Guitar pedals, also known as effects pedals, are digital or analog electronic devices which are designed to alter or modify the pitch, tone and sound of the instrument with common effects such as overdrive/distortion. There are various types of guitar pedals on the market such as compressors, volume pedals, boost, graphic equalizers, wah-wah pedals, talk box, phasers, flangers, vibe, rotary, octaver, chorus, delay, looping, vibrato, fuzz, echo, preamp, tuner, tremolo, reverb, and pitch shifters. The pedals use computer chips or solid state electronics with older models using vacuum tubes.

The pedals are controlled by foot switches and can also be built directly into some types of amplifiers. They’re quite common in rock music but are also used by musicians of other genres as models are also designed to work with guitars, the bass, and electronic keyboards. You’ll also find effects can be used with vocals, drums and acoustic instruments.

The sheer number of pedals available means guitarists can experiment to no end with their sound and tone. The specific pedals you’re looking for will depend on the tone and sound you’re seeking. Each single pedal provides its own unique tone and you can mix and match them to realize the sounds you’re after. However, you can also try a multi-effect pedal which offers several effects all in one unit.