Best creative guitar pedals: Get your creative juices flowing

Experimenting with creative guitar pedals is the perfect thing to do if you’re stuck in a rut. Playing around with some new gear is just what you need to create a spark! There are some pedals out there that can do some amazingly esoteric things – and sound great doing it.

We’ve already gone over some of the best guitar multi-effects. So, if you’re looking for a new guitar pedal to get you inspired, here are some of the best creative guitar pedals to explore!

Best harmonizer creative guitar pedal: Eventide H9 MAX

Make no mistake, the H9 might be the most powerful economically sized guitar processor available. It includes the company’s respected harmonizer and a number of superb guitar effects like chorus, delay, echo, tremolo, and reverb.

The gargantuan options can be dialed in via the pedal’s simple one knob interface, or through the H9 Control software editor that can be used on PC, Mac, or iOS devices. Bluetooth connectivity so you can use it live.

It has robust stereo I/O for audio and MIDI and expression pedal input. It comes in three versions – standard, CORE, and Max.

Best creative guitar pedal multi-effect: Line 6 Helix HX Stomp

The Helix line offers a lot of different models, and the HX Stomp is the perfect balance of features and affordable price. And even though it’s small it packs quite a punch.

It comes with multiple amp and cabinet simulations from some of the best in the business. The library of effects is what you’d expect, with Line 6 pulling sounds from their line of popular 4-Series. All of this runs at 24-bit/96kHz audio quality.

When it comes to a creative guitar pedal mult-ieffect that works for guitar and bass, this is one of the best options. The wealth of sounds, flexible I/O, and range of editing options make this a complete creative workstation.

Best creative guitar pedals to play other instruments: Electro-Harmonix 9 Series

If it isn’t clear, Electro-Harmonix is at the forefront of the innovation of creative guitar pedals. Their 9 Series is an diverse line that puts the sounds of Mellotrons, basses, synthesizers, keyboards, and organs directly into your guitar rig without needing any special pickups or additional gear.

Each model comes with four simple controls and a mode selector. There are two volume knobs over dry and wet level, as well as dual controls over the selected setting. There are mono in with effect and dry outputs.

Best pitch shifter creative guitar pedal: DigiTech Whammy

The Whammy was one of the trailblazers when it comes to creative guitar pedals. This fifth iteration combines the best of all models to make it one of the best pitch shifter pedals. The feature set is rich, with a wealth of whammy, harmony, and detune settings that run in Classic (monophonic) or the polyphonic Chords mode.

Other new features include single note bends, chordal pitch shifting, dive bombs, and true bypass switching. MIDI compatibility lets you integrate with any MIDI-capable device to send/receive pitch-bend information.

The Whammy DT is an even more feature-rich model, including DigiTech’s DropTune pedal as well.

Best synthesizer creative guitar pedal: BOSS SY-1 Synthesizer

It’s now possible to fit an arsenal of synthesizers onto your pedalboard. Organs, pads, basses, and more are available over 121 sounds across 11 categories. Choose the type of synth sound with the rotary selector and select between 11 variations.

Dual concentric controls set depth and tone/rate as well as dry and wet signal levels. High-quality DSP ensures the most realistic sounds. It tracks perfectly as well, providing a latency-free experience.

It creates interesting routing scenarios, as it has an interior effects loop. The send is also a direct out. The external control can be used with tap tempo or octave shifting, or an expression pedal can provide continuous control over rate and depth.

Best accompaniment creative guitar pedal: DigiTech Trio+ Band Creator

This is a great songwriting tool. It will actually listen to the guitar signal and auto-create a bassline and drum pattern! You can select between 12 song genres and styles. The onboard looper stores sequences.

It’s got an effects loop and external control. There are mix controls for drums, bass, and loop levels, and 5 loops can be stacked for some serious sound-on-sound!

Best reverb creative guitar pedal: Earthquaker Devices Afterneath

It might be one of the oldest effects, but you can get really creative with reverb. The Afterneath is designed to be what other reverbs wish they could do. It’s ambient, creative, and offers a sophisticated control scheme, which gives you so many sound options.

The 6-knob control set will take some playing with. But that’s the fun part! The dry signal path is analog, while the effect signal path is digital. This gives you the best of both worlds. You can choose between tails or no tails.

It’s made by one of the most respected boutique companies, and is designed to be big, bold, and unique. Step into the Afterneath. You won’t be sorry.

Best delay creative guitar pedal: Pigtronix Echolution 3

Delay is inherently a creative guitar effect. Multiple sounds are available in the Echolution 3, including standard, reverse, ping pong, and jump. A tempo-sync modulation control lets you add movement to any setting.

Three buttons let you dial in different subdivisions, and you can get even more in sync with the tap tempo. A secondary delay lets you create all kinds of rhythmic movement – a must for a delay designed for the creative.

The Golden setting uses the “golden ratio” of .382 as the multiplier for the second delay. And things get even more wild when you set it to ping pong, which creates different delay taps on either side of the stereo field.

You can store up to four presets, so if create something uniquely complex you don’t have to worry about losing it. By using the Universal Remote footswitch you can unlock all kinds of hidden features.

Best octave generator creative guitar pedal: Electro-Harmonix XO Micro POG

As far as creative guitar pedals go, this one might be the most familiar. With just an octave up, down, and dry blend control you can get some seriously gnarly sounds. Thicken up your sound, make your six-string sound like a 12-string.

It tracks extremely well and works flawlessly with chords and single notes. It’s a simple pedal with a lot of utility. And you’ll see them on professional pedalboards the world over. It also comes in a much more elaborate version – the POG 2.

Best creative pedal for drop tuning: DigiTech Drop

With up to an octave of drop-tuning via semi-tones you’ll never have to lug extra guitars around again. And you can use it in real-time, meaning you can use it to accent parts. The Drop is a polyphonic downward pitch shifter with multiple modes.

A switch selects between a full octave down – with or without the dry signal. The footswitch can be set to latching or momentary operation.

Best EQ creative guitar pedal: Source Audio Programmable EQ2

Offering a step forward in what pedal equalizers can do, this pedal from Source Audio features state-of-the-art digital signal processing. It has seven frequency bands, each offering 18dB of cut/boost across four presets.

This means there are a total of 28 bands that can easily be recalled with the footswitch on the pedal or with MIDI integration. And with 12dB of gain boost you can use it to drive your amp or boost your signal for lead parts.

The Octave Extend function means you can even use it with bass guitar.

What to look for in a creative guitar pedal

Versatility

The best creative guitar pedals offer a wide range of tones. Look for intuitive controls like knobs and switches that make you want to experiment.

Dynamic range and responsiveness

A creative guitar pedal shouldn’t feel static. It should respond to your playing. Look for pedals that play with picking dynamics, note decay, or input signal in a way that changes the texture organically.

Character

A sterile pedal might sound “good,” but creative players gravitate toward imperfections. Analog noise, digital grain, clocking artifacts. These textures set your tone apart. Don’t chase hi-fi clarity at the expense of lo-fi weirdness.

FAQ

What are creative guitar pedals?

Creative guitar pedals are effects that go beyond “standard” effects to produce unique and experimental sounds. They let guitar and bass players design sounds not available on most pedals.

What 5 pedals should every guitarist have?

This is subjective, but a good overdrive or distortion, delay, EQ, modulation, and reverb is a great starting point.

Who makes the best guitar pedals?

There are so many terrific manufacturers. BOSS, Electro-Harmonix, MXR, Ibanez are great choices. And if you’re going the boutique route, JHS, Wampler, Earthquaker Devices, and Strymon all make stellar products.

Do beginner guitarists need pedals?

Need? No. But they allow you to experiment with new sounds and styles.

Is there a guitar pedal that does everything?

If you’re looking for a guitar pedal that offers as many options as possible, a multi-effect is the best fit. No pedal does everything, but modern multi-effects offer amp and cabinet simulations, a lot of effects, and multiple I/O options.