"Pedal Board Friendly" pedals kinda suck

[VonBonfire]

It's code for tiny enclosure with lettering you can't see on a dark stage and tiny knobs that are fiddly and too small for easy, quick live adjustments between songs. It's like they keep making stuff smaller and smaller. Rockett, for example, has a smaller newer case than the old pro series. They knock out the 9v battery option, save money on the build and probably the enclosure itself, and then charge more for the newer units. Seems like a rip off. I refuse to consider those small pedals anymore. I guess every home guitarist needs to wedge two dozen pedals on their board now but I never see guys actually gigging that much stuff very often. Some of the boxes out there now have so much junk shoved into such a small box the switch is close enough to the knobs that they will all get stomped down by my big ol' boot.

Is there anyone else here who likes a larger pedal layout?

 

[Smash]

It's code for tiny enclosure with lettering you can't see on a dark stage and tiny knobs that are fiddly and too small for easy, quick live adjustments between songs. It's like they keep making stuff smaller and smaller. Rockett, for example, has a smaller newer case than the old pro series. They knock out the 9v battery option, save money on the build and probably the enclosure itself, and then charge more for the newer units. Seems like a rip off. I refuse to consider those small pedals anymore. I guess every home guitarist needs to wedge two dozen pedals on their board now but I never see guys actually gigging that much stuff very often. Some of the boxes out there now have so much junk shoved into such a small box the switch is close enough to the knobs that they will all get stomped down by my big ol' boot.

Is there anyone else here who likes a larger pedal layout?

I am ok with small pedal if it doesnt compromise on anything. But if it has to be bigger to make it function properly, i will never go for small.

In other words of they have the same offering big, i get big, because there must be a reason they make a big one also. I buy the pedals for the features, not the size

 

[Smash]

I think another thing. You talk about gigging guitarists needing big pedals you can see and adjust. And the bedroom guitarists wanting small ones. That makes me laugh my ass off.

When people post their pedalboards sometimes, i think they must hate their amp.

I go between 0 and four pedals mostly. It is usually closer to zero

 

[VonBonfire]

I think another thing. You talk about gigging guitarists needing big pedals you can see and adjust. And the bedroom guitarists wanting small ones. That makes me laugh my ass off.

I dunno if other gigging guitarists want the bigger knobs or not so I'm asking. I only use one drive pedal and that's pretty much it so looking for those good features and tone plus ease of use. I don't see many guys gigging more than five or six pedals here. Quite a few people are only using two or three, and some aren't using any pedals.

In other words of they have the same offering big, i get big, because there must be a reason they make a big one also. I buy the pedals for the features, not the size

Same, but my past favorite pedal maker is making them too small, plus they are trying to get one over on me by selling me less for more $$$. I reject that kind of business model. Just charge me more for the classics that made your company famous if you gotta. Any good tube combo has room for a large OD to get stowed in the back. On a gigging 3-5 pedal board I don't think everything has to be miniaturized, it's already pretty portable. I'm hoping some of the trend reverses. Apparently not this morning it isn't, lol.

 

[DanTravis62]

I dunno if other gigging guitarists want the bigger knobs or not so I'm asking. I only use one drive pedal and that's pretty much it so looking for those good features and tone plus ease of use. I don't see many guys gigging more than five or six pedals here. Quite a few people are only using two or three, and some aren't using any pedals.

Same, but my past favorite pedal maker is making them too small, plus they are trying to get one over on me by selling me less for more $$$. I reject that kind of business model. Just charge me more for the classics that made your company famous if you gotta. Any good tube combo has room for a large OD to get stowed in the back. On a gigging 3-5 pedal board I don't think everything has to be miniaturized, it's already pretty portable. I'm hoping some of the trend reverses. Apparently not this morning it isn't, lol.

It depends, once in a while you'll see a gigging guitarist with a shit-ton of pedals, but it's normal a gay indie band

For like, actual rock and roll? I have what's considered "a lot" of pedals on my board - it's generally 4-5, and the only mini I used forever was a mooer electric mistress copy that I shitcanned for the real deal for exactly this reason.... I can't fucking see the knobs on a dark stage, can't adjust shit

And I 1000% agree about tiny grab-n-go pedals with my tiny grab-n-go amp being a common bedroom guitarist thing - especially in the facebook guitar groups

Gotta have 549 mini pedals for six hundred thousand sounds you'll never fucking use because you spend more time haggling for gear than you do playing guitar lmfao

 

[n4p226r]

I think another thing. You talk about gigging guitarists needing big pedals you can see and adjust. And the bedroom guitarists wanting small ones. That makes me laugh my ass off.

When people post their pedalboards sometimes, i think they must hate their amp.

I go between 0 and four pedals mostly. It is usually closer to zero

I have like a box of 20 pedals. 99.999999% of the time, I plug straight into the amp.

 

[Smash]

I went to a death metal concert and i swear i saw one guy step on a footswitch, and it was to change the channel or something on his kemper

 

[griff10672]

it might be time for a Snickers .....

 

[TheGreatGreen]

Hah I thought pedal board friendly pedals just meant the jacks are on top.

 

[DanTravis62]

it might be time for a Snickers .....

Honestly I get why he's irritated with it

Sometimes it feels like there are multiple completely separate gear "markets" with completely different and opposite needs

and people who play live like VBF and I are at the bottom of the list as far as companies are concerned, because all the money is in catering to people in loafers and tan pants who can barely play smoke on the water in their madison square mancave with 40 booteek amps and 3400 mini pedals on one board

Which, i get it, gotta make money - but it doesn't make it any less annoying for those of us in the trenches still

 

[VonBonfire]

It depends, once in a while you'll see a gigging guitarist with a shit-ton of pedals, but it's normal a gay indie band

For like, actual rock and roll? I have what's considered "a lot" of pedals on my board - it's generally 4-5, and the only mini I used forever was a mooer electric mistress copy that I shitcanned for the real deal for exactly this reason.... I can't fucking see the knobs on a dark stage, can't adjust shit

If you think of it from an entertainment perspective then simplicity and a good easy to read and adjust layout, let's me entertain more and fiddle less. That's money in the bank. Every jumper between pedals is a point of potential failure. That's a hair pulling moment when there is an issue with signal right before a show for a gay indie band, lol

I have like a box of 20 pedals. 99.999999% of the time, I plug straight into the amp.

Pedals are like musicians. Gig them enough and you find the ones that are worth keeping around for paying work.

it might be time for a Snickers .....

The candy bar analogy is great. Old school king size snickers for me. The new normal snickers bar is barely bigger than the old school fun size, ever noticed that? Same with the little fruit pies. And you gotta buy king size honey buns just to get the same sized honey bun of yore. I should write a letter to J Rockett telling them don't fun size my pedals bro, lol

 

[tallcoolone]

Honestly I get why he's irritated with it

Sometimes it feels like there are multiple completely separate gear "markets" with completely different and opposite needs

and people who play live like VBF and I are at the bottom of the list as far as companies are concerned, because all the money is in catering to people in loafers and tan pants who can barely play smoke on the water in their madison square mancave with 40 booteek amps and 3400 mini pedals on one board

Which, i get it, gotta make money - but it doesn't make it any less annoying for those of us in the trenches still

To be fair, the trenches have become incredibly narrow—not many places out there paying much more than $5-600+ bar tab. I have no idea how anyone can make $ playing guitar anymore unless you take the ‘influencer’ route. But yeah you speak the truth. Love the ‘gay indie band’ comment

 

[griff10672]

working on the VonBonfire Signature Deluxe drive as we speak .... 2 channel " dumbel-esque " drive ...

going to be in a big ass 1590XX enclosure ... with big 24 mm RCA style knobs ... and toggle switches .... jewel light bezels for both channels ...

the only internal functions will be for the microwave and air fryer .... man gots to have his french fried taters playin them blues ...

 

[DanTravis62]

If you think of it from an entertainment perspective then simplicity and a good easy to read and adjust layout, let's me entertain more and fiddle less. Every jumper between pedals is a point of potential failure. That's a hair pulling moment when there is an issue with signal right before a show for a gay indie band, lol

It's always a cost/benefit analysis

The benefits of having a boost, delay and wah for leads, a tuner/volume pedal for stage noise and swells, and a wobbler for texture are as much as I can justify - part of that is I fabricate my own aluminum and steel pedalboards that are brick shithouses and do my own cables though, so I don't have any problems with my board

But it's worth it to make the band sound better, generally speaking - if it wasn't I wouldn't go through the trouble. I didnt go through the trouble for many years because I didn't care, but i've been converted. A small board can give you an entire palette of easy options with minimal tapdancing

To be fair, the trenches have become incredibly narrow—not many places out there paying much more than $5-600+ bar tab. I have no idea how anyone can make $ playing guitar anymore unless you take the ‘influencer’ route. But yeah you speak the truth. Love the ‘gay indie band’ comment

Yeah, I know, but I still buy gear to play live, whether I make money at it or not

And you know damn well you've played with a band like that

Like the Soyface low T indie offset shitter guitar player with "stomp stomp clap" music

They always plug their J Mascis Squier jazzmaster into 6 foot by 3 foot pedalboard with 430 EQD, Chase Bliss and Caroline pedals ...plugged into a fucking boss katana, so it's all kind of pointless

 

[VonBonfire]

Hah I thought pedal board friendly pedals just meant the jacks are on top.

"It takes up less real estate" is stuff I always hear. Somebody tell the TGP brotherhood I'm playing guitar not selling property. If I have so many pedals wedged on there that I need jacks on top then I think I'm doing it wrong.

To be fair, the trenches have become incredibly narrow—not many places out there paying much more than $5-600+ bar tab. I have no idea how anyone can make $ playing guitar anymore unless you take the ‘influencer’ route. But yeah you speak the truth. Love the ‘gay indie band’ comment

It's not about getting rich, it's about making the money that greases the wheels to continue doing what you love. Plenty of guys get by here gigging bands, doing solo, session, and sub work plus teaching lessons or working a part time job on the side. A lot of them do sound reinforcement on the side. A $200 per man gig is one more day I don't need to slave at a shitty day job. Plus all my gear purchases become a tax write off since it's a business. Win-win.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

"It takes up less real estate" is stuff I always hear. Somebody tell the TGP brotherhood I'm playing guitar not selling property. If I have so many pedals wedged on there that I need jacks on top then I think I'm doing it wrong.


It's not about getting rich, it's about making the money that greases the wheels to continue doing what you love. Plenty of guys get by here gigging bands, doing solo, session, and sub work plus teaching lessons or working a part time job on the side. A lot of them do sound reinforcement on the side. A $200 per man gig is one more day I don't need to slave at a shitty day job. Plus all my gear purchases become a tax write off since it's a business. Win-win.

Gah, you don't get it man.

How else are you going to use the One True Gear Page Guitar Rig, a 5 watt, 1x10 combo amp and 4.8 lb guitar (wouldn't want to have to use the old backerooski heaven forbid) with a pedalboard the size of an interior door stuffed to the brim with dozens of Marshall-in-a-box pedals, if they're not all pedalboard friendly?

Surprised you haven't thought this through.

 

[VonBonfire]

going to be in a big ass 1590XX enclosure ... with big 24 mm RCA style knobs ... and toggle switches .... jewel light bezels for both channels ...

I'm trying to contain my excitement for this right now. I wonder if whtie RCA's would be easier to see on the stage? Maybe so. Also, that cursive script you used on the black Mansfield box was beautiful.

The benefits of having a boost, delay and wah for leads, a tuner/volume pedal for stage noise and swells, and a wobbler for texture are as much as I can justify - part of that is I fabricate my own aluminum and steel pedalboards that are brick shithouses and do my own cables though, so I don't have any problems with my board

I'm not anti pedal board, I just like straightforward stuff. I used to have wah, fuzz, TS, octafuzz, univibe plus the foot control, that was five or six pedals right there. The more gigs I did the more I paired it down to the bare essentials for what I needed not wanted. I prefer to get a couple nice tones and forego the extras since it's all blues. I've thought about maybe adding a delay one day but even so everything is gonna remain straightforward for my gigging convenience. Ease of use, adjustability, and tone are basically my qualifiers.

 

[VonBonfire]

Gah, you don't get it man.

How else are you going to use the One True Gear Page Guitar Rig, a 5 watt, 1x10 combo amp and 4.8 lb guitar (wouldn't want to have to use the old backerooski heaven forbid) with a pedalboard the size of an interior door stuffed to the brim with dozens of Marshall-in-a-box pedals, if they're not all pedalboard friendly?

Surprised you haven't thought this through.

TGP hell post^

Question: "What pedals do you have on your board bro?"

Answer: "yes"

 

[DanTravis62]

I'm not anti pedal board, I just like straightforward stuff. I used to have wah, fuzz, TS, octafuzz, univibe plus the foot control, that was five or six pedals right there. The more gigs I did the more I paired it down to the bare essentials for what I needed not wanted. I prefer to get a couple nice tones and forego the extras since it's all blues. I've thought about maybe adding a delay one day but even so everything is gonna remain straightforward for my gigging convenience. Ease of use, adjustability, and tone are basically my qualifiers.

It's odd, out of everything that's on my main gigging board, half of it is just "always on" stuff anyways - the only things I step on are the delay, wah, and electric mistress

Gah, you don't get it man.

How else are you going to use the One True Gear Page Guitar Rig, a 5 watt, 1x10 combo amp and 4.8 lb guitar (wouldn't want to have to use the old backerooski heaven forbid) with a pedalboard the size of an interior door stuffed to the brim with dozens of Marshall-in-a-box pedals, if they're not all pedalboard friendly?

Surprised you haven't thought this through.

Dude the scary part is you're exaggerating.... but I've met these people before

I sold my silverface bassman to a dude who asked if he could bring his board over and try the amp with so i was like yeah what the hell

He literally had a 30 inch by 4 foot pedalboard with 6 Chase Bliss (including the weird synth pedals), 8 Caroline one off fuzzes, the strymon big sky timeline combo, and 8 DIFFERENT MIAB PEDALS

Then he played hot cross buns (i'm deadly serious) and asked ME to play HIS board through the amp

 

[VonBonfire]

He literally had a 30 inch by 4 foot pedalboard with 6 Chase Bliss (including the weird synth pedals), 8 Caroline one off fuzzes, the strymon big sky timeline combo, and 8 DIFFERENT MIAB PEDALS

"I can't get MY sound without them"

LOL

Then he played hot cross buns (i'm deadly serious) and asked ME to play HIS board through the amp

I bet the tone on that Fillmore east version of hot crossed buns was "to die for" as they say at TGP tho. Or maybe just enough pedals to retire on once you decide that learning guitar is too much work and sell your stuff.