Anyone want to re-do my pedalboard?

[stevejamsecono]

So I just got back from tour and although I'd say everything went great and nothing broke, there's some odds and ends in my pedalboard that weren't making me totally happy. I figured it might be fun to put it to the OSG and see how ya'll might take to this sort of thing.

What I presently have going on:

Boss TU-2
Fulltone OCD
Boss SD-1
EHX Neo Clone
DOD Rubberneck Analog Delay

All going into the OD channel of a Peavey Classic 30 and played on my Yamaha Les Paul Custom copy.

So it's basically Tuner, OD Pedal, Middy Solo Boost, Chorus, Analog Delay with Tap Tempo

I see no reason to replace the tuner or the OCD. The tuner works fine, and the OCD is really only there if I have to deal with a backline amp of some kind. It's great for that and I have no complaints.

The latter three are kind of the issue, here's why:

The Boss SD-1 certainly has cut for solos with no problem, but it's INCREDIBLY nasally and a little intense. I also wouldn't mind something with a bit more bottom end so the trio doesn't sound totally lost when I take a solo. Also wouldn't mind less noise so it doesn't have to be super gainy. I don't use it at high gain although I do like the rock edge of it over a TS thing.

The EHX Neo Clone has served me faithfully for years but seems to have a nasty volume drop that makes it sound like a blanket put over my tone. It's also very noisy. I'm into the EHX thing a lot, but I'd be open to stuff that's either analog and less noisy, or digital and not noisy at all. The main thing is I like a big washy unsubtle chorus, which has kept me away from the Boss choruses of the world.

The Rubberneck sounds pretty great but it has wayyy more controls than I need. Love having the tap tempo, but all the extra knobs make it fairly large and kind of unwieldy. I'm tempted to just throw another Carbon Copy back on there (I've had three so far), but I think I'd miss the tap tempo. I know they do the deluxe now, but that wouldn't solve the size problem and it's so similar to the Rubberneck I don't see the point. I'd only want to keep the size if it would mean adding presets.

So yeah, what do you think? I'll be messing around in Pedaltrain planner all day, so I'm down for any ideas.

[marqueemoon]

I’d do a CE-2W or MXR Analog Chorus. I like the the MXR as you can blend in dry signal.

Maybe a Carbon Copy Deluxe for delay?

I think something SHO-ish for a solo boost could be good. An EP Booster if you want a bit more girth in the low end.

My bandmate in the band I play bass in uses a (modded) SD-1 and I second the harsh/nasal thing. It only works because he tunes down to D.

I also play in a 3 piece and getting a drive and “solo” sound that works in that context is tough. I’ve settled on a crunchier baseline sound and basically two boosts, but that only works with my head. In a backline situation I’d be kind of screwed.

[marqueemoon]

Huh. To me Boss chorus is washy and unsubtle.

Also, if you get a smaller boost to replace the SD-1 you’ll have room for a bigger delay.

[marqueemoon]

Small fake analog delays with tap:

Walrus ARP-87
Alexander History Lesson
Whatever JHS is calling their thing these days

I really can’t recommend the analog emulation on the DD-7 though. It’s thin and overly chirpy.

A Klone would also not be a bad choice for boost duties. Maybe too tasteful? I dunno.

[Mechanical Birds]

Mine is rehoused but it ended up being a total waste of time but the Danelectro Transparent OD rivals like any OD I’ve ever heard

[Shadoweclipse13]

Chorus: Jam Pedals Waterfall

I run a Delta Blues most of the time (also 30W) and my favorite solo booster is a Catalinbread Naga Viper. The treble booster sounds really good with Peaveys.

For delay, the Alexander Radical 2 Plus has a single switch for on/off, but if you hold it down for a second or two, it'll go into tap tempo mode. I know I've seen that feature on a few other pedals too.

[s_mcsleazy]

Huh. To me Boss chorus is washy and unsubtle.

Also, if you get a smaller boost to replace the SD-1 you’ll have room for a bigger delay.

it depends on the level of your input signal. louder signals make it sound washy, quieter ones make em sound subtle. my friend had so much trouble with hers, she stuck a eq after her dirt to normal out the signal.

[sessylU]

I'd be tempted with a simple boost, if it's just for solos. Although from what you've said it sounds like you're having issues with how the SD1 eq plays with your amp, so maybe something more tweakable would be better.

Have you tried just an EQ pedal?

Mine is rehoused but it ended up being a total waste of time but the Danelectro Transparent OD rivals like any OD I’ve ever heard

This is a great shout. These are brilliant. Plenty of headroom, and tweakable enough so that you can add that extra girth right where you need it.

[stevejamsecono]

Chorus: Jam Pedals Waterfall

I run a Delta Blues most of the time (also 30W) and my favorite solo booster is a Catalinbread Naga Viper. The treble booster sounds really good with Peaveys.

For delay, the Alexander Radical 2 Plus has a single switch for on/off, but if you hold it down for a second or two, it'll go into tap tempo mode. I know I've seen that feature on a few other pedals too.

This is really useful information, and I've been eyeing the Naga Viper for some time so this confirms some of my thoughts. From what I understand the Naga (as with all Rangemasters) still has that upper mids and treble punch but is more open sounding than a tube screamer/SD1 type of thing, so that may be the ticket...

[rumfoord]

I used to use an MXR microamp—which was great—but now slightly prefer using a transparent od as a boost. I totally agree that either of these solutions will probably work great for you. It'll depend a whole whole lot on the way the pedal jives with your amp and your playing style.

I've used the Danelectro Transparent OD v1 for a while, and recommend it as well. It did have a quality that to me was a little a blanket over the speaker though... albeit, a pretty thin blanket But I think you probably couldn't go very wrong with basically any transparent od or boost. Right now I use a clone of a Vemuram Jan Ray (thank you, craigslist) instead of the Danelectro.

I've also used the Jan Ray (clone) as always-on fix for a shitty solid state amp, and it worked really well. If I were you, I'd probably buy some sort of transparent od (anything of a good quality from craigslist, or an EHX Soul Food or something) and then experiment with that and the OCD to see which combinations work best. Like, maybe you want the transparent od for your base tone with a backline amp while the OCD could work better for a boost. Or maybe you can tweak the two to sound great when stacked. I like having three dirt pedals set so that every one of the 8 combinations work for me.

[Shadoweclipse13]

This is really useful information, and I've been eyeing the Naga Viper for some time so this confirms some of my thoughts. From what I understand the Naga (as with all Rangemasters) still has that upper mids and treble punch but is more open sounding than a tube screamer/SD1 type of thing, so that may be the ticket...

One thing to remember about the Naga Viper which is amazing... Compared to the original Rangemasters, you can change the boost from a full-frequency boost, or a treble-only boost (it's on a pot, so it's not just A vs B, like a switch), and you can dial in any amount of gain. The way I understand it, the Rangemasters were basically pre-set at full gain.

I use mine two ways: 1) as a slight boost with a little gain (think As Cities Burn, the album Contact) and 2) driving my EQD The Dunes (tubescreamer-ish), which is my favorite gain sound.

The Naga Viper is very versatile, and I'd say it's at least worth a try at your local music store. If you do, try the N.V. into The Dunes just for the hell of it. It's awesome.

[MT]

If it’s a tour board, I’d just go with a Boss DD-7 for the delay. The analog mode is decent enough and it has tap tempo. Solid as a rock and easy to replace.

Swap the SD-1 for a Klon clone or just find a good eq pedal and use that for your solo boost. Then you can dial in the frequencies to your own taste or whatever amp / cab you’re stuck with.

[marqueemoon]

Re: boosts, there’s also the Walrus Emissary that just came out. Blendable clean and
mid boosts in one pedal. Pretty expensive for what it is though.

[d-rock]

Boss SD-1
EHX Neo Clone
DOD Rubberneck Analog Delay

MXR Custom Modified OD for the SD-1
- It'll give you a 100hz knob to control the bass and has a bump switch for mids, fantastic pedal

Boss CE-2w for the Neo Clone
- Gets great reviews

EHX Canyon for the Rubberneck
- Option for external tap

[popvulture]

I've had sooooo many overdrive pedals, and the one I keep coming back to is the Smallsound/Bigsound Mini. It's got a pretty open sound, plus a versatile bias knob that will make it get pretty splatty if you keep it at 0 or thereabouts. I keep mine at like 11... it has just the right amount of focus there for my taste.

Other big plus is that it's got a very versatile EQ, with a lot of bass on tap if you want it. I keep mine kinda low, but it's definitely there if you need it... the guy who makes these is the keyboard player for Cymbals Eat Guitars, so they've got a wider EQ range for when they're used for kb applications.

Anyway, f'n rad pedal. FWIW I've got an old Klon that I bought before the insanity, and while it's certainly a great pedal, I like the Mini better for the music I make. Just goes to show that there are plenty of very interesting, useful, and overall rad sounding ODs for non ridiculous prices.

Other randos I'll throw in that I've liked as of late: Hudson Broadcast, Greer Lightspeed.