Build me a truck rig!

Steinmetzify

Steinmetzify

Well-known member
Before we get started I know RT is not the place for budget anything, but that’s what I need here.

I’m starting a new thing as an OTR truck driver and while I take one of my ESPs, a smaller interface and my laptop with amp sims/Reaper for drums with me, I find myself jonesing for some in the room (in the truck?) tones.

I could take any one of my big boy amps with me along with my Suhr RLIR and just line into that, but space is at a premium here and with water food and clothes plus a guitar I just really don’t have the space for that.

What I’m thinking is some sort of small pedalboard rig, that needs to incorporate one of my boosts and my Pharaoh fuzz, as all I’m playing lately is mostly doom/sludge with the occasional foray into thrash.

What can RT come up with as far as boost/Pharaoh/some sort of SS amp/1x12 cab? Kinda need to do this on the cheap too, if that’s possible.

Thanks guys.
 
Blackstar fly

Peavey transtube (James Brown Designed)

I wouldn’t run anything with tubes on the road - not worth the hassle.

The Yamaha TH mini amp thing gets a lot of praise as well although I have no personal experience with it.

Id also grab a combo and not hassle with a bunch of seperate stuff that can get lost easily or requires more cables.
 
Steinmetzify said:
Scott will those pedals take a boost and a fuzz? I remember having maybe 3-4 of them years ago but I never tried them with sludge tones…
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The 011 Recto one I have does well with a Tubescreamer boost. I have not tried a fuzz as I am not really a fuzz/sludge person.

The Boss Katana combos might work well also. Very tweakable with the software.
 
controlled_voltage said:
this is such a cool thread
but it needs pics so we know the space confines
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So if you look hard you can see the bottom end of a Mono Vertigo case between my backpack and duffel bag, that’s the guitar I bring with me. Backpack has interface/laptop/cables/ATHM50Xs…2nd pic has the cabinet/fridge/table I use when setting all that stuff up, although there is a ‘table’ that comes out of the cabinet in the 3rd pic that I could use for whatever.

Not gonna lie, I’m in a decent position here; there’s an 80,000 member truck driver shortage so my boss needs me. I have an 18” thick memory foam mattress, heated/ventilated/massaging seats, an expense account, I pick my own hours and work 2 out of 4 weeks a month, plus nobody bothers me. I’ve gotten 3 raises in 3 months, I make more than I ever have working for someone else and I actually really enjoy my work.

Shit, I drive around all week listening to metal/doom smoking cigarettes. 23 yr old me would have straight killed somebody for this job.
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Personally, I would run everything software/digital based for my tones to save maximum room on that end, then get something like a Tech 21 Power Engine if you decided you wanted to crank it up sometimes and feel it.
 
japetus said:
Personally, I would run everything software/digital based for my tones to save maximum room on that end, then get something like a Tech 21 Power Engine if you decided you wanted to crank it up sometimes and feel it.
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Yeah but the low low budget part makes that challenging.
 
Steinmetzify said:
Before we get started I know RT is not the place for budget anything, but that’s what I need here.

I’m starting a new thing as an OTR truck driver and while I take one of my ESPs, a smaller interface and my laptop with amp sims/Reaper for drums with me, I find myself jonesing for some in the room (in the truck?) tones.

I could take any one of my big boy amps with me along with my Suhr RLIR and just line into that, but space is at a premium here and with water food and clothes plus a guitar I just really don’t have the space for that.

What I’m thinking is some sort of small pedalboard rig, that needs to incorporate one of my boosts and my Pharaoh fuzz, as all I’m playing lately is mostly doom/sludge with the occasional foray into thrash.

What can RT come up with as far as boost/Pharaoh/some sort of SS amp/1x12 cab? Kinda need to do this on the cheap too, if that’s possible.

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

Ksr ceres and a boss ms3 rig .... does so much and sounds kick ass, pair with a cab sim and or maybe duncan powerstage with a 1x12 ....
 
I think the main question is whether you feel like connecting a bunch of cables during your break.

I'd say get a plug-and-play combo that has the main tones you need to minimise hassle.
 
glpg80 said:
Yeah but the low low budget part makes that challenging.
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I was thinking he could find a good program for his computer that he has, and then the Power Engines are really cheap used. I'm not up on a lot of computer based amp sims (I still use a ux-1 with pod farm lol) , so I dont know which would be good..but even with that archaic setup I can get some killer tones.
 
Katana. I wouldn't want anything that I have plug a bunch of shit up, and I think those THR things sound like shit. Pedalboards take up too much real estate. Katana isn't the most inspiring amp but it has everything you need. I used to travel with an Apogee Duet and MacBook and was content, never lugged along an actual amp since the guitar was already a hassle.
 
I should advise you that any sort of overdrive/gain will be crazy noisy due to the dc to AC converter.
Especially when the truck is running,but will still be noisy when the truck is off.
That's why I wound up with the crate taxi because it is battery operated(and chargeable).
Trust me,I tried a bunch of stuff when I first started driving.
Having everything isolated from the trucks power is the way to go.
Its the added gain that will exaggerate the noise.
Check out truck driver Shawn on YouTube and see if he has a rig he would suggest.
 
rottingcorpse said:
I should advise you that any sort of overdrive/gain will be crazy noisy due to the dc to AC converter.
Especially when the truck is running,but will still be noisy when the truck is off.
That's why I wound up with the crate taxi because it is battery operated(and chargeable).
Trust me,I tried a bunch of stuff when I first started driving.
Having everything isolated from the trucks power is the way to go.
Its the added gain that will exaggerate the noise.
Check out truck driver Shawn on YouTube and see if he has a rig he would suggest.
Click to expand...

Fuck dude I thought I was going crazy; all this digital stuff sounds fantastic at home, figured it’d be great on the road.

It’s a shit ton of noise when the computer is plugged in and I couldn’t figure out why, so thanks for this!

I’ll charge this thing during the day when I’m driving and then just unplug and play when I shut down for the night.

Appreciate all the suggestions fellas, keep em coming!
 
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