Help me build a versitle pedalboard

[Tibbon]

Ok, so I'm hoping to start playing guitar "out" more a bit soon. I'll probably be playing through either my amp (which is a weird little one you've never heard of), or pick up a Tiny Terror. I've got a 335, and a few Fenders that I play mainly.

Hoping to get ideas about the most rocking pedals to fit on a pedalboard.

I currently own (but I'm not hell bent on using):
-Holy Grail
-old Green Russian Big Muff
-Boss DS-2 (almost never use except to push the Big Muff more)
-Pedal Power II Plus
-Moog MF-102 Ring Mod
-Voodoo Labs Trem

I am very much wanting to pick up (and someone will have to convince me otherwise on these):
-Klon Centaur
-Zvex Super Hard On (or Super-2 in 1)
-Zvex Fuzz Factory
-Roger Mayer Vision Wah

I am covered for delay pedals as well. Got enough BBD chips on my desk to choke me.

So, when it comes to chorus, trem, vibrato, octave (I really dig octave down), compressors and noise makers... what do you like? I'm not trying to spend as much as possible here, but I'm not against spending a bit on good stuff.

I will likely be playing noisy Sonic Youth/Smashing Pumpkins/Radioheadish music at times, and a bit of lighter industrial rock.

Ideas anyone? Hopefully I can fit all of this on one pedalboard (Already have a rather large Fulltone one, but this could take more space).

[commaKaze]

Hey Tibbon...what's up man?

I just picked up the newer "nano" Electro Harmonix Small Stone phase shifter and I'm diggin' it hard ATM for certain things...obviously an effect to be used tastefully. We share a lot of the same influeunces, and this is cheap ($70) well-built, and sort of a classic. Kind of a no-brainer for the price and styles of music you describe.

That delay you're building looks great BTW. As I'm local, I'd like to check that out some time in the future. My Boss DD-5 isn't doing it for me anymore...

Good luck & Best!

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by commaKaze

Hey Tibbon...what's up man?

I just picked up the newer "nano" Electro Harmonix Small Stone phase shifter and I'm diggin' it hard ATM for certain things...obviously an effect to be used tastefully. We share a lot of the same influeunces, and this is cheap ($70) well-built, and sort of a classic. Kind of a no-brainer for the price and styles of music you describe.

That delay you're building looks great BTW. As I'm local, I'd like to check that out some time in the future. My Boss DD-5 isn't doing it for me anymore...

Good luck & Best!

Thanks! I'll check into the new Small Stone. I do like the idea of it being a bit physically smaller, as it's not something i'll use nonstop, but yet... and real estate on a pedalboard is valuable (which makes the zvex pedals so tasty).

I need to sit down with some of the older MXR pedals too. I've seen and heard great things from them, but never got to just sit down and screw around with a few vintage ones for a few hours.

Thanks for checking up on my pedal. I really need to get my act together regarding the website, as it's literally about the ugliest site out there this side of 1995. I am really excited about the direction it's headed in. I wouldn't throw out your current delay pedal however, as (I mean you don't have to use it this way) the pedal that I'm building will likely be used by most people for slightly more unconventional sounds. I mean you could use it as a basic delay, but what's the fun in that? God I wish I had clips of it to show off. Soon enough, soon enough. When I get it in a state that it's close to "final" internally at least I'll go into the studio and record every guitar/amp combination that I can with it, so that you can get a better idea.

[commaKaze]

Sure thing...

Especially for experimentation/noise, a great piece for the arsenal; and $70! I'm quite impressed, and liked it better than the new MXR 90.

I did some research, and the build quality wasn't sacrificed at all for the smaller footprint. In fact they resolved the "volume drop" issue, so it's actually improved. It's essentially the same form factor/footprint as the MXR phase 90...very little real estate on the board! I'd like to tinker with some older MXRs as well, especially the 100, as it has the 4 "intensity" options as opposed to 2.

Yeah, it'd be great to hear some clips of your delay. I'll check back down the road. Sounds like it'll be quite something! Eh, don't sweat it, good things take time. Yeah, the DD-5 definitely has it's place, but I'll actually be looking for something a bit more unconventional, and analog...could be the ticket, and I prefer to support the small guys/local even better, as the good boutique stuff is almost impossible to try out first.

Best of luck with it, and the board! Keep us updated.

[Croaker]

RMC wah
Analog man Sunface fuzz
Klon Centaur
Analog man chorus
Maxon AD-999 delay

[nedorama]

Compressor - really like the Keeley compressor - much better than the Dynacomp, and takes up precious pedalboard space.

Chorus - some people swear by the old Arion choruses you can get cheap on eBay; I still have my old Ibanez Super Stereo chorus and it works OK, but used sparingly.

Noisemakers:
Guyatone TZ2 The Fuzz - for $50, a pretty good emulation of the Univox Super Fuzz, which I owned 20 years ago and then sold (duh). Definite noisemaker, and you can buy 6 of them for the price of a Super Fuzz on eBay.

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

I am very much wanting to pick up (and someone will have to convince me otherwise on these):
-Klon Centaur
-Zvex Super Hard On (or Super-2 in 1)
-Zvex Fuzz Factory
-Roger Mayer Vision Wah

All good options.

Originally Posted by Tibbon

So, when it comes to chorus, trem, vibrato, octave (I really dig octave down), compressors and noise makers... .

Chorus: Wouldn't bother unless you want 80's stylee. Get a Voodoolab Microvibe instead- similar idea but better execution.
Trem: I use a volume pedal and control it manually with my foot.
Vibrato: T-Rex tremster
Octave: I have an Ibanez OT10 - it is fking awesome. I am ALL about the pitch shifting and this box is wonderfully gritty.
Also- Digitech whammy 1 lives on my pedalboard.
Compressor: Monte Allums modded Dynacomp is cool

Noisemakers:

Digitech XP300 Space Station is wonderfully f*cked up.
Boss SYB3 Bass synth is cool but a bit one dimensional.
Frostwave Blueringer Ring modulator is fabulous if you like that sort of thing.

Do you have a volume pedal? I can play without effects but always want to have a volume pedal with me.
I use a Guyatone Slowgear pedal quite a bit too.

I have two laptops in my effects rig that run various plugins- one has MaxMSP running some custom environments. Going 'computer' dramatically increases the complexity of the rig but gives you so many more tonal options.
I use Pluggo quite a lot for guitar tones.

[Pasta4lnch]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

So, when it comes to chorus, trem, vibrato, octave (I really dig octave down), compressors and noise makers... what do you like? I'm not trying to spend as much as possible here, but I'm not against spending a bit on good stuff.

I agree w/ octatonic on the choruses. I'd go w/ a rotary or univibe-ish . .. but even then I'd rarely use 'em.

for trem and octave i'd check out the guyatone mini stuff. I personally use the trem and the other gtr player in my band uses the octave one. great sounding, cheap, and super small.

[Tibbon]

Even though I'm in the process of developing my own "special" delay pedal, I just bought another DL-4 for the hell of it.

I love the idea of integrating a laptop into the rig. I'm debating whether a cheapo PC would be a better idea, or rackmounting a Mac Mini with a simple interface would be a better idea.

Moog just put out a killer nice CV/Midi foot controller that might help all sorts of things.

[Lerxst]

One thing that has not been mentioned, but is typically part of everyone's pedal board is a Boss TU-2 tuner - it's something I'm anal about. Also, I have recently purchased (and I'm going to use the "B" word here) a Behringer TU300. It seems to work great, although it is not built like the tank that the Boss is - same functionality though.

As far as you pedal board getting big, I understand, especially if you have small pedals, rack mount gear, different amps, stereo guitars etc... What I have done, is put in a switching matrix at the rack and added a midi controller on the floor. It really makes for a clean set up. You can see a couple of pictures I posted on the thread below (close to the bottom of the page)

Guitarists - Show me your pedalboard!

Good luck!

~Lerxst

[Tibbon]

I actually prefer a Peterson Strobostomp pedal on the board, and a full strobe tuner on the side (if I have someone tech'ing for me which is rare)

[vipunen]

If you want to go one or two octaves down, get BOSS OC-2!

It's cheap and tracks fast.

I been having one on my pedalboard almost ten years, and it's still lots of fun!
OC-2 and TS9 are probably the only pedals that are stucked on board, just can't live without!!!

Use it as the first pedal on your chain, if you have compressor, then after that.
With fuzz after it, sounds awesome. Add Wah, and it just gets better... Many cool sounds available...

BUT dont get Boss OC-3 "super octave", It sucks IMO...

[jamsmith]

I was never a big pedal board guy, but over the years (38 of them) I have my favorites

wha: CryBaby - find and old one, not a Dunlop
OD = MXR Distortion+
Fuzz - Boss Fuzz - has FuzzFace, MaestroFuzz, and Octavia
Chorus: Boss CE-2
flanger:EH Electric Mistress and Roland Jet Phazor
phase shiter: EH Small Stone
Compressor: Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer
Roto: Univibe - in this case the Dunop is fine
analog delay - Ibanez AD9 and EH Deluxe MemoryMan
tape delay - Roland Space Echo
treble boost - EH ScreamingTree or Screaming Bird
Noisegate - MXR Noise Gate

Multieffect - Digitech GSP Studio 2101 Tube, MXR Omni
Special - Digitech Jimi Hendrix

What I hated - anything by Zoom

[vipunen]

Originally Posted by jamsmith

I was never a big pedal board guy, but over the years (38 of them) I have my favorites

Fuzz - Boss Fuzz - has FuzzFace, MaestroFuzz, and Octavia
C

Which Boss Fuzz-pedal you mean???

I'd love to have a fuzz pedal with more versatility than the DIY-Fuzzface clone I'm using...

[Pasta4lnch]

Originally Posted by vipunen

Which Boss Fuzz-pedal you mean???

I'd love to have a fuzz pedal with more versatility than the DIY-Fuzzface clone I'm using...

the voodoo superfuzz is about the most "versatile" fuzz I've ever used.