Pedal Line Friday :: Blake B.

Attached is a photo of my current pedal board for Bronson Arm. We are a 2pc Baritone GTR and Drums Noise/Punk band from middle America and are currently working with Learning Curve Records.

Full disclosure - I own and operate Emerald Circuits. So, yes... I have ALOT of my pedals on my pedal board. If I want a sound and can't buy it... I'll build it.

I use a split stereo rig for my baritone guitars. Wiring up my guitars for a stereo output and utilizing your TRS cables with the bridge pickup on the tip and the neck pickup on the ring. Underneath my pedal board I built a small "Rick O Sound" type splitter... And then run the two signals into independent pedal paths into two isolated amps/cabs. I think of the 2 signals as 1 being a thick/dark/highly compressed borderline fuzzed out "Bass" sound.... While the other being a dynamic overdriven squelchy more traditional "Guitar" sound.

I have found that setting up the gain stages drastically different between the two chains - gives each of them an exaggerated identity, harmonic and dynamic response. For example, if I play muted and soft... You only hear the bass rig and there is almost no top end. But opening up and really digging into the strings - the top end crispy attack cuts through.

The bass side hits a 70s Peavey Musician Bass Head pushing a 60s Fender Bassman 2x15 (loaded with Eminence Legend 15's)

The guitar chain hits a 70s Traynor YGL3 pushing an oversized 60s Acoustic 2x12 and 90s Fender 4x12 (All loaded with Celestion G12t-75's)

Both these cabs I set up on separate sides of the stage. Which really helps create a big stereo image when playing live.

On the pedal board the channels are... Haha... ALMOST linear... But due to space and the jack layouts of each pedal - not exactly.

After the splitter, the guitar chain hits
- TC Electronic Polytune (tuner)
- Emerald Circuits EC01 Little Black Simple (Overdrive/Distortion)
- Emerald Circuits EC03 Little Pink Teaser (FuzzDrive)
- Boss RV6 (Reverb)

I like the tuner on the top end so I can easily mute it. The EC01 is a super dynamic and touch sensitive overdrive so I put it as the first gain pedal in that chain and get the most out of its depth range. Then the EC03 is almost like a harmonic saturation blending pedal. I tweak it to add a dense midrange and push the highs right up to the point of responsive feedback. Where I can face the amp and get squelching feedback - or turn away and it subsides. The RV6 at the end is used subtly and is ALWAYS on. It does something subtly to the phase of the signal between the two amp rigs and brings everything into focus in a flattering way.

On the other side
After the splitter, the bass signal chain hits
- Emerald Circuits EC04 Little Gold Deviant (FX Bypass/Looper with oscillating feedback)
- Emerald Circuits EC03 Little Pink Teaser (FuzzDrive)
- MXR M80 Bass DI
- Boss 0C2 (Octave)
- Emerald Circuits EC06 Big Boost Small Box (Dirty Boost)

I have swapped the order around a bit on this side. But the current order allows me to fully use the oddities offered by the EC04's oscillating feedback and create synth like sweeps by manipulating the volume and tone pots on my instrument. The EC04's feedback function takes signal from the output of its FX loop and feeds it back into the input. The EC03 is the only pedal I use in that loop. And it's pretty cranked. The M80 has a really great sounding "amp simulation mode" where it adds a ton of thick highly compressed low and low mids. The OC2 is used very subtly and is ALWAYS on just adding a touch of Sub Low octave to enhance that "bass" like sound. And at the tail end I've recently added an EC06 which is perfect for when I want a "relatively" clean sound as opposed to what's offered by the EC03... And completely dry is too dull.

*One unexpected note - I use the neck pickup for my "guitar top end" which tonally sounds counter intuitive. However I find them significantly more dynamic in response. Where as bridge pickups are typically hotter and placed where the strings don't vibrate much. So they have a more compressed dynamic range. This work for my vision in terms of dynamic response and I shape the tonal balance down the line in my chain.

*ALSO one thing I've learned experimenting and playing with biamped/simulated stereo/true stereo rigs... Is that MANY pedals circuitries flip the phase of the audio signal. They don't even have to be "engaged". Just being in your pedal path they will flip the phase with a hardwired buffer. This means almost nothing when you have a single mono signal off your instrument. However, if you aren't careful... You will unintentionally flip the phase of 1 side of your signal and create frequencies that will dramatically cancel each other out between the two amp/cab rigs. To the untrained ear - it can be hard to tell the difference when TONS of decibels are pushing the air in a room. But when your stereo signals are out of phase it's like the focus on your camera is off.... Or like it's been way too long since you squeegeed your windshield. You can see what's there, but there is a hazy film on top of it. This also reduces the perceived level of sound and is exhausting to listen to over time. Once in phase the attack of your notes CUT like a knife and your low end articulation hits like focused waves. Allowing the blossoming qualities of your tone to shine. Think of it like playing chords in the middle of your neck with a poorly intonated instrument.

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Submit Your Pedal Line!

About a million years ago, I used to run a blog called EffectsBay. On that blog, the most popular feature I would run was Pedal Line Friday. This is where readers of the site would send pics of their pedalboard and a short (sometimes long) write-up of routing and thoughts about specific pedals and the reasoning why they liked it, etc. Readers. loved this. It was a great way to learn about new applications or techniques regarding pedals. It also brought a little inspiration and knowledge about pedals you were not familiar with. It also brought a great sense of community - people like sharing and absorbing cool things, right? It was a super popular feature, and I loved putting them together.

All you have to do is send a pic of your pedalboard (or pedal line - it doesn't have to be on a board) along with a short (or long) write-up of the board. We want a list of pedals (manufacturer/model), routing would be great, and, most importantly, why you use those particular pedals. Also, this is a great way to promote your band or musical project - include that information as well!

You can send the pic and the write-up to pedalline@rattlesnakecables.com.