Is It Time?

[BeZo]

I've been building a pedalboard for years now. I've recently started converting it to a bass-specific board because I don't use it much for guitar. I just switched out my Philosopher's Tone for a Bass Compressor and might switch out more for bass-specific pedals (chorus, overdrive, etc.)

Meanwhile, I've wanted to rewire my board with good cables for a while. The one thing stopping me is that my board is always a work in progress. I want to make custom length cables, but don't want to do it if I'm going to have to re-arrange my board again. I've just been using cheap patch cables so far. Should I upgrade the wiring on my board to boutique cable, or just get by until I feel I ended my never-ending tonequest? I feel like I got what I want for the most part, but I always want more, and don't want to make custom cables and then change everything. How do you know when it's time to upgrade?

 

[John4021]

First off, I cant tell in the pic where you going "in" and whats "out"
I'd put the Buffer first,then Tuner.(unless you already run them in order and going to jacks in the board)
Start rearranging again,get your chain correct,then worry about making custom cables.
Couple things,pancake jacks will save you a bunch of rel-estate on that board.

Then,look into these
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... combo-pack.

Put your real big box'y pedals up on them.
These riser/boosters from PedalTrain are chump change and
will get you enough height and keeps you from hitting knobs,buttons on other pedals.

As far if it's worth making cables because your thinking is 'things might change",
I bought 60 ft of cable and 40 pancake jacks for a lot less than you think.
Plus I made 2 20 ft cables with straight ends to make a snake to run time based F'X's to the loop

 

[BeZo]

First off, I cant tell in the pic where you going "in" and whats "out"
I'd put the Buffer first,then Tuner.(unless you already run them in order and going to jacks in the board)
Start rearranging again,get your chain correct,then worry about making custom cables.

I made a pannel of jacks by drilling out the front of the board. I got my in on one side, and an out, in, and out on the other. I don't run the buffer first because it messes with my fuzz and my auto wah. I run the Mastotron and Bassballs first to get the instrument response, then the buffer, tuner, compressor, and on down the line. The distortions (RAT and OCD) are in a loop so it's the same switch to engage them. I pre-load whatever distortion for the song and click the loop on and off. I use the other in and out to put delay and reverb on my kazoo, then run it into the DI under the pedal. That's how I deliver sweet kazoo tone to FOH.