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John Mayer is a reference for many guitarists, not only for his playing but also for its tone, no wonder guitarists are looking to mimic John Mayer pedalboard. But what pedals does John Mayer have on his pedalboard? Today, we will look at all of the pedals that he uses, and see how you can also sound just like John Mayer.
John Mayer’s pedalboard overview
Tuner pedals
John Mayer’s favorite tuner is still the PolyTune. It seems that he uses the Polytune to tune its electric guitar, and uses a Boss TU-3 for its acoustic guitar. Both of them are excellent tuners and you will not have a problem with any of them. There is certainly a reason why he uses both, but honestly, it is difficult to say exactly what is the reason.
Distortion and overdrive pedals
This is where there are lots of choices. He flicks between some pedals depending on the song, and the specific tone he wants to get.
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer
The Ibanez Tube Screamer has always been one of John’s favorite pedals. In particular the TS10 model. This has been one of the easiest ways to mimic his tone, it will certainly continue to be. It is an extremely reliable pedal, that allows him to use it in different songs, and depending on the tone, it is also very versatile.
Klon Centaur
The Klon Centaur is an iconic vintage overdrive pedal that is a must-have for many die-hard guitarists. The problem is obviously the price of the vintage ones or the quality of the clones that try to replicate its famous tone.
JHS Prestige Boost
Next, we have the JHS Prestige Boost, which is a very small enhancer with a great tone. It is perfect to get that extra bright and pristine tone when the volume is low, and it has a great boost overdrive tone when you increase the volume. It has only one volume knob but it can drastically change the tone of your guitar.
Xotic Super Clean
Lastly, we have the Xotic Super Clean, which is a lovely clean tone booster that acts as a buffer. Just like the JHS Prestige boost is a simple pedal that can drastically change your tone. Xotic is known for its high-quality pedals like the iconic Xotic BB Preamp. With the Xotic Super Clean, you can select what frequencies you want to boost. If you are using a lot of pedals, this can be a great addition to your pedalboard.
29 Pedals EUNA
The 29 Pedals EUNA is probably the only pedal on this list that is unknown to many of the die-hard John Mayer fans. It is a boutique pedal made by Believable Audio that replaces traditional buffers, that maintains your guitar signal in a large effects loop.
John Mayer pedalboard delays
Way Huge Aqua-Puss
The Way Huge Aqua-Puss is an incredibly simple delay pedal that has a tone of different tones. It is very versatile, and you can really get some very interesting sounds out of it. It has been on John Mayer pedalboard for a few years now, but since then John has included a new delay pedal.
Providence DLY-4 Chrono Delay
The Providence DLY-4 is John Mayer’s favorite delay pedal, and in fact, is one of the best delay pedals out there. Especially because it allows you to control so many aspects of the delay, such as echo hardness, and feedback as well as how you want to split the beats.
John Mayer’s favorite phaser: MXR Phase 90
The MXR Phase 90 is an iconic phaser that is in many pedalboards of well-known guitarists. Known as the #1 phaser pedal used by Eddie Van Halen, it is still widely used today, and indisputably one of the best phaser pedals available.
Boss OC-3
The Boss OC-3 has remained on John Mayer’s pedalboard for many years. In fact, this is his favorite octave pedal and there is a good reason for that. It is one of the most reliable and useful octave pedals. Since John does not rely heavily on complex octave sounds, this is perfect for the road and the studio.
John Mayer pedalboard: wah-wah
Xotic Effects XW-1
For a few years, the Xotic XW-1 has been on the John Mayer pedalboard. It is by far its favorite wah-wah pedal. It has a great tone, and it is very versatile. Especially when we compare it with other well-known wah-wah pedals like the Cry Baby.
Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron+
The Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron+ is one of the most interesting pedals on John Mayer’s pedalboard. Because is extremely versatile, and you can get so many sounds and tones out of it. This is a great addition to anyone looking for a pedal with funky tones that can drastically change your sound.
Strymon Flint Reverb & Tremolo
The Strymon Flint Reverb & Tremolo is John Mayer’s favorite reverb and tremolo pedal. It is extremely versatile and allows you to control very precisely the kind of tremolo and reverb you want. It is one of the best pedals in its class. It allows you to choose the style of reverb you want: 60s, 70s, or 80s. You can also choose the type of tremolo you want to use.
I have been playing guitar for the past 15 years, and my knowledge and passion for guitars prompted me to start Guitaresque to share my knowledge, tips, and tricks with other guitar players. The sole purpose of this website is to help and inspire guitar players worldwide, to improve their playing and their love for guitars.
