Before you stomp
Before getting into pedals, I should
point out that an appropriate amp and
guitar will be needed. Nothing fancy of
course, just a basic rig capable of gen-
erating a good clean tone and faithfully
reproducing effects. Amps should have
enough headroom to get loud with-
out breaking up too much, and guitars
should be equipped with clear sounding,
lower output pickups. Fender-style sin-
gle coils are popular for their ability to
get that choppy “skank” rhythm sound,
but plenty of reggae and dub guitarists
prefer humbucker-equipped Les Paul-
style guitars or hollow-bodies.
Delay
When listening to a dub mix, it’s of-
ten the delay effects that stand out
most prominently. Snare hits and guitar
chords seem to echo into infinity, reach-
ing the apex of self-oscillation b