You have to learn Palm Muting. It is so essential to create better rhythm and direction of a song. Yes, no effect box can do this for you. I took this technique for granted for so long and it is about time for me to master it. I quickly realized it is not an easy skill to master once I started working on it. The key is where you place your palm to create muting effect. It took me some time to find that sweet spot for my strat. As I move along the different strings, I have to find that sweet spot and it is even more challenging while playing.