EQ Pedals
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Find the EQ Pedal That Tightens Up Your Tone
An EQ pedal (short for equalizer pedal) is one of the quickest ways to fine-tune your guitar or bass sound. Jamming alone, it can help smooth out problem frequencies and create a more polished tone. In a mix is where the real magic happens: tweak the upper mids to tighten up rhythm parts, roll off the low end to keep extended-range guitars from crowding the bass, or pair it with a bread-and-butter overdrive to emulate the character of your favorite dirt boxes.
For more creative ways to put your equalizer pedal to work, check out “5 Unique Ways to Use an EQ Pedal.”
What Can an EQ Pedal Do for Your Guitar Tone?
With a little know-how, an equalizer pedal can be one of the most versatile tone-shaping tools on your pedalboard. A healthy midrange bump can turn a stock ’screamer into a searing lead machine. Or, run it flat and use the level control as a transparent clean boost to push the front end of your amp into natural breakup.
Many players even run an EQ pedal as an always-on “fixer” to tame bright pickups or smooth out a peaky amp. It’s also a not-so-secret weapon for solo boosts, helping your leads cut above the band with added presence and clarity.
How to Use an Equalizer Pedal in Your Amp’s Effects Loop
If your amp has an effects loop, it’s one of the best places to run an EQ pedal in your chain. Since it shapes your signal after the preamp, you can refine your tone without affecting how your guitar or bass hits the front end. Even a few small tweaks can make rhythm tones tighter, solos more focused, and your entire rig sound more balanced. It’s also a common trick for turning a single-channel tube amp into a two-sound rig: engage the equalizer for a solo boost, and bypass it to return to your normal rhythm tone.
What to Look for in an Equalizer Pedal
Number of Frequency Bands
When you’re hunting for an EQ pedal, the number of frequency bands makes a big difference. A 6-band or 7-band graphic EQ can be great for quick tone shaping using broader, more musical sweeps. A 10-band graphic EQ or a parametric EQ pedal gives you more control when you need to target specific frequencies and make more surgical adjustments.
Does that mean more bands are always better? Not necessarily. Extra bands can be useful for sculpting your sound with granular detail. For broader strokes and quicker on-the-fly tweaks, a simpler equalizer pedal could be the way to go.
Pedal Footprint and Layout
Size is another thing to consider when choosing an EQ pedal. If you usually set your EQ once and leave it, a smaller pedal can free up valuable space on your pedalboard. For players who make frequent tone shifts (and for toe-tweakers adjusting sliders with their bare feet), a larger layout with well-spaced sliders may be easier to use.
Noise Floor and Signal Clarity
Any time you boost frequencies on an EQ pedal, you’re also boosting your noise floor. How much? It varies from pedal to pedal. By and large, higher-end and digital EQ pedals tend to run quieter and are often better shielded against interference. Be sure to dig into reviews (or check with a Sales Engineer) if you’re shopping for a quiet always-on or top-boosting solution. See “Two Incredible Parametric EQ Pedals from Empress” for a closer look at two pedals engineered to stay clean amid extreme signal boosting.
Shopping for Your Next EQ Pedal? Sweetwater’s Here to Help
Looking for an EQ pedal with the features and functionality to refine your tone? Sweetwater’s Sales Engineers are here to help you find the right pedal for your rig. If you have questions about graphic EQs, parametric EQs, or where an equalizer fits in your signal chain, give us a call and we’ll get you set up.
What are the most popular brands for EQ Pedals on Sweetwater.com?
What are the most popular EQ Pedals on Sweetwater.com?
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Boss GE-7 7-band EQ Pedal
5 out of 5 stars 98 reviews
$135.99 -
MXR M108S Ten Band EQ Pedal
4.5 out of 5 stars 130 reviews
$159.99 -
Empress Effects ParaEq MKII Deluxe Parametric Equalizer and Boost Pedal
5 out of 5 stars 54 reviews
$349.00 -
Fishman AFX Pro EQ Mini Acoustic Preamp & EQ
3.5 out of 5 stars 12 reviews
$128.73 -
Walrus Audio EB-10 Preamp/EQ/Boost Pedal - Black
4.5 out of 5 stars 10 reviews
$199.99
Why shop EQ Pedals at Sweetwater.com?
With a massive selection of EQ Pedals, free shipping, a free 2-year warranty, 24/7 access to award-winning support - and more - Sweetwater gives you more than any other retailer! If you have any questions about EQ Pedals, make sure to give your personal Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.
