Pedal geeks i need u (help jjjusten make decisions about awesome pedals for his store)

Finding myself increasingly impatient to replace the Uni-Vibe with a similar sound and simultaneously getting old frustrations with the TR-2 rushing back, I decided to make another trip to Guitar Center. The Uni-Vibe has a damn great sound, it's just so friggin' hissy. Trust me when I say that it hurt me more than a little bit to actually admit to being semi-disappointed with a pedal from my revered MXR. And, with the TR-2, maybe I'm crazy, but it felt like, no matter how mellow or intense the setting, it would drop the volume —as it was supposed to— but it would never rise back to the initial level, essentially lowering my overall signal whenever it was engaged. Threw in the Phase 90 because the Phase 95 is on its way and I had a bunch of store credit to use. So, use it up I did. I knew I still wanted a Uni-Vibe type effect and a tremolo in my pedal chain, but I have become very picky by this point, so I was hoping to continue my luck with the used gear case and come up with something off the mainstream brand radar. Granted, I do have the Depths and love it very much and that one is sort of like a Uni-Vibe, but it's got an, uhm, deeper sound. So, anyway. The Fulltone brand got my attention with its odd-shaped Deja Vibe. I was hesitant to go for one of their pedals after my bad experience with the open box Supa Trem, but when I asked to see the Deja Vibe, I saw that the box it came in was hand numbered and inspected — my kind of stuff. The used case was kind to me once again, as I picked out the Mini Trem from the Black Cat pedal company — not a name I'm familiar with, but a quick search on my phone returned overwhelmingly positive reviews. Couple that with the presence of "Tone" and "Boost" knobs and I knew I had found a keeper. Rounding out the day with another Fulltone pedal, this time the simple but totally useful 2B Booster.

The Deja Vibe is very nice. Not hissy at all, even when you turn the volume all the way (it does start to provide a slight boost after you turn past about three o'clock). You can really slow the speed of the effect down, which I like to do while turning the "Intensity" knob all the way up, making a really warm and slow burn of an effect. There are two switches on the unit: one to switch between Chorus mode and Vibrato mode and one to switch between Modern and Vintage tones (Vintage is better, duh). The vibrato mode is pretty intense and, just like with the Uni-Vibe, I don't really see myself using it that much. But the chorus mode is so luscious and nice. And not hissy one bit.

The Black Cat Mini Trem does not offer a wave control knob like the TR-2, but that's the only category where it loses to the TR-2. It has two foot switches: one to engage the effect and one which either doubles or cuts the rate of the effect in half. The "Boost" and "Tone" knobs are really powerful. The "Tone" knob is basically a treble control, which is very nice since the thing can get a little hissy and the "Boost" can actually push my amp into distortion at higher settings. The LED indicator pulses with the speed of the effect, allowing for quick adjustments in the middle of a song when you can't hear it precisely. Overall, it would be nice to be able to tame the unit's less than subtle wave from loud to quiet, but with the "Depth" knob at the right setting, it kind of works itself out.

And the 2B, which was purchased as a curiosity and which has totally impressed me. "But it's just a clean boost pedal" you say. That may be true, but the key word there is "clean." At the front of my pedal chain it provides a hearty, no-nonsense boost to my uneffected signal that really cleans everything up and sends it off to the rest of my effects nice and juiced up. No hiss, no hum, nothing here except pure and warm tonal clarity. There is a very small "Dynamics" knob in addition to the main knob, but as far as I can tell, it's a compressor of sorts, so I've messed with it a little, but I find that it does best when left turned all the way down.

http://i.imgur.com/jrbAlcI.jpg
From left to right:
Boss RC-1 Loop Station
MXR M300 Reverb
Jim Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay ——>MXR M199 Tap Tempo
Boss DD-500 Digital Delay
Fulltone MDV-1 Deja Vibe
Earthquaker Devices The Depths
Black Cat Mini Trem Tremolo
MXR M234 Analog Chorus
Full 2B Booster
And Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

First things first: I love my Telecaster. Truly, I do. All these pedal changes and searching for different tones may lead some to believe that it hasn't been the effects I've been trying out, but the guitar itself that's the problem. But I have never wavered in my affection for my Tele. Its dynamics and warmth are unmatched.

And yet.

I've been thinking about getting a second guitar for some time now. Ultimately, my goal was to get a Rickenbacker. But, forget that; they're simply not in my price range at this juncture. I went in circles for about an hour: should I go for one of those semi-hollow bodied Grestch beasts? Get a Tele Deluxe reissue? Just say, "Fuck it", go to the dark side and get a Strat? Or what about a cheaper Les Paul model?

Eventually (and perhaps, inevitably), I came back around to Fender and decided to get the next best single coil guitar I knew of: the Jazzmaster. It's a **long sigh**. . . it's a Squier. But still, even the Squiers these days are pretty friggin' nice and run upwards of $400. This one is kind of cheesy, as it's the J. Mascis "signature" model. Enh, whatever. Just give me those single coils. It's a very nice color scheme, being polished white with a flat gold pick guard. It sits very nicely next to my butterscotch blonde Tele. As I always do with a new guitar, I restrung it immediately upon getting it home. I used some D'Addario nickel wound 10/46s. Not my first choice (would have preferred something heavier and flat wound), but it's what I had on hand, so it will do for now. First impressions: it's a very bright guitar, although I imagine that's partly due to the strings. And wow, really easy to just pick up and play. I was able to go through several songs without much breaking in and/or familiarizing myself with the thing. I'd wager myself to be a very novice player and expected a learning curve as such, so that was a nice surprise.

Going backwards a bit, I was so used to driving down to Lake Forest and getting straight off the freeway to go to work everyday that it never occurred to me that there is indeed a Guitar Center directly kitty-corner from my job. So, after an early morning shift a few days ago, I popped in to check out their used gear and maybe find something cool. Nothing really to write home about in the used case (I'm pretty sure it was all overdrive, fuzz and distortion pedals). However, in the shelf next to the used stuff, there was open box and clearance items and something immediately caught my eye: there was a ZVex pedal in there! They're pretty visually enticing little units anyway, but they're totally a boutique company and how one ended up in this unlikely place in Guitar Center is a mystery. So, I rescued it. The pedal in question is the Vextron Distortron. Now, I know I've been pretty outspoken about my ideas on fuzz/OD/disto pedals, but I simply couldn't let this one slide. It was ~literally~ more than half off its MSRP. In the past, I've owned the MXR Prime Distortion and I wasn't completely wowed by it (and maybe that had to do with the fact that I was trying to use it with an acoustic). But that was kind of a misguided experience all around. This is completely different, because it's a really well made pedal (not that the Prime Distortion isn't; it's just a budget pedal and is only as good as such a thing can be). At this point, I've basically only been using it as another, more harsh boost right after the 2B. The "Subs" switch is completely great, altering the body of the sound (I like position 3 the best, as it really deepens the signal). The "Drive" knob is where the most power lies (well, that and the "Gain" switch), so I've learned to mostly back off that one. It's got a really engaging vibe to it overall and, if nothing else, I can definitely save it for a rainy day as trade bait.

As much I dug the Black Cat Mini Trem, it was a really noisy pedal. And, especially after hearing what the 2B was capable of without any added hiss whatsoever, I am starting to have very little patience for noisy units. So, gone it is. No more trem for now.

And the wait is finally over, as I received my MXR M290 Phase 95 Mini in the mail today. Let me just get this out of the way right now: it kicks fucking ass. It's literally four of MXR's previous phase pedals in one box. And the price! $100!! Just absolute win. While I do miss the big knob on the EVH90, the sound of this thing and what it's capable of more than make up for it. I'd never played on the Phase 45 before, so that mellow monster of a tone is completely new and totally seducing to me. I can't help but think it's destined to become the standard by which all phasers are judged. Not much else to say, except that I really see no reason whatsoever to take it out of "Script" mode in any situation. Such a massive achievement for MXR.

So, here it all is:
http://i.imgur.com/KRRoDne.jpg
Back row from left to right:
Fender Telecaster
Fender Squier Jazzmaster
Vox AC4

Front row from left to right:
Boss RC-1 Loop Station
MXR M300 Reverb
Jim Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay ——>MXR M199 Tap Tempo
Boss DD-500 Digital Delay
MXR M290 Phase 95 Mini Phase
Earthquaker Devices The Depths
Fulltone MDV-1 Deja Vibe
MXR M234 Analog Chorus
ZVex Vextron Distortron Distortion
Fulltone 2B Booster
And Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

So, just a couple of quick updates and thoughts. . .

After not really finding a use for it, I decided to return the Deja Vibe, also with the realization that I don't think "vibe" pedals are really my thing.

(Especially after today's mishap, but we'll get to that)

I was so excited when Boss announced the Waza Craft version of the CE-2 chorus pedal, I ordered it right away. After playing on it for a matter of minutes two things became readily apparent: 1) The "Standard" mode is okay, but the real deal is the "CE-1" mode. So amazingly lush. And 2) I had finally found a Boss pedal that could usurp an MXR unit. As much as I love the MXR Analog Chorus, I have to admit that it is a little hissy if I dial the treble knob as high as I would like to have it. So, this meant I always went easy on the treble, despite wanting a little more. The CE-2w rectifies the situation, as it does away with tone controls and leaves a (by comparison) very small residual hiss in its tracks. It's such a wonderful pedal, I almost have to not use it most of the time because I feel like I'm spoiling myself. So great.

In the place of the Deja Vibe, I went for a wildcard in the used pedal case in the form of the Empress Effects Nebulus multi-effects modulation pedal. I was really excited to try new chorus types after the CE-2w came in and swept me off my feet. And hey, the Nebulus was also a vibe and flanger, all in one. There had to be something there worthwhile, right? Uhh, no. This thing is an overrated joke of a pedal. Everything about it is so unremarkable. From the bland, predictable chorus tones to the laughably bad flange, I forced myself to play on it for over an hour, looking for something that's just not there. Soon as I have another day off, it's getting returned.

Ditched the ZVex Distortron out of my pedal chain for now, but I'm holding on to it (and the MXR Analog Chorus) for what, I don't know. Just doesn't feel right to let them go just yet. I like the Distortron, it just made my tone a little too hot; not really into that sort of thing right now.

Also visited the Lake Forest Guitar Center again out of curiosity and found the Boss FBM-1 '59 Fender Bassman amp replicator pedal for $60. Pairs great with the Fulltone 2B and makes my jangles come out a little fuller than normal, so I'm happy with it. Certainly not a game-changer of a pedal, but I've definitely found a good home for it.

Also been messing around with the order of my effects. The modulation effects can get a little hissy, so putting them before the boosters magnified that. So, I've decided to put the boosters right in the middle of everything. Makes for a much cleaner end result. Pretty good rig at this point — I'm actually really happy with it.

http://i.imgur.com/7O2gbl1.jpg

From left to right:
Boss RC-1 Loop Station
MXR M290 Phase 95 Mini Phase
Earthquaker Devices The Depths
Boss CE-2w Waza Craft Chorus
Boss FBM-1 '59 Fender Bassman
Fulltone 2B Booster
MXR M300 Reverb
Jim Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay ——>MXR M199 Tap Tempo
Boss DD-500 Digital Delay
And Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

You might want to play with the order of your pedals. If you don't have a loop, quite a few people go with having the delays & modulation more at the end of the signal path. Usually you want anything that is going to boost/distort the signal at the front. There is also something to be said in a long effects loop to having the tuner last in the chain to send a buffered signal to the amp.

It's not locked in stone or anything, I know I got a Maxon Chorus that if you put it towards the back of the chain it cuts some signal even as a true bypass pedal when off. I'll put it up front when I got it on my board.

These are nice too for amps without effects loop. It takes the effects totally out of the signal path when not engaged. You can also setup a couple effects pedals in a loop to be 'on', so when you turn on the loop on the Big Shot, it's like turning all three at once.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BigShotEFXv2

Deja Vibe is a tricky pedal to get the right sound. It's real cool when you find where it fits, but it can't take a ton of input without getting dark and mushy.

For those of you that don't follow my store on Facebook (weirdos), my impressionistic review of the Black Cat Monster K-Fuzz

"Ok, I know that this is going to sound like hyperbole, but it's not - the new Black Cat Pedals Monster K-Fuzz just arrived, and it is easily in my top 5 favorite chaotic nightmare brain cell exploding fuzzes OF ALL TIME. It's one of the most insane yet usable, ultra versatile toolkit pedals for those of us who like to go way outside of the lines, and I couldn't be more impressed. All of that is before I've even had a chance to plug in an expression pedal. Reminder: this is coming from a guy who has about 300 different fuzzes in stock at any time, and has heard (not bragging, this is my job) thousands of others.

No, it will not sound like a big muff, so don't even try. Maybe a big muff when your amp is on fire, and you are on fire, and you are trapped in a plummeting elevator. Yes, the elevator is also on fire. It's that good. In stock."

http://www.blackcatpedals.com/black-cat-monster-k-fuzz-stompbox/

glorious stuff jj

They might use some of it in an ad, I already gave them permission.

this is real:

https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/15625427_119831931849882_1766929904688955392_n.jpg

lol, would buy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-HSs0jC-jA

i borrowed a bunch of pedals from guitarist friends for use as outboard effects for my samples & synths! Rat, Saturnworks bypass feedback loop thingy, old Boss distortion, whammy, etc.

what's the best choice for power - 9v adapter with w/splitter cables or rechargeable batteries?

probably the former

I always went with the adapter

1-Spot all the way. Depending on 9-volt batteries in a gig situation fills me with groove-crushing anxiety.

A 1-spot with daisy-chain will do pretty well up to a point, but you will want a separate power supply for the whammy.

i use this

http://media.guitarcenter.com/is/image/MMGS7/DC-Brick-Multi-Power-Supply/151091000000000-00-500x500.jpg

thanks guys. i already got this, should work too?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019FZ1XRY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Possibly? Looks analogous to a 1spot, so I wouldn't see why not, but then it also has a ton of bad Amazon reviews.

The Whammy might or might not work, depending on which version it is. The Whammy 5 uses DC power. Previous iterations used AC power. In my (limited) experience with them, pitch-shifter pedals have introduced a lot of extra noise into my signal when I've powered them on a daisy chain like that. May depend on your personal tolerance for noise.

how did i not see those reviews :(

yeah sorry to chime in late but i recognize that power supply and it is garbage (and potentially damaging). send it back and grab the one spot pack, should be 35-40 but it's worth it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3rys17XUAAfX8s.jpg:large

Thanks, I'm sending it back today, no harm done! Found a local store I can grab the 1-spot from, ahead of a bunch of recording this weekend.

Promoted myself to Starship Commander

http://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5JbTnKUoAAAXjR.jpg

(still working on wiring this thing)

Oh i love that Pigtronix pedal

Man, I'm sure Pigtronix makes fine pedals, but sheesh, that brand name. Just can't get past it.

Been a long time since I posted in here, so this is the hole that I've dug for myself since last time:
http://i.imgur.com/29qTlij.jpg

From left to right (here we go!):
Boss RV-6 Digital Reverb
MXR M300 Digital Reverb
Jim Dunlop EP103 Echoplex Delay ——> MXR M199 Tap
MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay
MXR M269SE Carbon Copy Bright Analog Delay
Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
TC Electronic Flashback Digital Delay
(in front) Boss RC-1 Loop Station
Boss CE-2w Analog Waza Craft Chorus
Boss BF-2 Flanger
Boss TR-2 Tremolo
Way Huge Electronics Green Rhino Overdrive MKII
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver Overdrive
Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion
MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion
ZVex Distortron Distortion
Bogner laGrange Overdrive
Bogner Wessex Overdrive
Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner

Also upgraded to an AC15 somewhere along the way there. In addition, I purchased a used Moog Minifooger Analog Delay from Guitar Center, but it isn't available for pick up until 26 April. In any case, I fully intend on continuing forward with all six delays once I'm able to go get it.

I have no friends, by the way. Just go to work and then come home and play.

Austin where do you live?

we should have a dedicated 'what does your gear look like' thread really

and not just because i've just bought a sweet shoreline gold fender jaguar, honest

drool.

I have nothing so exotic but this is my wall o' gear recently

http://imgur.com/a/sAylB

I live in Huntington Beach. Work in Lake Forest. Very close to a Guitar Center in both instances.

that gold jaguar in full btw (neither pic nor amp is mine but i'll have my hands on the guitar tomorrow)

https://photos-3.dropbox.com/t/2/AABaMM7WhN9GGOc4votNob64uN2hnbKr9_ZmOwospFIT-A/12/42384070/jpeg/1024x768/3/1491512400/0/2/File%2006-04-2017%2C%2017%2020%2004.jpeg/EK2zsSAYhA0gAigC/TLQYd9k-876INcw3JkTmw6LO9h1Oqkxh5HLB_vUizUY?size=1024x768&size_mode=3

I almost splurged with my tax return and bought a Jaguar, but enh. Would rather explore more pedals.

TOAN IS IN THE FINGERZ MAAAAAAN

it really is but pedals are fun

damn right they are, i just couldn't pass up an opportunity to write 'toan' cuz it makes me lol

I've...added more pedal lines again.

I think I'll repost the whole list but new stuff is at the top

Audiotec Guitar Products
Mojo Hand
Greer Amplification
Catalinbread
Alexander Pedals
Devi Ever Fx
Caroline Guitar Company
Center Street Electronics
Black Cat Pedals
Dr. Scientist
Lotus Pedal Designs
Stomp Under Foot
Mr. Black
Chase Bliss Audio
Wren and Cuff
Cusack Music
Dr. No Effects
Idiotbox
Henretta Engineering
Greenhouse Effects
Function FX
Ramble FX
Tech 21
Lehle
L0/Rez
Vick Audio
Old School FX
Hammond/Leslie
Dwarfcraft Devices
Z.Vex Effects
Big Joe Stompboxes
Stalefish Effects
Vox
Dragon Dog
Skreddy Pedals
TC Electronic
BBE
MXR
Mooer
VHT
Earthquaker
Way Huge
Electro Harmonix
DOD Reissues
Noisemaker Effects
Budda
Ibanez
Valco
Digitech
Visual Sound
Danelectro
Dunlop
NE Cable Company
Lava Cables and Pedalboard Kits
Diago Pedalboards and accessories
Aclam Pedalboards and accessories​

So if you've got any questions about mojo hand or Greer, fire away. Or anything else really. Also, I'm finalizing an exclusive circuit with Stomp Under Foot, and it's going to rule. Version 2 Black Russian muff with an added mid control.

any word when catalinbread are going to be releasing the belle epoch deluxe jjj?

Should be any day now, but no firm info

psyched tbh

You and me both

Dudes, any thoughts on EQD's Avalanche Run? It looks like an absolute beast of a delay/reverb pedal, but I haven't talked with anyone who has played one.

had one, liked it a lot, sold it to buy a timeline and i miss it :(

I bought a soldering gun to work my way up to building an amp - anyone built any of the BYOC pedal kits and have a recommendation?

I've built a mouse and an overdrive 2, the former was simpler with fewer parts but the latter was easier because I knew what not to do the second time. Both were super fun and I know I'll eventually build more at some point.

I've built a mouse and an overdrive 2, the former was simpler with fewer parts but the latter was easier because I knew what not to do the second time. Both were super fun and I know I'll eventually build more at some point.