How to Accomplish Guitar Effects on a Budget?

Answer 1

It used to be, you had to spend a decent amount of money to get the same sound that you would hear on the radio from your favorite artist or band. That still can ring true but it doesn’t have to be that way.

First, you need to decide what you need your effect or processing rig for. Do you just play and/or record at home? Is this going to be something you intend to use during a live performance?

Guitar effect processors have come a long way in the last decade. Companies like Line 6, Zoom, Behringer, and Korg all make multi effect processors for guitar that not only have the effects and sounds that you want but also accurately mimic the sound of popular Marshal, Mesa Boogie, and Fender amps. With many of them, you can also choose what speaker cabinet sound that you want.

Line 6 makes the POD X3 Live guitar effects processor that has ALL the bells and whistles and then some for about $500 USD. Now that doesn’t mean that you have to spend that much. Zoom makes a comparable model with the G9.2TT Twin Tube Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal for only about $300 USD. Now if you don’t need all of those features offered on these models, most of these companies have you covered with several models for around $100 USD.

Now if you take a multi effects processor that only has a decent distortion, a delay, a compressor, a chorus and flanger and compare the cost of each of those effects in an individual stomp pedal you would spend just under $500 USD but likely more. Even with the most basic guitar multi processors, you have MANY more features and flexibility than you would in those four individual stomp pedals and you would likely spend about $100 at the MOST.

If you’re looking to capture the guitar sound of your guitar heroes, you can indeed do it. Keep in mind that you’re not going to sound like Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen because YOU are not Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton. You won’t have their style but you’ll have their guitar sound. Or, you can do what AC-DC’s Angus Young does and go straight into your Marshall stack. Good luck and keep rockin’.