GALLERY: Pro Pedalboards 2012
Neon Tree's Chris Allen
"Allen uses a Cusack Pedal Board Tamer to keep his tonal path as streamlined as possible. He's arranged his effects switches song-specifically in order to minimize the tap dancing he was doing from song to song. He names his Ibanez TS808HW Hand-Wired Tube Screamer overdrive as a must-have, and his Malekko Trem and Vibrato and Z.Vex Fuzz Factory are also favorites. He's also using: Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus, Electro-Harmonix Nano Holy Grail, MXR Power Amp, Keeley Compressor, Fulltone GT-500 Boost/Distortion, Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo, A/B amp switch to control his Laneys and Roland JC-120, HardWire CR-7 Stereo Chorus, and a TC Electronic poly-chromatic tuner."
Dave Kilminster (The Wall Live Tour)
Dave uses an Eventide TimeFactor, Boss CE-2 Chorus Ensemble, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Suhr Riot distortion, Wah, Ernie Ball VP JR, and Boss TU-2 Tuner, as well as a Boss PSM-5 power supply and master switch pedal, which is used to control the rackmounted delays. "
Aerosmith's Brad Whitford
Whitford's pedalboard is set up with a trio of Voodoo Lab pedal switchers with four loops each, which feed the Pedal Commander with preset pedal combinations. On the board is a Boss TU-2 Tuner, Framptone amp selector (though all three amps are always on), Mojo Hand Rook (which recently replaced Whitford's Klon Centaur on his board), Pigtronix Philosopher's Rock (used as a sustainer), Pigtronix Fat Boost, Xotic EP Booster, BK Butler Tube Driver (new issue), Eventide TimeFactor, Fulltone wah, Pigtronix Disnortion (one of Whitford's go-to effects he calls ""Hendrix in a box""), TC Electronic VPD1 Vintage Pre-Drive, two TC Electronic Flashback delays (set similarly while he experiments with different sounds), TC Electronic Vortex flanger, TC Electronic Corona Chorus, TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverb, and Fulltone Supa-Trem. The Fender combos on each side are used as monitors. "
Incubus' Mike Einziger
Mike's enormous pedalboard, which he actively tweaks during the show, has an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, Danelectro Reel Echo (his favorite pedal), a Dunlop Cry Baby, a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere, two Boss PH-2 Super Phasers (one set traditional phaser, the other more extreme, almost flanger-like), a DOD Gonkulator Ring Mod, Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay (which he considers his most important pedal), DOD Envelope Filter, Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, Electro-Harmonix Nano Holy Grail Reverb, DigiTech Stereo Chorus, MXR EVH Phase 90, DigiTech Tone Driver, Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, and Boss OC-2 Octave. The massive board is powered by Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus units. "
Neon Trees' Branden Campbell
Campbell's pedalboard is extensive for a bassist board. He says his Aguilar Tone Hammer is his bread and butter, but heÑ?s also proud of his homemade channel switcher for his one-of-a-kind white Fender Bassman amp rig (bottom right). Starting from the top left, CampbellÑ?s pedals include: a PowerTrain 1250, JHS Bass Utility, Tech 21 VT Bass pedal, Aguilar Tone Hammer, Peterson StroboStomp tuner, EBS DPhaser, EBS UniChorus, Electro-Harmonix Nano Holy Grail, JHS Pandamonium 4 Wheeler Fuzz, TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay, Z.Vex Woolly Mammoth Bass Fuzz Pedal, Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi, JHS Low Drive, Electro-Harmonix Bass Microsynth, EBS Octabass, homemade amp switch."
Wolfgang Van Halen
"Top: Wolf's effect rack is simpler and yet perhaps a tad more adventurous than dad's. It houses a Furman PL-Plus power conditioner/light module, a Whirlwind Multi Selector for quick changes between wireless packs on different basses, two Shure UR4D wireless receivers and a Shure antenna unit, a half-rack amp-selector built by RJM Music, and a pedal drawer housing an EVH/MXR Phase 90, an MXR Fullbore Metal, an Electro-Harmonix Micro POG, a Way Huge Pork Loin, an EVH/MXR Flanger, a Strymon TimeLine, and a G-Lab PB-1 power supply. Out of view at the bottom of the rack is an RJM Effect Gizmo Audio Loop Switcher. Bottom: His pedalboard features a Rack Systems signal router (top left), a G-Lab PB-1 power supply (middle), a Whirlwind A/B box (top right), an RJM MasterMind MIDI footcontroller (bottom middle), and a Dunlop Cry Baby Bass wah.
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea
Flea doesn't use many effects, relying on these four for all of the tones he needs. Left-to-right he uses a Malekko Bassmaster for fuzz and distortion, MXR Micro Amp used as clean boost for slapping and leads, Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron used for ""Sir Psycho Sexy,"" and a Moog Mooferfooger 12-Stage Phaser used just for fun. The board is powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus."
Bush's Chris Traynor
Traynor uses an Axe-FX (not pictured, in rack) with a Voodoo Lab Ground Control (the same one he's used on tour for 10 years). He also uses a Boss TU-2, a Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby, and an Ernie Ball VP JR Volume Pedal. "
Incubus' Ben Kenney
Ben's pedalboard has an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Fulltone Bass-Drive, Boss OC-2 Octave, Ibanez CS-9 Chorus, and either an Emma TrasMORGrifier (pictured) or Aguilar TLC compressor, and a Boss TU-3 tuner. He keeps the compressor on most of the time and brings in the other effects as needed."
Nickelback's Chad Kroeger
Chad Kroeger uses a Boss BF-2 Flanger, Boss GE-7 Equalizer, Dunlop Crybaby Wah, Boss CH-1 Super Chorus, and a Boss TR-2 Tremolo."
Red Hot Chili Peppers' Josh Klinghoffer (1 of 2)
Josh changes his pedalboard setup constantly, but when we caught up with him, it'd been steady for a few shows. Certain pedals are on the board to capture the recognizable recorded tones, while others are used for fun as he feels in any given moment. Bottom: The signal comes into the center board, beginning with a Boss TU-2 tuner, into an Ibanez WH10, Keeley-modded Boss DS-1, Marshall Guv'nor, Pigtronix PolySaturator, Wilson Effects Fuzz, Boss Analog Delay, Boss DD-3 (clipped repeats), Boss DD-3 (glitching Radiohead-style), Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (short slapback), Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Tap Tempo (used with the expression pedal), Boss Vibrato (""Suck My Kiss""), Boss CE-2, and Boss CE-2 (modded for wider sweep). "
DragonForce's Herman Li
Herman uses a Source Audio wah with Hot Hand ring controller, DigiTech Harmony Man, Boss CH-1 Super Chorus, Boss OC-3 Super Octave, Boss ST-3 Power Stack, and Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator. On the floor, Herman also uses a DigiTech Whammy. In the rack he also has a rackmounted Dunlop Cry Baby wah."
Chickenfoot's Michael Anthony
Anthony uses a small selection of pedals: an MXR Stereo Chorus, MXR Flanger, and MXR Bass Octave Deluxe, powered by a DC Brick Multi Power Supply. He also uses a Boss TU-1000 tuner (not pictured)."
Creed's Mark Tremonti
For Creed gigs, Tremonti uses a Voodoo Lab Ground Control for amp switching and controlling the effects in his rack (an Ibanez TS808 Hand Wired Tube Screamer, T-Rex Mark Tremonti Phaser, and T-Rex Replica Delay), Dunlop Uni-Vibe, Morley Signature Wah, and EHX Micro Pog that was used mainly on last Alter Bridge tour but he kicks in for fun during Creed shows. The board is powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus. "
Aerosmith's Joe Perry
Perry uses a handful of pedals at the front of his stage (top), but most are in his rack controlled by the '90s Bradshaw switcher to the left of his board. The ""Talk"" button on his switcher disables all of the amps, leaving only the talk box functioning. At the top right is Perry's Siren pedal, built by Rob Lowry of Boston, Massachusetts. It functions as a police siren and is used with the Boss DD-7 set to long delays. He uses a Dunlop Jimmy Hendrix Cry Baby and an original DigiTech Whammy I. The Electro-Harmonix POG is modified by Rob to work with the Ernie Ball VP JR, which functions as a low-pass filter to roll the POG in and out. Bottom: In the rack drawer is a TC Electronic Vortex flanger set mildly for a bit of texture, a TC Electronic Flashback delay set for long delays, an MXR Carbon Copy delay, a TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverb, a Duesenberg Gold Boost set to about 15dB, an Option 5 Destination Bump Boost set to about 20 dB, and a Klon Centaur. Perry prefers boost effects to overdrive or distortion, but his Centaur is a core part of his tone that he's relied on for about 10 years. Tech Trace Foster says Perry uses the pedals differently every night, depending upon how they feel. He explains, ""He likes to be inspired. I have about 200 pedals out with me."""
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie's current pedalboard is rather straightforward. It's outfitted with the signature Dunlop/MXR/ EVH-brand pedals we've associated him with for years, including his Phase 90, Flanger, and EVH95 wah (right), as well as an MXR Analog Chorus and a Boss OC-3 Super Octave. Says tech Craig DeFalco, "The only onstage adjustment he will make to the pedals is to the Flanger to go from the "Unchained" setting to the "Outta Love" setting." It also features various custom devices made by Dave Friedman at Rack Systems, including a mute switch at lower right, and a buffer that acts as a boost to send a pristine signal along the long snake to the sound system. It also uses a G-Lab PB-1 power supply. The 4-button EVH non-MIDI footswitch in the middle of the board selects from among his main EVH 5150 III head's three channels, while the 6-button non-MIDI EVH footswitch at the front edge engages the pedals, as well as the Lexicon PCM 70 delay he uses for "Cathedral" and the dual Roland SDE-3000 delays (labeled "DDLS") that he's used since the 1980s.
Steve Vai
The majority of Vai's effects come from the Fractal Audio Axe-FX II, and most of his pedalboard is set up to control those. Vai says he has a select few pedals to use in conjunction, and he likes to experiment with new pedals all the time. The left side of his pedal setup has his ""fun"" pedals which are always changing. When we caught up with him, he was experimenting with a Red Witch Titan Delay, Red Witch Pentavocal Tremolo, Red Witch Medusa Chorus, DigiTech Whammy DT, and MXR Phase 90. He uses an expression pedal to control the Axe-FX II's whammy effect, as well as both a Morley Bad Horsie Wah and a Dunlop Cry Baby Wah. One standby pedal on Vai's pedalboard is his signature Ibanez Jemini distortion, which has two channels of distortion. On the right, Vai has his Fractal MFC-101 foot controller set up as a pedalboard, with five presets per bank, and uses an expression pedal for whammy and volume."
GE Smith (The Wall Live Tour)
Smith uses the Radial Tonebone JX-2 Pro as a clean boost, Boss CE-2 Chorus, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, Seymour Duncan Deja Vu delay, and Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Blue (set to Rhythm for lighter overdrive). He switches delays through the show depending upon the intensity needed. The Carbon Copy is used earlier on for its more organic, analog tone. He uses a Korg Pitchblack tuner for both guitar and bass, and like the other guitarists on the show, uses a Boss PSM-5 power supply and master switch to control the rackmounted TC Electronic delays for ""Another Brick in the Wall."""
Zac Brown
Zac's pedalboard features a Keeley Compressor, Boss tuner, two Port City Sahana boosts set for rhythm or lead overdrive, a new Strymon El Capistan, and two Boss GE-7 equalizers for acoustic. The EQ pedals are set flat and used as a 5-7 dB boost for hard picking parts."
Snowy White (The Wall Live Tour)
White uses an Ernie Ball VP JR, Boss BD-3 Blues Driver for most of his distortion, a Boss OD-3 Overdrive in conjunction with his Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer to dial in what they call ""Snowy's Note,"" a long-sustaining section of a solo that's tuned to the sweet spot based on the room each night, a Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble used as a chorus pedal to add thickness to solos, and a Line 6 M9 Stompbox Modeler used for echos and chorus. Also on the board is a Boss TU-2 Tuner and Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus power supply. Off to the side of the board is a Boss PSM-5 power supply and master switch pedal (like all players in the show have), which is used to control the rackmounted delays."
Joe Robinson
Robinson's pedalboard is loaded with an Eventide TimeFactor, Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, T-Rex Tremster, T-Rex Octavius, Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, Peterson StroboStomp2 tuner/DI , T-Rex Room-Mate, T-Rex Alberta, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Radial Tonebone, Jim Dunlop Cry Baby wah."
Primus Larry LaLonde
Ler uses a three-board setup to achieve Primus' off-the-wall tones. He says of his pedals, ""Everything's usually pretty much maxed out and drastic, it's not very subtle with the effects!"" Though he has a vast collection of pedals at home, these are the ones he takes on the road. Top: Maxon Phaser, Strymon Ola Chorus, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, Fulltone Ultimate Octave, Dunlop Uni-Vibe, and Dunlop MC404 Custom Audio Electronics Wah (customized by Dunlop to be half Slash wah, half Dimebag wah). Bottom: Empress Tremolo, second MXR Carbon Copy Delay (for solos and tweaking), TC Electronic Nova Repeater, Mu-Tron III+ reproduction, and EBS OctaBass. His third board (not pictured) has an Electro-Harmonix Ring Thing and a Radial Tonebone Bones Twin City ABY Switcher to go between his amps and his tuner. "
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
KWS's board recently rebuilt by custom builder Helweg Custom Pedalboards features an MXR CAE wah and Boss TU-3, then in Switcher Loop 1: Dunlop Uni-Vibe, Switcher Loop 2: MXR CAE wah circuit mounted inside board, Switcher Loop 3: Chicago Iron Tycobrahe Octavia (modern), Switcher Loop 4: MXR Blue Box Fuzz, Switcher Loop 5: Analog Man King of Tone (newest version), Switcher Loop 6: Ibanez Hand-Wired TS808 Tube Screamer, and Switcher Loop 7: Analog Man Bi-Chorus, Switcher Loop 8: BK Butler Tube Driver (new model with Bias knob), JAM Pedals Delay Llama. Photo by Michael Helweg."
Zac Brown Band's Coy Bowles
Coy has the largest pedalboard in the band, with a Fuchs Plush Replay Tube Delay (used for ""Goodbye in Her Eyes""), MXR Super Comp (which is sometimes swapped with a Keeley Compressor), VVT X-Drive, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive (his go-to pedal), Suhr Kokomo, Vox wah, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Boss TR-2 Tremolo (sometimes swapped with a Monster Effects Swamp Thang), Lovepedal Pickle Vibe, and a tuner. He uses an ABY box for switching between electric and acoustic, and the board is set up with a switcher that has each pedal on their own loop. "
Nels Cline
Nels' board is packed with goodies! In addition to this board, he has another pedal setup on a table with tweakable effects and a Korg Kaoss II for even more sonic madness. His main board features a Boss TU-2 tuner, Z.Vex Fuzz Factory, Fulltone DejÃ?-Vibe, DigiTech Whammy, Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, Boss VB-2 Vibrato, Bigfoot FX Magnavibe, Klon Centaur, Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight Overdrive, Crowther Hotcake, Fulltone '69, Electro-Harmonix Pulsar, Crazy Tube Circuits Vyagra Boost, Boss FV-500H volume pedal, Boss DD-3 delay, MXR Phase 45, and Boss DD-7 delay. His second board includes an Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Delay, Electro-Harmonix Ring Thing, Korg Kaoss Pad 2, and Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Plus. "
The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach
Dan's effects are set in a rack and controlled by an RJM Effects Gizmo and dual Mastermind controllers - a customized one at Dan's feet and a standard one switched by his tech. The MIDI setup allows Dan's tech to make more complicated changes while Dan sings (mostly for newer songs). In the rack is a Boss TR-2 Tremolo, Boss OC-2 Super Octave, and Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter (used for ""Tighten Up""), a Radial JX-2 Switchbone that's used only for a warm boost, vintage Shin-ei Companion fuzz wah pedal (only used for the fuzz) run into an MXR Ten Band EQ to replace the mids that the Companion scoops out, and a vintage Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. He uses Lehle switchers to route the pedals. On the floor, Dan controls his volume via MIDI with a Mission EP-1 Expression Pedal and Sound Sculpture Volcano volume control. The only pedal on the floor is a Boss PS-5 Super Shifter used for the intro to ""Lonely Boy."""
Jimmy Vivino
For his show rig, Vivino's board is loaded with Visual Sound effects: a Visual Volume, Dual Tap Delay, Double Trouble, Agry Fuzz, and Liquid Chorus, in addition to a Fulltone Supa-Trem and Dnulop Cry Baby Wah."
Nickelback's Ryan Peake
Ryan Peake's pedal drawer includes an MXR Dyna Comp, MXR Micro Chorus, VFE Dark Horse, VFE Fiery Red Horse, MXR 12-band EQ, and MXR Auto Q."
Zac Brown Band's Clay Cook
Clay keeps his pedalboard simple, preferring to get any effects by pickup combinations and playing style. He uses a Fuchs Royal Plush compressor to aid in "that Tele spank," and recently incorporated a Boss DD-7 delay to recreate the studio sound for "Goodbye in Her Eyes." Other than those effects, he has tuners for his electrics and mandolin."
Chickenfoot's Joe Satriani
Joe's Chickenfoot board is loaded with two of his signature Vox Time Machine pedals, a Strymon El Capistan, MXR Dyna Comp, Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe, Ibanez FL-9 Flanger, Boss OC-2 Octave, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, Electro-Harmonix POG, Vox Satriani Big Bad Dual Wah, and a footswitch for the Marshalls. The board is powered by a duo of Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus units."
Steel Dan's Jon Herington
Jon Herington's pedalboard is split into two sections. The first is plugged directly into the front of the Bludotone amp and the second is run through the effects loop. From his guitar he goes into a Boss TU-2 and then to a Xotic RC-Booster which is only used when he is playing his Tele. From there it goes into a Vox Joe Satriani Big Bad Wah and an Ernie Ball mono volume pedal. Next is another Xotic RC-Booster, which he uses as a bass cut for solos on his neck pickup and then to the front of the amp. Out of the effects loop he goes into a Tech 21 Roto Choir, Voodoo Lab Tremolo, Tech 21 Boost D.L.Aпwhich is set to a short delay and left on all the timeпan '80s Ibanez Chorus/Flanger and finally a Boss Digital Reverb RV-5. The black footswitch runs the Bludotone and the Mesa/Boogie footswitch changes channels on the Guytron.
Guns N' Roses Richard Fortus
The pedal drawers in Fortus' rack are packed. Left: DOD FX25 Envelope Filter, Yamaha AG Stomp acoustic guitar preamp modeler, Pigtronix Echolution, and Prescription Electronics Vibe-Unit. Right: Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz, Ibanez CF-7 Chorus/Flanger, Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus, Arion Stereo Chorus, Electro-Harmonix H.O.G., Strymon OB1 Booster, Xotic Effects RC Booster, Lovepedal Eternity Overdrive, and Emma Electronics Discombobulator. Not pictured are a duo of Hiwatt Custom Tape Echo units and two TC Electronic G Major II units."
Red Hot Chili Peppers Josh Klinghoffer (2 of 2)
Top: From the center board, it goes to the right into a Lastgasp Labs Cybertronic (high-end, whispy filter), Moog Moogerfooger Low-Pass Filter, Line 6 FM4 (synth sounds), Moog Moogerfooger 12-Stage Phaser (used for ""Throw Away Television"" in conjunction with the FM4's sequential synth), Boss SG-1 Slow Gear, Boss RV-5, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral, Electro-Harmonix Freeze, Boss DD-6 (cascading repeats), Electro-Harmonix Goly Grail, Xotic Effects EP Booster. Also on this board is an Expressionator pdal, which allows Josh to use one expression pedal for up to three different effects, each with their own set taper. Bottom: Finally, the signal goes to the far left board into a Wilson Effects Haze, Lo-Tech-N-Fi-Bot Pocket Synth, Line 6 DL4 (used as a looper and phrase sampler between songs), Bright Onion looper (used as a kill switch), Boss CS-2 Compressor, and a Framptone 3-Banger amp switcher. "
Sonny Landreth
When we caught up with Landreth in June, he was using a Boss TU-2 tuner, a Demeter Fuzzulator, Hermida Zendrive and Mosferatu stomps, a two-knob Keeley Compressor, a TC Electronic Stereo Chorus+, and a T-Rex Replica. Everything is powered by a Sanyo Pedal Juice."
Steely Dan's Walter Becker
Walter Becker's pedalboard is in constant flux, but when we caught up with him it included a Sonic Research tuner, Barber Tone Press compressor, Eventide Pitch Factor, Eventide Space (which he uses only for reverb), Moog Moogerfooger MuRF, Pigtronix Envelope Phaser, Boss Noise Suppressor NS-2, and an MXR Carbon Copy. Next to his pedalboard is his Bogner channel switcher. He uses a Lehle 1at3 SGoS switcher to go between different amps and cabs."
Vince Gill
On Gill's main pedalboard he uses an EBS UniChorus, Boss TR-2 Tremolo, a Robert Keeley-modified Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, a stock Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, Hermida Audio Zendrive, Creation Audio Labs MK.4.23 Clean Boost, Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, 2 Boss TU-2 tuners (one for electric and one for acoustic), and a Wampler Faux Spring Reverb. A Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 powers all of the pedals. Gill also uses a Benado Effects pedalboard with reverb, delay, overdrive, distortion, and compressor units enclosed."
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