Building The Pedalboard

[dudesweet157]

So I've got these 2 great Warmoth guitars (Strat and VIP), an awesome tube amp (AC30 clone), and a totally non-existant pedal board.  Back when I just played in my bedroom I used a little 30 watt modeling amp.  I'm gigging now, so I bought a REAL amp, but I don't have a whole lot of tonal choices without reEQing the amp between songs, which I don't want to do.  I don't want some huge Gilmourish affair, just a few stomp boxes to give me options.  I'm thinking I need:

Clean Boost: Xotic RC Booster
Overdrive: ???
Distortion: MI Audio Crunch Box
Delay: ???
Chorus: ???
Wah: Snarling Dogs Whine-O-Wah

I've got a great reverb on my amp, so I don't need that.  The pedals I've listed have been given a thorough workout through my amp with my guitars.  The blank spots are where it gets complicated.  I'm just looking for suggestions to try out at this point. Price isn't really a factor as I'm not afraid to drop big coin on a box that delivers exactly what I want, simplicity and tone.

BTW, my band plays a wide variety of music. Everything from CCR and the Dave Clark 5, to Def Leppard and Van Halen. I'd just like to be able to set my pedals up for the sounds I want and then leave them that way. Simplicity is key for me. I like to go out and play, not fiddle around at home with knobs trying to coax a good sound out my rig.

Thanks for any and all suggestions,
Rose

 

[guitlouie]

I'm an overdrive, distortion connisieur....I have like six or seven.  In a strictly overdrive sense one of the coolest I have ever tried is the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive.  It is pricey, but soooo good sounding, and there is a sort of blend to get your clean and overdriven sounds together, it really almost sounds like a stereo set-up with two amps, even when you are just running one.  Highly recomended!

 

[Kostas]

I like the Xotic pedal you chose, I have the BB and it's an amazing pedal. For OD, distortion and EQ go with Barber. In the same league with Xotic, transparent sound, true bypass and big tone http://www.barberelectronics.com/products.html I have tested almost all his drive units and I suggest them to you. I will order soon the Tone Press compressor. It seems to be the best, at least different and not a reissue of a vintage pedal.

On December I bought the stereo BI-Chorus http://www.analogman.com/clone.htm to replace the Voodoo Lab analog chorus pedal I have from 2000. I searched for long on the internet and heard many samples, I'm not dissapointed with my choice. It's transparent (the voodoo lab isn't) and I can dial two sounds, like a subtle chorus and a leslie chorus and select between them at anytime. If you are not on a budget I highly recommend the Bi-Chorus.

For delay I have the Line 6 Echo Park. Many tones and modes availiable and I found it cheap localy so I didn't search long. The Memory Lane looks like a great but pricy pedal http://www.humbuckermusic.com/dimelape.html With a little search you can find many delay units on the net http://www.tonefactor.com/products.php?cat=89 Some are fairly simple and others more complicated. You should decide if you want a tap tempo programmable delay or a simpler unit. Check these two also http://www.tcelectronic.com/NovaDelay.asp http://www.eventide.com/AudioDivision/Products/StompBoxes/TimeFactor.aspx

 

[Wyliee]

For delay I have the Line 6 Echo Park. Many tones and modes availiable and I found it cheap localy so I didn't search long. The Memory Lane looks like a great but pricy pedal http://www.humbuckermusic.com/dimelape.html With a little search you can find many delay units on the net http://www.tonefactor.com/products.php?cat=89 Some are fairly simple and others more complicated. You should decide if you want a tap tempo programmable delay or a simpler unit. Check these two also http://www.tcelectronic.com/NovaDelay.asp http://www.eventide.com/AudioDivision/Products/StompBoxes/TimeFactor.aspx

I recently picked up the Eventide and absolutely loooooooove it!  I'm selling an older Yamaha UD Stomp pedal.  It has lots of Allan Holdsworth created settings, but the output levels don't play well with my Hiwatt effects loop.  Sounds great with other amps though.

 

[Shmoopie]

build your own clone.  most brands use the same schematics, and i've heard great things about byoc.
http://buildyourownclone.com/index.html

 

[ildar]

Be a true diy'er and build your own clones from scratch on perf. Try this site: www.diystompboxes.com  You'll never be the same.

 

[rightintheface]

you're interested in MI audio gear? they're from my neck of the world  :laughing7:
i had a crunchbox at the start of last year, awesome sounding pedal. however, i ended up trading it for the tubezone, and really haven't looked back. has a way better scope of sound, the crunchbox kinda doesn't have the versatility that i wanted, and couldn't quite get as much saturation as i was after. the tubezone is way better, nice and transparent, and it sounds great low or high gain. brilliant pedal, Michael makes killer gear.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I agree with Schmoopy, the BYOC site has some of the best circuits out there.  You can Mod them to be what ever brand you want by asking questions and changing a couple of parts, generally included with the kits.  Their chorus and delay pedal designs are really nice.  For overdrive I have to say Zvex Box of Rock is the hands down closest thing to a an angry JTM 45 I have heard.  It also has a boost on it that is a lot of fun.  Zvex has a bunch of odd pedals that are a ton of fun, nothing digital, but if you like to experiment with noise their pedals are great.  I also dig the RMC 3 Wah, and the GigFx chopper (tremolo to the extreme)  But, all of these are in the boutique area of pedals, so they are not cheap.  Sometimes you can find them used, but most people jack the prices up to the list price or more.  Another thing, is all of these are true bypass designs.  If you have more than three pedals in you set up it is something to keep in mind so that you don't "color" the signal with the bypasses of the pedals.  I don't know if I have ever heard what people talk about with that, but I do like the idea of the pure guitar signal not being effected by the pedal unless I step on it.  Finally, I just bypassed all of the batteries with a VooDoo 2+ power supply for my mess.  It has some stuff that you can play with, I don't, but most of all, no issues with rogue grounds.  Good luck.
Patrick from Davis

 

[ildar]

http://www.petecornish.co.uk/case_against_true_bypass.html

Point and counterpoint. Buffers in the signal chain, such as those in the bypass circuitry of Boss and Ibanez pedals (among others) can be beneficial and necessary.

 

[dudesweet157]

Rightintheface, you couldn't get enough saturation with the crunch box??!!!?!?!?!  I never moved the gain on the one I demoed over 1 o'clock.  That little pedal is a monster!  If I can find one, I'll demo the Tube Zone.

Thanks,
Rose

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Unfortunately there are several problems with the counterpoint.  The argument is for 63 feet of cable, and a guitar with low output "vintage" pickups.  Next, it states that the effects that he has measured are 1/10 of the impedance of the 1 Meg input resistance on the amp.  It doesn't state if the effects are true bypass or not.  You would have to measure each effect to get the impedance when it is turned on.  It also does not mention the part about how the FET flip flop switches cause signal degradation from the transistors used and the various outputs of the pedals.  That article is describing why he likes the system that he designed for other people, not the regular Joe that plugs and plays.  I might be out on a limb here, but I have never used very long cables because there is generally not much space.  The true bypass pedals are simply a summation of the total cable length when off.  When on, they obviously color the signal, and as stated in that article can change the impedance on the cable between the guitar and the effect.  This will change the impedance load on the guitar pick up and will effect the sound.  The part I mentioned above about the FET switches is because in an effect with an FET switch your original signal is lost for the signal that the transistor replicates.  After about three repeats of this, your signal doesn't sound the same because of the transistors inability perfectly replicate the original signal.  It is noticeable after three run throughs.  The large manufactures use these switches for two major reasons, silent switching, and the parts are very cheap.

My original post about the true bypass was because I like the signal to be the original one if the effect is off.  The points about the cable length and the impedance on the guitar pick up are duly noted.  Still, the impedance will suffer if I like the effect.  The article also is a bit slanted because it is advertising how that system is setup and why that is good.  But, it is fun info to think about.
Patrick from Davis

 

[ildar]

Unfortunately there are several problems with the counterpoint.  The argument is for 63 feet of cable, and a guitar with low output "vintage" pickups.  Next, it states that the effects that he has measured are 1/10 of the impedance of the 1 Meg input resistance on the amp.  It doesn't state if the effects are true bypass or not.  You would have to measure each effect to get the impedance when it is turned on.  It also does not mention the part about how the FET flip flop switches cause signal degradation from the transistors used and the various outputs of the pedals.  That article is describing why he likes the system that he designed for other people, not the regular Joe that plugs and plays.  I might be out on a limb here, but I have never used very long cables because there is generally not much space.  The true bypass pedals are simply a summation of the total cable length when off.  When on, they obviously color the signal, and as stated in that article can change the impedance on the cable between the guitar and the effect.  This will change the impedance load on the guitar pick up and will effect the sound.  The part I mentioned above about the FET switches is because in an effect with an FET switch your original signal is lost for the signal that the transistor replicates.  After about three repeats of this, your signal doesn't sound the same because of the transistors inability perfectly replicate the original signal.  It is noticeable after three run throughs.  The large manufactures use these switches for two major reasons, silent switching, and the parts are very cheap.


My original post about the true bypass was because I like the signal to be the original one if the effect is off.  The points about the cable length and the impedance on the guitar pick up are duly noted.  Still, the impedance will suffer if I like the effect.  The article also is a bit slanted because it is advertising how that system is setup and why that is good.  But, it is fun info to think about.
Patrick from Davis

It should be noted that the article was written by Pete Cornish, the original boutique fx builder, without whom Zvez, Keeley, Analogman, et. al. would not exist.

 

[rightintheface]

i like lots of distortion when i press the shiny button  :evil4:

tube zone just has more of everythin i reckon. if you get a chance, demo the crap outta one. the cruncbox is a tight little biatch also, one of the best dirt boxes out there.

 

[jackthehack]

If you already have the Xotic AC, check out the BB; dialed down it will work for overdrive, dial it up for a little distortion

 

[Rick]

I used to use all sorts of pedals.  Then got tired of lugging them around.  Went down the multi EFX route, tried line 6, alesis,  yamaha and others.  Now I use nothing but my amps reverb and amp distortion.  There are many paths to your favorite tone.  And a lot of your tone comes from your own playing dynamics.

It seems you've got some idea of what you want and to fill in the blanks I recommend the following ...

Overdrive, get the Boss BD-2
Delay: Echo Park by Line 6
Chorus: Digitech

The two essential effects are the ones that dirty your signal like, Overdrive, Distortion or Fuzz, those that sweeten the signal like Reverb, Chorus, Delay, echo, flangers and phase shifters.  So you'll need at least one to dirty the signal.  Some amps do a pretty good job of this, and another to sweeten.  Again some amps have a pretty good reverb.  Once you have the essentials, the rest is just sculpting the tone to your liking.  Good luck.