Custom Pedal Boards vs BOSS GT-10

Which is best? Stomp box effects or a multi-effector like the BOSS GT-10? If you are gigging a lot this summer, here's how to make the call. Left Keeley's Fuzz Head and Digitech's - Scott Ian Signature multi effect pedal.

One of the main travel issues bands have to contend with is portability and weight. My acoustic rig consists of: A Fender Passport PD-500, (mixer is built in), an Audio-Technica Wireless Guitar System & AE5400 condenser vocal mic, Fender Wireless Headworn Mic, BOSS Dr. 3 Drum & Bass Machine, T.C. Helicon mic preamps, Martin D-16 and HD-28 acoustic guitars with pick ups, Autoharp with pickup.

My electric rig hauls a: Tech21 NYC Trademark 60 guitar amp, Fender Stratocaster, Keeley Fuzz Head, Keeley Compressor, BOSS Digital Delay, Ibanez WD-7 Wah Pedal OR the BOSS GT-10 with the same mics and sound support systems as listed above. So you can see that I can get most of all the same effects and more in the signal chain that I wish with the BOSS GT-10.

Still there is a place for home grown pedal boards. Most bands either have them custom made or set them up themselves such as the one here below by Jon Falk, a guitarist for the band 40Winx.

Home Grown Pedal Boards

You can see here that Jon has his pedals in the order he prefers and spaced for easy access during the set. The Volume pedal is over on the left but many guitarists have their Wah / Volume pedals on the opposite side of the board on the right. Still this is the beauty of making your own. One size does not fit all and this guitarist's preferences come first. The result? Mr. Falk was hitting his switches with ease and confidence throughout the concert. This band does many classic rock covers from the Beatles to Fleetwood Mac to Neil Diamond to the Black Crowes. When you have to cover that many styles, these pedals are almost a necessity to capturing the original "tone" of the guitar leads. With out them, a cover band could not pull off the "flavor" of the song they are trying to recreate.


BOSS GT-10 Multi-Effector

The BOSS GT-10 offers some of the same options as a custom or hand made pedal board. For example, you can order the pedals in a specific sequence or allow BOSS to do it for you by using one of the factory presets. Notice too that the volume/expression pedal is over on the right. If that is not to your liking, well you're sort of stuck with it!

Another thing that I noted with the BOSS GT-10 is that while many of the 400 + presets are good, they will often vary in volume. You'll be playing Texas Crunch and then switch to another preset and have a huge drop off in volume. So switching effortlessly between presets as shown in the BOSS videos is really just hype. Some of the presets are so much hotter than the others that they can cause major feedback should you want to plug in an acoustic. This even happens when you are trying the ultra clean channels.

The Wrap

You really have to judge for yourself which option is best. I like the fact that the GT-10 is a all-in-one multi-effector with more cabinets, amps, modeling and effects than I'll ever use. Still, it has its limitations. If you can keep it clean and sweet, I would recommend building your own pedal board for the road and powering it with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power II. This will mean, no surprises and you will most likely be more comfortable finding and hitting the switches you yourself have put in place. Read our down and dirty article on how to build your own pedal board with tips on sequencing your pedals right here: Guitar Pedals Get the Effect & check this video below showing some of the features of the BOSS GT-10.

Eclectic Sound TV's HD Video Demo of the BOSS GT-10

Best Guitar Gear for 2009 - Guitar Pedals

Creation Audio Lab's Holy Fire Overdrive and Distortion pedal gives you that warm, tube-driven tone for your guitar or bass.

We've chosen the most versatile pedals to give you the most bang for the buck. These are also the essential stompboxes no respectable pedal board should be without. After playing for a while, you'll find that you've collected a case full of pedals but only use a few on stage. You may also find that you'll only get one tone using the same sequence of boxes on your pedal board. While there is a logical order to using foot pedals, you needn't be bound by them. Looking for a warm vintage tube sound? The Holy Fire distortion / overdrive pedal offers a tube driven tone for both guitar and bass players. Want to switch it up? Keeley Electronics allows the most adjustments due to their under the hood and topside trim knobs.


Holy Fire by Creation Audio Labs

Often times you'll need to streamline your pedal board so that set up is quicker and you have better control over your tone. Look at the rigs of seasoned players like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, who has been quoted saying, "Sometimes when you start from an area of complexity, a composition can be crushed under its own weight". You'll see that they do not have overly cluttered pedal boards. Yes, they utilize rack mount units but their on the floor set up is often quite simple. How do they do it? They get the most versatile, key pedals and then tweak them for the tone they are looking for. The Holy Fire pedal pictured here comes with an AC adapter but I run all of my other pedals off a VooDoo Lab Pedal Power Plus II power source. This means less wires and clutter. The Holy Fire Pedal imparts a tube like warmth to your rig. With four control knobs topside, it is easy to adjust for your signature tone. Gain, overdrive and distortion levels are all very easy to dial in with their topside controls. Amazing sound out of this one box but its even better when coupled with the Keeley Fuzz Head. Very unique pedal looks like it's on fire behind the letters! It does get warm. Solid built, it is very gig-worthy. Made in America and now available by direct sale to musicians. Visit Creation Audio Labs online at: http://www.creationaudiolabs.com/

Keeley Electronics Compressor

This is perhaps the best compressor you can get! A compressor is actually an amplifier so it should go in the front of your signal chain. Put it before the Fuzz Head and/or the Holy Fire pedals. Compression is so important to your tone. Without it, your performance lacks the guts and attack necessary for soaring leads and blistering riffs.
My VL4, (Vocalist Live), signal processor has compression built in and I've come to appreciate it on vocals. Here Keeley offers the same killer effect but for your guitar. If you would like to record, I would recommend their 4 Knob Compressor as adjustments are easier to make topside. Built like a brick. Made with pride in the U.S.A. with Keeley's ice blue light.
Visit Keeley Electronics online at: http://www.keeleyelectronics.com

Keeley Fuzz Head

Keeley's Fuzz Head is what we recommend to be paired with the Holy Fire distortion/overdrive pedal. Why? Well, the Fuzz Head on its own terms, is an amazing fuzz pedal. There is no doubt about that. Still, when coupled with a serious distortion pedal like Holy Fire, it literally sings forever! The synergy is incredible. I found that the sustain you get when using the Fuzz Head next to a distortion pedal is unreal. So place it after the Holy Fire on the way to your amp and try a classic metal or rock riff like Smoke on the Water. In fact all of the Keeley pedals we've tested have worked extremely well with other pedals including wahs. The Keeley Fuzz Head is a very adjustable pedal which allows you to dial in just the right amount of "Fuzz" due to the inner trim knobs. Very cool too with its signature blue light and germanium toggle switch on top! Quality made in the U.S.A.

Visit Keeley Electronics online at: http://www.keeleyelectronics.com

For more information check out our article: Guitar Pedals: Get the Effect-Part III

http://mariejmiczak.blogspot.com/2008/07/guitar-pedalsget-effect-part-iii.html

We're back in the studio recording with our NEW Audio-Technica AT4047/SV large diaphragm condenser mic and all new Spectraflex mic and instrument cables! The AT4047/SV is in my opinion THE BEST vocalist recording mic, period. We now have the CD recording of our live performance for the Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Assoc. and hope to share some of these tracks and recording sessions online. Stay tuned and all the best in 2009!