Best Looper Pedals for Guitar: Gear Guide

The TC Electronic Ditto Looper pedal is one of the simplest and best looper pedals on the market today for most guitarists. We are not alone in that opinion, as the Ditto seems to be ubiquitous on pro artists' pedalboards.

The Ditto is outstanding first and foremost because it’s a simple and affordable looper. TC Electronic set out to make a pedal by guitarists, for guitarists, and it shows in how straightforward it is to operate. The sound quality is outstanding due to its 24-bit uncompressed audio fidelity. This is important because it makes for great clarity and distinction between the layers you’re looping. When it’s not on, the true bypass circuitry ensures your guitar signal goes through unaffected. Taking it a step further, the Ditto has analog-dry-through, meaning that even when it’s on, the dry signal comes through the pedal, all analog, unaltered in any way.

The interface on the Ditto couldn’t be much simpler - you have a single volume knob to control the loop volume, and a single footswitch to operate the pedal. You get 5 minutes of looping time and unlimited overdubs , meaning you can record layers upon layers to your heart’s content.

It can take a little practice to get used to using the Ditto seamlessly. Punch the switch once and the light turns red, which is record mode. Punch it again to stop recording, and the light turns green to indicate playback mode. The light conveniently blinks at the start of the loop. When it’s in playback mode, you can press the switch to arm it for recording, and it actually starts recording at the start of the loop, which is super convenient. Don’t like the loop you just recorded? Punch the switch and hold it for a second to undo (or redo). Press switch twice to fully stop the loop.

The TC Electronic Ditto Looper is not completely without flaws. For one, it doesn’t have a battery. You must power it with a 9V power supply providing 100 mA or more. Also, this pedal’s simplicity might not be for everyone. If you are a live performer with complex looping needs when it comes to your layers and arrangements, you might require more options that what the Ditto Looper provides. In that instance, the other pedals from the Ditto line may fit the bill.

If you are interested in playing live, consider upgrading to the Ditto X2 version. The beat sense of the X2 allows the pedal to pick up the tempo of drums. The mics are able to listen to something like a snare and adjust the tempo and be in time. It’s pretty incredible and eliminates the challenge of trying to time your looper perfectly in a live performance. You can always put it in practice mode to eliminate the tempo matching and use time stretching to slow it down or speed it up manually to practice techniques. If you're going to use the pedal in a band environment or live, we recommend the X2, but for bedroom playing and practicing, we recommend the simplicity of and economy of the base Ditto.

Bottom Line: The TC Electronic Ditto Looper is, overall, the best looper pedal out there right now if you are looking for simplicity. Any looper in the Ditto series will give you great sound quality, and the impact to your guitar’s tone is minimal, if not nonexistent. It’s definitely the looper to get if your looping needs are relatively straightforward. It's built like a tank and does exactly what it claims with aplomb. The simple interface is great and the small footprint is very pedalboard friendly.

When you look at the Boss RC-1 Loop Station, you'll immediately notice its streamlined design and user-friendly interface. The RC-1 stands out for its simplicity, making it a great choice for both beginners and seasoned musicians who want a straightforward and reliable looping experience. Boss has long been known for its build quality and reliability, and the RC-1 is no exception.

The most noticeable feature of the RC-1 is its newly designed loop indicator. This innovative addition displays the current loop mode with a 24-segment LED indicator, making it easy to see at a glance whether you’re recording, overdubbing, or playing back your loop. This visual aid is especially useful during live performances where quick and clear feedback is crucial.

Operating the RC-1 is incredibly straightforward once you get the hang of it. Check out our review and tutorial video for helpful hints.

As you can hear in our test, the RC-1 delivers the high fidelity you’d expect from Boss. The loops are clear and precise, making the RC-1 suitable for both practice and performance settings. One of the standout features of the RC-1 is the retention of the last recorded phrase even after the pedal is turned off. This means you can develop song ideas over multiple sessions without losing any progress. This feature is particularly valuable for songwriters and performers who build complex arrangements over time.

With up to 12 minutes of stereo recording time, the RC-1 offers more than enough capacity for most performances and practice sessions. The stereo inputs and outputs allow for versatile connection options. The pedal runs on a single 9-volt alkaline battery, providing approximately 4.5 hours of operation time, or you can opt for an AC adaptor (sold separately) for longer sessions.

The RC-1 also supports flexible external footswitch options, such as the FS-7 (sold separately), allowing you expanded control with the ability to start and stop loops seamlessly with an external footswitch.

While the RC-1 may not have the extensive features of more advanced Boss models like the RC-5 or big brother RC-600, its simplicity is its greatest strength. It reduces the learning curve associated with more complex loopers, allowing musicians to focus on creativity rather than technical details.

Bottom Line: The Boss RC-1 Loop Station is a top-tier choice for those seeking a reliable, easy-to-use looper pedal. Its straightforward design, coupled with features like the 12-minute recording time, stereo inputs/outputs, and the innovative loop indicator, make it an excellent addition to any musician’s toolkit. Whether you’re a beginner just starting out with looping or a professional looking for a dependable pedal, the RC-1 offers a great balance of simplicity and functionality. Its ability to retain the last recorded phrase and support for external footswitches further enhances its utility, making it a versatile and valuable tool for a wide range of musical applications.

Loop Time: 10 minutes

If you prefer a simple looper pedal but want a bit more than what the TC Electronic Ditto offers, the DigiTech JamMan Express XT might be the ideal looper for you.

The JamMan Express XT's chassis feels nice and robust, the footswitch is true bypass, and it features 24-bit/44.1kHz audio quality.

The TC Ditto and DigiTech JamMan Express XT are very similar in that they're both super simple , with only one knob and one switch. However, the JamMan Express XT has a few interesting upgrades:

• It can record up to 10 minutes.
• It has stereo inputs & outputs (you can have that on a Ditto if you get the slightly pricier Ditto Stereo Looper).
• It has separate LED lights to indicate if you are recording, overdubbing, or playing back.

One cool thing is that you can clear your loop silently if you press and hold the footswitch, without the small audible stutter present in some other loopers.

You can use a 9v battery to power the pedal (DigiTech even includes one), but we strongly recommend a power supply, since this pedal drains the battery very quickly.

Bottom Line: When it comes to beautifully simple looper pedals, put the DigiTech JamMan Express XT on your short list. The price is great, you get a whopping 10 minutes of record time, and you can even sync up multiple DigiTech loop pedals using the JamSync feature.

Loop Time: 35 minutes, up to 16+ hours with expandable memory

Digitech had a very clear frame of mind when they were designing the Digitech JamMan Stereo pedal - to make one of the most versatile pedals in this price range without unnecessarily complicating the looping process... and they delivered. This looper is very intuitive and becomes easy to use relatively quickly. You can record multiple sections or loops of the song on different banks and then easily cycle through the loops to select your desired one.

A common gripe with many loopers is the limited recording options they offer. The JamMan works around that by supporting an SDHC card that can expand the memory allowing you to record up to 16 hours of high quality music.

The basic design does make it impossible to jump from one bank to another without cycling through all the banks in between but you can start the process of moving up and down the loop banks while the current loop is still playing and select the one you want. The device will wait for the current loop to finish playing before playing the selected loop. The loops can be stopped and started either abruptly or in a fader style. The tempo can also be increased or decreased on the fly. Using an external pedal, you can save the loops with your feet allowing for complete hands-free operation.

The build-quality is impeccable as the all-metal construction feels really sturdy. The footswitches are all heavy duty and can be stomped upon without a worry of breaking them or jamming them. The buttons and knobs do feel a bit flimsy in comparison to the rock solid footswitches but since they're meant to be operated by hand, they're sufficient.

The JamMan, in addition to looping, has rhythm and accompaniment capabilities built in. The JamMan Solo feature allows you to load things like a bass line, drums, and other forms of accompaniment allowing you to create a complex one-man band experience. This is a godsend for musicians who do not have all the necessary instruments and can load these sections using a computer. Using this feature is a bit more complicated than basic looping but once mastered can really help you out. It is also great to use as a practice tool.

As good as this pedal is, it does fall short in a few cases. The first is the lack of true bypass. This would have been fine had this device been a quiet one but it does generate a noticeable amount of noise. The buttons also make an audible noise when pressed without a loop playing which can be annoying. However, this is something you can live with at this price point.

Bottom Line: It is easily the most versatile looper at this price with some really innovative and powerful features. It also has a relatively shallow learning curve. If you're on a tight budget and need a feature-rich looper, it's hard to argue against the DigiTech JamMan Stereo. You get a virtually unlimited amount of recording time with stereo output, computer connectivity and near hands-free operation which typically costs a lot more.

Loop Time: 30 seconds

The Zoom G1on Guitar Multi-Effects Processor is actually quite an incredible pedal, and an incredible bargain. The entry level price for a dedicated looper pedal is around $100, and with the G1on Zoom you not only get you a looper for half that price, but also a full-fledged multi-fx processor! Given the price of admission and the many recommendations it receives for people asking for the “best looper pedal under $100” , the G1on earns a solid place on our list. We’ll touch on a lot of its features, but we’ll mostly focus on reviewing it as a looper pedal, since that’s what you came for!

The impressive thing about the Zoom G1on is how good it sounds given its very budget-friendly price tag. It’s one of those rare guitar pedals that makes you wonder how they were able to pull of the price vs quality without sacrificing much. Sure, if you’re an effects pedal purist and have a pedalboard built out with the best of everything, multi-fx pedals might not impress you. For the rest of us, the amp and effects modeling of the G1on sounds fantastic. You get 100 guitar effects (delay, reverb, distortion, amp models, etc), 68 built-in rhythm accompaniment patterns to jam along with, and even a built-in tuner. Trust us, we're not exaggerating when we say this thing has some quality sounds.

On to the looping functionality. The Zoom G1on allows for 30 seconds of loop time, and infinite overdubs. 30 seconds is quite a bit less time than most dedicated loop pedals offer, but that’s one of the tradeoffs you have to make for this price. Still, it’s ample time to record an interesting lick or progression, making this a great practice tool. While having 60 seconds would be better, we’re personally ok with 30 seconds, since we don’t find ourselves needing to loop 5 minute songs very often. Of course, your milage may vary. The audio quality is good, 16-bit 44.1kHz (CD quality). Remember how we mentioned the 68 built-in rhythm patterns? Well, you can play along to any of them in your loops, which lets you get pretty creative with this thing. The drums sound much better and more realistic than the cheesy sounding ones of the Boss RC-3. Operation is simple, with two very easy-to-stomp foot switches (the left one controls play and record, the right one is to stop and clear). Unfortunately, there is no undo function if you messed up your latest overdub. The most fun thing about the loop feature is that you can use it in conjunction with the G1on’s effects. For example, throw on a drum rhythm, put on some delay and chorus, and make a loop with a chord progression. Next, switch to the octave effect, and your guitar suddenly becomes a bass guitar so you can record a bassline. Then, throw on a distortion effect, and play a lead line over your loop. This pedal makes it very easy and fun to be a one-(wo)man-band and do some interesting things.

The Zoom G1on comes with 4 AA batteries, but you can also power it via a 9V adapter, or USB, which is a nice feature. Despite the body of the pedal being made of plastic, it actually feels solidly constructed, and has an all-metal base. We haven’t used it for long enough to comment on long-term durability, although what we see is promising.

Bottom Line: The pros and cons of the Zoom G1on Guitar Multi-Effects Processor as a loop pedal are fairly obvious. The most glaring features you will miss are a lack of undo, and the relatively short 30 second loop time. On the plus side, this is as inexpensive as a loop pedal comes , and with it you get a very decent sounding multi-fx unit. With the headphone output, you could take this thing with you anywhere and jam out or practice without bothering anyone else. If you’re on a budget and want a looper that is well-built and user-friendly, perfect for practicing, and has the added bonus of loads of quality effects and amp models, the Zoom G1on is a no brainer.

Loop Time: 24 minutes

Line 6 has to be commended for the JM4 looper. While its primary function is as a looper, it can be so much more than that depending on how you use it.

The JM4 is a classically good looking pedal with features to match. The first thing that you will notice about the JM4 is its golden color scheme. It looks a lot more appealing than the huge number of looper pedals out there. It also goes for the long and slender look instead of the boxy look most pedals possess.

Getting to the features, this is so much more than a looper. Line 6 is an industry giant in the field of multi-effects processors and they have included many effect goodies on this looper. It also has separate inputs for a guitar and a microphone and both get some cool in-built effects to boot. There are over 200 preset sounds created by some of the most well-known music artists out there. It also includes some of the best amp models from the legendary Line 6 line-up. There are effects galore which you can mix and match to create your own sounds and there are 36 banks available where you can store your own styles.

Another handy feature is the collection of 100 realistic jam tracks. Most similar systems on such pedals sound too robotic and while they are great as a practice option, it can never recreate the feeling of playing with a live band. The Line 6 has remedied that somewhat by making its loops from live sessions. Jamming along to these tracks feels a lot more realistic and dynamic. These come in really handy and you can even use them for live performances once you figure out how to use them seamlessly.

All of these awesome features should not distract you from its primary feature, i.e. a looper. The JM4 allows you multiple overlays and has four footswitches dedicated to the looping function allowing for seamless operation. It offers 24 minutes of CD quality recording and this memory can be expanded to almost 6 hours with a memory card that you need to buy separately. You can also use this feature to add your own jam tracks to play over or manipulate by transposing and time stretching the tracks. We found the looping capabilities of this pedal quite satisfactory and using it is pretty straightforward. The footswitches are placed a little close together and can be a problem if you have big feet.

The primary sin of the JM4 is that it tries to do too much and in that regards has become way too complicated for its own good. The sound quality on the default setting isn’t all that great and you need a fair bit of tweaking to get this pedal to sound just right. The looping is pretty great but getting the effects to work just the way you want is pretty difficult. Also, since there are no footswitches dedicated to the effects, it is impossible to change them on the fly.

Bottom Line: The JM4 has made some really ardent followers. The first thing that we would like to get out of the way is that this is not a replacement for your guitar amps and pedals. It is a looper with some additional effects built into it. Buy it for the jam tracks and the looping capabilities. Look at all the effects as an additional feature. It is on the expensive side and whether this price is justified will depend on how much use you can get out of it. This is definitely a unique looper pedal with some great features. It is also one of those pedals that you will either love or hate. So consider everything it offers and see if that justifies the price and the steep learning curve.

The Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper is a looper pedal that packs a lot of features in a relatively small enclosure, and whose price tag is extremely fair considering how much it can do.

The 720 in the name means you can record a total of 720 seconds, or 12 minutes of 24-bit/44.1kHz audio. You can split that time up into 10 separate loops which get stored in memory, and are retained even if you unplug the power.

To cover the basics, the 720 Stereo Looper features a rugged enclosure common to EHX pedals and comes with a 9v power supply (or you can use a 9v battery). The inputs and outputs are stereo, so you can loop your stereo synths or two mono instruments at the same time. We tried a guitar and a bass simultaneously and it worked perfectly.

The main looping is done with the LOOP footswitch in the bottom left, which you can use to punch recording in and out (you can also easily undo). REC and PLAY LEDs at the top help tell you what's going on. There are two buttons which let you reverse or 1/2 speed your current loop , so you can get pretty creative.

There's a MODE knob which cycles through three modes when pushed:

• L: Select which loop you want, 0-9.
• P: The display counts the seconds in your loop so you can keep track where you are.
• F: Set the loop to fade out when stopped, which sounds much nicer than an abrupt stop like most loopers.

We wish the number LED display would show more than one digit. On longer loops, the "P" loop progress mode is useful to see where you are, but if the loop is longer than 10 seconds the counter gets to 9 seconds then resets back to 0. Being able to count all the way to 720 (i.e. the max time) would have been great.

Bottom Line: Despite an annoyance or two with the display and the fact that it takes a little time to understand how to use everything, the Electro-Harmonix 720 is a very full-featured looper that doesn't take up a lot of space on your board. It's priced very reasonably considering all it can do and the 12 minute memory.

Loop Time: Limited to size of SD Card

If looping is at the center of your craft, and you demand one of the highest quality looper pedals around, you're going to want to take a close look at the Pigtronix Infinity.

Loop time is not really a limitation; it's limited to the SD card you put in it. The unit's audio is recorded in 24-bit/48kHz , which is a step above most other loopers (you can also export your saved loops via USB at that same quality).

The Pigtronix Infinity can perform all the normal looping functions - record, playback, overdub, undo, redo, etc. What sets it apart is the flexibility you get with the two available loops. You can run them in parallel (which is like most other loopers), or in series, which means you can build different song parts in each loop (verse and chorus for instance).

The routing is pretty intense too. You've got stereo inputs, where the left and right can be split and run to the two different loops, and even go to different outputs. There's even an auxiliary out so you can send the loop elsewhere like your drummer, or stage monitors, etc.

The MIDI sync is useful and lets you lock your loops to other MIDI devices.

On the downside, operating the Pigtronix Infinity has a bit of a steep learning curve because of everything it can do. Also, we strongly recommend buying with it the Pigtronix SPL-R Infinity Looper Remote Switch. It's a bummer that the footswitch is not included given the high price point.

Bottom Line: If you demand studio quality audio from your looper pedal, and want to take advantage of features like rock solid MIDI sync, running your loops in series, and much much more, the Pigtronix Infinity goes above and beyond most other looper pedals out there... provided you can handle the high price of admission.