okay im new to the world of guitars.
just got my pacifica and lovin it except for its humbuckers (which im gona change)
wana get a new amp but the dilemma here is, which amp is the best value for money, perhaps 20-30watt something around 700-1000bux.
and is there any difference if i use the amp's built-in distortion, and using a seperate distortion pedal?

and for newbies, which pedals are the most essential ones? so far i've heard that u need metal core , digital delay , wah pedal , and another one of my choice, be it flanger , or chorus.

so yeah all those i've listed down were single pedals.. like those BOSS ones. would it be better if i buy a multieffect pedal such as zoom's g2.1 which has lots of effects in it? i understand that individual pedals have more analog sound / better sound .. but im lookin for a long term use of the pedals. so which route is recommendable?

1. individual pedals. (yes, and please suggest which individual pedals i should have in my arsenal)

2. get a low end multieffect for the moment.

3. save up for a high end multieffect pedal. (question here, how does high end multifx pedal compare to those individual ones?)

depends entirely on what you're playing...and what your band (if you do join one eventually) plays.
If you have a more diverse sound, go for a multiFX. You seriously dont wanna have to worry about changing the knobs on each darned pedal during a show or in between songs.

Just IMO, go for a lower-mid range one, probably zoom g2.1u. Don't go for high end gear like a Boss GT-8 unless you're sure you really REALLY need it, or you know you'll be a serious, hardcore gigger in the future. IMO buying high end gear just to sit at home and play at home is a horrible waste of money. You're better off donating it to people who need that kinda money.

Single pedals definitely give the highest quality sound, but multiFX are getting closer and closer to sounding like the real deal. Too expensive to maintain unless you're a full-fledged professional with endorsements or your band is making good money of tours and record sales.
But if you insist, the most essential is a good distortion pedal, again depending on what sound you're looking for.

Just my 2 cents worth.

This post has been edited by liew90kw: Dec 3 2007, 11:22 PM

for me, i'll pick multi-fx over individual pedals, as i can program each channel to sound different from one another, and i get to play around with tons of different effects, without breaking my bank...

for budget one, you can try zoom g2.1u, line 6 floor pod, korg, boss me-50...higher ends one are like pod x2, pod xtlive, gt-8, zoom g9, tonelab se...

but it all depends on your needs...if you're very particular about tone, i guess individual pedal is the way to go.

amps do affect your tone also, playing through a small practice amp will always sound different when playing through a full stack or full tube amp...

in my opinion , you should always go for

used individual pedals ...if you are always on budget , saving up

because the value is always there ...you can always resell it to upgrade to better gear ...

Metal zone will always jalan at RM200 , DD3 will always jalan at RM300 ..etc..know the rules...

low end multi effects ..is DAMN HARD to resell ..and it sucks ..

high end multi effects is a good option ..but not when you are broke ..more like..when you have the money..
because overtime ..high end multieffects will lose its value ..as there are newer improved versions coming up..

its expensive to upgrade...after 1 year your multi effects becomes old..

This post has been edited by gapnap: Dec 3 2007, 11:31 PM

yeah that was one thing i was considering.. cos individual pedals have good resale value...........

But if you're a beginner, it's a wiser investment as you can experiment with better tones and stuff like that.
Or since you're buying a new amp (might I suggest the Vox Valvetronix XL 30w for RM650 now???), it also comes with a few in-built effects.

But as for me, I still depend on a good multi-fx to make switching easier.

I say in the long run investing in individual pedals are the way to go, but if you want something cheap to experiment with, I'll recommend this:



Korg AX3G mulieffects

It has probably every sound you wanted in a small unit, and it doesn't sound bad at all. Good news is that you can get so much more for the price of an individual pedal. And with the CK sale going on you can get it for just slightly over RM200, and AX5g(with expression pedal) for RM280.

Here is a simple clip I recorded with the AX3G. Just some simple power chords

If you are just starting out, perhaps it would be better for you to play out on your amplifier first and seek out your sound preferences before buying any specific pedals. A starting point could be a good distortion or overdrive pedal to give help you colour your distortion. Other effects like chorus/delay/flanger can come later because those are not so frequently used. I wouldn't recommend a multifx pedal if you are just starting out, especially if you are not sure of the kind of sound that you are looking for yet. Get your chops up and then tailor your sound

+1 on that one, high-end gear that you don't frequently use is kind of wasting money, esp when it comes to the multifx pedals, you must be using it often enough or at least most of the features to be able to make full use of it. Beear in mind that mutifx pedals can go obsolete because the product lines are frequently refreshed.

I believe for a home user, you would not need more than a few pedals ie. distortion, overdrive and perhaps a delay at most.

+1 on that too, 2nd-hand value for stompboxes are always better and it's easier to sell.

The Vox modelling amp could be a good suggestion also, with multiple build in amp models, you might not even need to buy any distortion pedals at all. Added with it's digital effects, I think it's a great amplifier to start out with.
For home use, I think it's great.