Gear Knowledge
Understand how gear shapes tone and find your ideal setup.
Amps
Classic brands like Fender, Marshall, Vox, Mesa
Guitars
Legendary models like Strat, Les Paul, and Tele
Effects
Drive, delay, reverb, modulation, and more
Tone Guide
Clean
Bright, clear tone for jazz, country, and pop.
Suggested: Fender Twin + Stratocaster
Crunch
Warm light distortion for blues and classic rock.
Suggested: Marshall Plexi + Les Paul
High Gain
Heavy distortion for metal and hard rock.
Suggested: Mesa Boogie + humbuckers
Ambient
Spacious, atmospheric tones for post-rock and ambient music.
Suggested: Vox AC30 + delay + reverb
Complete Signal Chain
Hover each stage to see details and tips
This is the most common pedal order, but rules are made to be brokenβtry swapping positions to discover surprises.
Signal Chain Tips
Why does order matter?
Pedal order determines how effects interact. For example, wah before distortion is sharper, after distortion is smoother. Delay and reverb usually go last so they don't smear earlier effects.
FX Loop
Many amps include an FX loop so modulation, delay, and reverb sit between preamp and power amp. That keeps time-based effects clearer when the amp provides the distortion.
Tone Preset Recipes
Common signal chain setups for different styles
Clean Jazz
warm, smoothWarm, round clean tone for jazz and fingerstyle
Examples:Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Fingerstyle solo
Blues Crunch
warm, punchyWarm light overdriveβthe perfect partner for bends and vibrato
Examples:SRV, John Mayer, B.B. King
Classic Rock
powerful, fullMedium-gain, full distortion for riffs and solos
Examples:AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses
High-Gain Metal
ferocious, tightTight, aggressive high gain for metal riffs
Examples:Metallica, Megadeth, Djent
Ambient Post-Rock
ethereal, dreamySpacious, cinematic tone for post-rock and ambient
Examples:U2 (The Edge), Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai
Funk Clean
tight, punchyTight, snappy clean tone for rhythm guitar
Examples:Nile Rodgers, John Frusciante, Prince
Country Twang
bright, cheerfulBright, bouncy clean tone with signature twang
Examples:Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, Albert Lee
80s Shred
flashy, clearHigh gain but clear for shred and neo-classical
Examples:Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani
Banner Ad Slot
Google AdSense
β Buy Me a Coffee
If this site helped your guitar journey
This site is 100% free with no paywalls. If you found value here, a coffee helps me keep creating quality content!
Thank you to every supporter! Your encouragement keeps me going π