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7 - Stompbox Revolution: Electric Guitar Pedals and Tone

from Part II - Technology and Timbre

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2024

By
Erik Broess
Edited by
Jan-Peter Herbst  and
Steve Waksman
Jan-Peter Herbst
Affiliation:
University of Huddersfield
Steve Waksman
Affiliation:
Smith College, Massachusetts
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Summary

This chapter outlines key developments in effect pedal history since the format’s inception in the 1960s. Centered around fuzz, overdrive, delay, and modulation effects, this chapter considers the technology’s role in how electric guitarists understand tone. Additionally, this chapter details the emergence of more recent playing styles explicitly centered around liberal effect pedal use, especially involving granular or micro loopers. By exploring these various technologies and performance techniques, this chapter suggests that guitar pedals produce not only musical sounds but also knowledge about musical sounds.

Keywords

effect pedalsstompboxestonefuzzoverdrivedistortiondelaymodulationrotaryphaserchorusflangerlooping
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar , pp. 111 - 128
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

Selected Bibliography

Bailey, Owen, Dickson, Jamie, and Hamilton, Ross (eds.), The Guitarist Guide to Effects Pedals Seventh Edition. Special issue of Guitarist Magazine (Future PLC, 2021).Google Scholar
Bjørn, Kim and Harper, Scott, Pedal Crush: Stompbox Effects for Creative Music Making (Bjooks, 2019).Google Scholar
Fink, Robert, Latour, Melinda, and Wallmark, Zachary (eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (Oxford University Press, 2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hunter, Dave, Guitar Effects: Pedals. The Practical Handbook (Backbeat Books, 2004).Google Scholar
Hunter, Dave, Tone Manual: Discovering Your Ultimate Electric Guitar Sound (Backbeat Books, 2011).Google Scholar
Light, Ronald, Pedal Culture: Guitar Effects Pedals as Cultural Artifacts (Backbeat Books 2021).Google Scholar
Paz, Eilon, Epstein, Dan, and Rotondi, James, Stompbox: 100 Pedals of the World’s Greatest Guitarists (Ten Speed Press, 2021).Google Scholar
Thompson, Art, Stompbox: A History of Guitar Fuzzes, Flangers, Phasers, Echoes & Wahs (Miller Freeman Books, 1997).Google Scholar

Recommended Viewing

Lux, Michael, and Orkin, Daniel, directors, The Pedal Movie. Reverb.com (2021). Available at https://reverb.com/page/the-pedal-movie (accessed October 19, 2022).Google Scholar
That Pedal Show. YouTube. www.youtube.com/c/thatpedalshow.Google Scholar
The JHS Show. YouTube. www.youtube.com/@jhspedals.Google Scholar

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