There are three major issues to consider when thinking about powering your pedalboard: voltage, current, and isolation.
With so many cool and interesting pedals readily available to the modern musician, you will inevitably come to the point where you need to build a pedalboard (especially if you’re a gear junkie like me). You’ll need to decide which kind of board to buy or build, which pedals will actually make it on your board, the optimum order of the effects, cable lengths, and whether or not you will buy pre-made cabling or wire your own. But probably the single most critical decision you’ll make is how to power all of the pedals on your new board. There are three major issues to consider when thinking about powering your pedalboard: voltage, current, and isolation.
Luckily for us, the early popularity of Boss pedals helped to establish an unofficial standard when it comes to the voltage level and DC (direct current) jack used in powering pedals. The simple fact that most pedals could be powered by a 9V battery was the logical starting point that led to the inclusion of 9V DC power inputs. These DC inputs were useful when players didn’t want to hassle with batteries, and instead wanted to be able to power their pedals from standard AC wall outlets. Boss chose to use a 2.1mm DC power input jack with a center negative polarity and because of this, the majority of pedals on the market today also use this “standard.” Take a look at the labeling next to the input on your pedals and chances are it will say 9V DC, center negative (an icon symbolizing a jack with a negative sign pointing to the center symbolizes this).
Of course, not all pedals are powered with 9V, so make sure to take note if there is one in your collection with special voltage requirements. Some devices out there even use 9V AC (alternating current) power. Be very careful not to accidentally plug an AC power source into a pedal designed to be powered with DC. Chances are that if a pedal needs 18V or 24V DC, the manufacturer will have supplied a special power adapter anyway. Be sure not to hook your pedal up to a higher voltage source than it calls for—no one likes ending their pedalboard project with a puff of smoke!
Current is the next thing you will need to think about. The current that a given effect consumes is not likely listed on the pedal itself. For that you will need to look in the manual. Assuming they’re analog devices, a distortion, overdrive, fuzz, compressor, or wah will in almost all cases have a very low current requirement (less than 20 mA or so). This is because these classic analog effects use only a handful of transistors and op-amps with low power requirements.
A digital effect, on the other hand, will contain a microprocessor or DSP, probably some memory, logic chips, A/D and D/A converters, as well as supporting analog components. In this case, you will literally be powering millions of miniaturized transistors inside of these digital chips, so the pedal will be a bit hungrier for power. Digital and DSP-based pedals typically consume more than 150 or 200 mA, and modern power supply manufacturers have taken this into consideration.
The thing to remember about current is that there is no danger in having more than you need available. But if your power supply can’t keep up with demand, your pedal may not even turn on. Worse yet, it could shut down in the middle of a gig. Think of current like horsepower in a car. If you have a 450-horsepower muscle car, you are not using all of that power when backing out of your garage, but it’s there waiting for you when you step on the gas.
Voltage and current are critical in getting all of your pedals to work properly, but there’s one more thing that is crucial in making a low-noise rig: isolated power. Whenever you string together a number of different effects, their electronics can interact in both good and very bad ways.
The most common noise problem I regularly encounter when helping players troubleshoot their pedalboard is ground loops. Ground loops are commonly caused when using a daisy-chain power cable to power multiple pedals. This creates a ground loop between every pedal in the daisy chain!
Why should we avoid ground loops? One reason is that they allow stray magnetic fields to introduce hum into your signal path. Another is that noise currents are able to flow into your audio instead of cleanly back into the power supply. If the only type of effect you use is distortion, you may not have heard the ill effects. But, if you have modulation and delay pedals, the likelihood of ground loops wreaking havoc on your signal is high.
To solve this, power supply manufacturers have created multiple-output isolated power supplies. The Voodoo Lab Iso-5 is an example of a cost-effective, multiple-output isolated power supply. An isolated supply works by using a transformer (or multiple transformers) to keep every power outlet completely electrically isolated. This prevents your guitar signal ground from connecting to multiple pedals at the power supply.
Ideally, you want your ground and guitar signal to have a single path to your amp. Otherwise, hum and other nastiness will creep its way into your tone. Multiple-output supplies, when designed correctly, also supply regulated power that is cleaner than a standard wall wart. That said, if you have a bunch of wall warts lying around anyway, having them all connected to a power strip under your board is not a bad solution at all. This will also provide isolation if each wall wart is only plugged into a single pedal.
This may be a lot to think about, but if you do a bit of research up front, you’ll save a lot of frustration down the line. Watch those voltage levels, make sure you have enough current available, and use an isolated power source for each effect. Happy shredding!
[Updated 12/6/21]
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Do you overuse vibrato? Could you survive without it?
Vibrato is a powerful tool, but it should be used intentionally. Different players have different styles—B.B. King’s shake, Clapton’s subtle touch—but the key is control. Tom Butwin suggests a few exercises to build awareness, tone, and touch.
The goal? Find a balance—don’t overdo it, but don’t avoid it completely. Try it out and see how it changes your playing!
The author dials in one of his 20-watt Sonzera amps, with an extension cabinet.
Knowing how guitar amplifiers were developed and have evolved is important to understanding why they sound the way they do when you’re plugged in.
Let’s talk about guitar amp history. I think it’s important for guitar players to have a general overview of amplifiers, so the sound makes more sense when they plug in. As far as I can figure out, guitar amps originally came from radios—although I’ve never had the opportunity to interview the inventors of the original amps. Early tube amps looked like radio boxes, and once there was an AM signal, it needed to be amplified through a speaker so you could hear it. I’m reasonably certain that other people know more about this than I do.
For me, the story of guitar amps picks up with early Fenders and Marshalls. If you look at the schematics, amplifier input, and tone control layout of an early tweed Fender Bassman, it’s clear that’s where the original Marshall JTM45 amps came from. Also, I’ve heard secondhand that the early Marshall cabinets were 8x12s, and the roadies requested that Marshall cut them in half so they became 4x12s. Similarly, 8x10 SVT cabinets were cut in half to make the now-industry-standard 4x10 bass cabinets. Our amp designer Doug Sewell and I understand that, for the early Fender amps we love, the design directed the guitar signal into half a tube, into a tone stack, into another half a tube, and the reverb would join it with another half a tube, and then there would be a phase splitter and output tubes and a transformer. (All 12AX7 tubes are really two tubes in one, so when I say a half-tube, I’m saying we’re using only the first half.) The tone stack and layout of these amps is an industry standard and have a beautiful, clean way of removing low midrange to clear up the sound of the guitar. I believe all but the first Marshalls came from a high-powered tweed Twin preamp (which was a 80-watt combo amp) and a Bassman power amp. The schematic was a little different. It was one half-tube into a full-tube cathode follower, into a more midrange-y tone stack, into the phase splitter and power tubes and output transformer. Both of these circuits have different kinds of sounds. What’s interesting is Marshall kept modifying their amps for less bass, more high midrange and treble, and more gain. In addition, master volume controls started being added by Fender and Marshall around 1976. The goal was to give more gain at less volume. Understanding these circuits has been a lifelong event for Doug and me.
Then, another designer came along by the name of Alexander Dumble. He modified the tone stack in Fender amps so you could get more bass and a different kind of midrange. Then, after the preamp, he put in a distortion circuit in a switchable in and out “loop.” In this arrangement, the distortion was like putting a distortion pedal in a loop after the tone controls. In a Fender amp, most of the distortion comes from the output section, so turning the tone controls changes the sound of the guitar, not the distortion. In a Marshall, the distortion comes before the tone controls, so when you turn the tone controls, the distortion changes. The way these amps compress and add harmonics as you turn up the gain is the game. All of these designs have real merit and are the basis of our modern tube–and then modeling—amplifiers.
Everything in these amps makes a difference. The circuits, the capacitor values and types, the resistor values and types, the power and output transformers, and the power supplies—including all those capacitor values and capacitor manufacturers.
I give you this truncated, general history to let you know that the amp business is just as complicated as the guitar business. I didn’t even mention the speakers or speaker cabinets and the artform behind those. But what’s most important is: When you plug into the amp, do you like it? And how much do you like it? Most guitar players have not played through a real Dumble or even a real blackface Deluxe Reverb or a 1966 Marshall plexi head. In a way, you’re trusting the amp designers to understand all the highly complex variations from this history, and then make a product that you love playing through. It’s daunting, but I love it. There is a complicated, deep, and rich history that has influenced and shaped how amps are made today.
Lenny Kravitz’s lead-guitar maestro shares how his scorching hit solo came together.
Hold onto your hats—Shred With Shifty is back! This time, Chris Shiflett sits down with fellow west coaster Craig Ross, who calls in from Madrid equipped with a lawsuit-era Ibanez 2393. The two buddies kick things off commiserating over an increasingly common tragedy for guitarists: losing precious gear in natural disasters. The takeaway? Don’t leave your gear in storage! Take it on the road!
Ross started out in the Los Angeles band Broken Homes, influenced by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and the Beatles, but his big break came when he auditioned for Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz phoned him up the next day to tell him to be at rehearsal that evening. In 1993, they cut one of their biggest hits ever, “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” Ross explains that it came together from a loose, improvisatory jam in the studio—testament to the magic that can be found off-leash during studio time.
Ross recalls his rig for recording the solo, which consisted of just two items: Kravitz’s goldtop Les Paul and a tiny Gibson combo. (No fuzz or drive pedals, sorry Chris.) As Ross remembers, he was going for a Cream-era Clapton sound with the solo, which jumps between pentatonic and pentatonic major scales.
Tune in to learn how he frets and plays the song’s blistering lead bits, plus learn about what amps Ross is leaning on these days.
If you’re able to help, here are some charities aimed at assisting musicians affected by the fires in L.A:
https://guitarcenterfoundation.org
https://www.cciarts.org/relief.html
https://www.musiciansfoundation.org
https://fireaidla.org
https://www.musicares.org
https://www.sweetrelief.org
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Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
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Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
Tobias bass guitars, beloved by bass players for nearly half a century, are back with the all-new Tobias Original Collection.
Built for unrivaled articulation, low-end punch, and exceptional ergonomics, the all-new Tobias Original Collection comprises an array of six four and five-string bass models all offered in both right and left-handed orientations. The Tobias range features Classic, Killer B, and Growler models, and each is equipped with high-quality hardware from Babicz and Gotoh, active electronics from Bartolini, and the iconic Tobias asymmetrical neck design. Crafted from the finest tonewoods, Tobias Original Collection bass guitars are now available worldwide on Gibson.com, at the Gibson Garage locations, and at authorized Gibson dealers.
The bass world has been clamoring for the return of the authentic, high-end Tobias basses, and now, Tobias has returned. Combining the look and tone of the finest exotic tonewoods, such as quilted maple, royal paulownia, purpleheart, sapele, walnut, ebony, and wenge, with the feel of the famous Tobias Asym asymmetrical neck and the eye-catching shapes of the perfectly balanced contoured bodies, Tobias basses are attractive in look and exceptional in playing feel. However, their sonic versatility is what makes them so well suited to the needs of modern bassists. The superior tone from the exotic hardwoods, premium hardware, and active Bartolini® pickups and preamps results in basses with the tonal flexibility that today’s players require. Don’t settle for less than a bass that delivers everything you want and need –the look, the feel, and the sound, Tobias.
“I’m thrilled to release Tobias basses, emphasizing the use of exotic woods, ergonomics, and authenticity to the original Tobias basses,” says Aljon Go, Product Development Manager for Tobias, Epiphone, and Kramer. “This revival is a dream come true, blending modern craftsmanship with the timeless essence of Tobias.”
“It’s amazing to see this icon of the bass world return,” adds Andrew Ladner, Brand Manager for Epiphone and Kramer. “These models are truly a bass player’s bass, and true to the DNA that makes Tobias world-class—the ace up the sleeve of bass players around the globe since 1978. Today’s players can find that unique voice and feel that only Tobias can offer.”
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
