Which Pedal has had the biggest impact on Rock ?

[Panamark]

Which stomp box has had the greatest impact on Rock ???

My immediate thought was a distortion or fuzz box,
but that sound came from amps originally.

Thoughts ??

-Im sure the MXR Flanger will get a mention :)

[Mr Grimsdale]

dunlop cry baby

[scottd1984]

the MXR Phase 90 or the original Boss CE-1 chorus pedal

[Nitro Express]

Colorsound Tone Bender (fuzz peddle). This is the holy grail of boost peddles. Sure there was the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face, The Big Muff, and the Supro Fuzz, but it was Jimi Page using the Tone Bender that sent us into the 70's from the late 60's.

[Matt White]

ECHOPLEX

[UGS]

Besides fuzz, the crybaby

[Nitro Express]

Electro Harmonix Q Tron. Man, we wouldn't have had all that cool music to go with those early 1970's television shows without it.

[Panamark]

I knew the Crybaby would be here..

What about compressor/limiters ??

Are they the hidden wonders ??

[The Scatologist]

Crybaby, Vox Wah, and some Delay Pedals.

[BrownSound1]

The fuzz box came out before the wah wah did, if I'm not mistaken, and I would have to say that the fuzztone has become one of the most recognizeable tones associated with rock guitar. After all the original idea was to mimic an overdriven guitar amp. The fuzz of course has a harsher sound and became it's own unique effect...much different than the tone we hear overdriving a guitar amp.

The fuzz tone has been acheived several ways before the invention of the pedal. One guy in the '50s, Paul Burlison, would loosen a tube in his amp and get a fuzz going. Link Wray, of Rawhide fame, would take pencils and punch holes in his speakers. The actual first recorded fuzzbox is a bit of a mystery. Jimmy Page said he heard the effect used on The Venture's "1000 Pound Bee," and had a box built to replicate that. He then used it on some of his session work, and was asked by an engineer if he could borrow it. I think Page refused, but a bit later he heard the effect on "Satisfaction" by the Stones.

I believe Maestro made the first commercially available fuzz tone.

The wah-wah pedal has a clouded history as well, but it all points to one source, and that is Vox. In fact the Crybaby and the Vox had the same origins, as in the Crybaby was MADE by Vox, but distributed by Thomas Organ in the US. For a date of introduction for the wah-wah let's just say around 1966 or so.

Don't confuse the tones of the Dunlop reissues like the Crybaby, with the original Crybaby tones. For the original Crybaby sounds just look to a Vox from the same time.

[sammysucks65]

Mxr phase 90

WAH WAH

[LoungeMachine]

How can we NOT mention the TUBE SCREAMER?

Every 80's rocker grew up with it.

We all owned it.

My little green friend made a serious impact for it's day.

[BrownSound1]

Hell, I still have one...that and a ProCo Rat.

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by BrownSound1
Hell, I still have one...that and a ProCo Rat.

I was issued mine at birth. :cool:

[Matt White]

When in doubt...plug in THE RAT!!!
INSTANT ATTITUDE!!!:cool:

[BrownSound1]

The Rat is one nasty ass pedal.

[Matt White]

I see theres a bunch of mods that can be done to them now days...like the company changed something!!!

Had mine for probably 16-17 years!!!

[Panamark]

Originally posted by LoungeMachine
How can we NOT mention the TUBE SCREAMER?

Every 80's rocker grew up with it.

We all owned it.

My little green friend made a serious impact for it's day.

Still got Mine ! :)

[Matt White]

Wah pedal made quite the impact.....

Grate solos's in the 60's....

Extra nasty tone when compressed.........

Never leave home without one.

[GAR]

Originally posted by Panamark
Are they the hidden wonders ??

Jordan Electronics of Alhambra, CA.'s Jordan Bosstone.. it was a distortion. Randy California used them.

[GAR]

The first wahs mentioned were a simple foot-operated R/C network tone filter going back to the 40's with the Hawaiian and Cowboy bar bands using them live and on record. Check out some of the early Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys for that stuff to hear how that sounds. Also some Sol Hoopii, a hawaiian steel player used one too and I can't remember the name. But I do know Showbud and Bigsby were making these huge cast aluminum rocking pedals for volume so they may have been adapted to control a simple handmade R/C network tone filter.

[Seshmeister]

I'd say the bass drum pedal.

[GAR]

Technically the most-impacting pedal would be the Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster. Just about every recorded British Invasion band from Beatles to Black Sabbath and Queen used it.

A treble booster is a type of r/c circuit that applies an increased gain the higher the signal, so you'd get more chirpy distortion playing leads with notes jumping out instead of dying off the higher you'd play up the neck.

It's a subtle effect. Im surprised it's not still made!