Build a versatile pedalboard. What are you using?

[Kapo_Polenton]

I have been thinking a lot about this lately.. buying more amps and dialing everything in similarly has made me question why I look to the amp for tone chasing. I think I want to sell a bunch of stuff and keep only 1 or 2 amps. As such , I ordered a treble boost and a supro pedal this week in the hopes that I can cop some of my favourite sounds at the click of a foot. Here is what I am thinking:

Amp: JCM800 (pretty much stock)

ISP decimator - handle the noise

Attenuator - Two Notes Reload , crank the marshall with hot pups- EVH, maybe a nudge from EQ pedal or just use your hands and run tubes hot.

catalin bread naga viper treble boost - old school shenker tones with the 2204, Blackmore tones with single coils

Supro Drive - dirty Zep'ish or other tones through my 2204 with the preamp on the amp rolled back

GE-7/ any Chorus pedal + MXR distortion + - Randy Rhoads tone

DoD YJM 308 modded to Outlier spec - Yngwie tones with single coils

KoKo Boost - basic clean boost or mid boost to push the 2204 with preamp rolled back to get Angus tone

SD-1/tube screamer (or any pedal in this vein) - Hair metal tones or thrash tones with the mids scooped. This is after all the most widely used tone recipe from like 82-92 isn't it?

Wah- even a cheapo will get the job done for any sound as long as you don't go full on Hammet.

Delay - in the loop. I have a DE-7 which I dig the hell out of and a TC electronic flashback x 4.

The amount of times you see "pro's" constantly varying their pedal boards goes to show that anything can work as long as the foundation amp is decent, the pups are decent, and the player can play. The only thing I might eventually buy is a small AC10 as I have not heard any pedals which really nail it yet.

So what is your foundation amp? I know a lot of you guys are using fenders and using various high gain pedals to get your Marshall tones. What are you using to cop some of your favourite tones without feeling the need to drop mad cash on more amps?

 

[paulyc]

I have a JCM 800 2203 that has the Egnater Megadrive mod (extra 12AX7 added) and it works only on the high sensitivity input, the low becomes the stock un-modded hi, so basically you have the option to get a stock JCM 800 sound in the low input jack or the fire breathing gain in the hi jack, so your OD pedals give the same effect as stock into the low, or you can dial back the gain in the hi jack and still use the pedal for an even bigger push. Effectively this gets rid of the stock low input jack nobody uses anyway...and you can still get a good clean tone from the amp. The mod is detailed in the June '95 issue of Guitar Player with EVH on the cover interviewed by Dweezil Zappa.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

I have a JCM 800 2203 that has the Egnater Megadrive mod (extra 12AX7 added) and it works only on the high sensitivity input, the low becomes the stock un-modded hi, so basically you have the option to get a stock JCM 800 sound in the low input jack or the fire breathing gain in the hi jack, so your OD pedals give the same effect as stock into the low, or you can dial back the gain in the hi jack and still use the pedal for an even bigger push. Effectively this gets rid of the stock low input jack nobody uses anyway...and you can still get a good clean tone from the amp. The mod is detailed in the June '95 issue of Guitar Player with EVH on the cover interviewed by Dweezil Zappa.

How do you like your cleans on the 800? I find them a little flat compared to a Fender or Vox and the low input seems to lose a lot of oomph.

 

[maddnotez]

I use a Rev 2 Uber with Mills Cabs.

I have the Koko Boost always on and it is amazing.

If the amp you get gives tons of noise both hiss from loop and feedback in front I highly recommend the G string 2. It takes care of everything and sounds great.

I also have TC Chorus, Verb and plan to get delay. EQ in loop and a couple of other toys but the core of my tone is Bogner, Mills, Koko Boost and Gstring.

I use the amp for my gain although I got that Boneshaker and for that style it is great through the clean channel.

 

[Badronald]

A couple boosts, delay, chorus and wah.
Then just play.

 

[paulyc]

I have a JCM 800 2203 that has the Egnater Megadrive mod (extra 12AX7 added) and it works only on the high sensitivity input, the low becomes the stock un-modded hi, so basically you have the option to get a stock JCM 800 sound in the low input jack or the fire breathing gain in the hi jack, so your OD pedals give the same effect as stock into the low, or you can dial back the gain in the hi jack and still use the pedal for an even bigger push. Effectively this gets rid of the stock low input jack nobody uses anyway...and you can still get a good clean tone from the amp. The mod is detailed in the June '95 issue of Guitar Player with EVH on the cover interviewed by Dweezil Zappa.

How do you like your cleans on the 800? I find them a little flat compared to a Fender or Vox and the low input seems to lose a lot of oomph.

Well as I said my 800 the low jack isn't low anymore, so if you plugged into your hi jack and cranked the master and lowered the preamp gain the cleans are good (they don't have the sparkle or chime of a Fender or Vox but they're passable, especially with a compressor and or chorus/delay/reverb). The stock low jack is pretty dull which is why I don't think it gets much use.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Think I may need to add a compressor to the chain then. I never really understood the use of compression on guitar but I see now that it makes sense for the cleans.

 

[paulyc]

Well this would be for recording, no way to go from clean to dirty with pedals on my amp in a live setting...I can go from dirty to more dirty with pedals, or I can pull the cord out, switch jacks and redo the amp controls for cleans...

 

[SpiderWars]

Think I may need to add a compressor to the chain then. I never really understood the use of compression on guitar but I see now that it makes sense for the cleans.

I've recently watched rig rundowns of Pete Thorn and Andy Timmons and both swear by the Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter. AT has a sig version. They both use it to sort of 'bloom' the clean tone, not a ton of compression. I want one, I gotta have good cleans.

 

[paulyc]

A LOT of country guys love the old red MXR Dyna Comp, cheap and easy.

 

[nevusofota]

The only problem I see with your idea is the pedalboard will be huge. Plus, I don't know how versatile that would actually be. I'd have two boards, one for a good channel switcher with a good fx loop and another with various drives for your single channel amps without loops ( I'm assuming your 800 doesn't have a loop. )

I have one main board and rotate out different amps. I like inherent amp gain so I don't use any dirt pedals, just a boost.

My main weekly gigging amp the past year is a Bogner Shiva 20th. It has been the best all around amp I have owned. Wonderful cleans, great crunch, and liquid leads. It takes pedals very well. I set the Musicomlabs pedal switcher for a different amp per preset bank. My other amps are an EVH 50w, Marshall DSL 100, and just starting to incorporate my new SLO.

 

[rsm]

My current board is a direct board:

Guitar ---> Boss SY-300 ---> thru out to Boss GT-1; SY-300 headphones out to GT-1 Aux In; GT-1 out (stereo) to FRFR.

I can get guitar only, synth only or combined, using the GT-1 expression pedal to mix the GT-1 & SY-300 levels

Just ordered a Line 6 Helix LT today...so things may change eventually

 

[mixn4him]

Just built an all Boss board and even buying all used pedals, powersupply, cables, buffer,board etc etc I could have bought an FX8 and had presets and amp control. The little stuff adds up quick and something like the FX8 or the new Helix LT start to make a lot of sense..especially on the used market..

I am on the fence but pretty sure I am going to sell all of it and grab an FX8.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Home grown ...

 

[garey77]

The only problem I see with your idea is the pedalboard will be huge. Plus, I don't know how versatile that would actually be. I'd have two boards, one for a good channel switcher with a good fx loop and another with various drives for your single channel amps without loops ( I'm assuming your 800 doesn't have a loop. )

I have one main board and rotate out different amps. I like inherent amp gain so I don't use any dirt pedals, just a boost.

My main weekly gigging amp the past year is a Bogner Shiva 20th. It has been the best all around amp I have owned. Wonderful cleans, great crunch, and liquid leads. It takes pedals very well. I set the Musicomlabs pedal switcher for a different amp per preset bank. My other amps are an EVH 50w, Marshall DSL 100, and just starting to incorporate my new SLO.

Great looking rig! How do you like the EP booster up front instead of a Maxon OD808?

 

[rcm78]

I'm getting everything I need from a Bogner Ecstasy and a Fractal FX8...

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Good point... pedal boards can get out of hand quick not to mention tap dancing.. I will have to play around this weekend and see what is really needed and what isn't. I am primarily a home player now so it doesn't matter but I plan to try and get something going and I remember last time i jammed with a group of guys i had forgotten how much a pain in the ass a pedal board with a heavycombo amp and guitar was to lug around. No wonder so many people play direct.

 

[paulyc]

My only issue with modeling units is you have to tell it EVERYTHING, which is fine for some stuff but sucks if you have to change anything...I guess I'm old school and I want knobs instead of LCD screens and menus

 

[Chester Nimitz]

me too ...

Ive had the 12 space rack rigs, midi processors ect.

Good Les Paul & good Marshall & some good pedals is where its at.

 

[sleewell2]

mine isnt really versatile per say but for my current needs in my band its amazing