Let's REVIEW those pedal boards you are using right now.

[NegativeEase]

I noticed quite a few players with digital rigs too.

Yeah, did we ever get a full report of your trip? Did you go to Robert WW?

 

[Butch Snyder]

Heeeeeeeeeeeere we go!

So, this board is sort of all over the place. It's actually pretty linear and simplistic.

The Route 66 is a low-key underrated pedal. Cool overdrive and a compressor that they released as a single. Excellent choice.
- That said, a REAL cowboy would be rocking a Keeley4 knob and a Nobels ODR-1. I would prefer a Wampler Ego Comp and a Paisley drive. I have tried all of them and I sound pretty much the same no matter what I use; unless I use really cheap stuff.
Can't hate on a Soul Food. Nice budget Klon.I actually use the Soul Food as a clean boost and not an OD.
Ernie Ball VP - it works. Yes, it does and very nicely. It's passive and very smooth.
Polytune 3 is a nice tuner
Ibanez chorus will do the job. My favorite of all time. I don't use it much and when I do, it's pretty subtle.
Deja-vu is an OK delay I guess. I'll assume you need tap tempo, although tap tempo is off. Let's be real...the digital/analog knob is goofy, and do you need that much modulation effect?
The Donner Yellow Fall is workable too. I hate it, here, but again. It works. The DejaVu is very tough to dial in. It's probably going to get replaced. The Donner is for subtle slapback only and it's always on. Yeah, I know, I could do better, but not for the money.

I will also say that I like the amp switch down on the board.

So, what we have here is a "workable" all be it less than stylish country board.

Now...Lets fix this stuff up.

First of all, what did you do? Throw them all down on there in any old order and wire them where they landed? Why is the volume in the middle - WTF? Right or left or off the board.

Front row, left to right:

Guitar > Tuner > 66 > Soul Food > Volume My order is Guitar > R66 for comp and OD > Soul Food > Volume Pedal.

1. Lose the channel switcher. You always play on clean, and have two flavors of dirt available. Or spend the time and figure out how to goose the dirt with the Soul Food. Get a direction man! Make a decision here. Skip it - I made it for you. Amp switch is gone. Yes, amp switch has been gone. Although, when I do some gigs where I do not use any effects, I use it. The drive channel is nice when you go with no effects.

2. This is country, so we want compression next to get our chickin' pickin' on so Route 66
- Just remember, all the country beer cap sniffers are judging you. Nobels/Keely...and here is why:

You can't run the Soul Food into the 66 with compressor on without jacking around with impact of the Soul Food, because - compressor. This would work sooooo much better as
Guitar > Keely > Soul Food > Nobels > Volume. If you want to be really cool - get a Mini ODR and a Mini Ego comp.

But you did what you did, and now we have to make hard decisions. And since you can't decide on the channel switcher - I'll have to do that. I guess you can use the Soul Food post 66 as a lead boost. But that should be the Volume pedal's job. See what you are putting me through here?

So now we have this "vintage" Duncan box of whatever and a Donner Yellow FAIL. Again, guessing the Donner is a short slap or fattener for that crappy Tele neck pickup, and the Deja is for longer things. I use the DejaVu for dotted 1/8th delays, ala Albert Lee. Yes, again, the Donner is for slapback. As for crappy Tele neck pickup, my main guitar is a 950 RI Broadcaster - stock. The neck pickup sounds good to me, as do my other Tele neck pickups. I have always been one of those guys who actaully likes the Tele neck pickup. Some are actually very nice. Some, not so much.

Lose those and get a DD200. All the delays in any combo you need. Plus presets and tap and whatever else.Maybe Santa will bring me one. Those pedals are pretty pricey.

Keep the Ibanez chorus. And clean up the cable spaghetti. I hate that. Done.

So the board should have the volume all the way on the left If I did that, I would cut the delay trails and I want them to stay.

Back row: To Amp < DD200 < Chorus From Volume

Front row: To Chorus < Volume < Soul Food < Route 66 < Tuner < from Guitar
(Although we all know To Chorus < Volume < Nobels ODR < Soul Food < Keeley < from Guitar would be soooo much better)

Like I said - this works. But, a couple of pedal swaps would take you from Rodeo Clown to Marlboro Man.

Decent review Aceman. See my comments in red. Below, is the revised board with patch and power cables cleaned up and amp channel switching footswitch removed. I might put a decent tremolo down where the empty space is.

 

[Aceman]

Decent review Aceman. See my comments in red. Below, is the revised board with patch and power cables cleaned up and amp channel switching footswitch removed. I might put a decent tremolo down where the empty space is.

So how do you use the volume? OK - Soul Food is the solo boost - cool. Are you using it for faux steel string effects then? Why not set the volume for Rhythm/lead.

And you can place it at the end of the board regardless of where out is in the chain. Ergs bro, ergos!

And surprisingly I seriously like country. Huge fan of classic late 60's/670's - Charlie Pride, Charlie Rich, Freddy Fender, Ray Price, Loretta, Dolly, Barbara, etc...as well as 90's classics like Garth, Alan Jackson, Borrows & Dunn, Shania, Martina, Suzy Boggus, George Straight, and my two all time favorites: Pam Tillis and Dwight Yoakum (Pete Anderson SHREDS!). Current faves include Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Cole Swindell, Miranda Lambert etc.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Speaking of attachment styles, I am short on supplies but wanted to get some more mini-pedal representation in this thread, as well as some more love for Donner, who are putting out a good mini these days.

;

 

[Gtrjunior]

I would feel better about these if the vertical element were flexible.

Me too. It’s probably the biggest reason I’ve never bought that style patch cable.
I love the “neatness” factor but the inability to position things is a huge downfall.

 

[Butch Snyder]

So how do you use the volume? OK - Soul Food is the solo boost - cool. Are you using it for faux steel string effects then? Why not set the volume for Rhythm/lead.

And you can place it at the end of the board regardless of where out is in the chain. Ergs bro, ergos!

And surprisingly I seriously like country. Huge fan of classic late 60's/670's - Charlie Pride, Charlie Rich, Freddy Fender, Ray Price, Loretta, Dolly, Barbara, etc...as well as 90's classics like Garth, Alan Jackson, Borrows & Dunn, Shania, Martina, Suzy Boggus, George Straight, and my two all time favorites: Pam Tillis and Dwight Yoakum (Pete Anderson SHREDS!). Current faves include Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Cole Swindell, Miranda Lambert etc.

The volume pedal is usually on 10. I will use it for swells, where needed. I'm better at that than using the volume knob, except when I'm using no effects. I've been doing the Country thing for many many years; since the 80s when I first heard Albert Lee. I loathed Country pretty much before then. So, I've been honing my Country picking gear for a pretty good while. Again, regardless of the gear on the board, I still sound like me. There might be some subtle changes with gear, but not much.

You didn't comment on my cable cleanup. I worked hard on that last night LOL! Seriously, I'm glad you said something though. My wife even commented that it was a "bit" untidy. I'm also thinking about removing the Tele neck pickup from on of my Teles and installing a Strat pickup. We'll see.

 

[Aceman]

I would feel better about these if the vertical element were flexible.

Those do fail more than rarely. I keep a few extra on hand.

 

[NegativeEase]

Agree except one case -if you have all Boss pedals which do not have PCB mounted jacks and instead isolated jack on leads (like Jap and Taiwanese made versions) -then they are fine if you mount your pedals firmly.

 

[Mr. 80's]

Those pedal couplers suck no matter straight or offset IMHO.

 

[NegativeEase]

What do you think of the tiny PCBs with the jacks and wiring soldered to the board, which kind of floats inside the enclosure in the sense that it is not rigidly connected to anything but the jack itself?

Interesting, if they move a little it might help, I'm just not a fan of direct mount jacks to PCBs in general. I realize that the small pedals really dont have much choice on this.

 

[Aceman]

Interesting, if they move a little it might help, I'm just not a fan of direct mount jacks to PCBs in general. I realize that the small pedals really dont have much choice on this.

Movement is bad for those. Even with this - I kill a connector every 6-8 months. So if solid - Rock solid (<= See what I did there?), or total flex. In between is bad...

 

[NegativeEase]

Movement is bad for those. Even with this - I kill a connector every 6-8 months. So if solid - Rock solid (<= See what I did there?), or total flex. In between is bad...

I mean, to be that clean and sexy of a board requires a sacrifice to the pedal gods. maybe a connector issue every once in a while is worth it...

 

[Aceman]

I mean, to be that clean and sexy of a board requires a sacrifice to the pedal gods. maybe a connector issue every once in a while is worth it...

That little board, if the things they are clones of, would be:

Suhr riot
Xotic RC Booster
Boss CE2
Multi-fx of choice: Phase, Flange, Tremolo, Chorus, Vibrato, Autowah, etc....(usually set for Flange for Down Boys)
Boss DD7 (three modes: Analog, Real echo, Tape Echo)

I have gigged with just that, and use it at nearly every rehearsal for at least 4+ years....

 

[Hsb]

Have at it homey, I know issues, lets see whatcha got

 

[Aceman]

Have at it homey, I know issues, lets see whatcha got

At a glance - the first issue is I'm dealing with a fanboi.

How about a pedal NOT by Wampler, TC, or MXR?

 

[Hsb]

At a glance - the first issue is I'm dealing with a fanboi.

How about a pedal NOT by Wampler, TC, or MXR?

The tuner isnt any of those lol

 

[Wattage]

MXR EVH PHASE - EH MEMORY TOY - OUTLAW DUMBLEWEED-DUMBLEWEED - PIGTRONIX CLASS A BOOST - D'ADDARIO TUNER

These are sitting on a Blackbird board with a Marinco plug connected to a 4 outlet strip

 

[Blille]

My bass pedalboard!

I borrow the Two Notes and MS3 from the guitar one.

 

[Securb]

Have at it homey, I know issues, lets see whatcha got

Love this board I could rock it every day twice on Sundays.

 

[Hsb]

Love this board I could rock it every day twice on Sundays.

Doing that right now