The 10 Best Pedals of All Time

Effect pedals are what make the life of the electric guitarist more beautiful and exciting. Of course, the skeptics will say not to overuse them, that they only serve to mask flaws in your playing, but a good effect well used is the best way to enhance an already thrilling musical atmosphere, or even to find inspiration starting from a particular sound. And who hasn’t experienced the thrill of plugging in a new pedal and realizing three hours later that they’ve spent the evening fiddling with its knobs? Just for that, we present our perfectly subjective ranking of the ten best pedals of all time, based on their lasting appeal, musicality, and the fact that they are still available new on the market today.

type: looper

The idea of the looper is so simple that it could have been overlooked: this little box records what you play and repeats it in a loop. The benefit? Artistic first, to create soundscapes based on layered guitar tracks, but practical second, to record a rhythm and practice improvising over it. Perfect for working on a chord progression that puzzles you or a particular mode you want to get well into your ear. The Ditto from TC Electronic is far from the only looper, not even the first, but it is by far the most compact and practical with its footswitch and single knob.

type: whammy

When Digitech released the Whammy in the early 90s, they invented a brand-new effect: an octaver that allowed you to shift your note up one or two octaves with a simple expression pedal. This striking effect became a metal classic under Dimebag Darrel’s foot, a rock essential in Tom Morello’s arsenal, and a model of pop torture with Reeve Gabrels when he played with David Bowie. Even David Gilmour uses it, which shows how much this pedal has been taste-approved! The current version handles polyphony much better than previous ones.

type: metal distortion

Some of you weren’t even born in 1991. That’s when Boss released the pedal that would become its bestseller, the Metal Zone. This black pedal is mean, thick, aggressive, and round at the same time. It offers an enormous gain reserve but is also, above all, one of the most versatile distortions on the market thanks to its EQ. It has the usual bass and treble controls, but the semi-parametric mid offers a frequency control to very precisely choose the midrange you want to boost or cut. A dream for the huge scooped sound of Swedish death metal, but also for the big hairy distortion with pronounced mids of grunge.

type: reverb

The Strymon BlueSky V2 pushes the limits of pedal-format reverb. Already iconic in its first version, it returns more powerful, more versatile, and even more immersive. Ideal for studio and stage, it appeals to both vintage lovers and sound explorers.

What characterizes it:

- 3 types of reverb: Room, Plate, and Spring

- Redesigned Shimmer function: high octave, low octave, or fifths depending on mode

- Built-in modulation with depth control

- 24-bit / 96 kHz converters, frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz

- Stereo input/output, expression/MIDI input, USB-C for control and updates

- 300 MIDI presets via footswitch or software

- True or Buffered Bypass operation

- Aluminium chassis, compact and robust

type: delay

The DL4 MkII from Line 6 modernizes one of the most iconic delay pedals of the 2000s. Faithful to the design and features of the original DL4, this new model adds a host of tools designed for today’s musicians: 30 delays, dual looper, mic input, MIDI, and even microSD memory expansion. All in a more compact and lightweight housing, without losing any of its robustness.

What characterizes it:

- 30 delays total: 15 Legacy DL4 effects + 15 latest generation HX models

- Two built-in loopers: simplified 1-switch and classic 4-switch, up to 240 seconds of loop (extendable to several hours via microSD)

- XLR mic input for vocal processing and looping without adapter

- Full MIDI functionality: selection of up to 128 presets, parameter control via CC/PC

- True bypass, buffered bypass, or DSP bypass, your choice

- Complete connectivity: stereo, MIDI DIN In/Out, XLR, expression

- Presets directly accessible via footswitches A/B/C (up to 6 in two banks, via Tap)

Pro tips 🧠:

Plug in a microSD card at the back to save your loops between sessions – ideal for stage, sound design, or live vocal performances!

type: fuzz

There was a time when music stores weren’t flooded with pedals, and guitarists had very few choices. The Fuzz was the first widely distributed effect in this format in the mid-60s, and among the circuits of the time, the Fuzz Face is of course the one that wins our vote. Its design is extremely simple (two transistors and that’s about it), its smiling face look is great, and you can hear its bubbling distortion on albums by the greatest, starting with Hendrix who gave it its fame. The simplicity of the Fuzz Face has allowed it to be adapted in many ways and it is currently available in many versions, all interesting.

type: wah wah

Another effect owes its success to Hendrix, who made it essential during the intro of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). The wah wah lets you get closer to the human voice by making your guitar talk. The Crybaby is the sound we all have in our ears; this wah both soft and aggressive also made the funk of the 70s shine and was the soundtrack of all the hairy movies of that era. Today, the Crybaby exists in many versions corresponding to endorsed artists: John Petrucci, Slash, Jerry Cantrell, Kirk Hammett, and Dimebag Darrel.

type: overdrive

When Ibanez launched its Tube Screamer in 1979, there were fewer than half a dozen overdrive pedals on the market. In 2017, there are eighteen million references but the Tube Screamer remains an essential benchmark. Clearly, they weren’t wrong. The Tube Screamer, whatever its version (TS 808, TS9, and many others), allows you to approach the hum of a tube amp pushed into overdrive and boosts the morale of the dullest amps. A pronounced mid bump means it pairs perfectly with amps like the Fender Deluxe Reverb or Twin Reverb, and some, like Stevie Ray Vaughan, didn’t hesitate to use several Tube Screamers in series to achieve the ultimate overdrive.

Yes, the first in this ranking is French, and it only appeared three years ago. But the Savage is a clone of the Klon Centaur, a 90s overdrive used by Jeff Beck, Peter Frampton, and Andy Summers, the pedal that made the term ‘transparent overdrive’ popular. Klon has since stopped making the Centaur, and vintage units fetch ridiculous sums on the second-hand market. Several brands have offered their clones, and among them, the Savage is the one that convinced us the most. It retains the extreme respect for the guitar and amp sound that the original allowed, and it’s even possible to more precisely control the overdrive’s grain via internal trimpots. Clean boost, light crunch, or smooth overdrive, the Savage does it all with grace.