Just go easy on the Botox.
Heh. In the 70s I had suits with roped shoulders like that. Pretty snazzy.
Dude, I never use Botox on my pedalboard.
Messin' With My Pedalboard - Are We There Yet?
- Thread starter László
- Start date
Heh. In the 70s I had suits with roped shoulders like that. Pretty snazzy.
Dude, I never use Botox on my pedalboard.
Pedalboard is done. Finis. Complete. Not gonna change it again. Maybe ever. Certainly not in the next few centuries.
I realized that it'd be a good idea to make a few changes after the initial build. First, a digital box like the Eventide H9 needs to be in a true bypass loop. Yeah, I know, it's got a true bypass option, but I gotta say this: the relay bypass changes my tone in a subtle way. So the pedal needs that true bypass box. I tried to live without that box, but heck, I didn't get PS guitars to plug them in and not perform to all of their subtle majesty because of some effect box.
Also, despite my decision to try to have the wah come after the buffer, I realized that I don't like the way that sounds and can't live with it that way. A wah must come first!
So I rewired the whole thing, and in addition decided to put the buffer on the deck of the board for ease of servicing and making changes down the road, since I use both of its outputs, one for a tuner and a second amp, one for the pedal circuit.
Of course, those choices forced me to rip all the pedals off the board, change the cabling, and rearrange stuff. I really hated doing that, but it's all in the service of The Almighty Tone Gods. Anyway, the velcro seems to still function, even after moving stuff around, sticking it down, and changing my mind about placement and pedal order several times. I worried over whether it's possible to wear that stuff out making changes. I suppose it is, but it's still functioning for now, so that's not too bad.
I decided to leave most of the audio cables on top of the board, and tuck the power cables under it, and have them poke up through the slots near the pedals. It's easier to service the board and change pedals that way if something breaks.
"Les, do your pedals ever break? I mean, have you had a pedal break since 1967?"
"Well, no. But I once had a cable go bad."
"When was that?"
"2005."
"OK, then, the only "service" you perform on a pedalboard is installing new pedals and removing old ones, isn't that true?"
(sobs) "Yes, yes it's true! I did it! But it couldn't be helped, that pedal was driving me cra...oh...wait...I need to compose myself."
"How come all the cables don't match?"
"PRS patch cables are only 10" long. I needed some longer ones. I had a few lying around, and the red ones are new, just got 'em from Lava. They're Van den Hul. I bought fancy cables on the theory that longer cables should have low capacitance. These are only 33 pf per foot. That's good. But they are so stiff, it's hard to work with them."
"You like it when things are stiff, don't you Les?"
"Unfortunately at my age, 'stiff' is a word that applies more to cables than some other things. Anyway, here's the pedal board. By the way, the buffer seems to glow brightly because even though it's black anodized aluminum in natural light, it's got a miniature 1.21 gigawatt flux capacitor that causes lens flare. I got it from Q, it's a special build. If you press a button on it, the pedalboard ejects one of the pedals. If you lift the pedalboard deck without undoing the latches in the right sequence, it does a flash-bang thing.":
I realized that it'd be a good idea to make a few changes after the initial build. First, a digital box like the Eventide H9 needs to be in a true bypass loop. Yeah, I know, it's got a true bypass option, but I gotta say this: the relay bypass changes my tone in a subtle way. So the pedal needs that true bypass box. I tried to live without that box, but heck, I didn't get PS guitars to plug them in and not perform to all of their subtle majesty because of some effect box.
Also, despite my decision to try to have the wah come after the buffer, I realized that I don't like the way that sounds and can't live with it that way. A wah must come first!
So I rewired the whole thing, and in addition decided to put the buffer on the deck of the board for ease of servicing and making changes down the road, since I use both of its outputs, one for a tuner and a second amp, one for the pedal circuit.Of course, those choices forced me to rip all the pedals off the board, change the cabling, and rearrange stuff. I really hated doing that, but it's all in the service of The Almighty Tone Gods. Anyway, the velcro seems to still function, even after moving stuff around, sticking it down, and changing my mind about placement and pedal order several times. I worried over whether it's possible to wear that stuff out making changes. I suppose it is, but it's still functioning for now, so that's not too bad.
I decided to leave most of the audio cables on top of the board, and tuck the power cables under it, and have them poke up through the slots near the pedals. It's easier to service the board and change pedals that way if something breaks.
"Les, do your pedals ever break? I mean, have you had a pedal break since 1967?"
"Well, no. But I once had a cable go bad."
"When was that?"
"2005."
"OK, then, the only "service" you perform on a pedalboard is installing new pedals and removing old ones, isn't that true?"
(sobs) "Yes, yes it's true! I did it! But it couldn't be helped, that pedal was driving me cra...oh...wait...I need to compose myself."
"How come all the cables don't match?"
"PRS patch cables are only 10" long. I needed some longer ones. I had a few lying around, and the red ones are new, just got 'em from Lava. They're Van den Hul. I bought fancy cables on the theory that longer cables should have low capacitance. These are only 33 pf per foot. That's good. But they are so stiff, it's hard to work with them."
"You like it when things are stiff, don't you Les?"
"Unfortunately at my age, 'stiff' is a word that applies more to cables than some other things. Anyway, here's the pedal board. By the way, the buffer seems to glow brightly because even though it's black anodized aluminum in natural light, it's got a miniature 1.21 gigawatt flux capacitor that causes lens flare. I got it from Q, it's a special build. If you press a button on it, the pedalboard ejects one of the pedals. If you lift the pedalboard deck without undoing the latches in the right sequence, it does a flash-bang thing.":
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:spitcoffee: The comedic value of this thread just sharply rose.
toothace
Zombie Thirteen, DFZ
Is there gonna be a pool for when Les posts a pic of his "newly changed" pedalboard? I want in!!
andy474x
Knows the Drill
No kidding! Maybe we should place some wagers on how long he can hold out...
Errata:
I woke up this morning and remembered that I had one of the new Bogner pedals go bad recently. I also once fried a Fulltone fuzz using the wrong cable. So being able to easily service pedals as well as change them frequently is semi-good thinking.
Happy:
Plenty of room to spread out on the board.
It sounds fabulous.
Dead quiet, no hums or buzzes.
The board and case are extremely well made.
Sad:
New cables are too stiff for a clean looking installation.
The TC tuner is smaller and weighs a fraction of the Peterson Strobe tuner, but the Peterson is easier to get a perfect tuning with.
The rig is heavy.
Bottom line: I've upped my game.
I woke up this morning and remembered that I had one of the new Bogner pedals go bad recently. I also once fried a Fulltone fuzz using the wrong cable. So being able to easily service pedals as well as change them frequently is semi-good thinking.
Happy:
Plenty of room to spread out on the board.
It sounds fabulous.
Dead quiet, no hums or buzzes.
The board and case are extremely well made.
Sad:
New cables are too stiff for a clean looking installation.
The TC tuner is smaller and weighs a fraction of the Peterson Strobe tuner, but the Peterson is easier to get a perfect tuning with.
The rig is heavy.
Bottom line: I've upped my game.
andy474x
Knows the Drill
All jabs aside, I have to say, that is one fine looking pedalboard. Nicely done Lesteban!
Errata:
I woke up this morning and remembered that I had one of the new Bogner pedals go bad recently. I also once fried a Fulltone fuzz using the wrong cable. So being able to easily service pedals as well as change them frequently is semi-good thinking.
Well... THAT didn't take very long. I didn't even have a chance to set up the pool!
[h=1]“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”[/h]― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
"Hey, don't blame me - I just learned to read a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow I'm going to learn my colors!"
― rugerpc, This Thread Right Here
― rugerpc, This Thread Right Here
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I ought to read more Emerson.
In a way, his near-poetic style calls to mind Neitsche's rambling, though obviously they have different philosophies. Still, the whole "free spirit" thing reflects the ideas of the mid 19th century, and they both share that.
Then again, I ought to read more Neitsche. I did read his Beyond Good And Evil on the airplane coming back from LA recently. It's tough slogging through the overwrought Sturm und Drang prose at first, but once you get the rhythm of it, the ideas are interesting to evaluate, especially for his views on artists and religiosity.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Friedrich Neitsche were strange dudes, even for their time, but they're a good read.
But enough philosophy and literature! Isn't my pedalboard fookin' awesome? :top:
I decided that the agglomeration of different cables and not being able to tuck them neatly under the board gives it kind of a low-tech fun look. So there's that.
In a way, his near-poetic style calls to mind Neitsche's rambling, though obviously they have different philosophies. Still, the whole "free spirit" thing reflects the ideas of the mid 19th century, and they both share that.
Then again, I ought to read more Neitsche. I did read his Beyond Good And Evil on the airplane coming back from LA recently. It's tough slogging through the overwrought Sturm und Drang prose at first, but once you get the rhythm of it, the ideas are interesting to evaluate, especially for his views on artists and religiosity.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Friedrich Neitsche were strange dudes, even for their time, but they're a good read.
But enough philosophy and literature! Isn't my pedalboard fookin' awesome? :top:
I decided that the agglomeration of different cables and not being able to tuck them neatly under the board gives it kind of a low-tech fun look. So there's that.
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It is awesome.
The awesome sauce lies in the Velcro which doesn't wear out (well not for a really long time) and allows for change, change, change!
It's so rectilinear at the moment, I'm just going to reach through the interweb and twist the tuner 30 degrees counterclockwise for eclectic stylistic reasons.
The awesome sauce lies in the Velcro which doesn't wear out (well not for a really long time) and allows for change, change, change!
It's so rectilinear at the moment, I'm just going to reach through the interweb and twist the tuner 30 degrees counterclockwise for eclectic stylistic reasons.
But then there are the cables, forming a curvilinear yet cheerful counterpoint to the melody of the pedal arrangement.
The visual play is enhanced by their random colors.
Think of it as orchestral strings over a pounding 4 on the floor disco beat. Cue Sergio!
Ode to Tolex
-- by LSchefman
From the board of all my pedals, to the amps and cabinets;
it covers many cases, not least the Echoplex.
Its textures are so many, its wondrous colors true;
O! Tolex, ancient Tolex, we guitar players still love you.
When leather was too pricy, as Depression babies knew.
They invented this stuff, Tolex, to save a buck or two.
Forgotten by the men of cars; you won't find it on shoes.
But it will be remembered by guys who play the blues.
-- by LSchefman
From the board of all my pedals, to the amps and cabinets;
it covers many cases, not least the Echoplex.
Its textures are so many, its wondrous colors true;
O! Tolex, ancient Tolex, we guitar players still love you.
When leather was too pricy, as Depression babies knew.
They invented this stuff, Tolex, to save a buck or two.
Forgotten by the men of cars; you won't find it on shoes.
But it will be remembered by guys who play the blues.
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There once was a man named Schefman
Who fretted his guitars with left hand
He wrote on the forum
And tried not to bore 'em
But found he had no words left man.
Who fretted his guitars with left hand
He wrote on the forum
And tried not to bore 'em
But found he had no words left man.
sergiodeblanc
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 28,339
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It's about chaos...CHAOS, I TELL YOU!
In my personal playbook, it's not a matter of being misunderstood, it's not being understood. Success? Maybe, but it could also be a measure of insanity... or that you live among a very obtuse populace.
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