What is the most useless guitar effect pedal you ever had your hands on?

It would have to be my BOSS DS-1, as it's the only pedal that I've bought and then almost immediately returned. I wanted it for switching between clean and dirty tones, as the Vox amp I had at the time didn't have switchable channels, but the dirt tone was utter crap. In hindsight, with a little experimenting I might've been able to make good use of it, but I was just too impatient.
 
It would have to be my BOSS DS-1, as it's the only pedal that I've bought and then almost immediately returned. I wanted it for switching between clean and dirty tones, as the Vox amp I had at the time didn't have switchable channels, but the dirt tone was utter crap. In hindsight, with a little experimenting I might've been able to make good use of it, but I was just too impatient.

I love the DS-1. It's still one of the best distortion pedals on the market. Bear with me, I've used it live and been complemented on my tone... Until I told them I was running a DS-1 into a clean channel on the Marshall JCM I borrowed. It cuts like nothing else, and at high volumes that tone is glorious.

It really only has one useful setting - level to taste, tone 10 o'clock and dist at just before 3 o'clock. Goose it with an SD-1 (by that I mean SMASH IT) - it's not useful on its own, and ideally also a compressor in front. Lower output pickups work better, with EMG's it's going to overload and sound more like a fuzz.

If you find a setup which works more like an amp than that when you roll down your guitar volume knob, let me know.

The MT-2 Metal Zone is similarly good - but it's tricky to set. Most sensitive EQ setting of any pedal. Set distortion very low and smash it with an OD-pedal in front.

This setting is good for the MT-2: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zxcDiGcNRVRvtJi8e2BnGK-1200-80.jpg.webp

Most useless effect for me? I'm not fond of analog delays. Most effects have some musical use, but for me I want a crystal clear delay like a Boss DD-3.
 
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I love the DS-1. It's still one of the best distortion pedals on the market. Bear with me, I've used it live and been complemented on my tone... Until I told them I was running a DS-1 into a clean channel on the Marshall JCM I borrowed. It cuts like nothing else, and at high volumes that tone is glorious.

It really only has one useful setting - level to taste, tone 10 o'clock and dist at just before 3 o'clock. Goose it with an SD-1 (by that I mean SMASH IT) - it's not useful on its own, and ideally also a compressor in front. Lower output pickups work better, with EMG's it's going to overload and sound more like a fuzz.

If you find a setup which works more like an amp than that when you roll down your guitar volume knob, let me know.

The MT-2 Metal Zone is similarly good - but it's tricky to set. Most sensitive EQ setting of any pedal. Set distortion very low and smash it with an OD-pedal in front.

This setting is good for the MT-2: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zxcDiGcNRVRvtJi8e2BnGK-1200-80.jpg.webp

Most useless effect for me? I'm not fond of analog delays. Most effects have some musical use, but for me I want a crystal clear delay like a Boss DD-3.
I'm about to get me the Pathos Abasi high gain Distortion pedal soon. Ever tested that one?
 
Compression (Boss). I have never figured out what it was for. I am not too much of an "effect" kind of guitarist anyway. ;)
 
I'm about to get me the Pathos Abasi high gain Distortion pedal soon. Ever tested that one?

No.

Compression (Boss). I have never figured out what it was for. I am not too much of an "effect" kind of guitarist anyway. ;)

The Boss CS-3 is awesome. Compression makes everything smoother and less spikey. If you play distorted you get this smoother feel, right? Well with a compressor you can add that to your cleans without the distortion.

It's also good on distorted guitar, because you don't need as much distortion to achieve the right amount of compression. A lot of the time when we turn up the distortion, it's because we want more compression.

To make a guitar sit well in a mix, a compressor is a must. Sound guy will thank you.
 
Most useless effect for me? I'm not fond of analog delays. Most effects have some musical use, but for me I want a crystal clear delay like a Boss DD-3.

EVH used an analog delay, at least in the early days, therefore it must be good. :)
I’ve heard that analog delays behave better in front of the amp after distortion than digital ones.
 
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