the-working-guitarist

Using Pedals And Maintaining Good Tone

Peter Thorn discusses the available options for setting up a killer pedalboard that doesn''t kill your primary tone.

It’s interesting, how we guitarists evolve in not only our playing, but also in our rig setups. Some guys like to plug straight into a great amp, with the least amount of stuff between their fingers and the speakers. And others, such as the Edge from U2, develop a penchant for using elaborate chains of effects, sometimes into multiple amps that can be switched in and out at will.

I fall somewhere in the middle of these extremes. While punk, blues, or jazz players might be able to get away with plugging straight into the amp, most working musicians in the rock, pop, R&B, or country genres need at least some effects—plus, they’re fun! But there’s a price to pay when you add effects to your setup: your core tone can suffer. This month, we’ll look at how to maintain a great base tone while adding pieces to your signal chain.

Of course, pedals won’t help an already mediocre core tone, so it’s important that you are happy with your amp and guitar of choice before delving into the other variables of the equation. Assuming you love your guitar-to-amp tone, let’s get into the particulars.

Incorporating Buffers
We could go on and on about the topic of true bypass vs. buffered, but I’m not looking to proclaim one as “better”—there is a time and place to use each type.

A buffer or buffered bypass pedal (which buffers your signal even when the effect is off) at a strategic point in your signal chain can help maintain your core tone when running through lengths of pedals and cables. They help drive long cable lengths by converting your guitar signal to a lower impedance. I’m a big believer in having a buffer somewhere towards the beginning of my chain of effects and also right at the end to drive the cable going to the amp input. However, some pedals do not play nice with buffers in front of them! Fuzz pedals of the germanium variety, for example, want to see your unadulterated guitar signal straight from the pickups and volume pot of your guitar. So if you use a fuzz, place it early in your effect chain and only put buffered bypass pedals after it.

Too many buffered bypass pedals can create a cumulative effect tonally, creating a harsh sound. It’s all about experimenting and balance. If you’re running four or five true-bypass pedals with 40 or 50 feet of cable total, you can get a dedicated buffer pedal to restore lost signal. I dig the Buff Puff, from Tone Freak Effects, but there are a variety of similar pedals out there—try a few and decide what sounds best for you.

Simple True-Bypass Switchers
One of the best ways to maintain your core tone is to switch all effects pedals out of line when you are not using them using a true-bypass loop switcher. The most basic true-bypass switchers will give you an input, an output, and one send and one return jack, and an on/off switch. You patch all your pedals in between the send and return, and when you hit the switch to the on position, your signal runs through the pedals. In the off position, the input of the loop pedal passes directly to the output, bypassing all your effects. The Road Rage 1-Channel True-Bypass Pedal or Lehle Little Lehle are simple tools for accomplishing this type of switching.

Keep in mind though, if you are running more than 30 feet of cable, even with the true-bypass looper engaged (and you probably are—at least a 10-foot cable from your guitar to your pedals and a 20-foot cable from your pedals to your amp is common) then you are going to have some capacitance, and resulting high-end loss. So a good buffer is still recommended.

More Loops!
True-bypass loop switchers allow you to connect all the individual pedals on your board to individual true-bypass loops, or perhaps in groups of 2-3 pedals or more per loop.

Once again, the advantages of using a loop switcher are that you are not running through all the extra jacks, cabling, and circuitry (in the case of non-true-bypass pedals) when not using the pedals. Your guitar goes into the switcher, and if none of the loops are engaged, it goes directly out of the switcher to your amp, possibly with a good buffer in between, to make sure your tone makes it from the board to the amp in good shape. Voodoo Lab’s Pedal Switcher and the Road Rage multi-loop switcher (pictured above) are just a few of the available options in this category.

Go MIDI
MIDI switching systems, in my opinion, are the ultimate tool in controlling your effects while maintaining your tone. They Incorporate loops for effects, but they are also programmable, allowing you to store preset combinations of your effects, and because they have MIDI they also allow you to switch MIDI-controlled effects as well. Some feature dedicated outputs for a tuner, expression pedal inputs, relay switching to channel switch your amp, 9-volt powered outs to power your pedals, switchable internal buffers, etc. Options in this category include TC Electronic’s G System, which also incorporates its own internal effects, Musicomlab’s MK3 switcher/MIDI controller, Glab’s GSC-3, and RJM Music’s Effect Gizmo and MasterMind controller.

Personally, I really like having the ability to have pedals on the floor in front of you like a traditional pedalboard, but with the added bonus of MIDI control and presets, proper buffering, etc.

When I toured with Chris Cornell in 2008, I used the board below built around the TC Electronic G-System.

So Many Choices
In so many ways, it’s a great time to be a guitarist. On top of limitless options for effects, now there are nearly as many ways to put them together. So whether you go in line with a buffer, a single true-bypass loop, a multi-loop setup, or an intricate MIDI system make sure to keep these two key points in mind:

1. Make maintaining a great guitar-to-amp “core tone” a prerequisite.

2. Assemble all the pedals you’d like to incorporate into your rig, and then invest in high-quality power supplies and cables to keep the signal as pure as possible before assessing your switching options.

3. Experiment with true-bypass loop switchers and/or buffers to keep your core tone strong and true, and determine whether the convenience of having presets is worth the expense of a pro-level MIDI system.

Good luck, and rock on!

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Inside a Session Gig

Taking instructions, reading music, and prepping your gear.

In the last two “Working Guitarist” segments, I’ve answered questions from members of The Gear Page web forum [“Ask a Working Guitarist, Part 1” and “Part 2”], and also answered questions from Premier Guitar readers. This month, I’m going to dig deeper into studio work, thanks to some specific questions from TGP member Jhumber. Let’s jump right in.

How do you decipher instructions from a producer? For instance, if someone gives you a "can you give this a Kelly Clarkson vibe," what does that trigger in your brain? Both in terms of parts, and gear, I guess. And how about the more abstract "can you make this float more?"-style input?

No two producers are the same, and in fact, no two gigs are the same. That goes for sessions as well. So being able to adapt to different situations is a great skill to nurture. Some producers are easy to understand, while others can be really confusing. I once had a producer say to me, “It’s not right, and I have no idea what will make it better.” Ugh. What do you do with that?

With regards to directing you towards a specific vibe or style, those types of directions can be very helpful. If someone says “Coldplay,” I immediately think of droning chorus melody hook guitar parts. If they say “U2,” I think of dotted 8th delays coming from an EHX Memory Man and a Vox AC30. The list goes on. Your iPod, iPad, or laptop can be a great studio asset! If a producer references a certain track or band that's unfamiliar, you can call up a song or two on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube and take a quick listen.

Abstract instructions can also be hit or miss. The main thing is this: keep an open mind and don’t get discouraged. If the first thing you try isn’t received favorably, don’t get frustrated. Shrug it off and immediately try something else, without taking it personally. The producer and everyone else on the session will note your perseverance and positive attitude, and eventually you’ll hit on a cool part that will work.

Do you get asked to read much in the studio?

I read charts sometimes, but I’m terrible at reading notation, unfortunately. So if a session requires me to read, I would be inclined to bow out. This has never happened though. Most rock and pop music sessions don’t require you to read. Film dates do, but I’m not in that world. I highly recommend learning to read, and it’s something I plan on studying at some point.

Are you normally the only guitarist on a date (and therefore doing the whole track), or are you called in to give an almost-done track some PT-fairy dust?

Once again, no two sessions are the same. I do quite a bit of work out of my home studio, emailing tracks back and forth, so in these instances I am the only guitarist (unless there are guitars already on the track). As far as studio dates, It's probably an even split—sometimes I’m solo and other times there are two or even three of us. Working with other guitarists is really enjoyable for me, because it allows me to play off someone else’s ideas and also to learn new approaches that I can add to my arsenal for future sessions.

Are you usually given free reign on the gear you use, or are producers at your level saying "grab your Strat"?

Hate to sound like a broken record, but it varies. Linda Perry has an amazing collection of instruments, amps, and effects at her Kung Fu Gardens studio, and I know I can show up there for a session and be all set gear-wise. I think she really likes to say, “Grab the Fender 12-string electric and the Vox AC15, and come up with something.” And I enjoy the challenge of getting knocked out of my comfort zone. It’s really interesting to plug into a completely unfamiliar rig and just see what happens. That said, I have a pretty extensive collection myself, and it’s also fun for me to hear a bare track, and imagine how to fill it up with parts and tones, using my choice of gear. This is why I enjoy tracking in my own studio so much—it’s like my playground! I get to be “me” without someone looking over my shoulder. And nine times out of 10, producers are usually very happy with what I send them, sometimes suggesting small changes, but sometimes not. I think this is because producers usually hire you to be you. They want your thing, and that goes for your parts and your tones—your instincts, basically.

Any other “studio tricks” you use?

Sure, here’s a quick list of tried-and-true tips:

  • When doubling a part, always vary the tone slightly, be it by using a different pickup setting, a different guitar, or varying the amp tone slightly. This will create a more complex doubled sound.
  • Instead of tracking a 12-string acoustic part, try tracking a 6-string acoustic and doubling it with a guitar strung for “Nashville tuning” (just the high strings of a 12-string set). The result can be a great alternative to the 12-string sound, and you can balance the 6 and 12 for the right blend of “fundamental” and “chime.”
  • If an amp sounds great in the room but is too bright or dark when mic’d, learn to move the mic instead of changing the tone controls on the amp to achieve the desired tone. Closer to the center of the speaker is brighter; closer to the edge is darker.
  • Always have a slide, a capo, and a wide selection of picks when going to a session, along with any other studio gizmos you can think of—Ebow, pedals, etc. 
That's all for this month! If you have any questions about life as a working guitarist—in the studio or onstage—feel free to leave them in the comments section.

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Ask A Working Guitarist, Part 2: Staying Creative and Juggling Gigs

How to keep things fresh while touring and what to do when you find yourself faced with a variety of gigs.

Last month, I solicited questions from readers on the online forum thegearpage.net regarding being a working guitarist. This month, I’ll provide longer answers to two great questions I received from readers about staying creative on tour and how to manage a number of different gigs.

How do you keep from getting stale as a player when you're on tour playing the same tunes night after night? Do you maintain a practice schedule or at least block out time to push yourself musically/creatively? – Andre Timothy

Great question! It really depends on your band and situation. If it’s up to you and your band, you can consciously choose to not be stale. My buddy Jorgen Carlsson is the bassist in Gov’t Mule, and those guys are constantly pushing themselves musically. They have a massive repertoire, with something like 14 albums out, and in addition to their own material they are always doing covers and having people sit in, which always creates challenges. Every Halloween they do a theme set, like when they performed the entire Who album Who’s Next at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California in 2010. They asked me to perform an entire 12-song set of Seattle grunge classics with them on New Year’s Eve in 2008, and it was an honor for me. We had one rehearsal—hardly enough time to hit each song once. But they are such good musicians, so tuned in to listening and playing with one another, that you realize when jamming with them that mistakes don’t really exist in their world. They see mistakes as musical opportunities! The gig was a total blast. My point is, no two Mule gigs are ever the same, and that is a conscious choice on their part. I find their approach inspiring.

Now if you aren’t in a situation like that, maybe you can at least vary your set a little from night to night, and/or create moments in the set where spontaneity is the goal—moments to just jam and stretch. We have lots of these moments in a Melissa Etheridge set. She really likes spontaneity and creativity on the gig. You could also suggest to your bandmates to try setting aside 20 minutes to jam or work on new material at the end of each soundcheck.

As far as a personal practice schedule, I really don’t have one. I try and always have a small amp backstage (I use a Roland Micro Cube) and I’ll warm up for an hour or so before each gig. Now that there are great amp modelers for laptops and the iPhone and iPad, all you really need is an interface and some headphones and you have the makings of a great little mobile practice/recording rig. Sometimes it can be hard to discipline myself to sit down and practice while on the road, but with all these tools and resources we have available, once I bear down and get into it, I find it hard to stop playing.

Could you talk a bit about how you handle all of your working guitarist jobs, and managing your time? I mean, you do gear demo videos (good ones by the way), you are touring, you record your tones, your look for audiences, you write guitar articles, and of course you have a life with your family. What are some tips on how to manage time and not lose opportunities, and more importantly, how to find opportunities to be a working guitarist? Cheers and congrats about your job and character. – Fabio Ometto

Thanks Fabio!

Well, basically I’ve found that I have to be as disciplined as possible in managing my time, because I’m essentially self-employed and no one else will do it for me. If I have a tour coming up, and I have material to learn, I budget my time far in advance so I will be prepared when I walk into rehearsals. If I have to complete a gear demo video for a pedal company, I do my best to prioritize, working on the video before tackling any other projects I have going. When it came to completing my album, I just had to work on it whenever I could, between tours and sessions.

When I find out about an audition for a gig I really want, I tend to drop everything and prioritize learning and practicing the material until it’s really second nature. When I was asked to audition for Chris Cornell it was 12:30 a.m., and I had to be at the rehearsal studio at noon the next day for the audition! I had to learn five songs and grab some sleep—that was a real cram-fest, and I put learning the music above sleeping—but it worked out. You do what you have to do.

As for finding opportunities, I tend to try and create my own these days. The gear demo thing is a good example. I noticed a lot of people were uploading homemade videos to YouTube, and I realized that it’d be a great medium for demonstrating equipment. I reasoned that if I were to record the video and audio professionally and really play things that showed off the specific piece of gear I was demoing, I’d be performing a service both for the maker of the product and for the potential customer, helping them know what to expect out of a product. The videos I made became popular, and making them has become a part of being a “working guitarist” for me. So I essentially created the opportunity for myself, using some of the modern tech that is now available to us all. Try and think “outside of the box,” and create your own niche.

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