Anyone else feel this way?

Dogman3

When it comes to pedals, I try to use the least amount of pedals as possible. I currently only use four (Tubescreamer, Big Muff Pi, Rotovibe, Crybaby Wah) and looking for a Boss DM-2 or DM-3 as a fifth pedal. It seems, I dunno...unnecessary to carry so many pedals. Different strokes for different folks, but I'd like to be associated with a specific "sound", and I'm thinking that too many pedals might not work. I think the most anyone needs is perhaps, 7, in my opinion. But hey, if alot works for you, go for it!

Any thoughts on this?

Novawind

Scroll through this thread and you'll see it all (I think you might have to register?):

http://thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=77919

Pedalboards with 1, 2, 3, all the way to 20+. It really depends on what kind and how many sounds you want to make. If 5 works for you, great. I have 9, one of which (phaser) isn't being used.

Dogman3

10 in honestly alright. I think thats as far as I'd go. I'm talking about those who have 20+. It seems a bit much, but thats just IMO.

ianvomsaal

I personally have a ton of effects pedals, though I generally only use 3 or 4 at any one time.
I currently have 17 pedals on my board (I had 23 at one time) - I always need completely different sounds.
For instance, having only 1 or 2 OD's can really limit your sound and can make many songs sound way to similar.
That’s why so many people use a combination of many different amps - they all sound different (look at McCready).
You can get rid of most pedals by going rackmount (I've done that as well), but I want them at my feet when I gig.

- Ian

exhausted

if i was playing out, my pedalboard would be much smaller than it is. it's big because i only really play/record at home and like access to many flavours easily. half the time my board is in pieces anyway.

keeponrockin

My pedalboard is 6 pedals (soon to be 7) but is simple and straightforward. The pedals aren't my sound, but they add to it. The icing on the cake if you will.

DiRtyFranK38

pedals are like crayons. it all depends on how many colors you want. i have around 12 give or take. and i tend to switch things around alot.

Anon

I don't want to sound like Morrello so i mostly stick to a simpler set up with 6-7 pedals. I've learnt along the way to buy good stuff to start out and stick with it. Don't buy a crappy pedal first, then a better one later because you just end up wasting money that could be used to buy something else.

PearlJamaholic

i have 5 and i dont even use them all. wah, overdrive, distortion, phaserwhich i dont use i need to get a chours pedal instead, and a delay which i also dont use. it has two outputs that why i have it hooked up. so if i get one of those stereo switch box things id probably ditch delay but i kinda want the holy grail reverb or an analog delay pedal. plus id like to have that distortion pedal that i need to make.

i have 5 hooked up use 3 and if/when i get all i want ill have 7.

xtremehardy388

I have almost 20 on mine but all serve a purpose. I have a set sound but some pedals are used as boosters. I have about 7 Total Overdrive/Distortion pedals but all sound VERY different and are set a certain way. I posted a link to the latest picture of my pedal board in the "Powering my pedals" section(I think it was in response to Paco's post). Anyway, Each pedal has a purpose and it's always nice to have different effects when jamming with different bands(especially if styles differ band to band). I just started a new one and we're learning all the stuff I wrote so the effects provide a little bit of filler. I also do work for a hip hop and R&B group and instead of building different boards, I just carry everything, just in case. Again, it's all about the style. I'm sure you're going to have a ton of effects if you play Incubus and Mars Volta as opposed to Green Day and The Ramones.

lucylespian

Hah, I'm the real oddball here. I really only have 3, Replex (OK, that has delay and reverb), Rotosphere and wah. Tuner does not count as a pedal to me cos no effect on teh sound, other than to make it in tune.

But I do have 5 amps, so my main tonal colour always come from them. I hardly use the pedals I have, though I have been playing a bit of Floyd lately, so teh Rotosphere has been seeing some action. I do use wah a bit, but my technique is terrible and I don't really like the tone of the one I have. USA next Friday, so wah probe, here we come !!

Seriously, I don't really look to tone to get a song right, I get in the ballpark, then focus on phrasing and technique. I use tone to amuse myself, and to make me work.
If I was gigging, things might be completely different, I dunno.

Novawind

The appeal of pedals is if you get the right ones you can approximate having different amp sounds for a fraction of the price. There are tons of Vox-in-a-Box, Marshall-in-a-Box, Mesa etc that all get you different overdrive/distortion sounds. This is really nice for people who either don't have the space or money for a full extra few amps. I'm glad that setup works out for you, I'd love to be able to run a Mesa, a Fender, and a Marshall all in the same room.

mccreadyisgod

There are a lot of players out there who feel that a tuner pedal is one too many between a guitar and amp. Most players out there find a couple or three pedals that do what they want. Some of us grow to 5-10 pedals to give ourselves LOTS of options. I used to gig all the time with 2 pedals, a wah and OD. With another band, I played bass half the time, and shared a guitar rig with someone else (who would then play bass), and I just played direct.

I currently have 9 pedals plus a tuner on my board, and another 3 pedals kicking around the house. With the way I approach the instrument, I'd let someone take one of those pedals away (the wah) without too much fuss. The rest stay.

One last word, and an interesting twist... Tom Morello, for the longest time (and I'm pretty sure he currently) had only 4 or five pedals. Guitar Geek lists his rig as Crybaby Wah, Digitech Whammy, Boss DD-2, DOD EQ, and Ibanez Flanger, plus the footswitch for his amp channels. It just goes to show that, given smaller number of pedals but the right way to use them, your guitar sound can be as crazy as you want. A phaser and delay can give you all the fun you could possibly want. So can a Wah and flanger. So can an envelope filter and a reverb. For me, those two effects are phaser and tremolo.

xtremehardy388

mccreadyisgod wrote:

There are a lot of players out there who feel that a tuner pedal is one too many between a guitar and amp. Most players out there find a couple or three pedals that do what they want. Some of us grow to 5-10 pedals to give ourselves LOTS of options. I used to gig all the time with 2 pedals, a wah and OD. With another band, I played bass half the time, and shared a guitar rig with someone else (who would then play bass), and I just played direct.

I currently have 9 pedals plus a tuner on my board, and another 3 pedals kicking around the house. With the way I approach the instrument, I'd let someone take one of those pedals away (the wah) without too much fuss. The rest stay.

One last word, and an interesting twist... Tom Morello, for the longest time (and I'm pretty sure he currently) had only 4 or five pedals. Guitar Geek lists his rig as Crybaby Wah, Digitech Whammy, Boss DD-2, DOD EQ, and Ibanez Flanger, plus the footswitch for his amp channels. It just goes to show that, given smaller number of pedals but the right way to use them, your guitar sound can be as crazy as you want. A phaser and delay can give you all the fun you could possibly want. So can a Wah and flanger. So can an envelope filter and a reverb. For me, those two effects are phaser and tremolo.

I just looked at a video of "Bulls On Parade" on Youtube and guitargeek is correct. I was surprised at some of the other rigs *cough cough Eric Johnson*

Pauk

I agree. At the start I have to admit if someone said a pedal was good I'd get it for the hell of it. But as time's gone on I don't really care for pedals. I never use the Flanger I bought because well, it's pretty pointless. Of all the pedals I could think of using I could limit myself to distortion, tremelo, delay and wah. For my creative purposes I can't find much use for modulation pedals. Okay, delay and trems are overused but it's the only effects I can fathom using (Pretty WALL OF SOUND!). I'm sure someone with creativity can make use for flange and chorus, but it ain't for me.

Novawind

It really is different strokes for different folks. Things like chorus and flange are best used tastefully, see Pink Floyd or the Foo Fighters as an example. I switch on my chorus when I want a little edge on my clean sound, or I can move up the rate and down on the intensity for a nice vibrato sound.