Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

[Surgeon]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

Hmm... and it doesn't overheat either. Or cost 200 bucks. Sounds like the better solution for FX-loop equipped amps, by far.

Any idea about pot values? Minimum available, like 25k, or as big as you can get, like 1meg?

Ideally, this'd probably be a mod to an EQ pedal, a post-graphic second volume no-load pot just before the output jack.. but, really, it can probably get as simple as a single potentiometer soldered into a standard instrument cable cut in two???

...Are there any dangerous voltages in an FX loop? Or do you not even have to shield it much past wrapping the bugger in electrical tape??

If you've ever plugged anything in an effects loop before this is no different. A volume box like this is no different than any other effect. No lethal voltages or anything.
Yes, it is as simple as a pot wired as a variable resistor between two jacks.

I don't remember what I used back then but I'd start with 100k and adjust lower if you need more micro adjustments in the lower values or go higher if your amp doesn't get quiet enough at maximum.

You seem to be overthinking this a little... There's nothing to it really.

[Adieu]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

If you've ever plugged anything in an effects loop before this is no different. A volume box like this is no different than any other effect. No lethal voltages or anything.
Yes, it is as simple as a pot wired as a variable resistor between two jacks.

I don't remember what I used back then but I'd start with 100k and adjust lower if you need more micro adjustments in the lower values or go higher if your amp doesn't get quiet enough at maximum.

You seem to be overthinking this a little... There's nothing to it really.

lol, i actually pretty much haven't.... except for EQ and now this, never really understood the pros and cons, and never really cared for effects that much anyway


didn't mean voltages in a volume box, just wondered if stuff in FX loop could possibly behave differently or get hit with a voltage spike from the amp due to some failure or whatnot... basically, to see if it could be built like a guitar's wiring (as in no biggie if you screw up, safe& nonlethal), or should be treated with care as amp wiring since it's technically "inside" the amp's schematic when in the effect loop

[Ed Gain]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

what about : guitar > TC Electronic polytune > Boss PSM-5 A/B box > Boss OD-1 > Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini 2 (Germanium) > Xotic XW-1 Wah > Boss BF-1 Flanger > Boss DM-2 Delay ? No effect for the clear sound, except maybe a Boss SG-1. Hence 5 FX in the crunch loop.

[El Dunco]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

Without a doubt my TWA TK-01 Triskelion Harmonic Energizer Pedal check out around 6:41

6:41? Yeah, that's when the video really starts to suck :P I'm of the opinion that pedals aren't a necessity for metal and it all comes down to the sound you're after and what your role in the band is. If you're a rhythm guitarist, you really only need a good high gain amp and if that's not enough for you, maybe a good overdrive to hit the preamp a little (if that, pure amp always sounds best to me). If you're the lead guitarist, you might want an OD or boost to make your leads jump out but that's also not a necessity if you have an amp with more than one gain channel, 2 master volumes or if you simply dial in your rhythm tone to the guitar volume and tone on 6 and open them up for your leads.

You might have some psychedelic elements or want to build some tension therefore use modulation effects like phaser and flange. I occasionally use a sample rate reduction pedal in front of the amp to add a digital 'squelch' sound to some parts for the industrial vibe. I also use a companion fuzz, one of the nastiest, filthiest fuzzes ever made to dirty up the single note stuff. On the contrary to what I said about overdrives, I had one built to add everything I want to my sound and take nothing away from it to my exact specs by a pedalmaker we lovingly dubbed "The Cornhole" as it has a massive switchable clean boost along with 2 different overdrive circuits and selectable diodes to cornhole the front of the amp. With enough boost it can give a clean amp a passable metal distortion. I'll have a demo up for that soon. I also occasionally use some wah and even more occasionally some whammy, a bit of delay on my leads and some chorus on my clean sound.

[frostopsy]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

Boss Chromatic tuner - OD or distortion of your choice - some kind of modulation. A Phase 90 or MXR carbon copy is good. If you play lead a wah pedal is good. Likewise you could also throw in a compressor pedal in there.

[jonsick]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

For me it depends entirely on the sort of metal I'm playing, how the songs are and what amp I'm using.

But to keep it general, I would say the following:

- Tuner. A good one. If you downtune, select carefully, if you are D-standard or above, any decent tuner will do you. I like the Boss TU-2 and the Hardwire for my 7 string stuff as it tracks the lower tuning better.

- Wah pedal. There's tonnes around and adding it every so often is just a rather nice thing to have. Learn to use it well at home (so you don't inflict your bad wah technique on others) and tastefully. I like the MXR Slash Wah pedals myself, but you'll find your own eventually.

- A tube screamer circuit of some sort. I have many drive pedals, I like that TS sound in almost all my solo tones, bar the downtuned stuff as I just don't feel it's necessary. My current favourite for my Marshall set up is the Maxon OD808, but honourable mentions are the Duncan 805, TC Spark and the Sib Cuda.

- Delay pedal is a must. I have a DD7 but want to change it for "something" else. I've yet to try an MXR Carbon Copy and that may well be my next purchase. I only use it for solos so the DD7 is overkill. But I'm not loving the sheer amount of functions on it, I want something more basic.

- Reverb: I'm a reverb nut. I have many pedals, but my go-to is the Neunaber Slate. It's got everything you need and nothing you don't. I did favor the TC Hall Of Fame, but the Neunaber is worth the extra. I also like the Eventide Space and I get a kick out of the Subdecay Spring Theory though that one needs a bit of set up time for high gain. It's worth it though.

- Modulations. If you've never owned one, buy one with multiple ones in. Maybe a Line 6 M5 or something. My current favourite is the MXR EVH Flanger, I have three one for each of my live boards. It just will never leave my board. I have various other flangers too, my second favourite being the Boss High-Band Flanger. I have a few of them too but the fact they're discontinued and hard to come by fills me with fear to put on a gigging board. I like chorus too, I have two Way Huge Blue Hippos for two of my boards and the MXR Analog Chorus. I like all of them. I also like the standard Boss Super Chorus pedal too, nice and basic. Never been a fan of the Electro Harmonix ones. Phaser is a nice addition too, I just use the MXR Phase 99. Nice little phaser which I use for one board on one setting. I want to experiment with more of them though. I have an SiB phaser now too, but the pop that comes when you engage it on a high gain amp is annoying. The rate shift function is really useful though. I have the Zakk Wylde phase too which the SiB replaced, but I may go back to it.

Those are my must haves, albeit there's a lot more than a few select pedals.

[Securb]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

6:41? Yeah, that's when the video really starts to suck :P

Best quote of the week.

[DeadandBuried]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

If we're talking metal-core then a tuner, noisegate and an overdrive. This is purely for rhythm stuff, I prefer to set up a nice tight red channel sound and boost it. keep it nice and simple.

[El Dunco]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

This is my Cornhole I mentioned earlier. Always stays on my board.

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Must Haves for Metal Guitarist's pedalboard

The Mesa Boogie MkIII channel switcher is the Winner.

Other than that:

Noise Gate
tc electronic NOVA Delay
tc electronic Chorus
MXR Phase 90 - good for thick, creamy Sabbath or Hendrixy freakouts, or cleans
Marshallesque pedal for the clean channel of your Mesa Boogie MkIII for a different flavor - I like the Shredmaster
Octave pedal - I like the Boss OS-3
Tuner

You don't really need this if you have a Mark Boogie, but useful for many amps:

MXR KFK 10-band EQ - can punish 2 amps at once

Kirk Hammett single-handedly convinced me that I don't want to hear a wah in a metal setting again for a long....long...time....so no wah.

As it turns out, I already have all of these. Errr, actually I have the classic MXR Stereo Chorus, need to get the tc electronic chorus also.