This admittedly esoteric post is showcase of my favorite new toys. A Keeley mod Blues Driver (note the bitchin blue LED((power light in the middle)) to make it stand out from the standard red) is featured to the right. This pedal gives the sweet overdriven tube amp sound. Nice and clean if played lightly, biting and distorted if you crank on the strings. The Keeley mod itself just replaces strandard Boss pedal componants with higher quality ones. Changes to the standard pedal include a boosted mid-range signal and the 'phat mod' toggle switch. Flip it up for normal pedal operation, down for 'phat' mode. This boosts your lower frequencies (ie: Low E and A strings) for a more even sound. This really opens things up. No longer is one limited to soloing/riffing on the higher strings.
Next up is the pedal that knocked out my Distorion pedal in the contest for pedalboard space. The TS-808 reissue TubeScreamer is one of best pedals used in blues and modern rock as an overdrive effect. This means that regardless of what other effects you've got going on, kicking on this guy 'overdrives' the signal, pushing it up and over the rest of the wall of sound. Great for soloing over already distorted or loud music. This pedal is essentially a volume boost, as the level (right) knob controls just how much boost you're getting while the overdrive (left) knob controls how distorted or crunchy your sound is. This pedal was made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn among others. Listen to and SRV & Double Trouble recording to hear it featured. This is used in combination with the BluesDriver above for a sweet (and very loud) Hendrix-y sound.
Here is the complete board thus far. My baby. The chain of effects, for my own enjoyment:Guitar--> A/B switcher (blue)--> Tuner (below)--> Volume/Swell--> Wah-Wah--> Keeley mod BluesDriver (blue) --> TS808 Tubescreamer (green)--> Phaser--> Delay-->Loop Station --> DI box--> Amplifier.
Again, the DI box, Delay, and tap tempo on top are for a Vocal Mic. I recently completed my first pedal build, which will be added shortly. It is another Phaser, slightly less transparent than the Boss Phaser, to be used seperately or for an Incubus-like dual phase effect. More to come...
7 comments:
It looks great!! I think we need a concert night. You can use the set list you were going to use at Mars or perhaps mix it up to include songs that show off your new pedals!
Are you sure you shouldn't have been a electrician?
an electrician
i've suggested to caboose that he designate/set up a performance night. choose one night a week to bring all the hardware out into the big room and then play songs. all the way through, start to finish. it would be a good practice for a gig or open mic night. plus it might be nice to hear how the stuff sounds in a bigger space.
Great idea --taping yourself too to see that you really do a nice job. I have the recorder if anyone wondered
I love you you all talk like I'm not around on my own blog. Mildly humorous. I'll try jakes idea. Still planning on an open mic early on in January at Java Joes.
Go for it !!
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