How Does
Making Guitar Effects Pedals
Basics
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Guitars sound the way they do on much-loved famous songs because of the effects used on them. These could be the particular type of amps used, such as the classic Marshall, or the sounds could be being produced by passing the guitar signal through effects pedals such as a fuzz box, flanger, compressor or wah-wah pedal. Each of these has circuits that affect the sound, but not each is made identical to other brands. For example, the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff overdrive unit became legendary for its thick, distorted sound.
Function
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A graphic equalizer is one of the more complex guitar effects boxes, but it gives the guitar player the ability to subtly affect the tone of the music. It essentially is a series of slider controls, each regulating a different band of sound, from bass to treble. Each slider is built to slide within a certain range to affect the high, middle or low range of audible sound.
A wah-wah pedal is a simpler form of the graphic equalizer because it allows the guitar player to shift between bass and treble with his or her foot. The pedal moves a bit like a gas pedal on a car. Jimi Hendrix was one musician who helped make it famous. George Harrison even wrote a song ostensibly about it called "Wah-Wah" that was released on his "All Things Must Pass" and "The Concert for Bangla Desh" albums. A fuzz pedal is basically a type of pre-amp that boosts the guitar's signal past distortion level to allow the player to get the right sound without cranking the amp all the way up to Spinal Tap's famed "11."
DIY
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While many effects pedals have been made by now-famous manufacturers such as Electro-Harmonix, DOD, Boss and Danelectro, there are kits from companies such as Build Your Own Clone that can be assembled by the guitar user and custom designed. These kits include all the standards such as overdrive (fuzz), flanger, chorus, delay, compressor and others. They take a little skill to assemble, but they come with instructions and help online.
eHow Article: Making Guitar Effects Pedals
