yet another Pedal Positioning Question

benbenben

New member
Hey guys, need some suggestions for pedal configuration. I know it's good to mess around and find whats best for me, but i'd like some ideas for me experiment with.

These are the pedals which i have, or will be getting soon. This will probably be my final pedal list, but it may change.

This my proposed order, what can i change, what may sound nicer in a different position

SD Pickup Booster
Boss CE-3 (modded)
MI Audio Crunch Box
Fulltone OCD
Fulltone Clyde Std
Fulltone Fulldrive II
SD Tweak Fuzz
Boss DD20
Visual Sound H2O
PlanerWaves Tuner

Line 6 Verbzilla (i have no idea where Reverb is supposed to go)

I've got one of those PW cables that cut the signal, so that's why i've decided to put my Tuner at the end, cause it also cuts the signal. That way, i have one signal cutter at the start (for when i want to unplug the guitar), and one at the end (for when i want to change around/remove my effects).

I'm still a bit unsure of how i'm gonna do my Fuzz/OD/Dist/Wah positioning.
Not sure what should go before and after wah. Any help would be great.

My main axes are a Std MIA Tele and a Epi LP Std (fitted with Jazz/JBs).
I'm running into a Marshall JTM30.
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Oh yeh, and a Trem.
Not sure what i want for a trem though, tossing up between a Fulltone Supa-Trem and a Vox VibraTrem. The Supa-Trem is winning now mainly cause of size, I'm running out of space on my board. Any of you guys know any good, not TOO largely sized Tremolo Pedals? I've heard some stuff abotu the Demeter Tremulator, that any good? I don't want to spend TOO much on a trem, but i don't mind spending a moderate amount. Cheerios again
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Oh yeh, and a Trem.
Not sure what i want for a trem though, tossing up between a Fulltone Supa-Trem and a Vox VibraTrem. The Supa-Trem is winning now mainly cause of size, I'm running out of space on my board. Any of you guys know any good, not TOO largely sized Tremolo Pedals? I've heard some stuff abotu the Demeter Tremulator, that any good? I don't want to spend TOO much on a trem, but i don't mind spending a moderate amount. Cheerios again


The Fulltone is probably my 2nd choice in trems.

The EHX Pulsar & Wiggler is both my 1st choice - depending on how much i am willing to spend on a term !
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

This my proposed order, what can i change, what may sound nicer in a different position

SD Pickup Booster
Boss CE-3 (modded)
MI Audio Crunch Box
Fulltone OCD
Fulltone Clyde Std
Fulltone Fulldrive II
SD Tweak Fuzz
Boss DD20
Visual Sound H2O
PlanerWaves Tuner

Line 6 Verbzilla (i have no idea where Reverb is supposed to go)

My main axes are a Std MIA Tele and a Epi LP Std (fitted with Jazz/JBs).
I'm running into a Marshall JTM30.


OK, do not quote me on this, but this is probablt where i will start, it ist was my rig :

GUITAR (very important to place this one FIRST!), into . . .

Tuner -->Wah -->TweakFuzz -->CrunchBox -->OCD -->CE-3 -->H20 -->Trem -->Verbzilla -->DD20 -->PUBooster, into . . .

. . . AMP


As you can see, i will use the PUBooster in the same way i would use my MXR Micro Amp, or EHX Nano LPB1. Right at the end of my chain to boost the signal and drive the preamp tubes a little harder :smokin:

Hope this helps !
;)
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

I understand that's one way of using the PU Booster. But i was intending it to use it for it's resonance function, as well as the clean boost.

That said, the PU Booster has to be first the chain to use the resonance function (to pump the single coil to a humbucker).
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

I would build 2 chains out of that:

amp < tremolo < H20 < Crunch Box < FullDrive < Clyde wah < Tweak Fuzz < guitar

amp < verbzilla < CE-3 < DD-20 < OCD < Pickup Booster < Tuner < guitar
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

I would just use them at different times. That way I wouldn't have a huge chain of 12 pedals. In the chains I listed, the gain pedals can be mixed and matched however you like. Cascading gains sounds cool, but usually 2 at a time is all that's necessary. I know if you had a chain of all 12 pedals, you wouldn't have a bunch of overdrives on at the same time, but with 2 separate pedal boards, you cna have 2 unique sounds derived from similar effects. For example, the H2O has delay and chorus, so your other delay and chorus pedals can go in a separate effect chain. It's just my suggestion. I have about 50 processors, but I never hook up more than 5 at a time.
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Usually you can't go wrong if you you follow this order:
Wah -> Compressor -> Phaser -> Boost -> Overdrive -> Modulation (chorus/flanger) -> Volume (volume pedal, tremolo) -> Delay
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

I like to put reverb last in the chain, especially when using a delay. Otherwise, you end up delaying the reverb, which can be a big ol' mess (or a cool effect, depending on your goals). With the reverb last, you get the reverb effect on the repeats, which sounds more natural. Again, it's a matter of what you like and what you're after. The ultimate test is trying out both options.

- Keith
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

My suggestion would be Tuner>Pickup Booster>Tweek Fuzz>Clyde>OCD>Fulldrive II>Crunch Box>CE-3>H2O>DD20>Verbzilla.

It's unlikely that you would want to change your pedal setup in the middle of a gig, so it's not essential to have the tuner at the end of the chain, you can just turn down the amp volume to change order. You want to be able to tune regardless of what pedals may be engaged, and any sort of mod or envelope pedal accidentally engaged before a tuner has the potential to confuse matters if you need to tune in a hurry.

Reverb is best at the end of the chain, in which case it is being applied as close as it would be with an amp spring reverb, although yours will be prior to the front of your amp, which is not optimum, but then there's really no rules! With your OD/Dist chain, it's a matter of hearing what works best in what order if you are wanting to cascade them. Some pedals just don't like anything overdriving before them, some seem to love it! I have put the Crunch Box last in the OD/Dist chain because I know first hand that they respond well to having driven pedals before them. It often works well to have your driven pedals in ascending order of overdrive, cleanest first, etc, depending of course on how you have them set.

baritone's split chain idea is a real good one, especially considering that you have two choruses and two delays, unless you are considering cascading those. You don't need two amps, you just need a dual looper...http://www.loop-master.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=87 You can even get a dual looper which makes each loop mutually exclusive, switching between the two chains with one footswitch.

Hope this helps, good luck with your rig.

Cheers.............wahwah
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Whoops, its a Modded CS-3 not a CE-3. So it's a compressor. Where would the Compressor go?
For the Reverb, should i just put it in the effects loop of the amp?
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Oh, ok...You would need the compressor early in the chain, unless you are just using it as a boost. Maybe try it just after the pickup booster. Yeah, reverb in the amp loop would be best, that way it's coming after the preamp if you want a clean amp sound with verb as an option.

Cheers............wahwah
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Looking at the looper thing, and I'm starting to get interested. I terms of the loops.

does it work like this if you have both loops engaged
guitar>loop a>loop b>amp?

so for instance, i have delays on the end of both loops, and both loops are engaged, will it be like say guitar>OD>delay>OD>delay>amp?

cause wouldn't that sorta screw up the order of the pedals?
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

This is what i'm thinking, if i can incorporate the looper. Only thing i'm scared of is space. But we'll see.

I'll go Guitar > SD Pup Booster > Tuner > Keeley Comp > Loop A > Loop B > VS H2O > Amp > (FX LOOP) Verbzilla.

Loop A being Tweak Fuzz > Wah > Crunch Box
Loop B being OCD > FDIIm > DD20

Logic behind that being, i wouldn't use the Tweak Fuzz or the Crunch Box with too much delay, if any, i'll use the H2O for slight delay.
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

You can have any kind of loop setup that you want. The setup you're describing is in series, meaning loop b follows loop a, but the options are almost endless when you start using loopers. As I mentioned, you can have a loop setup where you have two chains which run independently, but one cancels the other, so you can set up two distinct chains, switch on the effects you want like a preset, and then switch between them with one footswitch. If you want access to all of the pedals in the one chain, then the loop idea might not be for you, but it certainly opens up a lot of possibilities.

I had that Loop-Master guy build me both a Triple True Bypass loop box for switching some of my old 70's analog stuff which can't be modded for true bypass, and another box which lets me switch between my 70's MXR Phase 90 and Phase 100. I set the two phasers to different speeds, and then switch between them seemlessly with one footswitch. I call it the "Poor Man's Leslie!" Works great!

Check out some of the looping options, it might open up some new creative ideas for the use of your pedals.

Cheers..............wahwah
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

This is what i'm thinking, if i can incorporate the looper. Only thing i'm scared of is space. But we'll see.

I'll go Guitar > SD Pup Booster > Tuner > Keeley Comp > Loop A > Loop B > VS H2O > Amp > (FX LOOP) Verbzilla.

Loop A being Tweak Fuzz > Wah > Crunch Box
Loop B being OCD > FDIIm > DD20

Logic behind that being, i wouldn't use the Tweak Fuzz or the Crunch Box with too much delay, if any, i'll use the H2O for slight delay.

Yeah, that makes sense. It's just cool to be able to preset what you want in a loop, and then switch it in with one footswitch...cuts down on the tap dancing! You can customize it to however you want it to work...time well spent, I reckon!

Cheers.............wahwah
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Hmm. I'm looking at the Radial Bigshot Looper. It's pretty much the same one as the one you posted, but it's just smaller. Which is good for me.
Hmmm with the loop i posted up.
Can i sorta go. Have Loop A on, with say my Crunch Box going, while Loop B off, but with say a solo tone dialed in on the pedals, then when i wanna change from my rhythm to solo quickly, i just click both the switches on the looper, and it'll change instantly?
If that works, I'm totally digging this Loop mechanism :)
THANKS WAH
 
Re: yet another Pedal Positioning Question

Hmm. I'm looking at the Radial Bigshot Looper. It's pretty much the same one as the one you posted, but it's just smaller. Which is good for me.
Hmmm with the loop i posted up.
Can i sorta go. Have Loop A on, with say my Crunch Box going, while Loop B off, but with say a solo tone dialed in on the pedals, then when i wanna change from my rhythm to solo quickly, i just click both the switches on the looper, and it'll change instantly?
If that works, I'm totally digging this Loop mechanism :)
THANKS WAH

Yeah, you can either do it that way, or with this puppy...http://www.loop-master.com/product_info.php?cPath=33&products_id=141 One switch that crosses from one loop to the other...designed for that very purpose...

Cheers.............wahwah
 
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