Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

[master of tacos]

Ok, I tried to keep my rig as simple as possible, but i discovered so many cool pedals that I had to expand. Tell me if you think I overdid it with the amount of **** i use.

Carvin Guitar--->Dunlop Crybaby From Hell--->MXR EVH Phase 90--->T.C. Electronics Chorus/Flanger--->Ibanez TS-808--->Boss TU-2--->MXR Smart Gate--->Peavey JSX Combo Amp

effects loop: Ibanez Analog Delay

Sometimes I throw in a Barber Tone Press Compressor

What do you think, too complicated?

 

[muttonchopsrule]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

doesn't sound too complicated at all. if you don't alread have a pedal board, perhaps look into one. that way, all the effects can stay more or less wired up, making setup/teardown of your rig faster and easier, while keeping everything organized.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

well, its not too complicated but it aint exactly purist either.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

you need more amps. you're runnin all that into a combo...why not use a couple of half-stacks?

 

[ModestCargo]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

Yes, but that's coming from a guitarist whose rig is Guitar > Amp.

If I was a pedal guy I'd say no but get a serious amp!!

 

[Imp]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

if it's too complicated for you to use reliably or the signal path causes tone loss, it's too complicated!

that seems ok to me, i've used about the same amount of stuff with no problems!

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

I play in a classic rock/blues/pop/country do-it-all cover band. I use one of my five Mesa amps--usually a Mark IV 112 EVM combo with a 112 EVM Theile cab under it. And for some gigs--I wind up taking as many as five guitars and a 5-string banjo!

I use a Furman Pedalboard loaded with the following pedals:

DOD FX10 Preamp
Boss CS-3 Compressor
Boss TU-2
Real Tube 901 overdrive (with a 12AU7 tube in lieu of a 12AX7)
Thomas Organ Crybaby
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss PH-1r Phasor

AND,....

I run a Rocktron Short Timer and a Line 6 Echo Park thru my Mark IV's footswitchable effects loop. These pedals are also on the Furman, and powered by the Furman's power supply. These are my newest pedals. Running them separately thru the EFX loop did complicate things a bit.

So, our rigs are fairly similar...don't you think? Your JSX is a fine amp, and capable of getting a wide variety of tones.

The trick to pedals is having hundreds of them--and using them RARELY!!! LOL! Seriously, I use the Real Tube for ONE song (preferring to use the Mesas' LEAD CHANNEL for most of my distortion.) I'll probably use my Phasor on four or five songs per night; and the chorus and the wah will get used about the same amount. The DOD Preamp and the Compressor are almost always on--the Preamp gives just a slight boost--the compressor actually is set more for limiting than as a sustainer. I use just a small amount of amp reverb (unless I crank it for a "surf" tune.) I do use the Short-Timer for several songs. The Echo Park is set for longer delays, but again--it's used for maybe four or five songs.

My rule is: "Effects that are over-used don't have much effect!" Yet, you'll hear guys that play EVERY SONG with their fav pedal, be it Wah, Chorus, Echo, etc. YUK!!!

So, no I don't think your rig is too complicated. You have a good selection of the most commonly used pedals. Used wisely, you should be able to re-create many popular tones--and at least capture the FLAVOR if not the exact tone.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[Bludave]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

With my band I use a Marshall 900 50W Combo. In the loop I have a DOD TR3. This has chorus and delay. Straight in I have an original Marshall Bluesbreaker that I use with the clean channel, Then Wah and tuner. I leave this setup at our rehearsal space

At home its a lot more complex. I use 2 amps. A Bogner Shiva and a Komet 60. In the Shiva I have a DD3 and CH1 running into the loop. I have a Spina modded TS9 running straight in. In the Komet I have a Verbzilla, a Ce2, DD3, and a custom made OD that Xsivve made for me. The Monroe drive. Both come together to a Marley A/B/Y then to my Wah and tuner. This gives me huge versatilty and just great tone. It sounds comlicated, but its pretty simple. Its the 2 amps that make it sound complicated.

 

[metlking]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

That doesn't sound too complicated to me.....nothing to program, no MIDI, no multiple loops. If something breaks down simply pull it out of the chain and keep going. I had a rack of crap I used for many years and recently went with a head/cabinet and a few pedals with a delay in the FX loop......I find it much easier to work with and trouble-shoot when technical difficulties arise.......

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too."
-"Mitch Hedberg
"I don,t take drugs;I pay for them!"

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

That is not too complicated... and I would call the JSX a serious amp too. They are very nice. Sure there are other amps that are nice, but I would be happy to stand in front of a JSX, somebody would have to show me all the buttons though LOL.

My setup is pretty simple, it is just guitar - tuner-whammy II-wof wah-phaser-(soon to be beano boost)-amp and then an old 80s ibanez eq in the loop with everything down except the mids... I use that to sound like a small 8 inch combo amp for wierd stuff... it's fun.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

Looks good, but where's the fuzz? I agree with IMP, if you can use it, it's reliable, and you have no sound degradation issues it's fine. There are guys at the HCFX forum that use two full pedal boards, but with a combo of TB loopers and a few good buffers they have no issues.

 

[BFahz]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

Dude thats a rad set up. My set up:
guitar->wah->TS10->EVH Phase->input of Peavey JSX Combo.
In the effects, I have a Boss Chorus and the Boss DD20 Delay.

To hear the tone, check out the you tube link in my sig. The tone sounds good. I imagine your tone is similiar?

 

[ErikH]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

That's not too complicated at all. Only thing I'd change is move the tuner to be right after the guitar. That should be the first thing you plug in to if you run it out front. I sit mine on top of my amp so it's the last thing.

As long as you're playing and not tap dancing, you're alright...LOL.

My rig is way more simple. Guitar > wah > OD > tuner (on top of amp) > amp.

For a while I didn't have the OD out there until I started experimenting with my sound a little more and needed to get a couple more different sounds for what we do.

 

[master of tacos]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

thanks for all the tidbits, everyone!

and about the tuner, yeah, i prefer to keep it towards the end, because the boss tu-2 completely silences the rig when you step on it, so it can double as a tuner and kill switch.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

Yes it acts as a kill switch--no matter where in the chain you put it. I use my TU-2 after my preamp and my compressor--that gives it the most stable signal to facilitate quick tuning.

Bill

 

[Chris Downing]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

I'd take the TU-2 out of the circuit. I'd check each one of these effects for signal degradation when switched off.

Geberally though less is more. most graet players get a very fea basic tones that they like and play with those. A cruchy arpeggio sound, a dirty blues tone, and a overdriven metal tone - and take it from there. I can tell you that most guys have way too many pedals and would be better going back to basics - good tone. That starts with a good guitar and a good amp. When I play a strat or tele through a DL 2 Fender amp, I don't need much more. I'd add chorus for filling out the sound a bit, maybe some distrotion to add cruch - but I can do that by changing channel from clean to overdrive - and DD - although I have a spring reverb the DD is less cold.

So my ideal rig would be an oustanding two channel amp, chorus, DD and leave it at that.

 

[B2D]

Re: Does this seem like a complicated rig to you?

if it's too complicated for you to use reliably or the signal path causes tone loss, it's too complicated!

that seems ok to me, i've used about the same amount of stuff with no problems!

I concur. As soon as you start losing serious amounts of your tonal integrity or things take too long to fix/wire up or you keep having to rework the thing to use it easier, it's time to back off. That means different things for different people...

Sometimes it's just the setup that matters. a nice pedalboard, a proper power supply, a cable snake and some zip ties will make your life a lot easier than velcroing everything to a slab of plywood and using wall warts and loose cables everywhere. It's all about organization.