay.

[jbybj]

I have many effects, and I've discovered that even if you only have two, the ORDER you put them in changes everything. I don't own any Behringer effects, but a friend of mine has had lots of fun with them. He tells me they make lots of knockoffs that are very inexpensive. So if you are unfamiliar, and want to get your feet wet, maybe try a few cheap pedals to see what tickles your fancy. Then, when you decide that say, a flanger is for you, you can do some target research into flangers. BTW, the last pedal I bought was a Line 6 Tonecore Liquaflanger. Very cool, many sounds, and no presets, just knobs, so you always find something new! The one exception to my suggestion above would be compression. A cheap compressor will not make you want to get one, but that, very likely, should be your first pedal. I have not tried many compressors, because when I heard the EBS multicomp, I stopped looking. It is spectacular.

Effects are fun, enjoy.

[Joe Gress]

Probably my sansamp.

[SpankyPants]

Originally Posted by jbybj

I have many effects, and I've discovered that even if you only have two, the ORDER you put them in changes everything.

+1

A lot of people can't seem to grasp this sentiment.

[tomvelsor]

all moogerfoogers are always appropriate..

seriously though, a good overdrive is pretty universal. same with fuzz, a lot of the time. if your real wild, flange/phase can be worked into your aresenal pretty easily.

[ibnzneksrul]

Compressor, Sansamp, OD/Dist, Chorus

[Valerus]

overdrive, chorus

[blizzard]

For me and the bands I play in, I would have to say a Fuzz.