A Splash of Color
Reader: Don Crum
Just to give a bit of background, I use this board for guitar, bass, and keys. In wiring this board, I used a combination of Rattlesnake patch cables, G&H patch cables, and some other custom-length cables that I soldered myself. Each pedal has a Mooer Footswitch Topper on it. These make it exceptionally easier to connect with your pedals, plus they give your board an added pop of color.
I play literally every genre of music, so I tend to buy pedals with more than one purpose or function, because I like my rig to be as versatile as it can be at all times. I also don’t like overly complicated pedals with a million knobs, buttons, and/or internal switches. I prefer to keep everything as simple as possible, but it always has to sound good. That’s the bottom line and always my number one priority. It has to sound good!
As for the signal chain, the order might not look “normal” because it kind of bounces around my board a little bit, starting on the top rail, going to the bottom, and then back to the top, and again back to the bottom, all in a zigzag pattern. There’s a reason for that though: I like to keep my most-used pedals (gain pedals and looper) on the bottom row for super-quick and easy access. The top row is modulation and EQ. While these modulation pedals are crucial to my tone, I’m not turning them on or off nearly as much as my gain pedals. They’re more like “set it and forget it” type pedals, if you will. So, I basically just laid it all out in an order that makes it easiest for me. Power is supplied by a Truetone 1 Spot CS12.
Signal chain:
1. Jam Pedals RetroVibe
2. EHX Big Muff Pi (silver box on bottom right)
3. Mythos Fuzzy Face (painted, built from limited edition DIY kit)
4. Xotic EP Booster
5. Analog Man King of Tone
6. MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive
7. MXR Ten Band EQ
8. Analog Man ARDX20 Dual Analog Delay
9. Strymon Flint
10. TC Electronic Ditto Looper
Board for a Boss
Reader: Tim Moran
Over the years, I have built many pedalboards with varying degrees of complexity. As a jazz guitarist who also plays funk, ska, reggae, fusion, Latin, metal, and classic rock, I need a broad variety of effects. However, I prefer simple, intuitive, reliable, efficient, and portable pedalboards over large, heavy, and complex ones.
I am a fan of Boss gear, going back to the original DS-1 Distortion pedal. Boss pedals are super easy to use, consistent, heavy-duty, and great in front of the amp. I already had a Boss BCB-60 Pedal Board that I used in the studio and on small gigs. I liked the case, the layout, and the built-in power, but it had major shortcomings. It was designed to hold six Boss-sized pedals, or five Boss-sized pedals and a wah/volume pedal. Boss has replaced the BCB-60 with the BCB-90 that holds nine pedals—better, but not quite what I needed.
What I needed was a simple plug-and-play pedalboard that matched my shoes, had great tone, was easy to transport, and featured my favorite Boss pedals. As noted, the BCB-60 was designed for six pedals, so I modified it to fit the 11 must-have pedals in my collection. The signal splits from the end of the chain into a stereo setup using a Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 and a Fender Tremolux.
Signal chain:
1. Wyatt Abrachinsky Custom Booster
2. Boss AW-3 Dynamic Wah
3. Boss FBM-1 Fender ’59 Bassman
4. Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
Contained within the NS-2 effects loop:
1. Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
2. Boss DS-1 Distortion
3. Boss MT-2W Waza Craft Metal Zone
5. Boss GE-7 Graphic Equalizer
6. Boss CH-1 Super Chorus
7. Boss DM-2W Waza Craft Delay
8. Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
Little Giant
Reader: Peter Gothold
The building of this board has been a decade-long process, starting with the POG, Timmy, and Carbon Copy about eight years ago. I have gone through many phases of being a personal gear dealer, as I buy and sell pedals looking for a certain sound. I’ve recently added the Joyo switcher, Boss DD-20, and Matthews Traveler, but the other pedals have been consistent since 2021. Finding the King of Tone was a surprise, but a welcome one! Craigslist pulls through yet again! And boy is it as good as advertised.... Tasty!
Adding the Joyo switcher was a game-changer for me. I’d often be switching from a crunchy rhythm sound to an ambient wash between songs, and would be tap-dancing my way to tone. Now, I have my favorite tones dialed in, so with one push I can make the switch. Figuring out how to order the pedals that don’t go through the switcher was a challenge, but it has been working great so far!
I’ve always been a fan of the traditional signal flow: compression > pitch > overdrive > modulation > delay > reverb, but my particular layout necessitated some tweaks. The Joyo Loop Switcher comes right in the middle and has overdrive, modulation, and delay/reverb in it. But I have the lesser-used overdrives before it—knowing that when I use them, they won’t mess things up—and my always-on delay/reverb is at the very end. I use the delay/reverbs really just for ambient effects, which are happy stacking anyway. It’s a jumble, but it still sounds good!
For anyone intimidated by the world of pedals, I say start small and don’t be afraid to try something new! This board took me almost 10 years, and I’m still swapping things out as I find new things. I lead the music at my church, which includes a wide range of styles, so I have a big board to handle the variety. From angry dirt to huge swells and everything in between, this board can do it all. We have a silent stage, hence the DI at the end, but I can go straight out into my Fender Blues Deluxe or Vox AC4 Hand-Wired if I want to make some noise. It’s powered by one Walrus Audio Phoenix and one Walrus Audio Aetos.
Signal chain:
1. TC Electronic PolyTune 2 Noir
2. Pixel Perfect (provides 8-bit synth tones from a DIY kit. Wacky and gnarly)
3. Keeley 4 Knob Compressor
4. Korg KVP-001 Volume pedal
5. Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
6. J. Rockett Audio Designs Archer Gold (always on)
7. JHS Angry Charlie
8. Foxpedal Defector Fuzz
9. Joyo PXL8 Loop Switcher (eight pedals assigned to this switcher)
1. EHX POG2 (oldest pedal on this board!)
2. Original Paul Cochran Timmy Overdrive
3. Analog Man King of Tone dual overdrive
4. Walrus Audio Monument Harmonic Tap Tremolo (in limited edition green)
5. EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter Phaser
6. Boss DD-20 Digital Delay
7. MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
8. Matthews Effects The Traveler Reverb (newest pedal, I love this thing)
10. Walrus Audio Mako D1 High-Fidelity Delay
11. Empress Effects Reverb
12. TC Electronic Ditto Looper
13. Hughes & Kettner Red Box 5 cab sim/DI
It's All a Bit Fuzzy
Reader: Roger Williams
This is a fun experimental board to compare my two favorite pedals, the Keeley Fuzz Head and EHX Deluxe Memory Man.
I’ve collected pedals for about 20 years now. I’ve had upwards of 200 pedals—I’m currently at about 150 now. The two pedals that have always inspired me to play the most are my big-box Deluxe Memory Man and my Keeley Fuzz Head. I first purchased the Deluxe Memory Man XO because the big-box version was always out of my price range. Then I got very lucky and found one at a third of the going prices. (It was part of an estate sale among some random antiques and sundries.) I have the Deluxe Memory Boy for the tap tempo feature. It has a classic bucket-brigade delay sound, while both Deluxe Memory Mans have a cleaner repeat signal.
The Keeley Fuzz Head has always been my favorite fuzz/overdrive pedal. It has great note separation and articulation. Even though it only has two control knobs, it is quite versatile. It comes with four easily exchangeable capacitors which can drastically change the sound of the pedal, from Fuzz Face-style to woolly fuzz to treble boost to a semi-clean boost. The five Fuzz Heads on my board are all set to different combinations of capacitors/diodes and internal trim pot settings.
I currently own 10 Fuzz Heads. When Keeley discontinued the Fuzz Head I wanted to have a couple of backups, and I got carried away. In the signal chain, they are in order of oldest to newest versions, as well as ascending gain. My most cherished delay, the vintage Deluxe Memory Man, is at the end of the chain because it has an independent, very warm gain control that I sometimes use as a clean-ish boost. The board itself is redundant and not practical, but to me, it’s perfect!
Signal chain:
1. Keeley Fuzz Head (far right)
2. Keeley Fuzz Head (second from the right)
3. Keeley Fuzz Head (middle)
4. Keeley Fuzz Head (second from the left)
5. Keeley Fuzz Head (far left)
6. EHX Deluxe Memory Boy
7. EHX Deluxe Memory Man XO
8. EHX Deluxe Memory Man
Black-and-White Thinking
Reader: Rick Bethune
Hello, my name is Rick, and I am a gearhead who is obsessed with black-and-white checks. Early on, I could see I wasn’t going to be a real player; I was more interested in the gear. This all started after I had open heart surgery in March of 2009. While I was at home recovering, I stumbled upon a website called General Guitar Gadgets, where they sell kits of well-known pedals. I bought four kits: a Ross distortion, octave fuzz, booster, and a Tube Screamer. Later, a friend was interested in buying the finished distortion pedal from me, and invited me to sell my builds at his store. After that, I taught myself to read and understand schematics. Then I found a site that has perforated board layouts that I now use to build everything.
I crafted this board from an old metal store shelf, with additional wood attached to secure the pedals. I believe it weighs somewhere around 100 pounds. It’s divided into nine loops. It may look like there’s duplications, but each one serves its own purpose with different sounds. The Vox Wah pedal on the bottom row is controlled by the box to its right, which has six different switchable inductors, along with tone and shape controls. The unpainted large box to the left of the wah, my “demo” box, was built to include at least one of everything I can build, specified below.
I also put four Ross effects on here. My Ross obsession goes back to the late ’70s when my parents gave me my first tan Ross distortion pedal. It blew me away then, and still does to this day.
Signal chain:
The board’s signal is not in a linear chain. The switches at the base of the board control a series of loops, as well as the light over the board and the power supply. The Demo switch is for the demo box, and the Bench switch is for the workbench loop, where I can insert anything that I am working on into the board.
I use Crosby cables to connect everything, and cut them all myself. I also cut all of the power cables. For amps I use a Fender Frontman 25R, Joyo Zombie II, Peavey Pacer, and an Epiphone So-Cal 50 head. There are two headphone amps on the board for fun: a Rockman Guitar Ace and a very rare Ross Rock Box, which I had to make a power supply for. I have to give credit to Tom Scholz of Boston for being an enormous influence on me as a gearhead.
List of pedals and boxes, in no particular order:
1. Homemade “demo” box which includes: distortion, phaser, booster, compressor, delay, and modified flanger
2. Vox Wah
3. Wah control box
4. Ross 10 Band Graphic EQ
5. MXR Micro Amp
6. MXR Dyna Comp
7. BBE Sonic Stomp
8. Behringer Tuner TU300
9. EHX Silencer
10. Pro Co RAT
11. Pro Co Brat
12. Pro Co Roadkill
13. MXR Classic Overdrive
14. Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive (true bypass mod)
15. MXR Phase 95 Mini
16. Sonicake Cry-Bot Auto Wah
17. Sonicake 5th Dimension Digital Modulation
18. Donner Alpha FX
19. Rockman Guitar Ace
20. Ross Rock Box
21. Ibanez CS-505 Chorus (true bypass mod)
22. Boss CE-3 Chorus (true bypass mod)
23. Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer (true bypass mod)
24. Ross Distortion (Early ’80s, true bypass mod)
25. EHX Big Muff (Early ’80s “Rams Head” board inside, true bypass mod)
26. EHX Satisfaction Fuzz
27. MXR Blue Box Octave Fuzz
28. Rockman Acoustic Simulator
29. DOD 670 Flanger (Updated caps and true bypass mod)
30. Ross Flanger (Early ’80s, true bypass mod)
Tamer of Centaurs
Reader: David Westhoff
I actually won this Holeyboard pedalboard from Premier Guitar. I was in the market for a board when it happened, as I was not happy with my previous one because it was too small.
As with many boards, this one has gone through a lot of changes. But the Klon, Fulltone CLYDE Deluxe, and Fulltone Deja 2 have been permanent fixtures throughout its evolution. I play a lot of Robin Trower, and he uses both of the Fulltones that I have.
The board goes into two ENGL E325 50-watt heads that both have a 2x12 cab with Celestion G12Ks. I did a lot of experimenting getting this to sound the way that I want. One trick I use is, I route the wet signal from the Boss CH-1 chorus into the dry output of the DigiTech Hardwire DL-8 delay, which really makes the effects stand out instead of getting muddy in the mix.
Signal chain:
1. Fulltone CLYDE Deluxe
2. Fulltone Deja 2
3. Klon Centaur
4. BBE Boosta Grande
5. EHX Deluxe Electric Mistress
6. Boss CH-1 Super Chorus
7. DigiTech HardWire DL-8
8. DigiTech Polara
Self-Contained Units
Reader: Micah Cadwell
I tried to build the ultimate board for going direct, live or in-studio, and for fly dates. However, this setup also sounds great going into a miked cabinet. Sound people love when they ask what I need and I say, “One XLR or a mic.” They usually opt for an XLR.
I mostly play jazz, so I’m very used to the clean Deluxe Reverb sound, which is why The Amp by Milkman was the first place I went. It’s basically a Deluxe Reverb with a master volume, which is amazing! The PolyTune Mini is great and the Dunlop Volume (X) Mini Pedal has a really nice sweep in spite of it being … mini.
On those occasional country/Americana gigs, the Cali76 is, to my ear, the ultimate pedal compressor, and I’m convinced that the Greer Lightspeed makes everything sound better. So that’s the first gain stage, in front of the Browne Protein, which offers two totally usable gain sounds. Another killer pedal!
The JHS Panther Cub is an incredible analog delay with a tap tempo, and the Strymon Mobius covers any and all modulation that I could ever possibly need. I can go direct, to the pleasure of sound engineers everywhere, or I can run it into a cabinet and be totally self-contained. It’s wired with Covenant patch cables on a Pedaltrain Classic JR. It’s a great board!
Signal chain:
1. TC Electronic PolyTune 3
2. Dunlop Volume (X) Mini Pedal
3. Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe
4. Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive
5. Browne Amplification Protein Dual Overdrive
6. Strymon Mobius
7. JHS Panther Cub V2
8. Milkman The Amp
Double Feature
Reader: Bill Babjak
These pedalboards have been in the making for the past 40 years. I built my first board in 1979 with DOD pedals, trying to sound like Rush and the Police at that time. I have been collecting pedals ever since, and have acquired over 200 pedals. The current setup mixes the classics with the new.
I have decided to separate the clean board from the gain board as a way of switching between a clean, chorus, or echo sound into a loud fuzz. I decided to add some chorus, delay, echo, and reverb on the gain board just because I can. I could have used the GigRig G3 but did not want to program loops. With my setup, I can select anything at any time. This setup also allows me to incorporate my ’70s Multi Echo, which I have mounted on a desktop speaker stand.
I just recently rewired both boards when I introduced the QMX-10 for more options, and moved the QMX-8 to the clean board. This way, the older pedals are isolated from the signal path since they are not true bypass. This setup is for home studio only.
Signal chain:
My setup consists of two Pedaltrain boards. The gain board is a Terra 42 powered using two Voodoo Lab Pedal Power Mondo supplies. My signal on the board starts with a Fulltone Wah and goes into a Land Devices Domino and Klon KTR before hitting a GigRig QuarterMaster QMX-10. Out of the switcher it goes through an ISP Technologies Decimator and a JHS splitter, which feeds both a ’94 Vox AC30 and my modulation section, which includes a Boss CE-2 Chorus, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, TC Electronic Stereo Chorus+, Strymon El Capistan, and a Strymon BlueSky. From there, it goes out in stereo to a 1994 Fender Bassman ’50s Reissue and a 1994 Marshall Bluesbreaker ’60s Reissue.
Within the QMX-10, I have arranged the pedals in the following loops:
1. Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
2. Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere
3. Tru-Fi Colordriver 18V (Bowie Edition)
4. JTPR FX Bleach
5. Sola Sound MkI Tone Bender Stu Castledine V2
6. Analog Man Sun Face NKT275 white-dot
7. ’90s EHX Green Russian Big Muff Pi
8. Audio Kitchen The Big Trees
9. Fulltone OCD V1.1
10. Out to clean board
On the clean board, which is a Pedaltrain Classic 3 powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power Mondo, I keep mostly modulation effects. I place this entire board within loop 10 of the QuarterMaster QMX-10 along with the Boss Booster/Preamp. The pedals are arranged on the QMX-8 as follows:
1. DigiTech Mosaic Polyphonic 12-String
2. Fulltone Mini-Deja’Vibe
3. Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
4. Fulltone ChoralFlange
5. Multivox MX-312 Multi Echo
6. EHX Deluxe Memory Man
7. EarthQuaker Devices Space Spiral
8. Walrus Audio Slö Multi Texture Reverb
Aaron Juracek: Jackson Audio Enthusiast
I love Jackson Audio pedals. They sound amazing and are the only usable MIDI-controlled gain pedals I can find. There are other MIDI-controlled drives, but I find that whenever you play in a different room, the drive settings need to change, which, for a lot of them, means modifying presets every time you play in a different location. These have all of the gain and EQ settings as knobs, so I can just change them on the fly, and still have MIDI control whether it’s on or off—the clipping type and the gain staging. I also love the combination of the Strymon BigSky and Neunaber Expanse reverb. The Cloud reverb from the BigSky into the wet reverb setting on the Expanse is one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard.
From my guitar I go to an Old Blood Noise Minim, FoxRox Octron 2, and a Keeley Dark Side before going into the loop of a GFI Synesthesia. In the loop sits a trio of Jackson Audio pedals: Golden Boy, Broken Arrow, and Abasi along with my amp’s preamp section (via the effects loop) and a Jackson Audio Bloom. Out of the GFI’s post-section sits a Walrus Audio ACS1, Keeley Halo, Strymon TimeLine, Strymon BigSky, and a Neunaber Audio Expanse. From there I can choose whether I need to go mono or stereo and if I need to use an amp or go direct.
Andrew Yankowsky: Simple, Not Elegant
I play, write, and record music for a local ska/reggae/punk/Afrobeat band called Zeme Libre out of Portland, Maine. I put this board together to take a bit of a beating at live shows with wonderful pedals that give me the tone and sound I’m looking for. Although my board changes every so often, I keep similar pedals in the mix to keep certain sounds I use on recordings. Simple, not elegant. Thanks for checking it out!
First, I go into the Boss TU-2, DOD FX59 Thrash Master, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, EarthQuaker Devices Hizumitas Fuzz Sustainar, MXR Handwired Script Phase 90, Way Huge Supa-Puss Analog Delay, Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, Boss RE-2 Space Echo (connected with Boss FS-5U Foot Switch for tap tempo), DOD FX65B Stereo Chorus, and out to an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano.
Chris Voigt: My Modest Bass Rig
My board is still and ever evolving. At the moment, it has just about everything I need or want. People often ask me why I don’t use a preamp. The answer is, simply, that I really like the tone of my Orange Bass Crush 100 and the gain it delivers. My favorite pedal is the All-Pedal Electronics Macrodose Envelope Filter. It’s a very fun pedal with many face-melting psychedelic tones and shapes, and it pairs nicely with the Walrus Audio Slötvå.
This is my modest bass rig. Pedalboard is run through an Orange Bass Crush 100 FX loop: Electro-Harmonix EHX-2020 Tuner > Walrus Audio Kangra Filter Fuzz > Walrus Audio Mira Optical Compressor > Walrus Audio Julia Chorus/Vibrato > All-Pedal Electronics Macrodose Envelope Filter > Electro-Harmonix Canyon Delay & Looper > Walrus Audio Slötvå Multi-Texture Reverb.
Guido Stoecker: Love for Lehle and Weehbo
After two decades of using a Bogner Ecstasy, I was introduced to Eich Amplification, and I’m endorsing them now by using the GT3500 non-master volume head. It took me more than a year to come up with the concept of the board, testing tons of overdrive pedals, ’til I found Weehbo guitar pedals. On the spot, they gave me the sound I wanted. I took the board out on the road on a tour with the Sweet and it worked fantastic with no failure in any way. Easy to handle—it is big, it looks big—but it is, at least, very simple.
The board is controlled by Lehle switchers. My guitar runs into the Lehle 3at1 green switcher. From there, the signal runs into a Real McCoy Wah, into the first yellow Lehle D. Loop, from there to the next yellow looper, and finally into the red Lehle Dual switcher. Then we go stereo into the TC Electronic Quintessence, from there one channel to amp 1, the other channel into the BBE Sonic Stomp, then into amp 2. The yellow loopers allow me to only connect the pedal I need for each sound into the chain; all others are off then. I use a Weehbo JMP Drive and an MXR Delay for my slightly distorted clean tone, and a second Weehbo JMP Drive for AC/DC-like crunch. This can be boosted by the second looper. The blue Weehbo JVM Drive is my main distorted rhythm sound. The black Weehbo JVM Drive in connection with the T-Rex Duck Tail Delay is my lead sound (the Duck Tail has a tap function). I can connect up to three guitars to the board. For tuning, I press the button on the green Lehle switcher, and the signal is led then to the Fender PT-100 Tuner, so I can tune without any sound. The board is powered by two CIOKS power supplies.
Mako G: The Surfybear Board
This is my surf guitar rig. The Surfy Industries Surfybear Reverb provides the essential, classic spring reverb “drip”; the Boss OC-5 Octave instantly turns me into two thirds of a power trio; the Boss BF-2 Flanger is used as an organ simulator; the Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer is used as a dirty boost. I originally got the Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 to do what the Surfybear does, but kept it on the board even after getting the Surfybear, because it’s so versatile. I mainly use it for tremolo. The Quilter SuperBlock is basically three classic Fender amps that fit on a pedalboard and can even be powered by a power brick at lower volumes. With the Joyo JP-05, the full rig can be powered without being plugged into a wall (I also use an adapter to turn a cell phone powerbank into a 12-volt source for the Surfybear).
- Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner
- Boss OC-5 Octave
- Boss BF-2 Flanger
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
- Surfy Industries Surfybear Classic Reverb
- Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 Reverb
- Quilter SuperBlock US Guitar Amplifier
- Powered by Joyo JP-05 (rechargeable power supply)
Marc Weakland: Like a Skateboard
When I was younger, I lost both my legs from the knees down. I have to play sitting down due to my balance. I can’t flex my artificial foot, so I have my Wah horizontal on my board and play it with two feet like a skateboard!
Here’s the breakdown of my pedals: DigiTech Drop, Boss TU-3W, Dunlop Kirk Hammett Wah, Electro-Harmonix Tone Corset, Does It Doom Sabbathi Fuzz, TC Electronic Spark Mini Booster, TC Electronic Eyemaster Metal Distortion, Wampler Dracarys, Wampler Ratsbane, Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, TC Electronic Dreamscape, MXR Phase 90, Ernie Ball Tap Tempo, Electro-Harmonix Canyon Delay & Looper.
Matei Haskins: Divine Purpose
I’m permanently disabled with a neurological movement disorder, so I’m usually broke, but I got a year of rent assistance last year and was able to build up a recording studio again (I lost my original studio and instruments to homelessness). I got all of these in 2022, but this is it. Back to paying rent—I can barely afford to keep fresh strings on the guitar and bass. But I have what I need to stay creatively productive. These are bass and guitar pedals in one chain; I just switch the amps. The board is a coffee table cut short to 8" and spray-painted black. Music is the only effective treatment for my neurological condition and my divine purpose on Earth is to create music and dance. You can hear the music I make with this pedalboard at DECEMBERmusic.org.
My signal chain:
Guitar > TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder > DigiTech FreqOut > Keeley Compressor Pro > Friedman Buxom Boost > Horizon Devices Precision Drive > Wampler Belle > Fender Pugilist > Amptweaker Tight Metal Pro II > Revv G4 > F-Pedals Lorion > Marshall DSL20CR, FX send > Behringer PEQ-2200 rack (not pictured) > Electro-Harmonix Tri-Parallel Mixer [Loop 1: Arion SFL-1 Stereo Flanger, Loop 2: Seymour Duncan Polaron, Loop 3: MXR Analog Chorus > TC Electronic Thunderstorm Flanger > DOD FX72 Bass Stereo Flanger] > DOD FX62 Bass Stereo Chorus (stereo out) > Source Audio Nemesis Delay > Source Audio Ventris Dual Reverb > Source Audio Vertigo Tremolo > Boss SL-2 Slicer > two BBE Sonic Stomps (not pictured) > FX returns (Marshall DSL20CR left, Marshall Valvestate 40V 8040 right)
Randy Johnson: Crunchy, Crunchier, Uber-Crunchy
I like the Boss BCB-60 Pedal Board because the foam padding can be shaped to hold your pedals firmly in place without having to use Velcro tape or zip ties, and provides for a very clean presentation. My board has evolved over the years, having gone through many different iterations before arriving at my current setup. The more I used my board in a live setting, the more I realized that certain tones could be improved more to my liking, or others were just not used that much. I’m very happy with how my personal quest for tone has evolved!
I’ve finally settled in (for now) on the thought that I like the sound of overdrive ... A LOT, so my board goes from clean to crunchy, crunchier, and uber-crunchy with a few extra tools to modify the sound.
It all starts from the guitar, as follows:- Wampler dB+: I’ve got enough pedals connected that it helps to give the chain a boost at the front end, so this one is left on.
- Fender The Bends Compressor: I spent a lot of time going through compression pedals to enhance my sustain without making the signal sound squishy. This one does a great job of that, and I pretty much leave it on all the time.
- EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker Overdrive: I love this pedal in that, unlike other overdrive pedals, you can go from zero gain to a moderate amount.
- Wampler Tweed ’57 Overdrive: This pedal does a great job of sounding like an overdriven Deluxe Reverb amp, and holds the middle position in my dirty to dirtiest chain. I don’t think that Wampler produces these anymore, so I’m really glad I was able to score one!
- Fulltone OCD: What can I say.... This is a great pedal for super-overdriven feedbacky sounds! Another pedal you need to get while you can.
- Boss TR-2 Tremolo: This comes in handy for shaping sounds on certain tunes. I don’t know if there’s anything better out there, as this one has always made me happy.
- MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay: This is a great delay pedal, and I tend to use it mostly for solos. A good way to jump out in the mix. From here, it’s out to the amp.
Scott Agner: Charcuterie Board
I started building my first pedalboard in August 2022 to meet some very specific needs, namely sending magnetic pickups and a piezo pickup to two different amps and using a Boss LS-2 Line Selector to switch between a high-gain tone and a psychedelic blues tone, which both include a common overdrive pedal (the Lichtlaerm Audio Aquaria).
I repurposed a black walnut/epoxy resin charcuterie board with homemade MDF base and added an LED backlight. I’m very proud of how it turned out and hope to make more wood and epoxy resin pedalboards in the future.
Signal chain as follows:
Boss NS-2 to D’Addario PW-CT-23 to Boss LS-2 (Loop 1: MXR Uni-Vibe to Saturnworks Passive Combiner to Lichtlaerm Audio Aquaria to Saturnworks Passive Splitter back to LS-2; Loop 2: Saturnworks Passive Combiner to Lichtlaerm Audio Aquaria to Saturnworks Passive Splitter to Lichtlaerm Audio Gehenna back to LS-2) to amp input, amp effects send to Ernie Ball Stereo Volume/Pan (fades between magnetic pickups to electric amp and piezo pickup to acoustic amp) to DigiTech DigiDelay to Electro-Harmonix Oceans 11 to amp effects return.
Scott McCue: Drilled My Own
It started with a medium Mono Pedalboard, but I didn’t care for the huge holes. So, I mounted a piece of polyboard onto it and drilled the holes where I needed them. All of my power and patch cables are custom made to length. Of course, it’s foolish to think I’m done. Lol.
Signal chain: Line 6 Relay G50 wireless system (underneath with power supply), Korg Pitchblack Poly tuner, A/B switcher. Path A of my chain starts with the mini wah, into the Friedman BE-OD Deluxe, Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine, and Tech 21 Roto Choir to a Friedman Smallbox amp. Path B of my chain is a Boss PS-6 Harmonist, MXR Talk Box, Keeley Halo Andy Timmons Dual Echo, to the Boss RV-6 Reverb in the effects loop.
Stephan Stacey: Are you a Holdsworth?
Two Yamaha Magicstomp IIs (their modulations and multi-tap delays still can’t be beaten) bookend Eventide H9 Harmonizer units for days! So much sonic flexibility in a relatively small footprint (by today’s mega-board standards).
The two Magicstomps have been staples since they were released in 2001. (No, I’m not particularly an Allan Holdsworth, which is always the first question.) Many, many other pedals have come and gone until I realized that the Eventide H9 could cover so much ground. Then one became two, and two became four.
Stephen Cyford: The Illuminator
I could’ve gone crazy with the number of pedals but my goal with this board was to limit myself to the size of the Pedaltrain 2. I feel it’s worthwhile to invest in a good soldering iron and make your own cables. On my Pedaltrain 2 board, I utilized a plexiglass top to increase surface area and to have an illuminated edge on all sides of the board.
It’s a good idea to leave at least one auxiliary position on your board, two if you utilize an FX loop (one in front of the amp and one in the loop). In my setup, the DigiTech FreqOut (in front) and the MXR Smart Gate (in amps effects loop) can easily and quickly be swapped for another pedal.
Signal chain:
Guitar > TC Electronic PolyTune 3 > Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q Auto-Return Wah > DigiTech FreqOut > Musicomlabs EFX MKII switcher input A > Xotic SP Compressor (loop 1) > Wampler Tumnus (loop 2) > (loop 3 and 4 empty) > Musicomlabs EFX MKII output A to input of the amp (Bogner Shiva 20th Anniversary or EVH 5150III) > FX loop send > Ernie Ball VPJR Super Bee > Musicomlabs EFX MKII input B > 1982 Boss CE-2 Chorus (loop 5) > MXR Smart Gate (loop 6) > Strymon TimeLine (loop 7) > Strymon Flint (loop 8) > Musicomlabs EFX MKII output B > Amp FX return.
Additional fun facts about how I use this board:
- MXR Tap Tempo simultaneously sets tempo of the Strymon TimeLine and the Flint’s tremolo.
- Musicomlabs EFX MKII sends MIDI commands to the amps for channel switching.
- Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus powers everything. The Strymon TimeLine utilizes the Pedal Power’s courtesy AC output for power.
- All Mogami 2319 cables with a mix of HiCon, SP400, and Switchcraft plugs.
- LED tape strip under board is also powered by the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
- Altoids tin stores picks.
- Board has been gigged routinely since 2016.
Steve Tumolo Jr: Two Tiers of Tone
My best friend and mad scientist Don Kern built this board for me. We went with a two-tier design for ease of getting to the back row of pedals. From the start, the plan was to run the A/B setup. The fatness of the Fender blends well with the Marshall. I keep the tuner all the way to the left because I use my right foot to hit all the pedals, and it made more sense to keep it out of the way and not waste the space by putting it in front of the other pedals.
This is what I’ve got going on: Morley Bad Horsie 2 Contour Wah, Dunlop Rotovibe, DOD Boneshaker Distortion, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, DigiTech Nautila, Ibanez PT9 Phaser, Electro-Harmonix Canyon Delay & Looper, TC Electronic PolyTune, Electro-Harmonix Switch Blade Plus A/B box running to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Marshall Valvestate VS65R.
Taylor Frost: Taking My Life Back
After my first year of sobriety after quitting drinking during the pandemic, I treated myself to my first effects pedal after playing for around 10 years. During my alcoholism, everything music-related seemed to drift away from me, whether it was my bandmates or my prized equipment.
As I begin my third year of sobriety, I look at my pedalboard as a reflection of the life I took back after nearly losing everything. Some pedals are the ones I lusted after in high school; others, like the FET preamp, have a special story. I repainted it purple and placed a pit bull decal on it to commemorate the dogs I’ve fostered over the years in my volunteer work for an L.A.-based pit bull rescue. Every time I fire up my board, it feels like a treat I give to myself for staying sober another day.
Effects loop: Ibanez FL9 Flanger > Pigtronix Moon Pool Tremvelope, TC Electronic 3rd Dimension Chorus > TC Electronic The Prophet Digital Delay > Electro-Harmonix Cathedral Reverb
In front: Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q Multi-Wah > Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone Compressor > homemade FET preamp clone > Boss MT-2 Metal Zone > Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini > Donner Noise Killer
Thomas de la Perrelle: Do It All Board
My pedalboard is my dream recording “do-it-all board,” controlled via the GigRig G3 switcher. The signal chain:
- Analog Man Beano Boost
- Williams Supa Fuzz
- Effectrode Blackbird Vacuum Tube Preamp
- Kingsley Harlot
- Universal Audio A/DA Flanger
- Fulltone DejáVibe MkII
- Moogerfooger MF-103 12-Stage Phaser
- Diamond Memory Lane 2 Analog Delay
- Diamond Memory Lane 2 Analog Delay
- Empress Effects ZOIA
- Chase Bliss Audio CXM 1978
The pedals are powered by a combination of an Eventide PowerMax and a variety of GigRig power adapters.
I mainly play pop, indie, and rock music, so the board was built with the intention of having a variety of gain stages and a powerful modulation/delay section. I run the pedals in stereo or wet-dry with a Vox AC30 and a Dr. Z Route 66. The pedalboard is perfect for everything from punchy drives to atmospheric soundscapes and juicy fuzz tones.
Aaron Costello: A Waylon Button
I live in Portland, Oregon. When I built this board, the goal was to get a clear, natural, amp-like sound, with multiple gain stages. Lots of trial and error (which was fun), and, after laboring over decisions that are of absolutely no consequence to productive society, here’s what I came up with.
1. Ernie Ball VP Jr.
Basic as it gets. I use it to quiet the rig when I play with acoustic instruments and am also trying to get the hang of pedal-steel bends. Still have some work to do there!
2. Boss TU-3
The standard.
3. Greer Amps Lightspeed
This thing is killer. With a single-coil guitar, I use it to push the Nobels ODR-Mini and get a little more gain without losing clarity. Typically, I use it for a raunchy rhythm sound. With a humbucker guitar, I usually shut the Nobels off and use it by itself.
4. Nobels ODR-Mini
This is my favorite pedal and the heart of the board. It’s very much like an amp. With a single-coil guitar, I use it for my clean sound and it’s always on. I really dig the edge-of-breakup thing.
5. J. Rockett Audio Archer
I like this behind the Nobels and use it to get a “singing,” higher-gain lead tone. Again, it retains the clarity at higher gain but still sounds like an amp.
6. MXR Phase 90
I literally call this the “Waylon Button.”
7. J. Rockett Audio Josh Smith Dual Trem
I don’t use it a ton but sometimes it’s the perfect thing to add color. Sometimes I’ll use it with the Greer and then fade it in and out with the volume pedal. It lets me mimic an organ pad and is kind of fun.
8. EHX Memory Toy Mini
This is my second favorite pedal. I use it for a slapback sound and it’s almost always on.
9. Mr. Black Super Swell Reverb
My main amps are a 1975 Princeton Reverb and a 1978 Vibrolux Reverb, so I usually like the amp reverb. I do have a couple of amps in my home studio that don’t have reverb, so I use this with those. It also sounds great on bass!
10. Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 4x4
This is under the board and does the job. Thanks for reading!
Bert Harris: My Curly “Board”
Here’s my pedalboard … I prefer to plug straight in and get all my tone from the amp itself. Nothing cooler than Clapton with a white curly cord plugged directly into a Fender Dual Showman at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus! I love the thought of showing up with a guitar, amp, pick, and curly cord!
Admittedly, I’m kinda lazy and plugging in a bunch of stuff is a beating to me … although I have been using an Xotic EP Booster lately, but it’s battery powered. Hope your day is a wonderful one!
Brian Schwager: Short and Sweet
Hello, I play in multiple bands in Des Moines, Iowa. Here’s what I got goin’ on my pedalboard:
- British Pedal Company Zonk Machine
- TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Mini
- Ceriatone Centura
- Greer Amps Lightspeed
- Danelectro BillionaireBig Spender Spinning Speaker
- Boss (XTS Custom Mods) GE-7 Equalizer
- JHS Pedals Lucky Cat Delay
- Strymon Flint
- Lehle P-Split (under the raiser, top right)
Drew Smith: Three is the Magic Number
I love these reader pedalboards: I hope you feature my board! I’m in a psychedelic punk-blues duo called Phantom Ocean, based out of New England. We’re heavily indebted to alternative music from the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s, and because there’s only two of us, my wife on drums and me on guitar, I keep my rig pretty tight. I need a few solid guitar tones and tend not to dip into too much modulation. To that end, my board right now only has three pedals: tuner, dirt, and delay.
For a tuner, I’ve got a Snark because it’s economical and does the job right. For dirt, I’ve got a Chicago Stompworks Mr. Vermin, their version of a Pro Co RAT, and it’s the best RAT I’ve ever tried. The first time I plugged into this thing, I finally understood why the RAT is so beloved by so many guitarists whose ears I respect. It really covers such a broad swathe of tones, from overdrive to straight-up fuzz. And then the TC Electronic Flashback is my favorite delay. I’ve never had one fail on me, you can get such a variety of sounds, and the TonePrint feature is always there to craft something really wild.
I round the board out with an XVive U2 wireless system, because I hate accidentally dragging cables across my board and freedom of movement onstage is a joy (even if I spend half the set near the mic anyway). I also use one of (Premier Guitar Senior Editor) Ted Drozdowski’s Rocky Mountain signature slides for my slide-guitar work.
Ernie Santella: Does-It-All Board
I built this pedalboard for my classic-rock cover band Wasted on the Young, out in Colorado. We cover everything from Bonnie Raitt to Stevie Ray Vaughan to ZZ Top to Maroon 5. So, I had to have a pedalboard that would fit just about anything our band needed to play. I think I achieved that. I have it all right underfoot at all times. I’m old-school and wanted to stay analog for the input side and then just a little digital on the effects loop side to keep the size down and give me the most bang for the space. I used a few mini pedals, but only if they sounded as good as their larger brethren.
I run my guitars (Heritage H-150, RS Guitarworks T-Style and S-Style, PRS Custom 24) with a single wireless. The Boss WL-50 is nice and clear-sounding with long battery life. Best part is, it auto-mutes when you unplug it, allowing for faster, noiseless guitar swaps.
The board is a Temple Duo 24, which is a great size and not too gnarly to carry. The wireless goes into the Dunlop Cry Baby Junior Wah (a classic-sounding wah with a slightly smaller size), then into the Korg Pitchblack, which is a nice and bright LED tuner, even outdoors. The tuner feeds the Xotic SP Compressor for some clean spank when needed. Next are three pedals for different levels of boost. Depending on the amp setting, the three boosts work differently. The Emerson EM-Drive is great for a quick Marshall-in-a-Box crunch tone. The Bogner Wessex is my over-the-top overdrive that has a nice compression to it. Lastly, the Wampler Tumnus is a Klon killer and is great for adding clean lead boost to anything, just by adding level and not too much gain.
I run that into a Hughes & Kettner GrandMeister 36 head. The amp is all analog, but digitally controlled by MIDI. So, technically, you have 128 amp presets. I use a cheap ActitioN 8-button MIDI controller I found on Reverb for amp presets. From spanky clean to OMG gain. It’s like having an 8-channel amp! I can just step through 8 levels of gain in increments.
The effects loop of the amp feeds the Way Huge Smalls Blue Hippo set to the Joe Bonamassa-approved chorus setting that gives a killer rotary-speaker tone. Then, into the Line 6 M9 for chorus, tremolo, flange, and spring reverb for the many different tunes we play. Lastly, the clock for keeping us on schedule during a gig. We’ve been known to jam out and forget the set schedule! Hope you like it!
Fernando Diaz: Clean, Mean Maximalist
Greetings! Here is the current iteration of my pedalboard. It’s powered by a Strymon Zuma, and two Strymon Ojai expansion kits.
The chain is as follows:- Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Multi-Wah
- Basic Audio Scarab Deluxe
- King Tone Octaland Mini
- Spaceman Sputnik III
- TC Electronic PolyTune 3 Mini
- Paul Cochrane Timmy
- Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (with Alchemy Audio mod)
- Browne Amplification Protein
- Barber Electronics Gain Changer SR
- Hudson Electronics Broadcast
- Land Devices HP-2
- Greer Amps Supa Cobra
- Keeley Katana Boost
- Walrus Audio Julia V1
- Dreadbox Komorebi
- JHS Pedals Panther Cub V2
- Neunaber Immerse Reverberator Mk II
Jelle Veirman: Booze Protected
This is the gear I use almost daily, playing a wide range of genres in different cover bands, from classic rock to contemporary music. I had to figure out a way to get the most out of my Stratocaster and Les Paul through one compact system and protect my gear against drunk people and their booze.
This is my rack configuration:
Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Booster, Ibanez TS9 (overdrive for the Strat), Boss SD-1 (overdrive for the Les Paul), Joyo Clean Glass preamp, DOD FX40B Equalizer, Rockman Sustainor (Strat crunch and leads), Rockman Distortion Generator (Les Paul crunch and leads), Rocktron Patchmate Loop 8, Rocktron MIDI Mate, Electro-Harmonix Expression Pedal, Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, TC Electronic G-Major effects processor, Alesis DEQ 2-channel Equalizer (pre- and post-Rockman EQ), and a Mooer Macro Power Supply. Going into the effects return (power amp) of my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III.
JR Emmett: String Monkey
This is my humble submission for your Reader Pedalboard feature. This is my personal board, which serves as a demonstrator to my clients of what can be done with a pedalboard to make it convenient and versatile as well as supporting my own practice and performance needs. When I’m not playing guitar, I’m a one-man shop (String Monkey Technical Services) providing guitar repair and custom fabrication services to the North Texas music community.
Signal chain:
Wireless or cable -> Boss TU-2 -> General Guitar Gadgets Stratoblaster -> Boss BD-2 Blues Driver -> Dunlop 535Q Multi-Wah -> amp input
Amp FX send -> MXR Phase 95 -> Boss CE-5 Chorus -> Boss LS-2 (mixes signals from two Boss DD-3 Digital Delays run in parallel) -> Boss TR-2 Tremolo -> amp FX return
Other Features:
- Pedaltrain Novo 24 board
- Truetone 1 SPOT Pro CS7 Power Supply
- Built-in mic stand holder (upper right, repurposed flagpole mount)
- String Monkey patch bay with color-coded loom for easy signal hookup
- String Monkey repackaged amp-channel switcher (original was too big)
- String Monkey acrylic wah baseplate with mechanical clamp to Pedaltrain rails
- Talent DI Box with cabinet simulator and patch cables for direct to PA connection
- Soldered interconnect using Mogami bulk cable and Switchcraft phono plugs
Keith Paul: Bass Board
Hello PG! I just wanted to share my bass pedalboard that I use in my band Dumb Waiter, from Richmond, Virginia. Keep up the great content, I love the Rig Rundowns! Stay well.
Signal Chain:
- TC Electronic PolyTune Mini
- Boss OC-2 Octave
- Meris Enzo with preset switch
- Electro-Harmonix Ravish Sitar
- Nunez Amps Annex Bass Channel
- Fuzzrocious The Demon
- DOD Gunslinger
- MXR M85 Bass Distortion
- Boss CE-2W Chorus
- Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
- MXR M300 Reverb
Marco Fumagalli: Pandemic Pedalboard
I am from Italy and living in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is my pedalboard during the first wave of lockdown in 2020. I used to play in bands, but now I do it for my own pleasure. Playing the guitar and shaping the sound of it is a way for me to escape and relax. I don’t really play a specific type of music, but my root is blues.
Pictured: Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man, Fulltone Mini Deja’Vibe, Klon KTR, Fulltone Octafuzz, Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah, two Gibson SGs, and a ’97 Fender Voodoo Strat from the greatly missed Mr. Soren Venema of the legendary Palm Guitars shop in Amsterdam.
Raghav Govindarajan: Nerding Out
I’m a huge fan of the Premier Guitar platform. My boss at the music school I work at and I frequently nerd out over the Rig Rundowns, so thank you for that! Figured I’d toss my pedalboard up. I have decided to update it since this photo, but my new pedals won’t be in until next week most likely.
The pedal chain from right to left is:
- DigiTech Drop
- Wampler Ego Compressor V2
- Dr. Scientist The Elements Distortion (Gold Bar Edition)
- Wampler Pantheon Overdrive
- Boss EQ-200 Graphic Equalizer
- Swindler Effects The Gulf Chorus V2
- Strymon Iridium
- Source Audio Collider Delay+Reverb
The output of the Wampler Ego goes into input A of the EQ-200, and output A goes into the Elements. The output of the Pantheon goes into the input B of the EQ-200, and output B goes into the Iridium. This lets me shape my sound pre- and post-gain.
Thanks for letting me nerd out about my board for a few minutes! And thank you for all that you do for the guitar community and musicians. Rig Rundowns really are the best part of my week/month and I love discovering new artists and players from it. It’s like the guitar player’s NPR Tiny Desk!
Robby Hovie: Going North
Greetings from Northern Michigan! Here’s my rig for my work in the band Levitator. Thanks!
In order:
- Modtone MT-PT1 Chromatic Tuner
- Electro-Harmonix Ravish Sitar
- Boss FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster
- Keeley Fuzz Bender
- JHS Pedals SuperBolt V1
- JHS Pedals Honey Comb Deluxe
- Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
- Moog MF-105 MoogerFooger MIDI MuRF
- MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe
- Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
Sebastian DiPietro: The Full Package
Here is a picture of my pedalboard, along with my amp and guitars, to give a complete view of my rig.
Pedalboard:
Xotic XW-1 Wah -> DigiTech Whammy V -> Analog Man Bi-CompROSSor Rev5 -> Electro-Harmonix POG2 -> Analog Man King of Tone -> Analog Man Sun Face BC109B -> GFI System Synesthesia -> Empress Effects Echosystem -> Empress Effects Reverb -> Electro-Harmonix 22500 Dual Stereo Looper -> Amp or Strymon Iridium
Guitars and Amp:
- Guild S70
- Guild S300D
- Booya! Amplifiers 27-watt combo with a Celestion G12H-75 Creamback
Cables:
- Caulfield Cables (light blue guitar/amp cables)
- Audioblast Cables (patch cables)
Steve Gorospe: All Styles
I play in the American Music Company Band covering songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s, with most of the focus on 1950s rock ’n’ roll and 1960s R&B and soul. But that also includes blues and some old-school country. I spent my teen years through the 1980s, so ’70s guitar rock and ’80s stadium rock are a huge part of my musical life. I built a pedalboard that works for me to cover all these styles and material.
Pedals in series in the order below:
- Vertex Steel String
- Wampler Tumnus
- JHS Pedals Sweet Tea V3
- TC Electronic Sub N Up Octaver
- JHS Pedals Series 3 Phaser
- Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble
- Boss DC-2W Dimension C Waza Craft
- Strymon Lex Rotary
- MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe
- JHS Pedals The Milkman
- Boss FRV-1 ’63 Fender Reverb
- Mesa/Boogie High-Wire Dual Buffer (input and output)
- Boss TU-12H High-Range Chromatic Tuner (hooked to the tuner output of the Mesa High-Wire)
Thomas Madera: Tribute to Eddie
I’m a guitarist in Las Vegas, Nevada. My stompbox setup is mostly a tribute to Eddie Van Halen, but this board is great for tons of rock/metal tones, lead or rhythm. It includes: an Echoplex EP101 Preamp, Echoplex EP103 Delay, a reissue MXR Script Phase 90, MXR EVH117 Flanger, MXR EVH 5150 Chorus, Wampler Pinnacle Distortion, Mad Professor 1 Distortion/Reverb, and a TC Electronic Brainwaves Pitch Shifter. Everything is routed into a GigRig Quartermaster QMX 8 switcher and powered by a Truetone 1 SPOT Pro CS12.