GUITAR
MAKING SENSE OF YOUR PEDALBOARD | James Duke
I’ve been collecting guitar pedals for over 25 When I started my journey into the land of Once you take that time to dig in and learn
years. I fell in love the first time one of my friends effects, I had a solid base to work from. I your effects, you will realize that you have also
brought over his DOD delay pedal and started already knew how to achieve a good core trained your brain to think more in those terms.
showing me how to use it. I think that was the guitar tone. I think that’s what makes a huge The wheels will be spinning a lot faster. Once
first time I realized that there was a lot more I difference. Having a good tone to work off of you know your options, it becomes a lot easier
could do with my guitar. I became obsessed makes everything you add to it sound better. It to not only find cool sounds, but to know when
with searching what my favorite guitars players can be easy to get lost in the trap of thinking the and where to use them.
used. I would scour the internet for the new pedals are going to give you the perfect tone. companies with crazy sounding pedals. I The more you buy, the better you sound, right? When I’m in the studio, a lot of the parts I
started to learn how to think in terms of tones If only that were true. write are inspired by tones and sounds I hear
and not just notes.
in my head. Sometimes the sound is more
I talk to people all the time that are frustrated important than the notes. Obviously, you have
Before that, I was more of a purist. That might with their guitar sound, and they are confused to play something that works in the context
be giving me a little too much credit. I didn’t because they have all the hot new pedals that of the song, but that comes easy when you
have any effects pedals so I just plugged my they think they are supposed to have. They have are inspired by the sound you have created.
guitar straight into my amp. I played that way trouble dialing in their overdrives and delays. Sounds and melodies go hand in hand. You
for a long time. I would play a whole set at my Their reverbs don’t sound like the albums they know the old saying, “It’s not what you said,
church plugged straight into the amp. I didn’t listen to. Their compressor is noisy. “How do it’s how you said it?” Maybe you’ve heard your
even need an overdrive pedal because my amp, you use that Rainbow Machine? I can’t get it significant other say that to you. The same is
a Peavey Classic 30, had two channels and I to make one usable sound!” All the problems. true in music. It’s not always what you play, it’s
used them both! Along with my Stratocaster,
that was all I needed.
how you play it.
I encourage them to start at the beginning. How
does their bypassed guitar signal sound? What Take the time to learn what your gear does.
Thinking back, that was a really important time needs to be adjusted? Then I have them start Spend a few extra minutes and get that delay
in my guitar playing life. I learned how to make at the beginning and dial in each pedal, one by just right. Take the time and dial that tremolo in.
my guitar sound good on its own. I realized how one. Make sure you like the way each effect Crank the reverb. It’s time well spent when you
versatile my guitar could be by simply switching sounds on its own. That will make it so much find yourself inspired by what you created. Go
between the pickups. I then learned how to easier to fine tune when you start using multiple play guitar.
properly EQ the amp and find the right amount pedals together. You have to learn each one. of distortion for the songs I was playing. I didn’t You need to understand how each one reacts have any effects to hide behind. That helped to the other. That’s when the really cool sounds me grow a lot as a guitar player. start happening. 124 March 2020
James Duke
James is a musician, songwriter, and producer from
Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Most known for playing
guitar alongside artists like John Mark McMillan, Matt
Redman, Johnnyswim, and Steven Curtis Chapman,
James also records his own music under the name
All The Bright Lights. He currently lives in Nashville,
Tennessee with his wife and 3 kids..
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