Favorite Stompboxes & Why?

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

Most of the time these days, I'm running from my guitar to my volume pedal and straight into an amp. If it's a solid state amp, there's a Sarno Black Box right after the guitar. Otherwise, as Derek Trucks reportedly said, "My favorite effect is a cord." That said, though, I still love playing with effects an awful lot at times.

So - knowing that everyone's ears and tastes are different (So let's play nice here!)- what are your favorite stompboxes or rack effects units and why?

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Fuzz: I like either the Boss Tone (or its descendant the mahoney Buzz Tone) or the Sparkle Drive from Voodoo. The Boss Tone because I started playing listening to both Bobby Black with the Commander and Buddy Cage with NRPS.
The Sparkle drive is creamier. But it doesn't get as hippie-dirty.
I try to limit its use, even if playing blues.

Phase Shifter: I LOVE my MuTron, love it. See my demo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tivsay3qohQ

I occasionally use an Octave machine, but I've never sprung for a POG, so they all kinda are limited. I currently use the Digitech Synth-Wah (Forget the model number, I've not used it in months.)

When I feel like the early 80s, I have a CE2 chorus.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Brett Lanier · From: Hermitage, TN

Here's what I'm currently working with.

Pedal steel / lap steel board
- Zendrive 2 - lots of sustain. Great for lap steel.
- El Capistan - Love it, and growing quite fond of tap tempo for steel.
- Wet Reverb - good hall reverb type sound

Guitar board
-Turbo Tuner - rugged and accurate
-Earth Drive - been liking this one with guitar for times when I have to have the od on for long periods. It doesn't color the tone as much as other pedals.
-Boss DM2 - amazing sounding delay.
-Fulltone Supa Trem - love being able to dial in the speed and mix with my foot.
-Amp reverb

*Favorite Audibles*
-Mega Vibe - amazing sounding vibe and chorus. I put a three way switch on it too, and the combination of the two settings sounds fantastic.
-Boss turbo overdrive - sometimes you just need a crappy overdrive
-Premier Spring Reverb Tank - best reverb ever

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

"Sometimes you just need a crappy overdrive." I love crappy overdrives! Especially for lap steel. I have a lot of overdrives (Well, okay, a lot of pedals in general, I guess.) and I find most are great with certain instruments or amps but then don't so a thing for me otherwise.

The overdrive that I find I can use with every guitar and amp is the much-maligned Tube Screamer. No mods - just off the shelf. It never actually sounds amazing but it sounds really good with pretty much every guitar/amp combination I try. I'm finding similar results with the Wampler Euphoria. (I have yet to try an Earth Drive but would like to.) Do I have other ODs that sound way better? Absolutely. But again, only with certain other gear.

I don't take out rack gear much anymore but, when I do, I always seem to love the sound of my Chandler Digital Echo.

I can't say that I have a lot of use for tremolo but, when I do, I always seem to love the sound of my Tremulator. It's a one-trick pony but, man, what a trick! I'm starting to use the tremolo on the Strymon Flint and am liking it so far. More experimenting to do on that one, though.

Bill L. Wilson · From: Oklahoma, USA

Emmons LeGrande II, into a Goodrich Matchbox, into a MXR Carbon Copy, into either a Fender Twin Rvb. w/JBL's, or a Peavey Session 400 Limited. I like both set-ups, but the Twin does have better tone. I also have two Boss '63 Fender Reverb pedals, for guitar and steel on bouncy stages. The guitar pedal board, has a Korg Pitchblack tuner, Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive, Keeley 4knob Compressor, MXR Carbon Copy, Ibanez Chorus. IMHO, you can't beat the Keeley stuff. And Chris Mahoney, who works for Keeley Electronics, recently rebuilt my Buzz Tone, and occasionally I plug it into my Emmons, for some slide work.

Daniel Policarpo · From: Kansas City

For steel I don't use much except for the volume pedal, sometimes I'll run an Electro Harmonix Knockout Attack or Danelectro Fish n Chips EQ to get a different sound from the pickup.

For my six string electrics, my favorite effect is the Endangered Audio Research Gristleizer. Its capable of modulating 4 LFO WAVEFORMS in VCA or VCF mode through Level , Frequency, Bias and Depth. Some of the best tremelo/vibrato you can hear out there anywhere, but also does a bunch of different stuff from subtle filtering to really grinding growls. Works best with other pedals or synthesizers, really....difficult to explain. Fun stuff!

http://www.endangeredaudioresearch.com/the-gristleizer/

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I like Brad Sarno's products. For Psg, the Freeloader. with lap steel, the Earth Drive. For reverb, usually the HoF or Earthquaker Dispatch Master.
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Ollin Landers · From: Willow Springs, NC

I used to think to get a good sound I HAD to have an effects unit like a ProFex.

I quit using effects other than reverb on the amp. Then I went to reverb and delay (RV-3) and then to reverb and delay built in effect on the Roland Cube 80XL. I added a Sarno Freeloader to that and it's about the best sound I've ever had for PSG.

I recently added a Zoom MS-50G on my pedal board basically to get a compressor pedal for Tele. I run an AB/Y switch so six string and PSG run through the pedal board that hangs off my seat.

I don't use the Zoom with the PSG except rarely when I need some overdrive or some other specialty effect like chorus.

For a nice to have play around with effects pedal the Zoom MS-50G is a great compromise between cost and performance.
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Zum SD-12 Black, Zum SD-12 Burly Elm Several B-Bender Tele's and a lot of other gear I can't play.

I spent half my money on gambling, alcohol and wild women. The other half I wasted. W.C. Fields

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

I've had a Boss DD-5 delay for over ten years and love it. It's what I use most cause it stays on all the time and I don't change the speed. I don't overdo the delay as it's just there to give it more depth. I use different pitch shifters but really havent found the one I want yet. I'm using the new Boss PS-5 Super Shifter and it's ok but I've not found what I'm looking for. Next is the old Boss 7 band graphic that I use for the dobro effect. If anybody here has the formula for the doubling sound that JD Maness used to get I'd like to know. I'm not looking for anything quite so profound but I just want the note to be about five times as big without the chorus effect if that makes any sense. I also use either a Boss Blues Driver or a Fulltone distortion pedal that is just before I go into the volume pedal. The rest are in a Boss box that is between the volume pedal and the amp. Simple enough and it works for me.

Frank Parish · From: Nashville,Tn. USA

I've had a Boss DD-5 delay for over ten years and love it. It's what I use most cause it stays on all the time and I don't change the speed. I don't overdo the delay as it's just there to give it more depth. I use different pitch shifters but really havent found the one I want yet. I'm using the new Boss PS-5 Super Shifter and it's ok but I've not found what I'm looking for. Next is the old Boss 7 band graphic that I use for the dobro effect. If anybody here has the formula for the doubling sound that JD Maness used to get I'd like to know. I'm not looking for anything quite so profound but I just want the note to be about five times as big without the chorus effect if that makes any sense. I also use either a Boss Blues Driver or a Fulltone distortion pedal that is just before I go into the volume pedal. The rest are in a Boss box that is between the volume pedal and the amp. Simple enough and it works for me.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

This is my favorite:

Bill A. Moore · From: Silver City, New Mexico, USA

Erv, do you know anybody who works on those?
Mine's broken!

Jimmy Gibson · From: Cornwall, England

The only pedal I use is for switching channels and turning the effects on and of on my Roland Cube80X,works great for me..

Jimmy.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Bill,
I can loan you mine, it doesn't seem to work either! Whoa!

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Zen Drive for dirt.

Wet Reverb.

They sound good.

Rick Schacter · From: Portland, Or.

pedal steel guitar:

Sarno Freeloader and Hilton Volume Pedal. I use the reverb on my amp.
That's it. I like to keep it simple for pedal steel.

Guitar:

Jangle Box compressor, Cry Baby wah pedal, a BK Butler Tube Driver and a Fuzz Face.

The Jangel Box sounds really great with my Rickenbacker 360 12 string,the Cry Baby can be used to get different tones from my guitar as well as using it to get the "wah" sound, the BK Butler and Fuzz Face give me very different sounding types of distortion to use.

Rick

**I sometimes use a talk box too. It's a guilty pleasure I guess. Smile

**

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

This a picture of my stompbox pedalboard I use with my steel and guitar. The boxes are held by velcro strips and can be pulled off easy if need be. The CE-2 Chourus is an oldie when they still made them in Japan. The MXR Carbon Copy is a very good analog sounding and flexible delay pedal, IMHO, and the plain aluminum Bud Box houses a BYOB compressor. It has an interesting feature that allows you to mix the compressed sound with the dry sound for added variation.

I power them with a MXR Power Brick because buying 9V batteries was draining me and they typically die far away from a nearby 7-11.

The reason I like this type of setup is it is quick, dirt simple and VERY easy to change settings, see the settings, twist knobs etc., and the whole thing stuffs into a computer shoulder bag with padded sides and strap.

The stompbox I regretted selling most was a TC Electronic Stereo Chourus/Flanger, but they are very expensive to buy these days unless you come across a "pawn shop" discovery. Best wishes and let's hear some more "stompbox stories"

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Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical

Walter Bowden · From: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

I meant to say Dunlop instead of MXRjavascript:emoticon(' Embarassed

')
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Emmons S10, p/p, Nashville 112, Zion 50 tele style guitar, Gibson LP Classic w/Vox AC30, Fender Deluxe De Ville and a Rawdon-Hall classical

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

Favorite new pedals (new for me, that is)

Behringer UV-300 for $25: I love the sound that Lonnie Mack gets with his Magnatone amps on his old recordings but was wondering what he was using in his big tours for Alligator Records in the 80's. The Boss VM-2 vibrato pedal, discontinued decades ago. It just so happens that Behringer copied the design and is essentially the same except for a lower quality op amp somewhere in the circuit.

I've always tried to get the Lonnie Mack sound using rotating speaker pedals but they only have a subtle doppler effect pitch shift. The Behringer UV-300 nails it perfectly. (Some of the Boss multi-processors have a vibrato module but I never tried to set them for a Lonnie Mack tone.) Amazon sells these for $25 with free shipping as I recall.

Nobels ODR-S Overdrive Special for $59: I got the used one in the black metal case- the one in a green metal case was going for $149. While the highly-rated ODR-1's were used by pickers like Brent Mason in Nashville I'm very happy with the ODR-S (which has a 3-knob TMB eq section instead of a single tone control.)

To my ears it has a very natural warm sound to it. It doesn't necessarily sound like a tube amp but I can see how Brent Mason might have liked it before Wampler designed the Hot Wired pedal for him.

Steve Ahola
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www.blueguitar.org

Recordings on electric guitar:
http://www.box.net/blue-diamonds
http://www.box.net/the-culprits

Bud Angelotti · From: Larryville, NJ, USA

My favorite was an old tape loop Echoplex. Long gone.
That thing was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
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Just 'cause I look stupid, don't mean I'm not.

Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

Boss VF-1 in my racks and Zoom MS50G when not using the racks. Both work great, hard to beat Boss. That being said it is always good to start with my PP's and Walker systems.

Larry Behm
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Stereo Steel amp, Telonics 15” speaker.

Phone: 971-219-8533

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Strymon 'Blue Sky' reverb and Strymon 'Brigadier' delay unit, pure analog heaven. In a class by themselves IMHO.

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

As I like to use the Boss 3 pedal case I found the TC Hall of Fame and Flashback delay fit nicely. I use various Boss distortion boxes and fit the power supply to power all three pedals in the case.

I have a bunch of the Boss three pedal cases with various setups. Close the cover on the case and the knobs never move.

My 2 cents.....

Jim Cooley · From: The 'Ville, Texas, USA

I'm not a big effects user, mostly just reverb and delay. I love my Benado PF-1 Steel Dream. The analog reverb and delay are lush. I don't use the overdrive much, but it's right there if I need it. The unit is very well built and Sage Benado's customer support is outstanding. The retail price seems expensive, but when you consider the cost of some other effects pedals, it is comparable, even less expensive in some cases considering that it has reverb, delay, and overdrive in the same unit. I like Brad Sarno's Black Box or Freeloader between the guitar and volume pedal if I'm using a solid state amp.

David Cubbedge · From: Toledo,Ohio, USA

I dumped my toe bombs into a box ten years ago when I obtained my Line 6 Pod XT. Compression and delay are what I use most the time, but a little flanger gives me a nice train whistle in the distance effect. Otherwise I don't like most modulation effects on steel, especially Leslie cabinets.
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Red Emmons D10 fatback #2246D with sweet Hugh Briley split cases, Black Emmons S10 #1466S, '73 Fender "Snakeskin" Twin Reverb, Peavey Nashville 400, Line 6 Pod XT, Fender 400, Fender Stringmaster Double-8, too many guitars, one bass!

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