# Looking for a guitar effects pedal
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 10, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702 "2010-12-10T21:09:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702/1 "2010-12-10T21:09:42Z")
Not sure if this should be in GQ or here, but I guess it can be moved as required!
Anyway, I used to own a Boss DD-20, and one of the functions that I found quite useful when playing live with limited musicians was the record function, that allowed you to play and layer several bars of music in real time. It would repeat indefinitely, so you could play a short phrase on a guitar, then move onto a different instrument and still have it play. Shutting it off for choruses and other sections was easy by just adding a tuning pedal that shut off the sound. I kind of miss being able to do this now, but the DD-20 is very expensive, and it has a lot of delay types I just didn’t use at all.
Is there a compact pedal that does just this as I have described? Not a clue what I should google for.
---
### Author:  [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702/2 "2010-12-10T23:04:16Z")
Help, I’m sure, is on the way. It sounds like you’re after some looping effects pedals. The best seller these days is the [Jam Man](http://www.digitech.com/products/Pedals/JamMan.php), but I don’t know if that’s too expensive for you as well.
---
### Author:  [@Saganist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saganist)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702/3 "2010-12-11T00:00:33Z")
I have a Boss RC-2 but I think it’s beat in specifications by the Jam Man (with memory card expansion capabilities). It is the cheapest one though and you should check it out if you aren’t looking for more than basic functionality.
---
### Author:  [@Fake\_Tales\_of\_San\_Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fake_Tales_of_San_Francisco)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702/4 "2010-12-11T00:22:45Z")
Ahh, the RC-2 seems to do everything I initially thought I’d need it to. Although the possibilities the Jamman provides are tempting, I’ve fallen into the trap of getting expensive toys like that before. Yeah, I know it’s not really a toy, but sometimes it feels like that.
Is there anything even more basic than the RC-2? It seems to have drum loops on it too, which is something I really don’t need. I just don’t like the idea of paying for functionality I’m not going to use. Though now I know to search for ‘looper’ it looks like the best value one out there.
---
### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-guitar-effects-pedal/563702/5 "2010-12-11T23:19:46Z")
I have a Boss RC-50 and it is awesome! However it seems it’s way too much for what you need.