Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook

Rating:
Summary: Pedal Power
Review: Musician-turned-journalist Dave Hunter describes the current market for guitar pedal effects as "booming." His book, which covers everything from the history of pedals to tips on expanding your arsenal of effects, is an indispensable bible for guitarists who are trying to make sense of today's flood of available options.

My favorite part of the book is Chapter Six. Entitled "Meet the Makers," this section includes extended interviews with legendary effects inventors such as Roger Mayer, Mike Matthews, Mike Fuller, Pete Cornish, Josh Fiden and Dan Coggins. These interviews give a behind-the-scenes peak at what inspired many of the innovations that have shaped the effects industry.

Beyond the text, "Guitar Effects and Pedals" comes with a 92-track CD which demos many of the sounds described in the book. In other words, when you read about a certain effect in the book, you can hear how it sounds by switching on the CD. Chapter Seven of the book provides a thorough index of the CD, so you won't have any trouble finding the track that you are looking for.

Overall, the no-bull approach of this book is probably what is most appealing: it doesn't try to tell you what to buy, or what pedals you need to play "to be cool," but lays the big, wide wonderful world of effects out in front of you so you can make your own sound-based decisions. No plugged-in guitarist should be without it.