Worthy quote: Anders Bjorler (The Haunted/ At The Gates)

"In the past I experimented a bit with pedals, but it got too much. It was always in the way of making the show somehow. Too many extra things to concentrate on. But I don't think you need much more than to plug a guitar right in & just mess about with what's there, let the fingers do the work. This is my motto on guitar playing I think: If it sounds crap without effects- no effect in the world can help you."

This is not a call for everyone to ditch pedals & plug straight through but a reminder of the working fundamentals. The truest tone you can achieve is not having any pedals to come between your instrument & the amp. If you have to employ pedals, chances are, you prefer hearing your tone that way. You don't mind the compromise, in fact, you embrace it.

Crooked

Yamaha's Frank Gambale model features the Fret Wave system at the first & second positions to rectify tuning inaccuracy. Players with very acute tuning capacity, would tell you despite the guitar being in immaculate standard tuning, once you fret a chord, you can hear tuning anomalies for selected strings. The Fret Wave system addresses this situation.

Caparison's Apple Horn guitar features a similar rectification implement however, as depicted above, it's employed across the entire neck. It's actually a patented idea called the True Temperament system, conceived to address tuning accuracy in whole, not just selected frets. Looks overwhelming but if it works, then it works.