The joy of minimal effects

[idiotbear]

So, we're all becoming old farts, eh? Fair enough!

Here's one things... We're buying and playing less effects, but... Are the effects we do buy and play more expensive than the pedals we played in our earlier days? Are we paying quality over quantity? Is this a slippery slope towards blues lawyer/jazz dentist/adult-contemporary accountants?

Scary thoughts, but I'm kind of okay with that...

While my remaining effects are pretty expensive ones - Maxon, Fulltone, EQD - I had more expensive ones back in my 20s. Super Duper? Check! Moogerfooger? Check! It wasn't three feet of Behringer, which actually would've been fine and a lot more defensible.

Saying that, when I was 19 I was gigging with a Squier Strat and a Zoom multi-effects unit and loving it...

[StevenO]

Yeah, same. The most expensive pedal I use is a Super Duper, and even then, I got it for a deal. I just wanted to add a scary thought...

[Jaguar018]

The OP and the minimalist pedal set-up fans managed to reach the same conclusion that I attempted to write twice, but deleted because it got too wordy and dull.

We come to our current setups through age, experience, time spent on forums, gas attacks, and let's not forget playing.

My setup has 8-11 pedals. Some pricey ones and some not as pricey ones (we learn what works and what doesn't from all that flipping, PADS [Pedal Arrival Disappointment Syndrome] and general trail and error.) While I do have a larger board, I don't spend much time tweaking. I pretty much know all the sounds I want to get and I play away.

I feel like some of us older fellows (I'm 41) have basically figured our shit out. My trips to music gear stores basically remind me that I don't really need or want any more gear. I still like to get on these forums and see the younger guys spazzing out as they are trying to figure out what's going to work for them. It took me more than a dozen different guitars, a good number of amps and a shit-ton of pedals to get to this point. Mistakes were made along the way and that was half the fun.

[PsychoSurfer]

I'm 30 now... I've gone through periods of having no pedals and many pedals, currently I have a pretty big board going - I think there is something like 10+ pedals on it currently. Lately though I've been thinking about stripping it down a bit however, I think the best way to go is to have different boards based on each style you may play. I rely on my delays and reverb to provide the dreamy backdrop that I like to use on the bulk of what I play. Pedals are so much fun but are such a huge distraction. I know my song writing has diminished since increasing the size of my board, so it's kind of a conundrum.

[Arthon]

The OP and the minimalist pedal set-up fans managed to reach the same conclusion that I attempted to write twice, but deleted because it got too wordy and dull.

We come to our current setups through age, experience, time spent on forums, gas attacks, and let's not forget playing.

My setup has 8-11 pedals. Some pricey ones and some not as pricey ones (we learn what works and what doesn't from all that flipping, PADS [Pedal Arrival Disappointment Syndrome] and general trail and error.) While I do have a larger board, I don't spend much time tweaking. I pretty much know all the sounds I want to get and I play away.

I feel like some of us older fellows (I'm 41) have basically figured our shit out. My trips to music gear stores basically remind me that I don't really need or want any more gear. I still like to get on these forums and see the younger guys spazzing out as they are trying to figure out what's going to work for them. It took me more than a dozen different guitars, a good number of amps and a shit-ton of pedals to get to this point. Mistakes were made along the way and that was half the fun.

Sure. I am only 29, and don't have that wisdom, but I am heading that way. I am doing a gear-ban year and I realise my GAS is very fleeting. Last week, I was gasing for a Les Paul, and now I realise that, although I like Les Paul, those guitar don't suit my playing style. My sound is pretty much set around my 6 effects pedal board. I am thinking about making an alternative board with only 2 effects (1 tuner and 2 effects) for jamming outside my band. In 2015...

[JazzBlaster]

Definitely, as I approach 40 (I'm 36, like Yannis) I'm much less about the new toys. Maybe you do just go through a period of trying lots of stuff. Expensive period though, sheesh...

On the waning appeal of consumerism, though: hell, I used to go into town for something to do, poking around the shops and vaguely thinking I might buy something was entertainment in itself. I'm by myself this week because we're having work done in the house, and yesterday I went into town to alleviate the boredom. Nope. Didn't work. I wasn't interested in looking around the shops, there was nothing I wanted to buy and I wasn't at all interested in finding something to buy. The last thing I want is more stuff.

It might also be this: I have more money than I used to. Now that I can buy more things, I'm less inclined to want them.

I'll be 40 in May. I'm going thru a phase where I was really poor and quit playing for awhile. Some friends of mine convinced me I should get back into playing. Now I have a job where I'm making more money than I ever have in my life so I'm buying shit up. That being said I never buy anything I wont use. When I was in my 20's I would just buy things because it was a good deal and trade and actually used to make some money frequently. Now I'm older I know what will work for me and what wont. For example I know I wont play guitar with humbuckers in them so why buy one, or cool guitars with necks that are just to big for me to play comfortably. I want to have a collection of things that I've always wanted mainly because now I have the means. I don't have a wife or kids so, why not?

[Telliot]

I love this thread, and I think the age>pedals theory is spot on. As I said in my earlier post, my guitars and amp are all worth more than they were when I was younger (I'm 41), but I have less of it. My effects are much less, in terms of volume and turnover than they used to be, and I'm slowly settling on a small set of permanent residents, half of which are what I would consider 'nuts and bolts' pedals (tuner, comp, volume), the others are purely excess.

[JazzBlaster]

Pedals are so much fun but are such a huge distraction. I know my song writing has diminished since increasing the size of my board, so it's kind of a conundrum.

This is why I don't write songs using more than a drive pedal anymore. I used to have an M13 and I found I wasn't playing guitar anymore I was just fooling with FX. FX trickery has it's purpose and is fun to but without a good song it's just noise.

[Telliot]

Pedals are so much fun but are such a huge distraction. I know my song writing has diminished since increasing the size of my board, so it's kind of a conundrum.

This is why I don't write songs using more than a drive pedal anymore. I used to have an M13 and I found I wasn't playing guitar anymore I was just fooling with FX. FX trickery has it's purpose and is fun to but without a good song it's just noise.

I always write either on an acoustic or piano. Always. For me the song comes first, then the arrangement. It bugs me when I can tell that a band wrote a song or group of songs around an effect.

[shoule79]

I'm still finding my niche pedal wise. I went from 15-20 pedals in my late teens/early 20's, then guitar > cable > maybe a boost > amp through my 20's. I just got back into playing a few years ago, and the pedal situation was hovering around 10, but i'm settling down more around 5 or 6 (delay, reverb, boost, OD, distortion or fuzz, maybe a modulation effect).

I find for me, the real problem with the pedal sprawl is finding dirt I like to handle all the situations. My guitar/amp setup was due to being in a band and having a really nice old Marshall that I could crank and control the dirt with my volume. I find with the more practical for my needs, smaller combo amps i'm never happy with my dirty tone, other than the nice just breaking up sound. If it were possible, i'd probably have 5 or 6 dirt pedals alone.

[JazzBlaster]

I always write either on an acoustic or piano. Always. For me the song comes first, then the arrangement. It bugs me when I can tell that a band wrote a song or group of songs around an effect.

I used to have this job where I just had to be there on the night shift to answer the phone (which rarely rang). I used to sit at my desk with an unplugged Jaguar and write songs.

[Ursa Minor]

I've been quietly enjoying this thread for a while now. Guess it's time to throw my 2 cents in the hat...

I''ll be 33 this year. I have bought and sold tons of guitars, pedals and went through an amp phase that got pretty out of control. I have no regrets about this, even if it was GAS-induced consumerism. Its been a great deal of discovery, experimentation and I've learned a ton and enjoyed the hell out of it. Still do, but to a much lesser extent now.

I started to look around at my office / studio / gear room...it was looking a lot like a guitar shop. (Or a hoarders GAS room, albeit neatly organized.) I've been slowly shedding gear and it feels great. I'm at the point now where I really know what I like and what I want. Most importantly its put some much needed funds back in my bank account for the future.

I still have a lot of stuff but its about to become even more minimal. I want this. Threads like this one and certain others have given me a reason to evaluate my own situation as many of you have. At this point I'm not playing out as much and many times, instead of recording or writing or just enjoying playing for the little time I actually have to play these days, I'm twiddling effects, or swapping out different delay pedals, fuzzes, etc. to test them out against one another. Same thing with guitars and amps. Its no mystery I prefer JMs, Princetons and delay pedals, but why do I need so many of a similar thing? Especially when its preventing me from just playing - which is what I want to be doing.

I agree with Jazzblaster about writing and recording. Using only clean and drive helps me focus and to just play. That's why I like the fuzz face, I can control the texture and fuzz with my volume knob and keep my hands off the ground and on my guitar. The AD900 gets tweaked here and there, but the layout of the knobs allows me to tweak with my feet. Same with the amount of gain I want on my OD pedal. Most of my settings are pretty much the same all the time anyways. I pretty much gave up modulation effects years ago. I can live without the texture, especially since my amps have trem.

My board is pretty minimal. It's been very similar for years now:
Tuner (Boss TU-2) > Delay (Maxon AD900) > Comp (Boss CS-2, used only at home) >OD (Barber LTD) > Fuzz (usually just a Fuzz Face, sometimes I break out a Fulltone Soul Bender)
This is all on a Pedal Train Jr. I like the size and like that I can hide a PP2+ under it. The size has helped me keep my pedals to a minimum, but I don't like having two rows of pedals. What I also didn't think about was how much of a hassle the road case would be. It's too much - should've ordered the gig bag - and to my dismay, they won't sell me one unless I buy a whole new setup. Ugh...

What I'd really like to do is make a smaller DIY board so I can have all effects in a row and be able to throw it in a backpack or messenger bag and be out the door. Amp in one hand, guitar in the other. Pedals over the shoulder.

[JazzBlaster]

Since picking guitar back up at the beginning of the year I feel I'm a lot more focused on playing cleaner, not being masked by walls of fuzz or delay or what have you. I've kinda always made it a point to be aggressive and in your face with everything I did. Right now I am trying to get to a point where I can go play with anyone, any style and just sound good.

[Harrison]

I just bought the AD9 and the SD1 and couldn't be happier

[zhivago]

I just got back from work, and I am so happy to see all these positive posts.

On the price point raised earlier, thing is this, yes, while my rig is very expensive (mostly due to the guitar, really), the fact that it kills GAS, actually means that in the long run, I will save money...you'd be surprised hoe ebay fees, extra postage fees, whatever, builds up over years.

I used to buy a pedal every couple of weeks in my early 20s...we're talking Zvex in the early 2000s...the stuff was real expensive then....but I loved it then...it was an exploration...it was the right thing to do musically then.

Nowadays I know what I need to make sounds I like and I pretty much have it all. I mentioned getting a JM again in the future, and yes, it has been the only thing I truly miss.

I have to once again return to my earlier point...having the gear that works for me has made me play more, and I have been improving and expanding over new styles as I am ageing.

Yes, I'll go all-out Sonic Youth/Shellac/Dinosaur Jr in a moment, but I am marrying it with Howlin Wolf, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Band, (early) ZZ Top Dylan, yes, even the Stones...suddenly, possibly through age, I have crystallised music that I like all into one, and I also realised that it is not one or the other, but I can listen to anything all at the same time.

I have more fun playing music now, than ever before, and I have now been playing obsessively for over 20 years...it is all good....so, so good.



oh-oh, I feel a group hug coming up