- Here are
some pix of pedalboard assemblies we have built, wired or both. I will try to
post as many pictures and/or video as I can as we build them - we have built
many boards but these are the most memorable! Some pedalboard assemblies have
pedals that have been custom designed and constructed for special applications,
re-pedaled or modified. Can you guess which ones they
are? Take a look!
NOTE: Out
of respect for the owners, I am not including any names.
Grand
Central Strymon :
This pedalboard
can produce an almost infinite amount beautiful sonic textures! An RJM Mastermind
controller allows for FULL STEREO LOOP SWITCHING! The really cool aspect of
this board is the use of MIDI implemented expression pedal control - it will
blend and morph the effects of each Strymon pedal (or individually) into each
other creating a soundscape of bliss! This pedalboard also has all the same
auxillary features as stated previously on other FUTARA built pedalboards..
Mastermind
Pedalboard Control :
The RJM Mastermind
PBC is one of the latest in programmable (and firmware updatable) pedalboard,
controllers! It is very user friendly and uses an LED color interface to assist
with programming and configuration. It is relatively complex in its simplicity.
It will change a program, on both Strymon pedals, via MIDI whilst selecting
a channel on the amplifier and configuring which pedals will be in the loop
- all elegantly performed with efficiency! The one pedal I absolutely love here
is the CRAZYBOX Smokin' Boost. This is an incredibly impressive distortion/overdrive
pedal that is rare to obtain! The owner paid an exorbitant amount to have the
pedal shipped from Spain to him then us within 3 days! Wow! This pedal board
features the same as the others with amp effects loop separation, Tom Anderson-like
electric/acoustic pickup selection (using a custom painted blue and metalic
silver James Tyler Studio Elite guitar), multi buffered inputs and amp selectability
on the outputs. I was super impressed by the "square plug" connectors
installed as they really saved a lot of space between connections. Paired with
the Matchless C30 amp, the tone was delightfully clean and true!
"Holey
Pedalboard Batman!" :
I didn't like
the idea of using the splintery, raw wood version of this board with cable ties
to secure the pedals. Instead, a little sanding, staining, varnishing, and sealing
(polished satin finish) this wooden holey board made it POP! Each pedal is held
by screws! The result is a fantastic sounding pedalboard that looks great (almost
artful) even in a home living room to match the furniture - Hey! The spouses
approve!
"What
Happens in Vegas... Well, You Know the Rest..." :
It's showtime
folks! This pedalboard is simple but gets a lot of attention during performance.
Yes, that OCD is a version 2...!
"Yeah,
See - We're here for the Rock & Roll - See!..." :
I have to
say, this one was really fun to build and is my favorite out of all of them!
It is small, light and simple - all in an old, re-purposed violin case - sounds
good too! It features a TC Electronic Flashback delay, Xotic EP booster and
SP compressor, Ibanez tube screamer, Dunlap wah and a small TC tuner. What else
would an O.G. need for playing speak-easy gigs on the go!
Lush
with Expressive Tone:
This board
has twin super-digital engines on it - Strymon Big Sky and Time Line! This board
has all the same features from previous pedal boards - board splitting for effects
loop users, switchable stereo pickup control, dual assignable multi guitar inputs
and dual amplifier outputs. One of the interesting aspects of this one is the
Larry Carlton-like sustain and full overdriven smooth tone. Everything here,
used in concert - is lovely!
Mini-er
and MIGHTY-ER!:
WHAT a big
sound - and beautiful as well! Three Strymon pedals will always make a difference
in tone. The owner of this pedalboard found it amusing that the EB VPJr was
wider than the board (he said it fit his foot better), fortunately, it also
fit the case with no trouble - In fact, a friend of his wanted one EXACTLY like
this one. This pedal board allows for use with a stereo input cable from a Tom
Anderson-type dual pickup configured electric guitar. The pedal switcher allows
for switching between pickups or allows for both at the same time. There are
other features as well such as splitting the board for use with an amplifiers
effects loop. This little guy is super useful and super great sounding!
Mini
but MIGHTY:
I like building
smaller and tighter pedalboards like this one - nice and compact! It features
a Strymon Timeline digital delay, JHS Alpine digital reverb, Vintage Arion Stereo
Chorus, Xotic SL Drive, Suhr Dual Boost, Suhr Koji Comp(ressor), TC Electronics
PolyTune2, JHS Buffer Modified / Futara Volume Taper Modified FV-30L Stereo
Volume Pedal and lastly, a Futara Input/Output interface with an ISOLATED TRUE
effect loop! This board uses Mogami Neglex wire which is perfect for the limited
space. This is a "bare-bones" pedal board that is built to travel
and sounds pretty fat and amazing - the Timeline mixed with a little reverb
and chorus is out of sight! Also, it is small enough (inside it's case or backpack)
to fit in an airplane upper storage compartment! Now, that is practical!
PEDALboard
in TRAINing:
I have to
say that for a pedal board that has FIVE gain-related devices, it sure is silent!.
Paired with a Quilter amplifier, there is quite a bit of tonal satisfaction
with this conglomeration - AND there is still room for more. Of course, there
is an EP booster aboard and that little guy makes everything sound like it has
punch! My favorite pedal of the lot is the FUZZ box purchased from a builder
named T. Redman in NY. That Germanium transistor pseudo-fuzz-face clone with
enhancements really sounds smooth - especially when you adjust the "bias"
control - Nasty but goooood! Someday, I may purchase one for myself!
Daughter
of "MEGA - Board"!
This pedalboard
may appear small but has a HUGE sound! It's configuration is based off of the
"MEGA-Board's" specs. Instead of using the G-LAB
system, it uses a modified manual looper to not only passively switch effects
pedals in and out of the signal chain but also allow for instrument input and
amplifier output switching. This pedalboard offers acoustic/electric signal
blending as well using Tom Anderson stringed instruments with a stereo (dual
pickup) output jack.
We thought
we would try out the TC Electronics Flashback and Hall of Fame pedals for this
pedalboard and have found that they are actually pretty nice sounding with lots
of features! The Rockbox Boiling Point and Barber DD work very well with the
Strymon OB.1 compressor too!
Pictured above
is our custom-engineered instrument input/amplifier output interface - with
a built-in FUTARA engineered signal buffers and "effects loop." This
interface provides the acoustic/electric blending effect without ground hum
or impedance issues. We strategically installed five calibrated buffers at the
input and output. The "effects loop" essentially removes the delay
and reverb pedals from the audio signal chain and become independent from the
other pedals for use with an amplifiers built-in effects loop. When the loop
is not in use, the pedalboard's signal chain is in it's original serial configuration.
All-in-all,
the pedalboard has a unique and beautiful sound that is easily portable and
hookup is quick! This is how it should always be done!
MEGA
- Board!
This pedalboard
is a dream come true! It uses the G-LAB GSC-3 system as well and features instrument
input and amplifier output switching along with acoustic/electric signal blending
(at the same time!) using Tom Anderson stringed instruments with a stereo (dual
pickup) output jack.
In order to
do this cleanly without ground hum or impedance issues, we had to strategically
install seven calibrated FUTARA engineered, high quality, buffers at the input
and output --- yes, SEVEN! Included is an on-board "effect loop" -
which essentially removes the delays and reverbs from the audio signal chain
separating the other pedals for use with an amplifiers built-in effects loop.
When the loop is not in use, the pedalboard's signal chain is in it's original
serial configuration.
This pedalboard
sounds AMAZINGLY CLEAN! Only high-quality interconnect wire, op-amps and semiconductors
were used in the design and built into the final configuration. I really love
the expression pedal feature that is used with the Strymon TimeLine. You can
really get some great modulating delay blending effects!
Here is a
clip of the acoustic portion of a Tom Anderson electric/acoustic guitar blended
with a little of the electric portion using the Strymon OLA, Blue Sky, TimeLine,
Boss Dimension C, Arion Stereo Chorus and a little compression. Sorry, no overdrive/distortion
audio demo however, that as well, has an EPIC sound!
G-LAB
GSC-3 Pedalboard Launch
Well, this
one was a COMPLETE SUCCESS! There is so much about this pedalboard that I could
not list everything so enjoy the vid!
Small
but BEEFY!
This little
guy really does the trick! It features a Strymon OB.1 optical compressor - which
really sounds clean and QUICK!, a Rockbox Boilingpoint overdrive/distortion
pedal, Moolan analog delay modeler and MY FAVORITE ---- the BB Preamp by XOTIC.
Small
but BEEFY
- Updated!
UPDATED! Yes,
this pedal board returned for improvements and modifications! Now, it features
a JHS Panther Cub Delay, Xotic EP Boost (used for tone color), Tone Freak Effects
SEVERE distortion, Plutonium Chi-Wah-Wah and a Neunaber Technology WET Reverb
- certainly, this additional pedal assortment adds to the palette of aural excellence.
Blending!
This board
takes an acoustic guitar signal and "blends" it with the effected
one for a more defined and articulated sound using the Fishman Powerblend ---
nifty!
"Pink
Floyd-like Warble..."
I cannot competely
take credit on this one however, I did build portions of it including modifications.
This board has many upon many modifications including instrument input and stereo
output buffering. Many of the effect pedals have been re-pedaled for space.
This is one of many compact boards we have ever worked on and wired up! Everything
including the connector widths mattered. All pedals on this board have been
modified for true bypass with the exception of the T.C. We used Mogami cable
for this one as it was the only cable small enough to provide rich sound and
fit through all the hole clearances - even as they crisscrossed throughout!
There is one other mod on this board that is super special and it involves reversing
the in/out jacks on the wah with some additional electronics to create a modified
"Pink Floyd-like warble" that is so mind numbing that a listener will
most likely lose their sanity (or supper) like those fortunate individuals during
the "trees" portion of LIVE Ummagumma performances all the way up
to The Wall. BTW, "is there anybody out there?" (listen for it in
that recording...)
