I have 3 Boss effect pedals. Should they be arranged in any particular order?

Question

The pedals are RV-5 Digital Delay, an GE-7 EQ, and OD-2 Super Overdrive.

Answer 1

my personal preference would be to have the EQ first to shape your guitar's signal, then the overdrive, then lastly the delay to add effect to the sound.

the delay should come last because if it comes before the overdrive the delay effect itself will be overdriven, too.

Answer 2

Overdrive first.  Delay second.  EQ last.

My rationale is that the overdrive is basically an amplifier that may compound noise from upstream pedals, so I put it first.  

I put the EQ last, so you can filter out any undesirable noise from either pedal or the amp itself.

Answer 3

Having an EQ pedal is a great thing, and can really be put anywhere in the chain, although it will have different effects in different places. When placed before distortion EQ tends to be more subtle. Boosting and cutting will alter some of the distorted tone, but usually not to a great extent. It's good if your guitar has lots of bass and the bass is crapping the distortion pedal out, though. Likewise adding more treble before distortion can bring out higher harmonics and "attack"... or noise and shriek. After distortion is much more noticeable... if you cut the lower bass after distortion you tend to give your tone more clarity and definition, especially when in a mix or playing in a band.

It's worth trying the EQ both before and after the distortion, so you can hear the differences and decide what's best for you.

As far as where to put your delay... normal convention says it usually sounds best as one of the last pedals in your chain. Again, it depends what you want to use it for. Having it before the distortion will have a different flavor then if it's after. I would go as far as saying that if you place it before the distortion that your distorted delay notes will be less distinct and a little blurry compared to after.

Expirimentation is important, so you can decide what works for you, and what kind of sound you want to get. Part of the reason that guitarists like Tom Morello become so well known is that they take their equipment and do unusual things with it... so don't be afraid to expiriment.

By convention, a guitarist would normally say OD-2 -> GE-7 -> RV-5, though, just so you know.

Saul