Guitar Effects - Im Stumped

Iv been thinking about buying some effects stuff for my guitar but i dont know where to start. Are you better off getting multieffects boxes like PODs or multieffects floor racks or a range of individual stomp pedles? Plus i dont really know what all the different effects do. I really like the sound Matt bellamy goes for on songs like super massive black hole etc but i havnt a clue how to achieve such a sound, and i want to be able to acheive a range of sounds.

Can anyone help me in my search for decent effects pedles?

Writing / Improvising Solos

I cant write decent solos! Iv got a mind full of all kinds of licks and techniques fast and slow, but i can put it all together into a good solo. When im improvising or whatever all my solos sound disjointed and frankly quite naff.

Can anyone help me?

Request

Hello everyone.

I would love to see lesson on the fast accending and deccending licks typical of slash. They sound awsome but i havnt a clue whats being played.

Velvet revolver solos with these licks in em:

Sucker Train Blues
Spectical
Dirty little thing - my personal favorite

Would love to see a lesson on how to play these sort of licks.

Thanks

Speed Picking

Iv been practising speed picking, but when holding my pick at an angle the notes i play never sound clearly likethey do when i pick flat on. I cant decide if this the angle im holding the pick at (about 30-45 degrees off flat), the way i hold my pick (do you hold with the tip of the index finger or around the first nuckle) or the type of pick im using (I use one of the 1.14 Tortex Dunlop picks)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks