How to Connect Guitar Effects Pedals

Sample pedal board layout.

Effects pedals give guitarists much more flexibility in creating different sounds. They can add much-needed drama and color to a player's sound. Connecting the pedals correctly is a vital part of this process. This article explains how to connect several effects pedals to your guitar and amplifier in a "chain."

Things You'll Need

• Guitar
• Effects pedals (including tuner)
• Several short 1/4-inch pedal-connecting cables
• power adapter or batteries for the pedals
• Pedal board with on-board power (optional)

Instructions

How to Connect Guitar Effects Pedals

1. 

   Power up: Every pedal requires power, and if you're running several pedals, the easiest option is to use a pedal board that has an on-board power supply for multiple pedals. A good alternative is to buy an adapter that plugs into one pedal and can power the rest. The other alternative is to use batteries, but beware: That can be expensive, troublesome and wasteful, as some pedals can wear down batteries very quickly.

2. Start with the tuner: Every pedal chain should start with a chromatic tuner (tuners work best with a strong, dry signal.) A popular and useful tuner is the BOSS TU-2; it is easy to use, reasonably accurate, and can be purchased for less than $100. It has an output for a special power supply that can provide electricity for the rest of the pedals in your chain.

3. Add pedals to your chain: Begin your pedal chain with effects that are not time-based (such as overdrive pedals, equalizers or harmonizers). Using one of the short 1/4-inch cables, connect the output of the tuner to the input of the pedal. Repeat as necessary for each pedal. Once you've reached the last pedal, connect the output jack to the input jack of your amplifier with a longer cable (ideally between 15 and 20 feet).

4. Test your pedals: Now that you have everything connected, it's time to see how your pedals sound together. Test all the combinations of the sounds you want to use (overdrive, overdrive with wah, overdrive with delay, clean with wah, overdrive with phaser, etc.) to make sure the settings are appropriate to the sounds you wish to create. It is also important, especially in a live situation, to make sure they're all working; one dead pedal can kill the entire chain.

5. Disconnect cables from pedals when they are not in use, particularly if you use batteries, as many pedals use power whenever a cable is connected, even if you aren't using them.

Tips & Warnings

• If your amp has no effects loop, just follow this pattern: Guitar to tuner, tuner to first pedal, first pedal to second pedal, etc., then last pedal to amp. Be ready to tweak the settings on the pedals to get the sound you want. When choosing cables, look for a lifetime warranty. Cables break easily (especially if you're moving them a lot or not wrapping them properly) and can be very expensive to replace. Also, shoot for quality: Cheap cables will rob you of your sound. There's no sense in playing a $10,000 rig and ruining it with $10 cables. Hobbyists may want to use effects modelers rather than buying a lot of individual pedals. The Line 6 company makes several "Stompbox" effects modelers that have multiple and programmable effects built into each one.

• Make sure your amplifier is turned off (or is on standby) when you are connecting and disconnecting pedals or anything else to it. Also, make sure the pedals are off. Initiating or killing a signal while the amplifier is on and active can damage the speakers or create feedback. Pedals can be a lot of fun, but they can also be very distracting both to the listener and the player. Many novice guitarists use them to cover up dull parts or poor technique; it is best to practice with a dry signal, develop your style, then work the pedal effects into your sound. Also, having too many pedals can weaken a guitar's sound; even if they're all turned off, as the signal from the guitar grows weaker the more cable it has to go through. You may have to compensate by turning up the volume on the amplifier. One final warning, if your amplifier has built-in effects, you may have difficulty using external effects pedals. In general it is best to deactivate your built-in effects first, turn on your external effects, and then, if you wish, layer the built-in effects back into your signal.

References

• Primer on effects pedals and effects units
• Another take on pedal chains
• Gibson Guitars' page on pedals