Are players getting away from rack effects?

[Ron Shalita]

Seems like amps and guitars come and go like the wind.. looks like the popular thing is tube amps, I have always loved tube amps.. this is what I use for effects , my pedal board fits under the steel I just plug 4 wires in for PSG and Guitar and I’m ready to go ..

[Paddy Long]

Well I've always used my Telonics rack for the bigger shows and stages - just doesn't make logistical sense to try cramming all that into a smaller stage, but I love the big lush sound from running a stereo rack :-}

I use my Telonics TCA500 amp for everything else pretty much... and a Benado Steel Dream and Sarno Earth Drive for effects! I do also have a Lexicon MX300 in the TCA500.

[Jerry Overstreet]

I can't quit 'em. And still old school heavy transformer amps from the 90s...content to be stuck there while everybody else seems to be heading for the new DSP stuff.

I used my GP100 at the jams today. I have several programs set up for steel and guitar. I use the Blackface preamp for steel stuff. I run it through a big MosValve power amp in a stereo configuration. I use the seat mounted SE70 for my rotary patches and synth horns etc.

I used it today with satellite cabs loaded with the Weber Neomag 15s that came to me from Lenny.[Thanks man] [One of them in the rear of this photo in the Tube Works cab]


It sounded just great.

This one was previously owned by Wayne Dahl and had some presets already set up. I modded and tweaked them for my use.

[Larry Allen]

I got rid of my pedal board and rack years ago…this Alexis Midiverb 4 controlled by a Telonics Handy Patch MIDI transmitter..has got great patches..

[Edward Dixon]

I have to deal with 9 pedals 8 levers and a volume pedal. I have no room for anything else under my G2 so I got this sittin at my right hand

[Steve Spitz]

A lot of gigs here in New Orleans are bar rooms. There isn’t room for a larger footprint. That’s kept me a throw and go player, so, I prefer a combo amp, and I’m not adding one more item to the load in/out.

Of course, it would be nice to have all your knobs at your side…

[Tim Harr]

I’m using a few pedals on a board again. It’s a light setup and travels easy!

[Paul Wade]

I still have mine alsis midi verb 3
But haven't used in a couple of years
Might bring in out one of these days

P.w

[Karl Paulsen]

Newer player here.
A rack was never an option for me. I need to be able to switch effects during a song and want to be able to quickly tweak parameters on the fly. This is what I came up with.

Sits at steel height right next to my right hand. Foot switch caps let me quickly slap pedals in and of during a song with minimal discomfort. The stand is another piece of gear to schlep but the board fits into a lightweight case with a shoulder strap and it's all very light.

I've no doubt there are some fantastic racks that could sound better, but for a setup that serves home, rehearsal, and the occasional gig, this pretty well nails it.

[Susan Alcorn]

I used racks for many years, sometimes more than one rack (to reduce the weight) with high end preamp, a PCM 70, etc., but eventually I just got tired of lugging all that around and putting it all together/tearing it apart for each gig. Also, most of my playing these days requires a plane ticket, so I have had to minimize.

These days I have a small pedal board and three pedals: a Maxon A-9 delay, a Caitlinbread Talisman reverb (dealed right, it sounds pretty close to a Lexicon to my ears) and an Xotic clean boost/eq for the backline amp (usually a Fender Twin).

The board fits into my suitcase. Granted, a Caitlinbread is not a high-end Lexicon (though better than most of the MPX series), and an Xotic is not an Avalon, but for gigs (I usually play solo, so the sound quality is much more noticeable than when playing with an ensemble) anything more, to my ears, tends to be overkill, so I leave the high end rack units at home for recording, and also (hopefully) enjoy the sound on stage.

[Steve Pawlak]