Who is this best suited for: The Mini Ego is a great choice for guitarists looking to gain more control over their dynamics. This pedal isn’t complex like some other compressors, so it’s suitable for beginners and those who don’t have much experience with compression. If you want your sound to be more unique, then you might want to consider getting a pedalboard with different effects and pedals like distortion, delay, reverb, etc. These awesome circus-themed stompboxes come in at a truly micro-size, allowing them to be squeezed onto even the tightest of pedalboards. Also, don't forget about your power supply. The power unit needs to go somewhere, and whether that's underneath or on top next to your pedals, remember to account for the space it will take up. What style of carry case is best?

If you already have several bulky stompboxes taking up the majority of the space available on your pedalboard, opting for mini guitar pedals is a great way to increase the possibilities you have at your disposal without needing to upgrade to a larger board or sacrifice any of your other effects.

Find out more about how we make our recommendations and how we test each of the products in our buyer's guides. Related buyer's guides Many mini guitar pedals can also be powered using a 9V battery, but you should avoid relying on them too much as there’s always the risk that they will run flat at a vital moment in a performance or recording take. Mini guitar pedals work exactly the same as their bigger siblings, they just use smaller components to keep the footprint small. A mini-pedal will have the exact same effect on your tone as the larger version, and in our experiments, we’ve yet to find a mini-pedal that sounds any different from the full-size version. Can I make a mini guitar pedalboard? Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

If your pedal selection is currently modest, you may decide that it’s not worth investing in a PSU to supply power to all of your pedals. On the other hand, if you’re amassing a substantial collection of pedals, I’d highly recommend using a power supply unit with them. Who is this best suited for: I’d highly recommend the Tube Screamer Mini to guitarists who play a Fender Strat. For some reason, this pedal works incredibly well with the iconic solid-body guitar. It’s also a great choice for those who need the extra drive to push their tube amp into saturation.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. You’ll likely find that the best mini pedals for guitarists excel at one thing, but might not be a do-it-all pedal like some bigger ones. This makes sense logically, as there’s less room for circuitry. But if you want a pedal that gives you an overdriven/delayed/chorus sound etc and nothing else, then that’s not a worry. It’s only if you want a few different things from a single pedal that might make you feel limited.

Apart from the functionality benefits, there’s little else to separate a full-size pedal from its miniature equivalent. In fact, a lot of guitarists bemoan the fact the companies don’t make smaller form pedals, as they’re typically cheaper, and of course, they have the benefit of taking up less space, which means more pedals! Do mini-guitar pedals affect my tone? A key aspect of the Plexi Drive Mini is its two preset switches, situated on either side of the central ‘Tone’ control. These switches allow you to instantly cut some of the bass or mid frequencies, which in turn highlights the remaining frequency bands much like an EQ pedal would. Absolutely. Many guitarists utilize a mini-pedalboard for traveling or home use, as it allows you to emulate your full-size rig without taking up as much room. Some guitarists like to have a separate mini-pedalboard they can practice or record at home with, as it offers a lot of benefits in terms of usability without having to compromise on tone. Are there any cheap mini-guitar pedals? A pedalboard is a musician’s effects and electronics interface that can be used with guitars, basses, synthesizers, and drum machines. The idea behind the board is to create a set of pedals that can be easily toggled on and off by the player performing live. #2. DIY Upcycled PedalboardFirst and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best pedalboard on the market right now. Who is this best suited for: The EP Booster by Xotic is a highly useful tool for any guitarist looking to ensure that their instrument is always at the required volume. This mini pedal is one of the most versatile stompboxes I’ve come across, and I believe that all guitarists would benefit from acquiring it. Get to grips with Impulse Response Guitar Pedals and Cab Simulators in our guide to IR effects - including the best IR Pedals and Cab Sims you can play today If you’re relatively new to the world of effects pedals, the terms ‘buffered’ and ‘true bypass’ may initially seem confusing. Who is this best suited for Phase 95 is the perfect addition to any guitarist’s pedalboard if they’re looking for a compact phaser pedal. It sounds incredible and leaves plenty of room for customization depending on your requirements.