Pedalboard Malaise

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StevenO
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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by StevenO » Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:29 am

I've been trying to piece together a little bit of a small pedalboard, and man... I don't think I'll ever get along with overdrive pedals. I'm currently using a Fairfield Accountant Comp to add presence at low volumes and a Fairfield Barbershop OD for light gain duties and no matter what I end up using I always end up settling on a setting that is nearly indistinguishable from my bypass sound... And yet time and time again I do the same rigamarole, looking for more ODs to satiate my desires.

:fp:

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by cestlamort » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:29 am

Jaguar018 wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:38 am
shadowplay wrote:
Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:53 pm
cestlamort wrote:
Wed Jun 05, 2019 8:19 am

I have surely said this here before but I find the Ibanez UE racks that I use to solve some of the pedalboard malaise. Having two racks that cover most things, I find that I have limited myself and also freed myself from the perpetual striving for the latest greatest true bypass spaceship in a pedal. I still will buy a pedal now and then, especially older reissues, but the effort and planning to incorporate it in the live setup often means that these stay on the sidelines. I figure that if I cannot do it with a compressor, EQ, chorus, flanger, overdrive, phaser and an analog delay, it is my fault. That said, I have an eventide h9 for reverbs and tuner and whatever else may be needed. Anything more requires mental and signal path gymnastics.
I'm a bit like that but with Boss pedals, it's not malaise, it's contentment.
I know that the combination of functionality and aesthetics weigh heavily in the life of Shadowplay and others. The 'one brand only' approach can be really effective and rewarding-- Boss pedals cover all the bases. Sometimes I wish I could turn off the part of my brain that is always sort of wondering what is around the next bend with certain things. There are just so many cool pedal brands, new and old, and I really like all of the different ways pedals have looked through the years. Like I said earlier, it's essentially my last personal frontier of gear questing and flipping, some of the magic is gone, but venting a little here and getting some different perspectives have helped me pare down a few extra pedals, reshuffle things, and hopefully reinvigorate my playing.
The first pedal I really loved was an ibanez AD80 so the move to the rack versions was both aesthetic and part of my rock frugality (the UE400/405 racks used to be super duper cheap, like $75. The Roland/boss ones still are, although the user interface on the GP8 is way more abstract).
The attraction of effects is that unexpected spark of inspiration from how this or that pedal will surprise and inspire. Boss effects will do pretty much all of the sounds, but there may not be as many surprises there. So I understand the quest for finding that unique, unexpected thing that takes you somewhere new.
When pedals don’t take you there, they’re just little modular tone units that weigh on your pedalboard (and discretionary spending). Go back to the one that first inspired you and mess around with it. It may inspire again.
Tangent 1: a “nice” amp may make effects seem less important.
Tangent 2: I’m always astounded at the secondary industries around the effects boom, such as this or that pedal board that costs hundreds of dollars / more than a deluxe memory man did in the 90s. (Rock luggage is to effects pedals is like investing in pipelines is to oil)
Tangent 3: think about the incredible creativity before people had tons of effects, or just want one could do with one or two (John McGeoch and a flanger, for example)

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by somanytoys » Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:51 am

StevenO wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:29 am
I've been trying to piece together a little bit of a small pedalboard, and man... I don't think I'll ever get along with overdrive pedals. I'm currently using a Fairfield Accountant Comp to add presence at low volumes and a Fairfield Barbershop OD for light gain duties and no matter what I end up using I always end up settling on a setting that is nearly indistinguishable from my bypass sound... And yet time and time again I do the same rigamarole, looking for more ODs to satiate my desires.

:fp:
I know what you mean. On my 2 pedalboards, I'm currently using a Barber Gain Changer (LTD low gain side) on 1 chain in each board, and a Zenkudo (Dumble mode) and a Barber BUSS (Dumble mode) on the other chains, for smoother gain. It's not a huge difference, but it is a noticeable difference in tone. I use fuzz on both boards for true dirt, with and without the OD's on, for intensity.

I've been messing with a TS-9 into a BD-2, with very little to no gain, and last weekend a Throback OD/Boost, on the germanium side, not overly saturated. Those are some nice sounds into a not completely clean but not overdriven amp, for sort of bluesy/jazzy type sounds. I'll have to keep playing with the settings, because often I'll turn them off and it's hard to tell because I've pushed them so low, but they do add just a little something, especially depending on the amp.

I've been looking at the Westwood lately, and would also like to try a SS/BS F*ck or mini.

I don't really use comps much, but I'm really wanting a Cali 76 Stacked. I need to try out my VFE White Horse optical comp on my classical, the sound from the piezo pickup makes it sound like I'm really beating the thing up when I play.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by fuzzjunkie » Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:10 pm

StevenO wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:29 am
I've been trying to piece together a little bit of a small pedalboard, and man... I don't think I'll ever get along with overdrive pedals. I'm currently using a Fairfield Accountant Comp to add presence at low volumes and a Fairfield Barbershop OD for light gain duties and no matter what I end up using I always end up settling on a setting that is nearly indistinguishable from my bypass sound... And yet time and time again I do the same rigamarole, looking for more ODs to satiate my desires.

:fp:
Damn! You’ve discovered the Holy Grail Transparent Overdrive Tone of the Gods that everyone is carrying on about in places like TGP and you’re STILL not happy?!?

</sarcasm>

Both those Fairfield pedals are great. I like a little grit with my drive, so I use the Throbak Overdrive mentioned by somanytoys. It’s awesome as a Klon type clean boost that you only miss when you turn it off, but it really excels as a fuzzy overdrive, or as David Torn likes to say, Underfuzz. Being able to switch between silicon and germanium adds to the versatility and the horizontal version has a foot switch that lets you either keep a constant level if you switch between higher and lower output pickups or you can use it to boost your boost. The vertical one has that switch on a toggle.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by Singlebladepickup » Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:20 pm

The ssbs mini is cool for light overdrive and the bias switch gives it lots of variety in one pedal. With the gain down it's a decent EQ and it adds sustain. It's enough on its own for me most of the time, but stacked with algal bloom it is all the gain and sputtery goodness I'd ever need.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:12 pm

StevenO wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:29 am
I've been trying to piece together a little bit of a small pedalboard, and man... I don't think I'll ever get along with overdrive pedals. I'm currently using a Fairfield Accountant Comp to add presence at low volumes and a Fairfield Barbershop OD for light gain duties and no matter what I end up using I always end up settling on a setting that is nearly indistinguishable from my bypass sound... And yet time and time again I do the same rigamarole, looking for more ODs to satiate my desires.

:fp:
I think part of the woes from dealing with pedals in cases like this is that you either hear a sound on record that you want for yourself, or you have a sound in your head that you want to get, and have trouble finding it. For low gain sounds that are almost indistinguishable from no gain, you may want to look into a boost pedal as opposed to an overdrive. I tend to use overdrives for medium-high gain most of the time, or stack a few different low gain sounds for a more distorted sound.

I had a Fulltone Fat Boost (V2/V3 I think) years ago that did the low gain thing incredibly well. Think some of the "clean" tones from As Cities Burn, especially the album Contact. I ended up with a Catalinbread Naga Viper which does it differently, but just right for me. I also grabbed an EQD Westwood, which that sound well too.

Have you thought about a compressor for those very low gain tones? That could work as well...

somanytoys wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 9:51 am
I've been messing with a TS-9 into a BD-2, with very little to no gain, and last weekend a Throback OD/Boost, on the germanium side, not overly saturated. Those are some nice sounds into a not completely clean but not overdriven amp, for sort of bluesy/jazzy type sounds. I'll have to keep playing with the settings, because often I'll turn them off and it's hard to tell because I've pushed them so low, but they do add just a little something, especially depending on the amp.

I've been looking at the Westwood lately, and would also like to try a SS/BS F*ck or mini.
I have both a SS/BS Mini (bass board) and a Westwood. Very different, but both are awesome. Westwood can be fun with a boost pedal driving it. Years ago I had a Keeley-modded BD-2, and it was my sound for a very long time. They can get fuzzy at higher gains, which is something I've never found again in an overdrive pedal. I also tend to like Tubescreamer-type circuits being used in tandem with another drive type. Tubescreamer circuits just sound amazing to me. Now that I think of it, isn't the BD-2 based on a Tubescreamer?
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by StevenO » Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:34 am

Unrelated, but my brain keeps reading this thread title as "Pedalboard Mayonnaise" ...

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by Jaguar018 » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:24 am

StevenO wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:34 am
Unrelated, but my brain keeps reading this thread title as "Pedalboard Mayonnaise" ...
Image

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by somanytoys » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:26 am

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:10 pm
It’s awesome as a Klon type clean boost that you only miss when you turn it off, but it really excels as a fuzzy overdrive, or as David Torn likes to say, Underfuzz.
Underfuzz. I like that term, and it's a pretty apt description for the sound the Throback can make. Just there under the normal tone, and like you said, just enough to be missed when it's turned off. It's a great pedal.

Never thought of using the boost switch on it to keep the levels even for pickup switching, that's a good idea. And I also like that phrase, "to boost your boost".

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by somanytoys » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:11 am

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:12 pm
I have both a SS/BS Mini (bass board) and a Westwood. Very different, but both are awesome. Westwood can be fun with a boost pedal driving it. Years ago I had a Keeley-modded BD-2, and it was my sound for a very long time. They can get fuzzy at higher gains, which is something I've never found again in an overdrive pedal. I also tend to like Tubescreamer-type circuits being used in tandem with another drive type. Tubescreamer circuits just sound amazing to me. Now that I think of it, isn't the BD-2 based on a Tubescreamer?
I was looking at the Westwood and the Walrus 385, but the Westwood seems to intrigue me more. One day I'll probably try or buy one, I read nothing but good things about it.

Yeah, I have an old Keeley, and that thing gets dirty and fuzzy fast, and it's LOUD. I think the BD-2 was Boss' answer to the TS-9, but I thought it was a different circuit, to purposely not have the mid hump, and a different kind of drive. I haven't had that many Boss drive pedals. I did have but never liked the DS-1, I bought one, had it modded and sold it, but I haven't tried an SD-1. If I didn't already have 2 BD-2s that I really like, I'd probably buy a waza version of it, because I do like the BD-2, and I'm really impressed with my waza version of the DC-2.

I think that the tubescreamer is great for what it does, and it seems to work well with most other pedals, although some people don't like them, for various reasons. When I stack the TS-9 into the BD-2 and start dialing in some distortion between them, I find that the TS-9 has a nice, round drive that seems to encompass the entire sound (I have a Burr Brown chip in it right now, so it's a little smoother), whereas the blues driver's drive result is a little thinner and edgier. I haven't been using the Keeley BD-2, though, I use the other one to get a smoother tone out of the BD-2.

So with moderate drive (maybe halfway or so, I think) drive on the TS-9, then stacking just enough of the dirt from the BD-2 on top of that round, driven tone coming from the TS-9, gives it a nice fuzzy distorted edge almost on top of the driven tone. It's surprisingly fun to play with the knobs to find the right mix with that, but the clean boost is pretty straight forward. I've only done this lately with small amps at lower volumes, but I'm sure it will work very similarly at higher levels.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by StevenO » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:23 am

Jaguar018 wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:24 am
StevenO wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:34 am
Unrelated, but my brain keeps reading this thread title as "Pedalboard Mayonnaise" ...
Image
Billy Corgie can gargle my balls, but I'd own that pedal.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by shadowplay » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:04 am

StevenO wrote:
Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:23 am

Billy Corgie can gargle my balls, but I'd own that pedal.
Even with that kerning of absolute unending horror? That doesn't exactly trumpet attention to detail. I mean the M and the A are...are...touching! (looks for Scream emoticon)

D
Are you loathsome tonight?

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by StevenO » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:31 am

Just like you always say... Pobodys nerfect!

And besides, I've owned a fair amount of fulltone pedals and that dude loves his Comic Sans and mismatched fonts on the same goddamn pedal, so...

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by panoramic » Wed Jun 12, 2019 7:51 am

i have played for years with just a rat and a reverb unit, before i had the reverb unit it was years with a rat and a twin reverb.
i have plenty of other pedals nowadays but i don't "need" them, i just like to play around with them
I used to be cool, now I just complain about prices.

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Re: Pedalboard Malaise

Post by fuzzjunkie » Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:32 am

Never thought of using the boost switch on it to keep the levels even for pickup switching, that's a good idea. And I also like that phrase, "to boost your boost".
There is a mini pot inside to fine tune the setting if you decide to go that route. I used to have a Super Duper for that when I used a lot of alternate tunings and my guitars outputs were all mismatched, so it seems like a good idea for that, but now my guitars are all in the same range, so now it Boosts the Boost!

Have you ever tried an Ibanez SD-9? It’s called Sonic Distortion, but it’s more a Tubescreamer on steroids with a little less mid-hump. They sound a lot like how you describe the tone from stacking the BD-2 and TS-9. I like the BD-2 better than the TS-9 for that type of sound myself. I had both and neither were quite right, so I switched to a Rat dialed back to overdrive until I discovered the Throbak and that kicked the Rat and Super Duper off my board.

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