FX Chain Sequence: the best way to hook up your pedals

One of the questions I get asked the most by students (besides ” Is that your real hair?”), is “what’s the best way to hook up my fx
pedals?”. The short answer is any way you like, but most players have settled on 1 sequence for the best results. Below I have listed
the 5 main types of pedals from first in the chain (after your guitar) to last (before your amp).
#1- wah wah pedals: along with other filter pedals (envelope filter), responds best to pick dynamics, so you want it before anything
else has a chance to mess with it.(Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine, puts his wah after distortion)
#2- compressors: used to even out the signal, but adds noise to anything that comes before them, so as close to #1 as possible.
#3- distortion/overdrive: adds richness to the rest of the chain, and works better before modulation pedals (#4).
#4- modulation fx: includes; chorus, phase shifters, flangers, and tremelo.
#5- delay/reverb: these can clash with other types of fx if put first, so most players put these last.
None of this sequence is set in stone, feel free to experiment. Like Mr. Morello you may find a cool, unique variation. But the above
sequence has the least problems. You don’t have to have everything, if you only have 2 or 3 pedals- fit them in the sequence. For
example, my pedal board (as of now)…
#1- Jim Dunlop Super Crybaby Wah/Volume
#2- MXR Classic 108 Fuzz
#3- Electro Harmonix Small Clone Chorus
#4- VoodooLab MicroVibe
#5- MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
#6- Xotic EP Boost
Notice I have no compressor and 2 modulation pedals (I like spacey!), also I put my boost in the back, because I like it there. I am
not a pedal connoisseur, I feel a lot of subtle differences get lost in the band mix, also lots of knobs confuse me. My 3 main criteria
for a pedal are; sounds good, sturdy, 1-3 knobs max. The fact I gravitate towards 70’s Stoner rock also influenced my choices.
That wraps up this post, in a future post (maybe the next), I will discuss the rest of the FX questions I get; what is a buffer?
Power supplies, Multi-FX pedals, Pedal boards, etc.