Well I don't know about "once you have one you'll wonder why you never had one before" part, but they are helpfull. I have the MXR 6 band. I use it mainly for a clean boost because I like my tone. I have fooled around with it a bit to get some different tones and it is very good at it. The slightest movement of the slider will make a difference. I think it will take a while to find what your looking for, unless of course you know already.