The Problem With Pedal Boards

So I was about to play a set when I decided to move my pedals around. I had a solid break in the action so I went to work. Long story short, I had completely dismantled my board and was trying to re-rout my Ernie Ball Volume Pedal... Action time came and my board was still a useless pile of pedals... I tried to wire up a small chain of my key stuff, but there wasn't time. I went straight to the amp and made due.

 ilovefuzz.com

Pedal Boards Are Complected

Whether you have five pedals or fifty, pedals need to be set up correctly or they wont work. Have a cable in the wrong spot, or slightly unplugged and there won't be any sound. Have a bad cable and there could be all kinds of terrible sounds. Bad ground can be a killer too. Noisy pedals will need to be tamed with some kind of gate. Batteries will run out. Everything needs to be running correctly for it all to work.

They Add Tons of Cable

Between each pedal is a patch. Most patches are about 6 inches. I have about 15 pedals on my board, so that means adding at least 7.5 feet. Opinions about buffers not withstanding, This extra cable can add capacitance, in turn reduces your tone's clarity. Smart usage of buffers can help with this, but also add more complexity to your rig.

The Bigger The Board, The Bigger The Headache

Just like my case, it you want to move things around or change something, it often involves moving everything. This can be difficult and time consuming. The patches, the power, it all has to be moved and re-arranged. The Order and placement all have to be considered. All things considered, your signal chain can take hours of consideration. Many of my idle minutes are spend thinking about what pedal should go before or after another.

Even though Pedal Boards are a huge pain, and they can even hinder you sound if you aren't careful, they are still a staple of guitarists' rigs. Your pedals make up as much of your sound as the guitar and amp you choose. So whether you run one or one hundred effects, the end result has to be something that you are satisfied with.

Ugly Truth: Raygun Effects

Among my internet viewing, I found a company out of the UK that sell effects. I know right, the UK thinks it can make effects...? Well hold a second because these guy might surprise you.

Boutique gear is expensive. Don't let anyone tell you any different. If someone put their hands on it to build, then you are paying twice what a sane person would. But it all for not because it's just a pretty clone of something someone made a hundred years ago... blah blah blah. Now that that is out of the way, Raygun Effects doesn't seem like your typical boutique pedal builder.

The Prices

Don't let the exchange rate fool you, those are actually decent prices for a handmade piece of gear. Yes, they are heavy on the fuzz pedals, but they also have range of other pedals. This marks one of the only times I've thought that one of the small operations that make awesome sounding/looking pedals to have down to earth prices. Plus they are just too cool. Their boost is just over $60 USD.

The Looks

Did I mention that they look so dang cool. The boost comes with an old school skirted amp knob (so you know it sounds good) and everything else has been given loads of detail to set it apart from the normal, powder coated, metal flake, boxes that we see. Good job to the guys at Raygun for finding that look that suits them and sets them apart.

Bass Effects

These guys know what they're doing. They are taking care of the bass player. The guy that doesn't geek out about his gear so hard it make everyone nauseous, needs a little love too. Again Raygun has features that set them apart from anyone else. These pedals respectable in every way.

Is The KLON The New Tube Screamer?

Most of us that have peered behind the curtain of our guitar effects have noticed a trend that seems as old as the electric guitar (and its little effects buddies). People have been 'cloning' gear before 'cloning' was even a thing. Before the commercial success of the electronic effects industry, guitarist have been emulating one another in a myriad of ways. In the time before solid-bodied electric guitars, modified arch top guitars plugged into amplifiers were stuff full of rags to eliminate feed back. Amplifiers were modified with 'master' volume knobs to push the unit into situation. Beer bottles were used to emulate the sounds of a African folk instrument call the 'diddly bow'. These ideas were popularized and improved upon. We now owe solid-body guitars, overdrive and slide guitar to these trends. As we think back to a time when the lowly Tube Screamer was introduced, before the host of modifications were made common. One of the greatest guitarist famously used the Tube Screamer to shape his legendary sound. Fast forward thirty years and we see the trend again, only with a new name.

The Klon has an epic back story. Back in the mid 90s Bill Finnegan built the first Klon Centaurs. From there the popularity and mythos behind the pedal blossomed. Many popular players picked up on the pedals lure. The used value of the pedal skyrocketed when production of the centaur stopped. In the following years Bill, in partnership with others, developed the KTR to have the same effect while using surface mounted components. The trajectory of the klon follows that of the Tube Screamer. If we apply the same logic, what does this mean for the Klon? Well, if history serves: clones, mods, and and reissues.

Clones... There are tonnes of clone of the Centaur. A list would be academic, but makers have been producing these since the original has gone out of production. The replications haven't stop since the introduction of the KTR either. Wampler just released the Tumnus which puts the Centaur in a tiny package. Mods are common as well. The originals are still too sacred to tamper with (they are also covered in epoxy). But many mods have become popular for the clones and facsimiles. Reissues my just be an inevitability. At the moment, Finnegan seems unmotivated to produce any more Centaurs in any large amounts.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying A New Pedal

Lately I've run into a problem. My pedal board is full of great pedals. I know. That is a horrible problem to have, but hear me out. I may or may not have GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I like to buy and try new gear, a lot. So when I see something shiny, or new, or cheap, I feel like I have to buy it. However, I just can't seem to figure out why. I love the way my rig sounds. Would it get better if I had the new/shiny/cheap pedal that has caught my fancy? Most likely not. But I still want it. For a while this would cause me to buy the gear and then ultimately regret it and sell it. Is this just part of pedal board evolution or is it the symptom of a great issue. Either way, I've devised a list of question to aid in determining whether your gear purchase is warranted. (Disclaimer: this is only a guide. This works for me, but ultimately you gotta do you and make your own decisions)

Do I Already Have One Of Those?

Jump on any guitar forum and you'll see that the new, spiffy pedal that is coming out is only a clone of another pedal that has been a around for ages. Take the Tube Screamer. The Tube Screamer lives in so many variations that it is hard to even compile an accurate list of all of them. Just assume anything made by Ibanez and painted green is a TS. Other companies have made their versions as well. Boss has the SD-1, EHX has the East River Drive, Digitech has the Bad Monkey, BBE has the Green Driver and just about any Boutique builder has their own take on the old circuit. So if you have a mid-hump overdrive that you like and the pedal you are salivating over closely resembles the one that you own... maybe think twice before throwing down your money. At least A/B them to decide if the differences are even noticeable.

Do I Need Another One Of These?

Similar to the first question, this question deal with the category of the pedal in question. For instance. My board is a little heavy with dirt pedals. I have to cover a lot of bases when I play, so I like to be prepared for just about anything. I have 6 different dirt pedals to cover anything thing from transparent OD to Fuzz. Overkill? Sure. But I can choose a different voice for each sound if I needed to. In the past few weeks I've been temped to get googly-eye over some pedals. The DOD 250 reissue has been temping. The Wampler Tumnus is another that is just too cool not to dig. But I have those bases covered. There are others that have really tempted me, like the Visual Sound/Truetone VS-XO and the JHS Sweet Tea, not to mention the VFE R(ainbows U(nicorns & )P(uppies). The Question goes like this:

"Man, that _______ looks awesome!"
"Do I need another ________?"
"YES!"
"Really?!"
"yes...?"
"..."
"no." (feeling sorry for myself ensues)

Will I Use This?

There are some weird effects out there. I love weird effects. I bought a Line6 M5 just so I could make weird noises with my guitar. One of the most talked about pedals right now tries to turn you guitar into an electric piano. There you have it, weird noises are cool, but do you really have a place to use that weird noise in your Top 40 cover band? Probably not. If you have the means and you want to make weird noises, then by all means buy the darn thing, but if you are like me and don't have a ton of disposable income to blow on a pedal that seems fun, then think again. Some things are gimmicks. Novelties don't hold up. You get tired of them quickly, aren't helpful, and will be cast out in short order. The M5 makes lots of cool noises, and I use it, but I most just use the reverb or some other subtle effect. That Step filter, that I thought was so cool, has yet to make a appearance on stage.

Why Do I Want This Pedal

This question can only be answered by the person asking it. (that sounds pretty meta, right?) It the world of guitar effects, there is a lot to be said for hype. The Klon (and all it's copies) has had a long life due to the crazy amount of hype that accompanies the pedal. Boutique builders and modders will tell you all that great things they've done to familiar circuits to make that so much better. But all the fancy words about NOS parts and HIFI mods and so on, are just that, words. Side by side most of these boutique creations are hard to discern from the original product. Pretty boxes and trendy names might sound appealing, but it doesn't translate into a better sounding pedal. This might be the hardest question to answer, because you have to be honest with yourself. Sometimes a good price will temp me to throw down some cash, but just because it's cheaper at Store B than Store A doesn't mean you need that pedal any more.

Can I Afford It

Maybe the simplest question on the list. It is possibly the most important as well. It should always be the last one to ask. After you have past all the other questions, you then need to ask yourself whether or not it is a smart financial decision. I have a budget that limits my pedal buying. I make special exception now and then, but for the most part I try to limit my pedal buying, because if I don't, it will get out of hand. I often stretch my budget by buying used pedals and by trading. I'm fortunate to have a large group of great musician that are almost always willing to swap and trade (sometime even loan out gear). This is invaluable. If you don't have a group like this, then try to start one. The internet is a great place, but you have to read past the sales pitches. (that's why I'm here). A good group of musician-friends should be straight up with one another.

So those are my 5 question to ask yourself before buy a new pedal, or any gear really. I have to ask myself those same question quite often. I don't always like the answers but it helps me sleep at night when I think about all those pedals I could have. When funds are low, it helps to remember that I probably don't need that pedal anyways. When I have funds it helps me choose the best pedal to spend my money on. I hope this help you guys deal with your GAS!

GMF Bullseye Pedals

GMF amps is a little company that mostly produces an acoustic DI. This DI has been featured by Guitar Player magazine, but for most of the guitarist community, they are an unknown. A visit to their webpage will only bring you information about the DI and a small line of effects that are now in development. In fact, this company relies on Kickstarter campaigns the fund the production of its effects. This actually makes a lot of sense and seems to limit the cost of the units. In stead of taking a gamble on mass production, or charging a mint for small batch pedals, GMF will know exactly how many unit they need to sell. This could change the way small effect developers create and distribute their products.

A Closer Look

Lets start with the Distortion.

GMF Touts "Proprietary circuits" for each of their designs. This is somewhat of a good sign considering how many cases of effect companies cloning each others circuits (I'm looking at you, EHX) However, there is something that look a little suspicious. Maybe it's the model name "DS-1" that has has been everyone's first distortion pedal ever (the Boss DS-1). I'm not say that it is a DS-1 clone... MXR has that down, but that could have called it anything else and it would be better.

There is a Chorus

 So this is the Bullseye Chorus. Organic and lush, this chorus is a reminder of more classic effects. The pedal is warm, like a CE-2 with the added benefit of a level knob. Fans of the old school will probably appreciate this pedal for it's subtle qualities. However, dramatic 'warble' sounds are possible with this unit as well. This really is an expressive unit. GMF's description states that you can use this unit with a varity of instruments, and I believe that claim.

And a Delay

The DL-1 is a simple analog delay that seems to fit in with the rest of the lot. Warm, analog repeats are present. The delay time might be limited, but super long delays are for the digital units. If you are looking for a warm, vintage sounding delay, then this might be a option for you.

The Reverb

Those looking for the Fender verb in a can may see themselves picking up one of these units. The Two knobs make this pedal very simple, however limited. The unit emulate a spring reverb, and calls to mind the spacious sounds made by a clean Fender amp. There isn't much you can do to improve on that.

Conclusion

These pedals may not be game changing in them selves, but the space saving design (they are about the size of two 'micro' pedals side by side, and top-oriented jacks make them pedal board savvy. The option to power them with a 9-volt or a power adapter is nice to see in small pedals. These pedals are what the big effect companies try to be, relevant.

Is The Electro Harmonix Key9 A Disappointment

The other day, I was able to sit down with the Electro Harmonix Key9 Keyboard Modulator pedal. It was exciting. This is probably one of the most anticipated pedals of 2015. I know that there isn't a shortage of media out there about this pedal, but my experience was a little surprising.

The Sounds

Let me begin with the B9 and C9. These two pedals do similar functions. They both make you guitar sound like different type of organs. Piano sounds seem closely related to organs, so the Key9 seems almost a shoe-in for EHX. However, The two instruments are vastly different, thus the Key9 and the B9/C9 must make very different sounds. And they do. In my own head, I expect to be immersed in the polyphonic tones of keyboard when I plugged into this pedal, however when I ran the pedal 100% it still produced guitar like sounds. To be honest, I'm not extremely familiar with all the instrument the Key9 emulates. In my opinion the best sound the pedal made were the ones that were ones most different than the guitar. Steel Drums and Vibe were my favorites. They were convincing and a lot of fun to play.

The Disappointment

The Rhoads. I wanted this pedal for one reason. The suitcase setting was supposed to reproduce the famous Fender Rhodes suitcase piano. The demo EHX put out was a little underwhelming when it came to this setting. The flanger that is included on the setting is a little off putting as well. Even at the lowest setting it was a little too much. (of course the knob is there for 'speed' and not depth or mix so it's a little hard to tame in that respect) My biggest gripe is that this setting and others weren't far enough away from the guitar that originated the signal.

WHY?!

Yes, why is this pedal the luke-warm brother to the two coolest pedals in recent years? I have a prospective answer. Where as the organ is typically played by air moving through pipes, or some approximation of this, the piano is a string instrument. Yes, its played with a keyboard, just like an organ, but the sounds are derived just like a guitar. The Key9 emulates electric pianos, but the electric pianos were the 80's answer to acoustic pianos. So in reality the Key9 tries to sound like something trying to sound like a piano. It's modulation inception!

In Conclusion

I probably won't be buying this pedal. Even though I loved the concept. I was rather disappointed by the sounds. Maybe I had to much expectation going into this. I really wanted to be blow away by how authentic the sounds were, just like when I played the B9 and C9. However I was left turning knobs trying to coax a little more piano out of the box. I'll keep my eye out for some videos and or posts with hints to maybe get some more realistic tones and maybe revist this one, but right now it is proving to be a substantial let down.

DigiTech Ventura Vibe

This pedal was brought to my attention lately. It seems that Digitech has rounded out their boutique-y pedal line with a Vibrato. Again, this pedal is pretty. Hotrod Red and chrome all over, it is a looker. What about on the inside? Does this pedal have what it takes to be the best vibe out right now?

As of this posting, this pedal does not seem to be released for sale. However, we can learn a lot the guys over at Pro Guitar Shop and their review. The controls are pretty standard-fare. Speed, Depth, Mix and Tone. The stacked knob on the bottom right adds Drive. This is interesting for a Vibrato pedal. What stands out the most is the switch on top. This pedal has three settings: Vintage, Modern and Rotatory. Easily making this an extremely flexible pedal. Add true-bypass, Stereo In and Outs, and Tank-like build this is a lot of pedal in a little box. If you stick an expression pedal input on this pedal then I'd say it would be unbeatable.  

Wampler Delevleping A Deluxe Tumnus (KLONE)?

Spending my morning reading some threads over at the fretboard, I found one about the new Wampler Tumnus. One thing led to another and I found this page. Brian Wampler, of Wampler pedals, seems to be very engaged with the online community. This isn't a surprise since he has a podcast and has even comment on this humble blog. Brian has engaged the people interested in his product better than most any other pedal developer.


When reading a the thread linked above, I noticed that there is a little disdain surrounding the Tumnus pedal. I enjoy the transparent-overdrive/treble-boosty qualities that come with a KLON circuit. I also enjoy saving space on crowded pedal boards. The Wampler Tumnus seemed to fill a gap in the KLONe offerings. Regardless, people seem to find fault will what Brian is doing. The idea that Wampler is only trying to cash in on making a compact KLON clone while that trend seem to be in full swing (thanks to the EHX Soul Food) is touted about. I find this a tad unsavory. It seems unfair to criticize a person for wanting to make a pedal that people want to buy. But this is what we find. Brian has done an excellent job of explaining why he has build this people (people asked him to).


Is There A Deluxe Version On The Way?


Allow me to step off my soap box for a moment and get back to the point at hand. If you clicked on the link at the beginning of this and read through everything, then you might have noticed that Brian alluded to a Deluxe Tumnus. Saying that if he put the circuit in a bigger box then he'd be temped to add extra features and mods. This is a more exciting prospect then a tiny KLON. So Brian, if you are reading this, please explore the Deluxe Tumnus. I have been a fan of your dirt pedals for a while and I have nothing but faith in your abilities to make an amazing pedal.

Are Joyo Pedals Worth It?

No one wants to overpay for anything. I often look for bargains when shopping for music gear. I regularly check the Stupid Deal Of The Day at Musicians Friend. (not a sponsor) I keep tabs of craigslist. I'm a member of Facebook pages were locals post music gear. I'm always on the lookout for a good deal/trade. So when looking at pedals of EBay, one will notice pedals with bargain basement prices. Joyo is probably the most talked about brand in this category. That begs a question, are these extremely affordable pedals worth it? Let's see.

Just like any other pedal brand, no pedal will suit every player. Joyo has amassed a line of pedals long enough that they is sure to be a pedal that is at least appealing to most any player. Many of these pedals are clones, or at least close facsimiles of others. The ones you see mentioned in the forums the most are the gain pedals. Ultimate Drive, Vintage Overdrive, AC Tone, and the Hot Plexi are praised by many. Two of these (the Ultimate Drive and Vintage Overdrive) are 'clones' of an OCD and TS-808 respectively. I've owned an Ultimate Drive (due to a fulfillment error) and gave it a run through. It wasn't a bad pedals at all, but not something I was looking for. However, according to a credible source, my beloved EHX Glove OD is a Ultimate Drive clone!? The latter two pedals are pedals that are voice like a Vox (AC Tone) and a Marshal Plexi (Hot Plexi, duh). All these pedals are spoken of favorably by many.

There are many videos of Joyo pedals, but anything you find on YouTube, and other sites like it, is compressed. You can heard minor differences sometimes, but definitive answers are not found in these videos. I've personally owned several and have tried many of these pedals. I've found that their construction and reliably are solid. But the main aspect to any effect is the sound. In every case, I've found pedals that I've preferred to the Joyo pedals. Joyo fuzz fell to a Big Muff, Joyo Comp yielded to a vintage Ross Comp clone, Joyo Ultimate Drive... well I don't remember because it was replaced by something else... maybe a modded Blue Driver. The following is not an original thought: The difference between Joyo pedals and the ones that may be preferred to them will/can not be heard by the average audience member.

There is a certain effect that brands of pedals like Joyo have. Joyo pedals are extremely affordable and prolific. They are mass produced and many guitar player have come across or used one. But the fact that they are prolific and affordable make them like desirable. There are some exceptions. Lots of people have said that prefer a cheaper pedal to a more expensive one, but this may just be this principle in reverse. There is a certain desirability of an obscure or price exclusive piece of gear. We see pros play guitars with unfamiliar names and shapes. Boutique builders have been capitalizing on this effect for as long as there has been boutique gear. Mods were once a rarity, Analog Man had a huge waiting list on his King Of Tone pedal, and can you say KLON. All these had a allure (or hype) about them due to their unavailability. Joyo has the opposite. A Ultimate Drive might be the same as my Glove OD, but I'll prefer my Glove. Sure Its a cheap pedal, but it's not that cheap.

In Conclusion, Joyo pedals are a affordable option. Just like any other pedal, you have to play them to know whether or not you like what they do. They good thing about Joyo is that picking one up just to try won't drain your bank account. I've read reviews saying that where people have received the wrong people. I can also confirm that this happens, as its happened to me. Besides that, I haven't heard anything about Joyo pedals failing to work. So it seems that they are reliable. Are there pedals that sound better than Joyo pedals? Sure. Are there cheaper pedals? Not many. Can you find decent pedal that for reasonable price? Well, give it a try.

Guerilla Warfare Pickups: Tactical Tele Humbucker

If you know me much, you should know that I am pretty big Tele guy. I've been playing Tele for nearly as long as I've been playing the guitar. I've played and owned several other guitars but it seem that I trend toward the T-shape. So when I saw this boutique pickup builder making this particular 'bucker I got very excited. I mean, look at it:

eww... preeeetty

Besides looking like awesomeness in pickup form, The description of this pickup makes you would to buy a pair... or all of the pairs:

Built for attitude and definition; these pickups offer a great blend of PAF Humbucker warmth and vintage Telecaster tones. Designed to maintain that traditional Tele tone, while providing a bigger sound with more volume, and of course, no 60-cycle hum or buzz. Tactical Tele Pickups have a raw, aggressive midrange, clear creamy treble and a fat bottom end to provide plenty of punch and attack. Pickups include nickel silver covers, mounting rings, and are wax potted with either single or 4 conductor shielded pickup leads. 

Alnico V magnets 
Moderate/High Output 
Neck Pickup 11.75K 
Bridge Pickup 12.50 
DC resistance is approximate

Check it out for your self, here.

Fulltone OCD VS Joyo Ultimate Drive

From time to time I hear the comment that the Joyo Ultimate Drive is a clone of the Fulltone OCD pedal. Some have gone as far as to say that they are the same pedal with different paint jobs. This is a very enticing rumor. Would you like a $130 pedal for only $40? then just buy it from Joyo instead of Fulltone. I wanted to test this out for my self so I acquired both pedals are ran a simple test.

The Similarities




The pedals have similar layouts. Three knobs and a mini toggle. Everything seems to be in the same places. They both are light to medium gain pedals. They have similar soft clipping circuits, not to say they sound "the same", but one can tell that they both try to fill the same spot.




The Differences




The PCBs are not the same or even close. The UD has less mids and more gain. This might appeal to some. The OCD does a good job of cleaning up and being more transparent. I don't always like the more expensive pedals. I use a EHX Glove OD that "clones" the OCD (or does it copy the UD?) as well. This and EHX East River Drive (a TS-808 clone) are my main dirt pedals in my set up. The OCD is just a more tame-able pedal. There are good sounds in the UD. They are just harder to uncover (to my ears).




Conclusion




Both of these pedals are worth a look. If you are looking for a great gain pedal, then check both of these guys out. They have their own sounds and respond a little differ from one another, so take a little time to get to know them. They are endorsed by many, however I don't see my self giving up a spot on my board for either one of them.

Ugly Truth: Pig Hog Cables

For a few years, I've been using Pig Hog patch cables. Why? I've found them in 4-packs for about $12. They are fat and though. They come in a ton of different lengths. (I haven't gone in for the "make your own cable" trend). So, when looking for 20 foot cables, I took a look at what Pig Hog had to offer.

They Are What They Are

That sounds like a non-point, but these are cables. I don't know how to make something as utilitarian as cables sounds exciting. There isn't a long list of features for cables. There are some some cables that try to "change the game" but these aren't those. They do come in some fun colors and have gold plated tips. The cables are extra thick which can be a good and a bad thing. A thin cord is more flexible, but can feel flimsy. A thick cable won't be floppy, but can bind up when you need to make a sharper bend.

They Seem A Little Gimmick-y

The packaging and name suggest the product is a little cartoon-ish. Besides basically being named "swine swine" cables and being adorned with a actual cartoon pig, these cables don't really stand out. That is until you pick them up. Usually you can tell a speaker cable and instrument cable by the thickness, but these feel like a speaker cable, but they aren't, they are super insulated and dressed in a heavy coating of rubber.

Conclusion 

They are over-build tour grade cables that hold up to a lot of use. Not to mention that they are relatively inexpensive and come with a lifetime warranty. They've put out tweed wrapped cable in a few cool colors. Seafoam Green, Dafine Blue, and Orange Cream are really nice to look at. I'm pretty impressed with these cables