Top 11 Best Guitar/Bass Effects Pedal Brands To Know & Use

Written by Arthur in Bass Guitar,Brands/Manufacturers,Effects Pedals,Guitars

Guitar pedals are key components in the rigs of many guitarists. The great thing about pedals is they can be utilized in pretty much any genre of music. Their effects also range from subtle improvements and alterations in tone to full-out non-guitar sounds.

Whether you're an amateur guitarist still learning the basics of the instruments, a seasonal professional guitarist, or an experimental musician, learning to use guitar pedals can be a fun and exciting hobby/creative outlet.

In this article, I'll share the top 11 pedal brands I think you should know about.

The top 11 best guitar effects pedal brands you should know and use are:

  1. Boss
  2. Electro-Harmonix
  3. DigiTech
  4. TC Electronic
  5. MXR
  6. Line 6
  7. EarthQuaker Devices
  8. Strymon
  9. Fender
  10. Dunlop
  11. Source Audio

We'll get into each of these brands in greater detail to explain why they made this list. I'll also share some of their notable pedals, a link to their official website and a bit of history about each company.

Related article: Top 11 Best Boutique Guitar Pedal Brands To Know & Use.

Click here to return to My New Microphone's articles on musical equipment brands/manufacturers.

Boss

If you've been interested in pedals and effects for a while, it should come as no surprise to you that Boss is at the top of this list.

Boss offers a beyond-impressive line of stompbox pedals and multi-effects units for guitar and bass (and whatever other instruments we can plug into the pedals).

Related articles:
• Do Guitar Pedals Work With Keyboards & Synthesizers?
• Do Guitar Effects Pedals Work With Bass Guitar?

Boss pedals are found all over the world on amateur and professional guitar rigs/pedalboards alike. Their product range is so extensive, in fact, that we could easily get every effect we're looking for with Boss pedals alone.

On top of that, the company has developed perhaps the greatest pedal stompbox housing available on the market. We can see this build quality in the MT-2 Metal Zone pedal (link to check the price on Amazon) pictured below:

Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

These stompboxes have a large pad to stomp on (rather than small buttons like many other pedals). The battery is housed underneath this pad. Most Boss stompboxes will only have 4 knobs for easy compact tweaking. This design is also incredibly resilient. Many Boss stompboxes from the 80s are still outperforming their peers today!

Boss also has a wide variety of other pedals, including multi-effects units, synth pedals and their famous Loop Station lopper pedals.

If you're looking for durable pedals to produce quality effects at an affordable price, look no further than Boss!

As an additional note, all of Boss's pedals are buffered bypass (rather than true bypass), meaning that each pedal will act as a buffer when in “off” position.

To learn more about buffered bypass and true bypass, check out my articles Are Buffer Pedals Necessary & Where Do They Go In A Chain? and What Does ‘True Bypass’ Mean In A Guitar Pedal? respectively.

Here are few pedals from Boss that are worth checking out:

Boss Corporation was founded in 1973 as part of the Japanese Roland Corporation. It wasn't until 1976 that the company released its first Boss pedal: the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. Today the company is headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Official Website: boss.info

Parent Company: Roland Corporation (Japan)

Boss is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Guitar Amplifier Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Pedalboard Brands On The Market

Electro-Harmonix

Electro-Harmonix (EHX) is another pedal company with a wide variety of awe-inspiring pedals. They, like Boss, pretty well have something to fulfill your pedal needs regardless of what you're looking for.

EHX has produced numerous firsts in the field of effects pedals and is continuously pushing the art of pedal manufacturing forward. A few examples of these “pedal firsts” include:

  • Electric Mistress (first flanger pedal: 1976)
  • Memory Man (first delay pedal: 1976)
  • Hot Tubes (first overdrive pedal: 1978)
  • Micro Synthesizer (first synth pedal: 1979)

Since its beginnings, Electro-Harmonix has made a name for itself as one of the greatest pedal manufacturers of all time. Their catalogue of pedals runs deep, spanning across every effect we could need or want.

EHX pedals tend to be a bit bigger, on average, but there's a ton of functionality jammed into many of their pedals, which makes the extra footprint worth it. Many of EHX's classics (like the Big Muff Pi, 720 Stereo Looper, POG, Q-Tron and Small Clone) have smaller/nano versions with smaller footprints and, sometimes, small limitations in functionality.

Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper (Left) & 360 Nano Looper (Right)

Don't let the price tag of many Electro-Harmonix pedals frighten you. As they say, “you get what you pay for”. Witch EHX, you get high-end effects pedals built tough to withstand abuse and maintain their character throughout the ages.

Some EHX pedals worth checking out are as follows:

Electro-Harmonix was founded in 1968 by Mike Matthews in New York City, New York. The company's first pedals were released on the market in 1969. EHX is held by the parent company New Sensor Corporation and is headquartered in New York City.

Official Website: ehx.com

Parent Company: New Sensor Corporation (United States)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

DigiTech

DigiTech may not have the same depth of products as Boss or EHX, but the company certainly deserves a spot on this list.

Well, actually, DigiTech and DOD deserve a spot. They have the same founders and are both now owned by Harmon International.

Really, DigiTech could make this list with a single pedal: the famous DigiTech Whammy. Of course, the companies have many other superb effects pedals for us to choose from, but the Whammy (and all its versions) are among the most cherished pedals in the world!

DigiTech was truly a groundbreaking company when it came to effects, producing several firsts in the field of stompbox effects units. Unfortunately, things have slowed down since the acquisition in 1990, and many pedals can now only be found in the used market.

That being said, the DigiTech/DOD legend lives on, and many of the most famous pedals are still in production today.

Getting back to firsts, DigiTech had created the firsts of the following pedal types:

  • PDS 1000 (first digital-delay pedal: 1984)
  • Pedalverb (digital-reverb pedal: 1986
  • The Whammy (pitch-bending pedal: 1989)

Here are some other important pedals to check out from DigiTech/DOD:

DigiTech was founded (along with DOD Effects) in 1973 by John Johnson and David Oreste Di Francesco. The companies were both acquired in 1990 by the audio giant Harman International Industries. R&D for DOD/Digitech was ceased in 2018 to become part of “Harmon Pro” though Harmon continues to sell the pre-established DOD and DigiTech Pedals.

Official Website: digitech.com

Parent Company: Harmon International – Samsung Electronics (South Korea)

TC Electronic

TC Electronic pedals have become quite common on boards around the world since the company was founded in the 1970s.

With TC, we can expect wonderfully clean circuits with tons of functionality. They've made a name for themselves as one of the greats by continuously putting out pedals that push the art of pedal design forward.

As an aside, TC Electronics pedals are all currently designed with true bypass (in contrast to Boss, which only produces buffered bypass pedals). This is part of the reason why TC Electronic pedals are, in fact, so clean.

TC Pedals are typically simple to use with lots of stuff under the hood. They produce some of the best “utility pedals” (tuners, buffers), loopers, and straightforward effects we'll find on the market today.

Here are a few TC Electronic pedals worth checking out:

TC Electronic was founded in 1976 by Kim and John Rishøj in Aarhus, Denmark. The brothers then created the TC Group in 1998 after acquiring other companies/brands in order to hold TC Electronics and the other brands in a single multinational corporation. The company is headquartered in Risskov, Denmark. In 2015, Music Tribe (then Music Group) acquired TC Group.

Official Website: tcelectronic.com

Parent Company: The TC Group A/S (Denmark) – Music Group (Philippines)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

MXR

MXR is technically a brand of Dunlop Manufacturing, a guitar pedal and accessory manufacturer that we'll discuss in its own right later in this list.

However, the MXR brand stands out as its own brand in this list due to its wide product line and reputation amongst guitar pedal circles.

MXR pedals are often simple but pack a huge punch regardless of what effect they aim to achieve.

Their first pedal, the Phase 90 phaser, has made its way onto countless pedalboards and is one of the most recognizable pedals ever.

This is only one example of many MXR pedals that sound great, have a small footprint and durable build, and get us the effects we need and deserve in our rig.

Whatever effect you're looking for, rest assured MXR will have you covered, and likely at a very competitive price!

Here are a few MXR pedals worth mentioning:

MXR was founded in 1972 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood in Rochester, New York and was officially incorporated in 1974. Jim Dunlop acquired MXR in 1987. Dunlop continues to produce pre-87 models along with new designs under the MXR brand. The company's main headquarters is now located in Benicia, California, USA.

Official Website: jimdunlop.com/products/electronics/mxr

Parent company: Dunlop (United States)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

Line 6

Line 6 is a bit of an outsider in this list as its main focus, when it comes to pedals, is on multi-effects units and stompbox modeling pedals rather than the more “simple” stompboxes produced by the other brands listed here.

With Line 6, we can expect loads of functionality in each and every pedal. This goes for the Stompbox Modeler series (DL4, DM4, FM4, MM4 and JM4) and each of the brand's multi-effects pedalboard units.

You're unlikely to find a pedalboard full of Line 6 pedals. In fact, you're more likely to see a single Line 6 pedal act as an entire pedalboard!

Line 6 strives to push the envelope further when it comes to pedal design. This determination can be seen in the many category-defining products that Line 6 has produced over the years.

Here are few pedals from Line 6 to check out:

Line 6 was founded in 1996 by Susan Wolf, Marcus Ryle and Michel Doidic in Calabasas, California, USA. The company was acquired by Yamaha Corporation in December of 2013. Though Yamaha is a Japanese company, the Line 6 headquarters remains in Calabasas.

Official Website: line6.com

Parent company: Yamaha Corporation (Japan)

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

EarthQuaker Devices

EarthQuaker Devices could be considered a “boutique” pedal brand. Each pedal is made by hand to ensure high-quality craftsmanship and pedal longevity.

The EarthQuaker Devices product line has been growing steadily for some time now. Though the brand does have some solid standard pedals (a few fuzzes, reverbs, tremolos, etc.), it is probably best known for its groundbreaking original effects pedals.

EQD pedals offer some of the most forward-thinking and downright strange effects available on the market today.

This is a company for pedal fans, tone aficionados and musical experimenters alike.

Here are a few EarthQuaker Devices pedals to check out:

EarthQuaker Devices was founded in 2004 by Jamie Stillman in Akron, Ohio, USA, where the company is still headquartered today.

Official Website: earthquakerdevices.com

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

Strymon

Strymon continuously released top-notch, industry-leading pedals without compromise. Their pedals are built to impress both in their electronics and their durability.

Choose any one of Strymon's pedals, and you'll find a bulky powerhouse of a stompbox. Each pedal offers a ton of tonal value to a rig and is sure to stand up to the tests of time on the toughest of tours.

This company is still growing and making a name for itself as a top-tier pedal manufacturer. Look out for them now and in the future for excellent pedal designs!

Here are just a few Strymon pedals to check out:

Strymon (formerly known as Damage Control) was initially founded in 2004 by Pete Celi, Gregg Stock and Dave Fruehling in Westlake Village, California, USA. In 2009, the group began producing pedals under the Strymon name. The company headquarters remain in Westlake Village.

Official Website: strymon.net

Parent Company: Damage Control Engineering

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

Fender

Yes, the almighty guitar brand Fender, responsible for the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass and Rhodes Electric Piano, also produces stellar guitar pedals!

Fender's a giant company with plenty of resources at its disposal. Producing effects pedals was a logical step in the brand's evolution as a musical instrument manufacturer.

Although Fender may not necessarily be re-inventing the wheel when it comes to their effects pedals, they certainly aren't slouching either.

Their expert team has developed a fantastic line of pedal standards that sound incredible and give us those well-known effects we're looking for. Though the effects are standard, they are extraordinary in their tone-altering circuits. These pedals are awesome!

Here are a few pedals from Fender to check out:

Fender started as “Fender's Radio Service”, founded in 1938 by Clarence Leonidas Fender in Fullerton, California. In 1946, the company had its name changed to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Fender began producing guitar pedals in 1954 with their first volume pedal. Today, the company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

Official Website: fender.com

Parent Company: Servco Pacific

Fender is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 13 Best Bass Guitar Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Bass Guitar Amplifier Brands In The World
• Top 13 Best Electric Guitar Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Guitar Amplifier Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Guitar/Bass Patch Cable Brands In The World
• Top 11 Best Acoustic Guitar String Brands On The Market
• Top 11 Best Bass Guitar String Brands On The Market
• Top 10 Best Classical Guitar String Brands On The Market
• Top 11 Best Electric Guitar String Brands On The Market
• Top 8 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickup Brands On The Market
• Top 8 Best Bass Guitar Pickup Brands On The Market

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

Dunlop

Dunlop is the creator of the beloved Cry Baby wah pedal (and the owner of the aforementioned MXR brand).

I think that gets Dunlop a spot on the list automatically. The fact that there are plenty of other excellent Dunlop pedals on the market furthers the case for Dunlop as a top-performing pedal manufacturer.

Jim Dunlop has been a well-known brand for guitar picks, strings, accessories, electronics and, of course, pedals for some time now. And for good reasons.

There are several brands of pedals within the Dunlop umbrella. We've discussed the largest subsidiary, being MXR, as its own brand. Here we'll focus on Cry Baby, Way Huge, Authentic Hendrix and Dunlop Electronics pedals.

Each of these brands has excellent pedals. Dunlop's catalogue runs from the famous Cry Baby wahs and Jimi Hendrix Fuzz pedals to the well-respected “boutique-style” Way Huge pedals.

Whether you're looking for a classic or a solid pedal to add to your rig, be sure to check out Dunlop's full product lines!

A few Dunlop pedals (other than MXR-branded pedals) worth noting are:

Dunlop Manufacturing was founded in 1965 by Jim Dunlop in Glasgow, Scotland. The company moved to Benicia, California, USA, in 1972, where it is still headquartered today. Dunlop owns the aforementioned MXR brand of pedals along with the Cry Baby, Way Huge, Authentic Hendrix and Dunlop Electronics brands.

Official Website: jimdunlop.com

Dunlop is also featured in the following My New Microphone articles:
• Top 11 Best Bass Guitar String Brands On The Market
• Top 11 Best Electric Guitar String Brands On The Market

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mnm_USA-e1557772655914.jpg

Source Audio

Source Audio is a leader in effects technology. Their pedals are compact but swing far above their class in terms of functionality and tonal flexibility.

The company's successful One Series line of pedals utilizes 56-bit processing with stereo ins and outs, MIDI functionality, and deep editing power with the Neuro Mobile and Desktop software editors.

If you're looking for pristine tone and highly advanced capabilities, look no further than Source Audio.

Their product line offers plenty of options, and each feature-rich pedal is well worth the cost.

Even the utility pedals from SA are jam-packed with functionality.

Here are just a few Source Audio pedals to look into:

Source Audio was founded in 2005 by Roger Smith and Jesse Remignanti in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where the company is still headquartered today.

Official Website: sourceaudio.net

Choosing the right effects pedals for your applications and budget can be a challenging task. For this reason, I've created My New Microphone's Comprehensive Effects Pedal Buyer's Guide. Check it out for help in determining your next pedal/stompbox purchase.

This article has been approved in accordance with the My New Microphone Editorial Policy.

Arthur

Arthur is the owner of Fox Media Tech and the author of My New Microphone. He's an audio engineer by trade and works on contract in his home country of Canada. When not blogging on MNM, he's likely hiking outdoors and blogging at Hikers' Movement (hikersmovement.com) or producing music. For more info, please check out his YouTube channel and his music.

Recent Posts