Evolution of a pedalboard

[zhivago]

About 5 years ago, I went through a phase of having no pedals at all. Then slowly, and as my playing is apartment-based nowadays, effects came back into the equation.

I was going through some photo folders the other day, and saw a bit of a visual timeline, which I thought might be cool to share.

So it all starts with a 1st generation Pedaltrain Nano...nice and simple...



...but I need some crazy fuzz...



Hmmm...no maybe I need some reverb, and some choppy tremolo effects...



Been listening to Hendrix a lot...maybe get a wah too...



going through a Smashing Pumpkins phase...back to more fuzz!



God, I miss that old Silver Klon I had for years...maybe I should track down another one...and while I'm at it, that Bearfoot fuzz sounded great on the Youtube demo the other day...



Things are getting too much...must simplify...god Neil Young has such an awesome sound with all the crazy delays...what is the best analog delay I can think of? Ah...the Echoczar...gonna need a bigger board though. And a new power supply, as the ISO doesn't pump enough at 18V...



Hmm...not sure that I am a fuzz guy...maybe some balls-out heavy OD/Distortion will work better...



Well, I have some space left here...maybe if everything budges up I can fit some more stuff back on...



Maybe that's too much...



Ok Bearfoot is AWESOME...gotta hunt down some original BJFE...





Hmm...the Model D really is not working for me...what if I try something else?

Aha! Perfect! Everything works!!!




...but what if I could downsize? It would be easier to carry if I went out to a one in a million jam with friends...

The bare essentials...



Hmm...where am I going to put my tuner? I could put it angled at 90 degrees....but lets face it...it would drive me crazy!

Maybe the Phone Green OD can do what my Klon does?



Hmmm...probably not actually...maybe I should go back to what I had...




but maybe if I try harder, I could make the small board work...back to...




This weekend...nope, not doing it for me...back to The Ol' Faithful...

[StevenO]

Yannis, that's just beautiful. One, your pedals are always top-notch. Two, your photos are stunning. Three, you nailed the inner dialogue that I think most of us have when we try to rationalize our decisions regarding gear.

Especially the "Well, I should probably have a small pedalboard for quick jams". I get that ALL THE TIME. I jam with people next to never, and yet I'm currently putting together a, mind you it's kickass, little pedalboard myself. It's going to be wood-paneled, like a Moog.

Lovely!

[Shadoweclipse13]

That awesome!! Decisions are hard. I love the idea of a small board with just the essentials, but I also love all the options. Trying to balance what you absolutely need to get your sound versus luxuries and extras.

My board which is still in the build phase for the delay side is huge, but I always think about trimming it a bit. I could probably get away with two drives (Catalinbread Naga Bread into EQD The Dunes), 1 delay (Dawner Prince Boonar), a tremolo, volume pedal, and my EQD Organizer, but I'd miss everything else. Hahaha

[Shadoweclipse13]

...I'm currently putting together a, mind you it's kickass, little pedalboard myself. It's going to be wood-paneled, like a Moog.

Any pictures Steven? That sounds amazing!!

[StevenO]

...I'm currently putting together a, mind you it's kickass, little pedalboard myself. It's going to be wood-paneled, like a Moog.

Any pictures Steven? That sounds amazing!!

Oh, nothing yet. But I did build a bigger board a few years ago.

Here: https://www.instagram.com/p/8l8sgNodNc/

[zhivago]

Yannis, that's just beautiful. One, your pedals are always top-notch. Two, your photos are stunning. Three, you nailed the inner dialogue that I think most of us have when we try to rationalize our decisions regarding gear.

Especially the "Well, I should probably have a small pedalboard for quick jams". I get that ALL THE TIME. I jam with people next to never, and yet I'm currently putting together a, mind you it's kickass, little pedalboard myself. It's going to be wood-paneled, like a Moog.

Lovely!

Many thanks Steven!

It is really good to hear I am in good company with this pedalboard business!

hehehe!!

[zhivago]

That awesome!! Decisions are hard. I love the idea of a small board with just the essentials, but I also love all the options. Trying to balance what you absolutely need to get your sound versus luxuries and extras.

My board which is still in the build phase for the delay side is huge, but I always think about trimming it a bit. I could probably get away with two drives (Catalinbread Naga Bread into EQD The Dunes), 1 delay (Dawner Prince Boonar), a tremolo, volume pedal, and my EQD Organizer, but I'd miss everything else. Hahaha

I'd love to see the board when it is done.

I have this weird thing of wanting to utilise all my effects, but then I'd need an even bigger board and things just get out of hand for me.

I find the Pedaltrain Jr size board is about right, although I was eyeing up more pedals on eBay earlier today!! It never ends!

[Shadoweclipse13]

Here: https://www.instagram.com/p/8l8sgNodNc/

That's lovely

I'd love to see the board when it is done.

I have this weird thing of wanting to utilise all my effects, but then I'd need an even bigger board and things just get out of hand for me.

I find the Pedaltrain Jr size board is about right, although I was eyeing up more pedals on eBay earlier today!! It never ends!

Dude, me too. I want ALL of the things, and then I don't use stiff half the time. Funny timing, as I'm actually trimming my main board today after reading your thread I'd been thinking about it for awhile and just didn't feel like parting with things. I have a few pedals that sound great, but better with noise machines than with straight guitar. I think I'm gonna keep a few for a "noise board" (I use a bunch of pedal-like instruments from Electro-Faustus) and trim the main board.

I'll definitely take pictures though!!

[zhivago]

...I'm currently putting together a, mind you it's kickass, little pedalboard myself. It's going to be wood-paneled, like a Moog.

Any pictures Steven? That sounds amazing!!

Oh, nothing yet. But I did build a bigger board a few years ago.

Here: https://www.instagram.com/p/8l8sgNodNc/

wow that looks awesome!!!!

[marqueemoon]

Yep. I feel like I have my "main" board pretty dialed, but now I want an alternate board that's built around running with a cleaner amp or for bass.

[Embenny]

So funny, and so similar to what so many of us have done. I wish I had recorded a journal of my thought process as things were added and subtracted over the years. If I had kept photos though, I'd be able to add up the cost of all the pedals I've bought over the last 15-20 years...so maybe it's best that I don't

[s_mcsleazy]

as someone whose breaking pedals faster than he can replace them, im enjoying having a few less pedals

[Ursa Minor]

Love this. Nailed it!

[PJazzmaster]

[fuzzjunkie]

I would be perfectly happy with your Old Faithful, but I might want a Vibe or Tremolo in place of the Echo auxiliary pedal.

I posted about my full board make over from big old school battery powered vintage boxes to smaller modern pedalboard powered boxes last year. Below is my finalized set up. Got everything I need or want and the raised tier is a Pedaltrain Nano that detaches. I thought long and hard about putting the El Capistan up there in place of the Four Eyes so I could have Tuner-Fuzz-El Cap-Fuzz as a quick release jam board, but in reality I would probably just grab my Rat and Deluxe Memoryman from the old board and stuff them in a gig bag, so I left it as is.



I have been thinking about building a one knob mini board for fun-just for something to do- but haven't the time or need. One knob fuzz-one knob boost-one knob modulation-one knob reverb...something like Meathead-SHO or Rangemaster-Phase 90 or Tremolo-Biong reverb. That is the only thing I think would be in league with the size and efficiency of your board.