We’ll preface this by saying that there are no hard and fast rules. However, if you’re building a board for the first time, there are certain orders that will help you get a usable sound which you can then experiment with later on. We have a full article on how to arrange your pedalboard, but here are some quick tips for you to get you up and running quickly.
It’s always best to start with a tuner, as you don’t want pedals getting in the way of tuning your guitar properly. Next dynamic effects like compressors and volume pedals, followed by fuzz, overdrive, and distortion pedals. If you have a boost pedal you can add it after your drive pedals for a boost in volume, or before to help shape the tone of your guitar.
Time-based effects are best served going at the end of your chain, and can sound even better in your amp’s FX loop if you have one. Modulation effects such as chorus, flanger, and phaser should go first, then your delay pedals, and finally reverb. You can always experiment with these placements however, many ambient effects can create wild sounds if you place them before your drive pedals, so don’t be afraid to mix things up.