If you had to choose a very basic pedal set up,

Flanging_Fred

I stripped my gig board back to the minimum I could get away with and ended up with:

Tuner
dirt + a boost (either a twin pedal or as two separate pedals)
delay

Thats gets me through a gig with the basics covered.

 I generally prefer to a have a wider palette of tones available but I think it’s good practice to strip back once in while to see if you can manage your set without all the bells and whistles.

SquireJapan

Two different types of drive (maybe a distortion and an OD). Some delay - DD3, to give a bit of something). 

I’ve found SD1, into Blues Driver, into DD3 is very very flexible. 

One can be a boost. 

Blueingreen

In olden times I played for a long time with a single Boss Chorus pedal into a master volume amp with reverb.

More recently I've played a number of gigs with just a Flyrig 5.  I'm currently using an HXFX for a bit more flexibility but it would be no real hardship to go back the FR5.

jellybelly

Basic = 3 pedals I'd say

- Drive (whatever works for your style, but probably a Rat for widest range)
- Delay
- Zoom Multistomp

The drive and delay cover 80%+ of all actual recorded guitar tones and effects, the zoom clears up everything else. It's got great boosts, some good drives and compressors, some really good modulation sounds, decent delays and a smattering of weird stuff like lofi takes on Strymon and Eventide effects, or reverse reverb. Plus the tuner is great. 

A true bypass loop for it is handy as it lets you cycle through presets easily with the pedals footswitch. 

All that said, a HX Effects or a Boss multi would also take you far. I love my HX...

robgilmo

I see delay gets a popular mention, gassing for delay now.

My basic set up is Overdrive - Distortion - Chorus. amp has tremolo and reverb. I found overdrive into distortion to make some nice noises.

fretfinder

robgilmo said:

Without naming brand names, just type, what would it be?

Someone's probably said this already but I couldn’t be bothered to read all the comments… It’s impossible to answer without knowing what type of music will be played through your very basic pedal setup.

fretmeister

Guitar: Tuner, Phaser, Drive, Delay

Bass: Tuner, drive, compressor, HPF

Lestratcaster

I'm very simple when I play live, all I need is a tuner and noisegate mainly. And a form of boost.

CaseOfAce

My pedal philosophy for gigging these days roughly aligns with that of the late Rick Parfitt of Status Quo:

"I have three pedals; one makes everything louder, one makes everything twinkly, and one turns everything off. It’s not rocket science."

ElectricXII

For me - tuner, OD, boost, delay. If I didn't have to cover faux organ sounds in our band, for which I use a compressor, EHX C9 and a Mini Vent II, I'd happily just gig with the four pedals I mentioned first. 

I could probably even get away without the boost, as I always play with the guitar volumes on 7 or 8 for rhythm, leaving a bit in the tank for lead stuff.

I'm surprised how many people list Chorus as a must have, by the way.

ICBM

ElectricXII said:

I'm surprised how many people list Chorus as a must have, by the way.

The 80s are back in fashion...

robgilmo

ICBM said:

ElectricXII said:

I'm surprised how many people list Chorus as a must have, by the way.

The 80s are back in fashion...

But if you only have it set on one its like, one tenth of the 80's, so that puts it firmly in the Edwardian period, 

TTBZ

Assuming the amp has a decent drive channel then tuner in front, lead boost and a tape-sounding delay in the FX loop. If not then MIAB, lead boost, delay and a clip on tuner I suppose.

My old rock cover band setup was just wah and tuner in front of the amp with an EQ in the loop for solos. Did the job more than adequately! I do like a delay to fill out leads now though.

Littlejonny

For most of what I do:

OD > tremolo > reverb

for my main band:

wah > OD > tremolo > delay > reverb

Am I the only one who absolutely needs tremolo to be happy?

Dominic

Klon and a Strymon Deco

ElectricXII

ICBM said:

ElectricXII said:

I'm surprised how many people list Chorus as a must have, by the way.

The 80s are back in fashion...

Sad isn't it? I bought a Mooer Ensemble KIng on here a few weeks ago for our covers band, but I'm not even going to put it on my board.

Fez

Tuner, Drive, Boost if playing a Strat SSS a compressor is useful.

ElectricXII

Littlejonny said:

Am I the only one who absolutely needs tremolo to be happy?

I like tremelo, but for a typical gig I use it on 2 songs out of 45.

fretmeister

ElectricXII said:

I'm surprised how many people list Chorus as a must have, by the way.

It's a really good way of identifying the people you don't want in your band.

DannyP

DrCornelius said:

A tuner and a Deco

Came to say this.