Over the last week or so I've put the finishing touches on a project more than a year in the making. I've had rack systems before, but this is the first time I've been happy with both the sound and playing experience. The closest I'd come previously was the pedalboard I completed in late 2020:

The separate clean and dirty signal paths simplified switching considerably, but it was still a lot of tap dancing for someone who handles vocals in addition to guitar. I'd thought about building a rack several times over the last decade (most notably here), and I was finally tempted last spring when my friend's shop offered me a great deal on a G-Major 2.


GCX Loops:
On the floor I have an EB Volume Pedal, a Wilson Signature Wah (in a cool Union Jack case), a Korg Pitchblack Portable, and the awesome RJM Mastermind GT/16. The box at the top-left is a pedalboard interface proving MIDI and signal out as well as phantom power for the Mastermind and an auxiliary 9V output that I'm not currently using. Here's the full rig including the amp, cab, rack, and board:

There's a Two Notes Torpedo Captor 16 hiding behind the cabinet for completely silent recording, which will soon be joined by a BOSS IR-200 to give me the option of going to FOH without a mic. I'll add a quasi build log as time allows over the next few days.

The separate clean and dirty signal paths simplified switching considerably, but it was still a lot of tap dancing for someone who handles vocals in addition to guitar. I'd thought about building a rack several times over the last decade (most notably here), and I was finally tempted last spring when my friend's shop offered me a great deal on a G-Major 2.

- Furman PL+: Pulled this from my Studio Rack because the newer PL-Plus C interfered with my rear-mounted interface
- TC Electronic G-Major 2: I was initially looking at a G-Force, but I could hardly argue with this for $200. I use it primarily for reverb & delay and occasionally for modulation and pitch shift. Sound quality seems on par with the G-System I tried a few years ago, and the build quality feels significantly better than the original G-Major.
- Digital Music Corp GCX: The industry standard rackmount loop switcher; 8 loops that can alternately be used for latching or momentary switching. I'm using 6 pedals along with 2 switching loops. I have no complaints about sound quality (buffer included), but there are a few shortcomings IMO. First and foremost, it provides phantom power over pins 1 & 3 of a standard MIDI cable, so you have to be EXTREMELY careful when connecting it to anything other than a Ground Control. The Rocktron 7-pin standard for phantom power is far superior as it simply fails to pass power over a 5-pin cable. My other complaint with the device is that none of the loops are internally normalled, so you have to run a jumper from the 'out' of loop 1 to the 'in' of loop 2 for example.
- Penn-Elcom R1291K-2L: 1U Rack Drawer with 2 Slam Locks; I found this after looking into the R1290 I'd seen recommended on Rig Talk and The Gear Page. The main difference is that it locks closed instead of opening on its own if the rack is tipped forward. The pedals are held in place with 3M Dual Lock.
- Penn-Elcom 3232LK: It's a 2U drawer with a slam lock used to store spare cables.
- SKB 1SKB-R8UW 8U Rolling Roto Rack Case: A relatively lightweight 8U rack with casters and retractable pull handle. I only really needed 6U, but the weight difference was minimal, this raises my cab a few extra inches, and the extra storage space / room to grow is nice.

GCX Loops:
- Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe: NPD here. The best sounding compressor for guitar I've ever heard. My initial inspiration was the solid state clean in my old ADA MP-1, and I use it mostly to even out the volume of arpeggios.
- MXR EVH Phase 90: I've had one of these on my board for nearly 20 years, so it seems natural here.
- BOSS CE-2W: I've been using a CE-2 for 15+ years. The Waza version is a bit brighter than my 'unicorn' vintage CE-2, but they're consistent if I ever need to replace it. As an added bonus it powers on with the effect active, so I don't have to open the drawer and turn it on.
- Amp channel switch: Latching switch for amp channel, connected to my rear-mounted rack interface.
- UFO octave switch: Remotely turn the UFO's octave effect on and off.
- Homebrew Electronics Ultimate Fuzz Octave: NPD here. A Foxx Tone Machine clone that I modified to make the octave externally switchable.
- Wampler Tumnus: I spent 15+ years looking for the perfect boost for my Marshall Jubilees.
- Fulltone GT-500: NPD here. I use the distortion side as a light crunch channel; the boost is turned 'off'.

On the floor I have an EB Volume Pedal, a Wilson Signature Wah (in a cool Union Jack case), a Korg Pitchblack Portable, and the awesome RJM Mastermind GT/16. The box at the top-left is a pedalboard interface proving MIDI and signal out as well as phantom power for the Mastermind and an auxiliary 9V output that I'm not currently using. Here's the full rig including the amp, cab, rack, and board:

There's a Two Notes Torpedo Captor 16 hiding behind the cabinet for completely silent recording, which will soon be joined by a BOSS IR-200 to give me the option of going to FOH without a mic. I'll add a quasi build log as time allows over the next few days.
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