Guitar Multi-Effect Pedals

mirv

I'm thinking of getting either the Digitech RP100 or RP200. My budget is €140 or so, and music123.com has them both. Would they be good choices or not?

feylya

The RP200 is very very nice. One of my mates has one and I can get lovely clean and distorted tones out of it, along with all the effects like the Whammy

ferdi

multi pedals blow

feylya

Originally posted by ferdi
multi pedals blow

Unless you're a beginner with a limted budget of €140....

mirv

Well that the thing, I've decent hardware amp and guitar-wise (it rhymes with the word 'gibson'), but the amp is VERY limited in what it can do, so I need something to shape my sound and be able to do things without a 30 second pause to fiddle with amp settings.

feylya

A Nibson?? What sort of sound are you after? What sort of music do you play?

mirv

I'm really just looking for a volume boost and slightly more gain for a lead tone, but at the prices of the pedals here, like €120 for a Boss DS-1, and it being $38 on music123.com I thought I may as well get an multieffects, as I can get reverb, chorus, flange and all that lark I've never got to play around with.

I'm forming a band-ish. Going after a soft-rock tone, with slightly funky undertones. Weez(er)ing Hot Chilli Peppers if you will.

feylya

€120 for a DS-1??? Where were you looking? I picked one up on Thursday for €75 brand new. I say go for the multi-fx and then sell them for €200+ if you don't like them to some unsuspecting person.

mirv

Thats the thing, I can order a DS-1 from america and get it shipped over for less than 60bucks, which is about 50 euros. Hence going for cheap multifx, at about €140.

feylya

No American website will ship a DS-1 outside the country. It's part of their arrangement with Boss.

mirv

Well music123.com don't seem to give a crap, especially as I got my Gibson from it, so maybe I'll have better luck.

feylya

No, I don't think Gibson have the same agreement with retailers as Boss. You could always give it a go. Where wanted €120 for a DS-1?

mirv

Well I've a friend in america who said she'd ship it over if I sent it to her house, so I could if I really wanted to, but Music Maker have them on sale with €120 price tags, and don't let me get started on Waltons.

feylya

€120?? That's a f*cking joke! Most Boss pedals are that expensive but here in Louth, the price is usually €80 and you can get it for €75 by just asking! That's €45 quid cheaper! FFS, you could even get the Boss power supply for that money!

Quatre Mains

- did you try Ebay? I bought a lot of pedals over the years from that and also from the classifieds on Harmony-central.com . If a few of you are thinking of getting pedals you could try speaking to one of the dealers on either and organise a group rate.

- As for the postage costs, if at all possible have the stuff sent to somone you know and they can send it on at the basic rate. Most of these dealers use Priority shipping for international stuff which is way more expensive than ground rate. pedals are such a rip-off over here it'd be worth the effort.

Cheers
Neil

the fnj

Originally posted by brocklanders
- did you try Ebay? I bought a lot of pedals over the years from that and also from the classifieds on Harmony-central.com . If a few of you are thinking of getting pedals you could try speaking to one of the dealers on either and organise a group rate.

ebay is a great source for getting cheap effects and for rare or discontinued effects, it's worth checking out.

Giblet

I'd think about investing in two or three pedals you really like.

I only ever use one pedal, my Crybaby.

Maybe I will invest in a Delay pedal.

Multi Effects never satisfy me tone wise.

Don1

I think multi effects pedals are class. My GT-6 kicks ass imho. It's sooo much easier. One press of a pedal and you could :change the level of distortion, turn on delay, reverb, chorus, compressor, pitch shifter and a wah!!! Having to do this with stand alone effects would result ina Michael Flatley esque dance routine!
And the tones are perfect. Add to this the COSM moddeling and you can't go wrong.
I know it's way over €140 but I just wanted to go against those of you who put down the idea of multi effects.

There's other reasons too but I'm too lazy to type em!

disgruntled

I just made the switch from pedals to a Digitech GNX3, and I'm definitely converted. No more flat batteries and dodgy leads and now I way more effects to play with. I bought mine from Music 123 and it was a lot cheaper than here, but dont forget about duty and vat which will push the price up.

Wavey

Have a look in FS General. There's a couple of Boss pedals there for around €60. If you want a bit of volume for solos etc, then stick with a chorus. Muti-effects pedals are a ****ing nightmare when performing live. Keep it simple.

Don1

I beg to differ. A small effects unit would be a nightmare as they usually only have an up and down function which results in tapping through a few patches to get where you want.
But a decent effects unit will simplify things. No fiddlin around with settings and levels etc. Plus the easier patch navigation due to the banking. You usually don't even have to leave a bank for a song so all you need do is tap one of the pedals to go to the patch. You then usually have the added option of the control and expression pedals in each patch.
In short small multi-effects: bad for live performances yes.
More mid to high end multi-effects: God send live (unless they break down then you're screwed!! Avoided be rich guys by havin two set up the very same way!! Lucky bastids!!)

thos

Multi effects are great for starting off with. You can get an idea of what different effects sound like, if you're gonna use them with the stuff you play etc.

I bought a Zoom 2020 bout 8-9 years ago, and slowly started to use it less and less as I bought better version of the effects in single pedals, eventually I sold it on. It was replaced by the 2 or 3 pedals which I was going to use.

They're great for playing with though, we used to put some vocals through it when really messing, especially when the singer wasnt expecting a mass amount of flanged/delayed/reverbed/chorusd vocals.