Finally finished my pedal board-part two

[reissue]

I started the project the week before Xmas and wasn't really satisfied with the configuration or the tone I was getting. Bad part was it got expensive fast, I had to put it on hold while I decided what pedals would round out the board. I ended up taking it apart thinking I would re-do the cabling with the hopes of reducing the noise. As it turned out I didn't want to spend the time messing with the cabling knowing I would be pulling it apart when I had the cash to buy the rest of the pedals.

So far so good, I was able to take the noise supressor out of the chain with the new cabling, I used the George L's .155 solderless stuff with right angle plugs. That stuff is expensive but worth it. I originally had the pedals velcro'd the the board but it didn't work too good with pedals that had a rubber bottom, many people strip the rubber off but I didn't want to alter or deface the pedals incase I decide to sell any later. I used long wire ties instead to keep things secure and neat.

Anyway, I finally decided on a configuration and I got it done tonight after I bought the last three pedals and took a few out I was using before that didn't work out. It's a MKS Pedal Pad XL with the Power Pad power supply and the Patch Pad loop and out.

The top shelf from the left.
Ibanez DE-7-Ibanez FL-9 reissue-MI Audio Crunch Box-Homebrew Compressor Retro

The bottom shelf from the left
Planet Waves tuner-Barber Launch Pad (clean boost)-MXR Phase 90-Homebrew THC chorus-MJM Blues Devil-Crybaby

The noise and hum was reduced to a comfortable level and I like all the pedals, the MI Crunch Box is way freakin' cool.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f272/dave2512/DSC00933.jpg

[Munga]

I like the looks of that. No signal loss?

[reissue]

Discernable by ear, not that I can tell. The tuner is out of the chain, most of the pedals are true bypass and there is less than 6' of cabling on the board. Speaking of cabling, the good stuff makes a HUGE difference. Many people bad mouth George L's, either because of the cost or because it is somewhat difficult to use. But that reduced the noise and improved the signal significantly. Using good cables into the board and out to the amp is a must as well, so many people make the mistake of using crappy cables and their tone and signal suffers.

I did alot of research to get where I'm at now. I bought the pedals that were quiet and didn't affect tone when off. I used high grade cabling. The board's built in power supply keeps AC hum in check. I can use the Barber Launch Pad to feed the chain if I feel the signal drops.

It wasn't easy, it wasn't cheap but it was worth it.

The only change I might make is the delay but until I find something better it stays.

[scott powell]

NICE! i like the way you did that board, and i LOVE the pedals !http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g236/rbnum1fan/love.gif

[Munga]

Sounds like you got it all planned out. Looks like you probably got a professional pedal board laid out. Is it heavy? :p

[reissue]

If anyone is intereted.

Before

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f272/dave2512/DSC00851.jpg

After

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f272/dave2512/DSC00933.jpg

As you can see it took me a while to get the mess sorted out. I found out the hard way, assembling a board is more than just plugging in pedals and sticking them on. It was more than organization too, getting it to sound good was the tough part.

[reissue]

Is it heavy? :p

Way heavy, probably around 60 lbs :rotf: .

[daniel2001]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f272/dave2512/DSC00933.jpg


I like that board a lot, lots of very good pedals, lots of HBE, always a good thing.

I'm thinking of getting a Demeter Compulator, but not until I've tried that HBE Compressor.

Nicely done, I was considering a Pedal Pad, but for my needs, it was just too big.

[reissue]

The MKS XL is a huge board, I really don't come close to using all the space on mine but I will likely add a volume pedal and maybe a tremolo at some point so I wanted to have room for expansion. I actually have the volume pedal but I wasn't sure I need it so I left it off for now. The MPS model is quite a bit smaller, if you haven't checked it out it's worth a look. The big plus for the MKS stuff for me was how it was built, as far as pre-built modular boards go it's the best design, IMO of course.

Do look at the HBE CR before you settle on a compressor. I spent several hours with the CR, a Keeley and the Barber Tone Press before I settled on the CR. They advertise it as the compressor you can leave on all the time and it's true, very transparent.

[shiggity]

I love pedal boards, lookin good ish! what is the total cost of it?

[reissue]

It was an expensive project, around $1500 with cabling. Now that it is done I feel it was worth it. I love the modulation effects and the OD boxes I have are great as well.

[shiggity]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/sean6954/IMG_3944.jpg
We have some simiar tastes, except you like your tuner!:D I agree with the cable statement, I have to get some more george l's connectors to finish off my board.

[reissue]

Nice board :). I ended up with about 18' feet of extra George L's and 8 right angle plugs. I'm going to see if I can return it or exchange for something.

[shiggity]

you wanna sell, I am looking to order some.

[daniel2001]

I need to try that HBE Compressor.

[shiggity]

I love mine, I leave it on 100% of the time. there isnt really any reason for it to be true bypass if you never shut it off :D

[reissue]

No doubt the CPR is a great box, I leave mine on all the time too. I have 2 HBE boxes and both are awesome, I'd buy more from them without hesitation. The guy that owns HBE is cool too, he offered to mod my chorus for free when I inquired about installing a level pot.

[mean]

hey you said you might change the delay. whats wrong with the ibanez model? i heard it and i thought it sounded pretty alright

[reissue]

I don't really have an issue with the DE-7, it does alot of things and does it well. Durability seems to be the complaint with those but so far I haven't had a problem. However my needs are just the vintage style analog delay, for that I might invest in an Echoplex.

[genereaux]

How do you like the pedal mounting system they use? I build (literally- cut & skin the wood, edging and mounts) my own boards, and walked away from velcro a long time ago. The way I came up with is 1/2" X 2" mending plates screwed straight to the deck (but spaced w/washers) to run the zip-tie through. Then place the pedal on and crank the zip-tie around it.
When I saw the Pedal Pad method, I thought it similar, but seems like it would add more weight. But I haven't seen one in person, so I couldn't really say.

sg

[reissue]

I like the way the you can mount the pedals and I think a person could do some handywork if they wanted to do it a different way. I nearly drilled holes on the aluminum pads to make snugging the ties up a little neater but in the end I decided not to. The ties are really tight just using the existing space between the plates.

IMO the pedal pad is a great design that could be improved on, the biggest drawback is the weight. As far as functionality I've yet to see a better design in a store bought board, I've seen some custom stuff that is incredible.

[genereaux]

Well, the problem with store bought is it has function across a broader spectrum to hold any mass marketability.

But I think I would drilled the plates for th zip-ties also. Was that board design for zip-ties or velcro?

I need to re make my boards, so maybe I'll post pics as I go.

But here's my pic's from the other pedal board thread;
http://guitar.zentao.com/forum/showthread.php?p=719802#post719802


sg

[Sixstring]

Cool board! Are you running through an FX loop or straight in or both?

[reissue]

Well, the problem with store bought is it has function across a broader spectrum to hold any mass marketability.

But I think I would drilled the plates for th zip-ties also. Was that board design for zip-ties or velcro?

I need to re make my boards, so maybe I'll post pics as I go.

But here's my pic's from the other pedal board thread;
http://guitar.zentao.com/forum/showthread.php?p=719802#post719802


sg

Cool board.

The MKS came with velcro and I originally used that, it worked fine. I did it the wrong way though. I've since seen some boards where guys are running 2 long strips across each tier east to west. That way you can move pedals around easier instead of being limited to just a small patch of velcro under the pedal. I have some of the heaviest velcro, it's designed to be used on bricks and other odd surfaces so it's super freakin' sticky. I still opted for the ties, it's just so much easier to use, assembly was much faster with the ties. If I thought I'd stay with a steady configuration I'd drill the holes, I actually bought a titanium bit and had my drill out but decided against it.

[reissue]

Cool board! Are you running through an FX loop or straight in or both?

It depends on what amp I use. At home I use my VJ, no loop on that amp. When I use my Traynor I use the loop. The MKS has a patch bay specifically for using a loop with send and return, it's so nice for that.

[Sixstring]

How do you split out the pedals... what do you loop and in what order?