"My guitar may be out of tune, can you forgive me?" Only if you do a 20 minute episode on tuner pedals.

Today's lesson - "All EQ's are equal, but some EQ's are more equal than others."

A top tip for using an EQ to shape your tone: To avoid noise, rather than boosting certain frequencies, try cutting the alternative frequencies slightly.

I just love how JHS doesn't mind using and praising other brands

EQs are just easy to use. You want a mid boost? Boost mids! Want less bass? Cut bass! You dont know what ya want? Boost random frequencies! Do what you want!

I want a "sometimes guitar needs to sound crappy" shirt

I think many people spend a fortune on pedals looking for the effect a single eq pedal would give them. Thanks for another great vid.

EQs can be a huge asset when you're playing in a live band. If you know how to use it, you can clean up your entire band's sound and make your guitar cut through the mix. In a studio, when the producer is mixing the instruments, they will change the EQ settings of certain instruments to ensure they "stay out of each other's way." This is accomplished by cutting frequencies out of certain instruments, and/or boosting them in others. For instance: If the main frequency of the snare drum sound happens to fall around 500hz, the producer will probably lower that frequency on the other instruments, particularly the guitar. The result is: the snare cuts through at 500hz. Even when the guitar is playing at its absolutely loudest, you can still hear the snare drum. Also, almost any producer will remove the very high end (10-12khz and up) and very low end (sub-100hz) from the guitar, because these aren't really relevant frequencies. They don't contribute to the "tone" of the guitar, they're just hiss and mud, respectively. These cuts clean up the cymbals and the bass. Many more cuts like this can be made, as well as boosts to ranges that are guitar-specific. The result is a cleaner overall sound, in which you can clearly hear every instrument doing its thing and not drowning anything else out. This isn't really something that can be accomplished with a guitar amp's EQ knobs. At most, you're going to have Low, Low-mid, High-mid, and High. Most of the time, the mids will be one knob. These boosts and cuts are way too broad to do any sort of specific cutting/boosting, like you would have in a studio. But, with a decent 7 or 10 band EQ, these cuts/boosts become possible.

I love how honest and true you are about other brands, even though they might be your competition. That's really embracing a mindset of community, and that's amazing. Also, you're doing us a favor for bringing forward some of the more hidden pieces of modern music history, and for that we are thankful. And for all of that I am really thankful. I just wish you sometimes would speak a little bit more about JHS, i thin we all would appreciate that. As always, wishing you all the best, Josh, you deserve it.

Another huge use for an EQ pedal is cleaning up nasty frequencies in different rooms.... gigging in a cave where the bass frequencies just BOOM and being able to notch that out is gold!

In 80s and 90s there was a folk band in then Yugoslavia that completely reshaped music. Their producer and writer was also their bass player. He had very special bass tone, and he got it with insane eq settings. And EVERYONE tried to copy it, buying the same 69 Jazz Bass and Trace Elliot amp with no luck. It was all about that eq he had.

I can’t get over how perfect his personality and presentation is for a pedal based channel. Love JHS

12:35 it says LEL ЭП (Эквалайзер Параметрический - Parametric equalizer) PARAMETRIC EQUALIZER knobs: LEVEL FREQUENCY

Haven't even gotten past the intro yet but just wanna say I always always look forward to a new episode of this delightfulfulness mhmmmmmm

At a party... EQ = the guy people don't understand Compressor = the guy people don't like Fuzz = the one that won't shut up Noise Gate = the one that won't talk

I realize this video is 4 years old but I just discovered EQ pedals and thoroughly appreciate your video. Thanks so much. This was super informative and helpful!

Tip for the lofi! Throw on a tremolo after the EQ and offt 😍

Regarding the Russian pedal, the writing from top to bottom is: Level Frequency Lel’-zp (brand, model name, I’m assuming) Equalizer parametric The sliders are for frequency peaks. The knobs are for boosts or cuts of up to +/-12 dB.

I am still amazed at how many competitors pedals he hypes in his videos. You got class, Josh.

My mxr 10 band EQ is the best pedal I've ever bought. Hands down.

The entire time I was thinking "If only I had presets". Then he showed the eq-20. I am the person who needs it. Thanks.

EQ can turn a normal fuzz into an octave fuzz. I have found that by zeroing out all frequencies on my GE-7 and then boosting a single frequency into a fuzz I can get an octave fuzz.

EQ's are fantastic! Here's a tip: If you flatten out the Eq and then boost the mids just slightly, you'll get a single coil to sound like a P90. No, really, go try it. 🎸🎸🎸

Thank you so much for such a great explanation of EQ and also saving me some real money. My ears first perked up when you were talking about lo-fi pedals and then my mind was blown when you showed how to get the sound I was longing for without a dedicated pedal. Best episode yet on the best pedal channel period!

Cheers for the Mandolin Orange tip! Very redolent of the Welch / Rawlings vibe. Love it!

I have a 10 band and a 6 band eq (both MXR) right next to each other in my signal chain. Together, they both allow me to tweak my sound in great depth. I highly recommend it.

This made me pull out my old GE-7. After I watch your videos I end up adding and subtracting things from my board. Thanks for making me keep things fresh!

Just got a GE-7 and absolutely love it! Can't believe how much better it makes my rig sound. And I've only just begun playing around with the levels

thanks, as always. (plus, if I may add, the absolute _class_ and beauty of -Jason- Joshua always praising "competitor" pedals... just _beautiful_ .)

Because of your gear shopping Vlog a few months back, I got myself a Source Audio Programmable EQ. Love it. Took it to a gig that I thought was a simple overdub on one song, but it changed into 3 songs. Very different. I brought two guitars but only one Tweed amp. Now I can get different sounds from it in front of a mic, but having the EQ meant it sounded like different amps. I got rehired. Having a good EQ pedal got me paid, yo.

I loved this episode! Here's another great use for the GE-7 or something similar - you can use it to clear boost an instrument that would normally get a lot of feedback turning up the amp volume! I have an acoustic electric that would always get feedback when I faced the amp. Now I have the same volume and no feedback. On GE7 I put the first two sliders down one notch and the 3.2k notch up one, then turn the master slider up to 75%. On amp I just keep a clean signal, and voila! way louder. Also you can often "eq" out the frequencies that are causing the feedback and still have a decent tone.

I bought a GE-7 a couple of weeks ago and it totally sorted out the nuances in my tone with subtle tweaks. I place it after all other pedals (overdrive, fuzz, delay, chorus, flanger, reverb) because quite often I have most of it on. And the GE-7 is here to be on constantly.

Awesome that he shouted out the fish and chips. That's a great little EQ.

EQ pedals are *AMAZING* Favorite uses: -On a bypass loop after a comp for cleans. I do this with a Gibson 335 into a Laney AOR 50 to cut mids and boost bass/treble. It's amazing. -After a fuzz. Holy shit -On any bypass loop after an odd pedal in the preamp -Normal pedals too -As a lead boost -In your amps FX loop to get different sounds recording I collect EQ pedals mainly to juice up my board any time I add a new bypass loop. It's addicting.

You pack a lot of helpful info in your vids and I/we very much appreciate that.✌🏼

How can be you so candid and still so much in love with these pedals not one from JHS itself? Well, I just bought a Behringer EQ700 and added the top of my rest 12 pedal Behringer arsenal. It is giving me great results with vintage delay VD400 following it. I am a budget player from India and do not earn musically. Good information shared, I am still hungry for a bit more. Keep on that good work coming.

Keep it up Mr JHS! Hugs from Argentina 🇦🇷

Some very nice tricks I didn't thought after 20 years of playing guitar ;) Thank you so much for this :)

well I had an 80s MIJ GE-7 arrive in the mail today so this is a perfectly timed video. Thanks Josh!

One of my favorite bands with that bluegrass-inspired sound, including beautiful harmonies, great songs, and on-point, tasteful musicianship, is Lula Wiles. Both their albums - their self-titled debut, and "What Will We Do," which came out in January, are tight. It's a three-piece, and all three of them sing and write songs. Definitely recommended if you are a fan of that sound.

I just bought a GE-7, so this is just right up my alley

Eq pedals can be great ,however I've seen more people screw up their sound more than anything because they go to really radical settings. Great video, cheers!

I love your vids, and I really admire how open you are about all pedal brands and not just the ones you manufacture 👏

I LOVE ALL of Josh's record/s picks. THANK YOU.

Josh, I mean this with all the sincerity I can muster. Every single time I watch your videos I feel slightly cheated that I can’t apply your musical insight to university credits because, brutha, I’d have a PHD by now. Love your videos. It would be so fun to hang and talk shop. One day I hope. This is one proud subscriber saying PLEASE don’t ever stop making these vids.

Love your knowledge on pedals man. Best in the business.

Excellent 101 lesson, made me rethink about the boss eq , thank you

I just want to thank you josh for taking the time to do these videos. The helped me bigtime, and I think they will be part of the historical record of these products. good job bro, rock on!

Thanks for this blog! Love your attitude!

Growing up as a bass player primarily, a graphic eq was really integral in my understanding of tone. Thanks to old peavey bass heads.

This was truly a very interesting topic .I have never thought about using eq like this

It's so awesome that you use and explain pedals from all different brands

Takes me back to a decade ago when I bought that Behringer EQ to make get an AM radio sound. also... You should do a round-up of your favorite plastic shell pedals. I nominate the Rocktek Distortion.

Sarah Jarosz - Over The Edge. Best lap steel tone ever. Plus she's playing an Octave mandolin!

i could listen to you talking about gear for days

Thank you so much. After watching this i remembered that 15 years ago i bought a Danelectro Fish and chips EQ that i had completely forgotten about after moving a couple of times. Well i found it practically new in its box in a drawer and with your guidance i'm going to spend the rest of the week experimenting. Can't think of something more fun than getting a new pedal Without spending a dime !

More EQ examples!!! I've done a couple of those tricks but got new ones! Definitely will try the LO-FI thing 🤘🏻

Yes you are correct I'm the guy who needed a Boss eq20. Thank you this video helped me make up my mind, I love this pedal.

I inherited a DOD FX40-B for my rig and had no idea what to do with it until this. Your videos are so awesome and informative. Keep it up!

Thanks to this video, I just got myself an eq pedal (MXR 10) and am very glad I did!

Things I learned today: I am an EQ pedal. Sitting in the corner at a party.

Love my J.Rockett Rockaway Archer! Turn down the gain and it is an amazing e.q...turn up the gain and take the “klonish” drive wherever you want with the eq. More power, less space...mo betta!

I love this episode cause its sooo true. I have a decent sized board, not huge, but 12 pedals all together and that includes a volume and a tuner. I have a boss eq-200 on my board before my dirt section and i love using it to shape my overdrives and having a preset that is a simple clean boost. Love it!!

I bought the JHS modded GE-7 FOREVER ago and it is essential to my rig. It made my tone so much better and added a ton more clarity

Old and In The Way & Uncle Tupelo “No Depression”, 2 bands I love

I like your videos, you really know what you're talking about.. I am also a gear fan... Wish I had your knowledge..

snap, best pedal buying advice I've ever heard. I put a cheap 7band eq onto my office floor, and it took my little modeling amp from "yeah, I guess that's an 80's marshall' and turned it into "hell yeah, that's what they were playing"! It pushed the tube pre-amp into a really believable tube drive!

this show is so amazingly good, from production to info to personality.

Thanks Josh for the kind words and featuring the Massive FX Pedals G.O.A.F. We might just have to use your tag line "Greatest of All Fuzz!" Love the video series, Keep making great pedals and Rocking! Thanks

Greetings from the Philippines sir JHS

Dude, I really REALLY love watching you me stuff man.. I know nothing about pedals, but am having fun learning. And you crack me up.. every video is rad.. thank you man.

I have been using the Mesa Five-Band in my loop for years. The tone in my amp bloomed to an amazing degree. Super quiet and sounds like a part of the amp and not an add on pedal.

Slayer used these to push their JCM 800s into high gain.

*An eq is an eq to some extent. Dang you blew my guitar mind!*

Years ago I was gonna get an EQ and there are a lot of ways to make effects like fuzz go to another level. Good video. Really an EQ could make any budget rig sound better than than the big bucks rig without an EQ.

Absolutely, 100% accurate IMO. Thank you for this great video. It is no coincidence that the great Mesa mark and JP amps have it built in. In my case, I started using the 6 band graphic MXR eq, as the last pedal in my loop to shape the tone (not so much volume but kind of same effect). I can't imagine ever going out to play/record without it.

that “knobs” homage at 11:47 ..... well done

My first pedal was that same Arion parametric EQ. I was 11 years old and knew what a graphic EQ was, but that thing confused me. Looking back I think I used it as a boost in front of my little Washburn distortion pedal that then went into my Peavey keyboard amp. My grandfather was a musician of some renown. He played Texas swing, early rock n' roll, and bluegrass. Mandolin, guitar, steel guitar, piano, upright and electric bass, and who knows what else. He was a very talented man and I miss him so much. I still feel close to him when I listen to his old records.

I'd forgotten how much fun I used to have with an EQ in the extreme settings, setting the first slider full down, second full up, etc. Def going to play with that again.

I have started using an eq pedal as a boost instead of my trusty 80s Tube screamer. I can get exactly the tone I want while pushing my amp into breakup. Being able to taylor it to a different amp/cab or room is awesome all thanks to this video. Thanks Josh

Totally agree on your interpretation of the real meaning of G.O.A.F. Easily my favorite fuzz in my collection.

I didn't think I needed an EQ. After I bought one, it blew my mind. Changed my amp and sound. Now it's always on

BEIN' A PEDAL FREAK FOR AT LEAST 30 YEARS, I CAN EASILY SAY THAT , THIS IS THE BEST VIDEO I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THE INTERNET....SO EDUCATIONAL, SO FUNCTIONAL...THANKYEW, THANKYEW, THANKYEW....I JUST LOVED IT....

I don’t usually comment, but this episode was amazing. Like an entire episode of TPS in 15 mins. So many great tips.

“Sometimes guitars need to really sound crappy.” That really needs to be your next limited t-shirt.

This channel puts most guitar nerd channels to shame! I love it!

My ( 2 ) favorite EQ Pedals are the Tech 21 Q-Strip and the Source Audio Programable EQ Pedal. The Free the Tone EQ ( with 4 presets ) also looks great. Really Love em for Acoustic Guitars too.

I've always loved EQ! I use an EQ with a Pitchfork to help emulate bass a little more accurately for looping.

Holy wow, that octave fuzz sounds amazing, and I'm not even that keen on them

I like to use the GE-7 as a volume reducer for my loud amps. This lets me keep my tones, without the neighbors complaining. Basically, just leave the eq flat, and drop the level slider (opposite setting of the first setting demonstrated).

Over the past year or so, I kept thinking "I don't really need an additional eq to fine tune my sound beyond the knobs on the guitar/amp or pedals between, do I?" and then I watch this and realize how versatile and beneficial it can be to have one, and use it in a variety of ways (that end of the chain 2nd amp idea!) or to better understand how I can tailor tone. Next on my list of "Pedals I should have that will find a ton of use": EQ. Thanks, Joshua!

Alright, you've earned my sub. Been watching some of your videos for a while now. Very informative, lots of useful information, and you're a good host as well. Thank you for the helpful contributions

i like the mxr 10 band you can get them pretty regularly for 75ish bucks and the faders light up and it has a few more bands than the boss one

THIS. I teach workshops on eq use. This is where every guitarist should start with pedals in my opinion.

Another excellent video! It’s like a lecture! You go away wanting to explore your gear in fine detail to get the most out of it!

the section about creating another chan on your amp is so true. boogie has done this for years. having a switchable eq can, in essence, create a second(or third) channel on your amp. I would use it as the boost for my leads in my old boogie or, much like what you said about the fender/AC15 tone, try to make the boogie a little more marshall like. great vid as always Josh

Somebody needs to put a Furman PQ-3 into a pedal format. I’ve always used eq pedals and rack eqs for bass and guitar, the difference they make is incredible. I’ve never understood why so many guitarists ignore them. One of my faves in the BOSS GE-6.

Check out a Canadian band called the Duhks. They have bluegrass instrumentation with some interesting blends of styles with a bluegrass foundation. Their first album had traditional French Canadian bluegrass/folk tunes. Also check out the band Rail Road Earth.

Always love the willingness to use non-JHS pedals in demos, for the sake of the message

Yeah Josh...great stuff! Opened up a whole new universe of sounds and possibilities...Thanks