Best Super Cheap Essentials

[Bacchus]

A friend is thinking of putting together a pedalboard for her school. I've suggested a RAT clone and a wah. What about a cheap delay? The Behringer VD400?

Any other suggestions?

[Thom]

Donner Yellow Fall and Mooer Ana Echo are both really good analog delays. I think Hurb had one in the classifieds recently. Not sure how much they go for nowadays but a second hand DD-3 can’t be that much either, for digital and longer delays.

In terms of other pedals, a cheap tube screamer type to boost the rat? Modulation?

[Bacchus]

DD-3 would be perfect, and is the ubiquitous delay for me. But I think she has to go for new items for auditing reasons.

Tube screamer isn't a bad shout. Trying to work out how simple you can keep things whilst still having lots of fun, and was sort of hoping the RAT would cover that side of things (never actually played one, in my head their a distortion that can veer in either direction towards either OD of fuzz?).

Her other option is to buy some sort of multi fx, but I don't think that's as much fun or that there's as much opportunity to learn. Digging through menus with weird, obscure button pressing combinations isn't the same as eking out the tones you need my tweaking knobs.

[Bacchus]

What modulation? I suppose a chorus would be good for those grunge tones that the teenagers are into.

[Thom]

Yeah I agree rat is a good shout, it can do a good range. I think it’s always fun to have 2 gain stages so I’d set the rat pretty low and then boost it, lots of options for tones there. Chorus is the obvious one, but phaser or flanger would be fun I reckon. You can’t really go wrong with the Mooer or Donner pedals in terms of cheap, but then again Behringers are probably even cheaper. Maybe throw the behringer super fuzz in there.

[Hurb]

I can send you the ana echo after payday if its any good for her.

[NickS]

Her other option is to buy some sort of multi fx, but I don't think that's as much fun or that there's as much opportunity to learn. Digging through menus with weird, obscure button pressing combinations isn't the same as eking out the tones you need my tweaking knobs.

Another viewpoint; for a school you don't want attractive, easily pocketable devices. If she's not into using the bike chain links or some other means of screwing boxes to the pedalboard, possibly with security screws, maybe an option is to use one of those multi-fx that is a long bar with multiple individual effects?

[Doog]

What modulation? I suppose a chorus would be good for those grunge tones that the teenagers are into.

You joke, but the whole Mac Demarco / post-Demarco thing brought chorus and vibrato very much back, babbey.

The EHX Eddy does both very nicely for relatively cheap, although I think there's probably proper cheapo chorus out there that has a mix control to give you vibrato, I'll delve into my mind palace later and see what I've seen on my travels.

RAT will defo do (fairly raunchy) OD, you could get something like the Mosky RAT that has multiple modes that cover more ground (the TURBO circuit is more 'amp overdrive'y). I'd definitely sooner buy a multi-mode RAT and a different pedal rather a TS to boost a one-mode RAT, but that's just me.

[Mike]

RAT clone thing

Chorus swirly fella

Delay of pretty much any sort


Would be my top picks for maximum fun.

The only other thing would be a trem maybe

[Gavin]

What do you guys think is the best cheap RAT clone anyhoos?

[Gavin]

I was contemplating a TC Electronics Magus.

[BearBoy]

Mooer Black Secret is decent.

Not tried any of the others mind.

[Hurb]

Sonic cake Rude Mouse is good. And if you buy one from my Affilate link I get like 50p

What do you guys think is the best cheap RAT clone anyhoos?

[kim]

I've a behringer digital delay and tremolo i'm willing to part with, also a carl martin analog delay (red repeat).

They're just lying about anyways.

PM if interested and can have a look at shipping costs, fine to (s)chip in, pedals are free. I've too much clutter.

As for essential, let's say a 5 spot board

one for tuner
two : perhaps octaver up/down/both or pitch shifting
three: overdrive into distortion range or a fuzz
four: more fuzz or re: five: ditch extra fuzz for delay or reverb
five: if the amps used don't have reverb, some sort of reverb, multi stomp modulating fx to figure what you really want to use, if more specific and the amp doesn't have it, proper spring reverb

FX are very personal and/or band related, you never quite reach a point of 'that's it' but tastes do differ. Why i'd say a multi fx thing could help figure what it is that works for someone.

It could be a specific phaser, flanger, rotor, wah, on a budget, check out a multi fx and step up from there.


Also, just get a kemper.

Sure you're looking at 2k but if the setup nears €1500 i'd just go all out and invest in profiling instead. It's cool the multitude of artisan boxes, but...later down the line, perhaps it's my age, you'd like an all in 1 that takes from popular stuff rather than indie stuff and just build a rig like that.
I hate to say it, but it's so fucking convenient.

[Bacchus]

I can send you the ana echo after payday if its any good for her.

This is very generous, but she works for a big "corporate" style academy chain, and second hand goods from a man on the internet wouldn't do.

Her other option is to buy some sort of multi fx, but I don't think that's as much fun or that there's as much opportunity to learn. Digging through menus with weird, obscure button pressing combinations isn't the same as eking out the tones you need my tweaking knobs.

Another viewpoint; for a school you don't want attractive, easily pocketable devices. If she's not into using the bike chain links or some other means of screwing boxes to the pedalboard, possibly with security screws, maybe an option is to use one of those multi-fx that is a long bar with multiple individual effects?

This is very much a consideration. I think it's going to be for her older, more trustable, advanced students. I'll talk to her about how she wants to this, and I did consider the bike chain link thing. On the other hand, there's huge value in trusting kids with things like this, letting them know this is a proper piece of equipment, that proper, professional guitarists use pedals, that that's what we're about here, and that I'm going to trust you with this. I suppose you want to balance that benefit against cost. If one of these does go missing, it's hardly ideal, but it's not the end of the world. For me, the injury there would be more that it represents a failure in the culture and relationships in the school, rather than the financial hit of being down £30.

[benecol]

On the other hand, there's huge value in trusting kids with things like this, letting them know this is a proper piece of equipment, that proper, professional guitarists use pedals, that that's what we're about here, and that I'm going to trust you with this.

Really glad you've said this: in my experience, the more you lock down kit, the more likely it is to get lifted/not looked after. I'm in an ongoing dust-up with our central IT department, but having the nice kit out, like you would in a commercial studio, has an immensely positive impact in how students feel they're being treated, and how they treat the kit.

[Bacchus]

Absolutely.

It's something I've slightly fucked up at my school. My department is a bit of a mess. Broken guitars, strings, electronics etc. Having this stuff look proper makes a huge difference.

It's annoying/ironic, because I am probably better qualified to fix this stuff than most other Music teachers. Indeed, I regularly work a day at other schools fixing things (such as this friend's school), but I never get it done at my own school.

Might try to do a "guitar tech club" or something. We have a lot of guitarists who would benefit from knowing how to look after their gear.

[Thom]

Might try to do a "guitar tech club" or something. We have a lot of guitarists who would benefit from knowing how to look after their gear.

That’s a really good idea.

[NickD]

Might try to do a "guitar tech club" or something. We have a lot of guitarists who would benefit from knowing how to look after their gear.

This is a great idea. Most people start out on a cheap Strat and from the 15-20 I've bought over the years there was only one that was fundamentally bad, the rest just needed 30-60 minutes of setup and fettling. I'd imagine that a high action, badly cut nut and incorrect relief put off plenty of new guitarists who otherwise might have continued.

[NickS]

I guess the relationship is really the key. I'm just thinking how things were at Matt's secondary school - the gear wasn't respected at all. Tim, what age are your students?

Might try to do a "guitar tech club" or something. We have a lot of guitarists who would benefit from knowing how to look after their gear.

Sounds like a cool idea.