I think I know the appeal of guitar pedals -- even when there are so many great modelling and rack units which can handle multiple effects.
- It's nice that each effect is self-contained so that you can place them anywhere in the signal chain
- Each pedal maker has a certain style and look, making it distinct
- There's something about having a nice, hefty piece of hardware gear that does one thing well
- They are collectable and more importantly, can be resold
I own a lot of different multi-effect units, and because of the fact that they can handle multiple effects, the GUI has to be compromised to allow editing and control of all the parameters. For singular guitar pedals, the interface is specific to the unit and usually have nice knobs and easy control of the parameters. So it's easy to adjust what you need. For all-in-one effects units, this is not the case. Of course, the latter have the advantage of portability and convenience. So if you need to travel, it's hard to beat. But for the player who needs guitar effects in a basement somewhere that never needs to move -- guitar pedals are hard to beat. And with so many to choose from, it can get addictive.
