Watch Ed Sheeran headline an arena and you’ll notice something missing. There’s no band behind him, just one guy, an acoustic, and a pedal on the floor.
That pedal does the heavy lifting. He records a part, sets it looping, then stacks guitar, vocals, and beats on top until it sounds like a full group is up there with him.
This article digs into how he pulls that off live. We cover his gear, the layering trick at the heart of it, and the hit songs it shaped.
His setup with looping pedals isn’t off the shelf, either. Let’s start with the exact pedal he plays.
What Brand of Loop Pedal Does Ed Sheeran Use?
There isn’t really a stock brand he relies on, because he plays a custom unit he calls Chewie 2. This loop pedal was designed by his guitar tech, Trevor Dawkins, and it’s based on a Boss RC-20 Loop Station.
Before Chewie 2 came along, it seems he preferred off-the-shelf Boss loopers like the Boss RC-300 and the Boss RC-30. Those are still excellent starting points if you want to chase a similar setup without a custom build, and you can compare options in our roundup of the best looper pedal for live performance.
How Does Ed Sheeran Use a Loop Pedal?
Ed Sheeran uses a loop pedal to create the parts and sequences in a song live, so his guitar can stand in for several instruments at once. He records a phrase, plays it back on repeat, and then builds new layers over the top in real time.
Take his song “Shape of You.” There’s a catchy guitar riff that repeats throughout the track.
Live, he uses his loop pedal to capture that riff and layer it underneath himself, then adds vocals and other parts on top.
The process is simple in principle. He sets the pedal to record, lays down the guitar riff a few times, and plays it back.
Then he stacks another layer, often his voice or a percussive tap on the guitar body, until the arrangement fills out. The result is a one-man performance that sounds like a full band.
For Sheeran, loop pedals are close to magic. They let him build unique textures and produce big, layered music with nothing but a guitar and his feet, and that approach has shaped the sound of a whole generation of solo performers.
Which Songs Did Ed Sheeran Make With a Loop Pedal?
“Thinking Out Loud” was the first song Ed Sheeran ever wrote entirely on a loop pedal. By his account, the whole thing, chords and melody included, was recorded and created within about an hour.
He has explained why the looper became so central to his writing in a past interview:
“I think the reason why it worked for me was because I was writing a lot, so I had to have another way of recording,” he said. “I couldn’t physically write any more songs on paper because I was just on tour.”
Out of that single hour came one of the most popular songs of 2014.
It’s a good reminder that a loop pedal isn’t just a stage trick. It can be a genuine songwriting tool that captures an idea the moment it lands.
What You Can Learn From Ed Sheeran’s Looping
You don’t need a custom pedal or a sold-out arena to use this technique. The core idea is the same at any level: record a solid foundation, keep it tight to the beat, and add one clear layer at a time so the mix never turns to mud.
Start with a simple chord progression and get the timing clean before you stack anything on top, because every overdub inherits the timing of that first loop. From there, treat your guitar as a small band by adding a bass-like part, a percussive tap, and finally a melody or vocal.
If you want to build that skill set from scratch, our guide to the best looper pedal is a good place to find a unit that suits the way you play.
Frequently Asked Questions
What loop pedal does Ed Sheeran use now?
He uses a custom looper called Chewie 2, built by his guitar tech Trevor Dawkins and based on the Boss RC-20 Loop Station. It’s tailored to his live workflow rather than being a product you can buy off the shelf.
Earlier in his career he leaned on standard Boss units like the RC-300 and RC-30, which remain great options for anyone wanting a similar sound.
Did Ed Sheeran write Thinking Out Loud on a loop pedal?
Yes. “Thinking Out Loud” was the first song he wrote entirely on a loop pedal, and he has said the chords and melody came together in roughly an hour.
He has credited the looper with letting him keep writing while constantly on tour, when sitting down to write on paper wasn’t practical.
Is a loop pedal good for beginners?
A loop pedal is very beginner friendly because the basic workflow is just record, play back, and overdub. You can get a simple loop going within minutes of plugging in.
The skill that takes practice is timing your footswitch presses cleanly, but that comes quickly with a bit of repetition.
Can you sing and loop at the same time?
Yes, and it’s a big part of Ed Sheeran’s appeal. Many loopers let you record both guitar and vocal layers, so you can build a backing and then sing live over the top.
It takes coordination to manage the footswitch, the guitar, and your voice at once, but that’s exactly what creates the full-band feel from a single performer.
Final Thoughts
Ed Sheeran proves how much one guitar and a loop pedal can do in the right hands. By recording a part, looping it, and layering more on top, he turns a solo set into something that sounds like a full band.
The gear behind it, a custom Chewie 2 built on a Boss RC-20, is impressive, but the technique matters more than the hardware. Record a clean foundation, add one layer at a time, and keep everything locked to the beat.
If that approach appeals to you, you don’t need a custom rig to start. Pick up an entry-level looper, learn to stack your parts cleanly, and you’ll be building Sheeran-style arrangements of your own before long.
