The journey to the best home practice pedalboard (for me)

xwolf5150

\m/

capo4th

So I just read Raymond's posts well done Sir ! If you have the money spend and enjoy your gear! I am now intrigued as to your choice of amp ..... Please share maybe a Tone King Sky King with its superb attenuator for late night riffing

MrSwanson

Try a TC Nova system lots of nice sounds and will give you a taste of what your looking for long term.

capo4th

Raymond will need the G system

ThePrettyDamned

Wisdom for monq.

If I were you, I'd shop with your ears and not your eyes.

Head to a music shop, and plug a few in. You'll realise the stuff loads of people rave about might not be for you. I love the sound of stuff that would get laughed at here, such as the Duncan power grid. It's grainy as shit, doesn't clean up amazingly but it delivers a sound that cuts through for solos like nothing else.

What genre do you play?

If you want an overdrive, you could do much worse than a Digitech bad monkey. Genuinely boutique quality of tone, it's an incredible sounding thing. So much so, I have 2 - I doubt they'll ever break (unlike anything with a mechanical switch) but it is excellent.

Delay - go used, and get one with a tap tempo and note divisions. Why? It'll help keep you in the pocket for timing. I recommend a nova repeater as it's stupidly easy to use, has note divisions and sounds excellent. The boss giga delay is another excellent pedal. Using a delay to harmonise with yourself, or play a dance tune (big sur moon by Bucket head) is a great way of improving your timing.

Power supply - good choice. I use a Harley Benton, which is isolated but doesn't have the power for larger digital units. Perfect for drive and analogue delay and such. If you're using big, difficult to power digital kit, spend out.

I say buy whatever inspires you. Remember that cost does *not* always equate to quality, and there are folks here who don't like what Strymon pedals do to their sound. Plenty love it. Neither is right or wrong.

I also second the lessons suggestion. If I had the cash, I'd get some and I'd be a much, much better guitarist and musician for it. As it is, I'm going to look for singing lessons which will help with theory as well, so will translate across.

Also, REAPER. Get reaper, get an interface (save money by not getting a Strymon) and record ideas. Seriously, my playing, timing, phrasing... They've come on in leaps and bounds since using a metronome and hearing my playing, multi tracking parts etc. In my opinion, if you have the dollar for all this kit, spending 60 dollars on reaper and getting a used interface and a used microphone (I use a sennheiser copy that cost 25 quid off eBay) is small change and will be a wonderful addition to your set up.

If you need basic reaper help, I've worked it out to an extent where I can quickly record a track, dub over etc... I'm quite comfortable with it on a basic level, and would be happy to help talk you through these basics to help speed you along a little.

All in my opinion. I'm intrigued as to what amp you've got.

kelvinburn

If you don't play a Klon through an Echoplex into a Dumble or a Trainwreck then you have failed Sir

 

monquixote

wolf5150 said:

This guy can't play !!!!
See his other thread where he shows off his incredible guitars.
Mate, you obviously have a bucket full of money so instead of impressing everyone with your spending prowess, buy yourself a Pod and spend your money on lessons !!!

It may amaze you, but the money nice guitars cost isn't all that much to a lot of people so let him spend it on what he wants. 

We don't expect people who buy a Porsche to be world class racing drivers so why are guitars this stupid exception where you have to "deserve" to own a nice one. If I was learning piano and I had the money I'd buy a Steinway. IMO I'd be a total mug if I didn't 

RaymondLin

Whoa guys, it is what this thread is for, asking for opinions...even though some come across as a little hostile...lol

Here is a fact, I've not spent a penny on any pedals or amp yet so relax ! It's not like a gone out and bought a Dumble (sorry @kelvinburn ) 

None of these are concrete, now breath

 

xwolf5150

Yea but you don't learn to drive in a Porsche !!!

If you're going to throw metaphors at me , at least make them viable.

ThePrettyDamned

RaymondLin;272302" said:

Whoa guys, it is what this thread is for, asking for opinions...even though some come across as a little hostile...lol

Here is a fact, I've not spent a penny on any pedals or amp yet so relax ! It's not like a gone out and bought a Dumble (sorry @kelvinburn ) 

None of these are concrete, now breath  

Don't sweat it man, there is plenty of advice coming your way

There is nothing I like more than raw guitar porn. Except for actual porn.

I'd like that even more with guitars.

kelvinburn

@RaymondLin I would add a few manufacturers to your fuzz list - D*A*M, Skreddy, Cornish, Death by Audio, Emanating Fist Electronics

Not sure what sounds you're after but personally I always have a variation of a Violet Rams head Big Muff and a silicon fuzz face on my board.  There are some very good builders on the forum who will build you something bespoke too.

As someone mentioned earlier a multi effects unit is a good place to start learning what effects (and combinations of effects) you like.  I had a Boss ME50 which sounds good and is like using standalone pedals to an extent.

Another very useful resource is the proguitarshop youtube page.

Some other good manufacturers, not already mentioned to check out are T-Rex, Mr Black, Earthquaker Devices, Fulltone and Malekko. 

Enjoy

Kelvin

 

impmann

wolf5150;272303" said:

Yea but you don't learn to drive in a Porsche

Er... Actually when I learnt track day skills and circuit racing skills ahead of getting my race licence, that's exactly what I learnt in. And, tbh, they are very easy to drive so I'd imagine a learner would get on fine...

As you were! :-)

citizen68

capo4th said:

I would reconsider your choice of a pedal train one cause your gonna struggle to fit all that kit on it

Hmmm I dunno - can squeeze quite a bit on a PT1 (Gratuitous board pic :P) http://i326.photobucket.com/albums/k405/citizen68/49DA6BD8-1D05-4C68-878F-5CDA50CDB839.jpg

Dave_Mc

monquixote said:

RaymondLin said:

I had thought about the 3 Strymon pedals, about how whilst they can do everything, they can be very overwhelming, so part of me thinking of getting say the belle epoch for delay, wet for reverb and some modulation later. I'm sure those will do 90% of what I need and once set, it's on or off and leave it be.

That's it exactly. 

When it comes to delay you can have all the settings in the world, but what it really comes down to is either a high fidelity digital delay, or an analogue/tape type delay which is really just a bit of low pass filtering. People tend to go for one or the other.

On top of that people either do or don't like modulation on their repeats. 

It's all very well to be seduced by delays with 4 second delay times and reverse ping pong shimmer delays, but no one outside of ambient shoegaze types ever actually use them after the first day they have the delay pedal in my experience.

I'd get something like a Carbon Copy, Deep Blue (I have a clone in the classifieds if you fancy something to tinker with), Aqua Puss etc. 

Again with modulation I don't think anyone really needs a flanger, phaser, chorus and vibe. I have a Strymon Flint on my board it does the 3 types of reverb you will actually use in a band situation, a nice tremolo and a phasey vibe sound. I might get a chorus at some point, but with that a delay and a couple of drives, you don't really lack anything.

Yeah. I mean I'm not a massive effects user but I basically dial in a bog standard solo delay. )

Modulation too, if I'm playing a cover of a song which needs a specific effect that's different, but if not I could probably get away with one modulation pedal.

monquixote said:

wolf5150 said:

This guy can't play !!!!
See his other thread where he shows off his incredible guitars.
Mate, you obviously have a bucket full of money so instead of impressing everyone with your spending prowess, buy yourself a Pod and spend your money on lessons !!!

It may amaze you, but the money nice guitars cost isn't all that much to a lot of people so let him spend it on what he wants. 

We don't expect people who buy a Porsche to be world class racing drivers so why are guitars this stupid exception where you have to "deserve" to own a nice one. If I was learning piano and I had the money I'd buy a Steinway. IMO I'd be a total mug if I didn't 

+1

If you don't think people who don't "deserve" stuff shouldn't be allowed to buy them, you have a much bigger complaint than just guitar players... you're pretty much arguing with capitalism itself (which is fair enough, but it's a question for a different thread and hardly entirely raymond lin's fault either).

Maybe you genuinely think he should spend more time practising. That's fair enough, but you could probably have phrased your initial post a bit more tactfully. Plus the two things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, plus nicer gear might motivate you to play and practise more.

capo4th

Come on Raymond you must have a minimum 3 amp short list

RaymondLin

capo4th said:

Come on Raymond you must have a minimum 3 amp short list

3 amp? errr why stop there? lol  I am looking at anything and everything, but this is for another thread.

Before someone jumping the gun before I do, I repeat, I have not bought anything !

midiglitch

I sort of see both sides here.

Absolutely right the good man can spend his money on whatever he likes.  That is his privilege and no doubt he earns it through hard work, being highly skilled at something or probably both.

I think back to my first electric guitar, which was my mates dad's cheap strat copy - I probably acquired it about 6 months after I started playing (on an acoustic.). Truth is, that at that time my ear hadn't opened up enough for me to even hear the difference in tone between the bridge and the neck pickup! It takes time and training (not necessarily formal) for ears to hear these things.  

Same goes for effects.. I knew dsotm inside out as a music fan, but it had no idea the guitar parts had 'effects' on them.  In time you come to recognise the sound of a strat, a tele, a les paul, a bridge pickup, the in-between positions, slides, bends, phaser, flanger, chorus, tremolo, vibrato, delay, spring, room, plate, hall reverbs, a fuzz, a muff, a rat, a Marshall, fender, vox etc...

But that journey is a long one.  And the shortest route is generally to get a good grasp of the instrument, work on playing and ear training and start to open up the ear that way.  It's not the only route by any means, but I certainly understand the sentiment that getting into pedalboards at such an early stage is a distraction.

Why? Because until you a) really know what you're hearing when you listen to music, and b) have an absolutely crystal clear picture of the sound you want to make in your head, buying pedals is just groping around in the dark.

Just mho, and not that it makes any odds to me at all!  We can all enjoy the journey in different ways.  The main thing is to enjoy the journey!

capo4th

RaymondLin said:

capo4th said:

Come on Raymond you must have a minimum 3 amp short list

3 amp? errr why stop there? lol  I am looking at anything and everything, but this is for another thread.

Before someone jumping the gun before I do, I repeat, I have not bought anything !

I expected better from you Raymond after those lovely PRS guitars come on lad ! The amp is what it's all about! I love your research though. I am currently after a new tele and have spent an afternoon in guitarguitar playing with some nice fenders but nothing jumped out and grabbed me.

RaymondLin

Haha, the list is "small" because I want an amp that has an FX loop and either small in wattage or ability to lower it. I also want 2 channels as well for flexibility. So amps like the Mesa TA15 was left off. All the marshall anniversary 1w amps are left off. I've not looked into Friedman or Carol Ann yet...I'm just writing them down when I come across them, I am in no hurry to buy one right now.

kelvinburn

http://www.andertons.co.uk/combo-amps/pid21575/cid691/tone-king-imperial-20w-1x12-combo-in-black.asp

There you go