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Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: _posts/2024-08-08-Pedalboard-Version-2.md
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[](/media/posts/pedalboard-v2.png)
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After I [created my first pedalboard](../../../2024/07/28/My-First-Pedalboard.html), I [learned so much](../../../2024/08/07/Pedalboard-Lessons.html), and assembled a second board. Let me go over the contents of my second board, in signal chain order.
When I started playing guitar I would tune myself to match songs off the radio (don't recommend) until I learned how to use a pitch pipe (better, still not good). In more recent times I would use a phone to tune, but I hated it. Interacting with my phone while I want to be in a guitar playing headspace is the anti-vibe. Just this last year I got my first [headstock clip-on tuner](https://www.cherubtechnology.com/productinfo/928687.html), and it's a revelation. With that I didn't have as strong of a need for an on-board pedal tuner, but I'm glad I got one.
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At first I had the tuner set up to go out of a forked output from my [Ernie Ball VP JR](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=VP%20JR) volume pedal. This meant that when I quieted via the volume pedal the tuner would still function for silent tuning (without needing to engage its foot switch). I’m currently not opting for this configuration because it just means one extra cable to disconnect and connect when I pack the pedal board.
[This demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcfg-Blhepo&t=42t5s) sold me on the Attack Decay. But I hedged by getting the smaller "pico" version of the pedal, worrying that it was a nuanced effect not worth of board space. That was a mistake. One of the highlights is sending the threshold triggered signal through another set of effects in a separate send/receive loop, with is only present on the larger version of the pedal. Additionally the larger pedal has a fuzz effect built into it. As it's an EHX pedal, as far as I can tell that a Big Muff style fuzz. So the pedal doesn't need to a quirky toy, it can be a fuzz pedal that also does fun quirky stuff. Once I realize that, I got the larger version of the pedal and bumped the Big Muff off my board.
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I have the send/receive going through a [Behringer Graphic EQ](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Behringer%20EQ700%207-Band%20Graphic%20Equalizer), set to create a kind of AM radio vibe that makes the fuzz feel more distant from the dry signal. I’ve also tried putting in a [Flamma FC05 Mod](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Flamma%20FC05%20Mod%202021) so I can experiment with ways to make the effect signal unique. But as far as board space goes, I don’t want to dedicate a whole second stream of petals just for this occasional effect.
I got the Q-Tron because it’s on John Mayer‘s board and [appears prominently](https://open.spotify.com/track/7peh6LUcdNPcMdrSH4JPsM?si=65567bccc2f547d4) in [a couple](https://open.spotify.com/track/5KsLlcmWDoHUoJFzRw14wD?si=33526282a3e24de7) of his songs. It’s an envelope filter, effectively an auto wah. It creates truly funky tones that have a quacking vowel sound to them. It’s very sensitive to signal levels, thus why it's so early in the signal chain. It’s one of my least used pedals, but when the song is right for that vibe this is a super fun sound.
The Pitch Fork is one of my most used petals, primarily because it's quicker to downshift my guitar one octave with this pedal then to swap in a proper bass guitar. When I’m laying down a loop, I’m gonna need a bass line, and this gets me there fast. Mind you, the pedal does a ton more than that. It can thicken your sound by adding octaves above and/or below, with or without your the dry signal. Or you can do the same thing with fifths (power chords all day), fourths, thirds, or even a warbly detune. I haven't yet become a regular expression pedal user, but this is one of the few pedals where I've played around with attaching a pedal.
When I went down this pedal rabbit hole, I looked at a lot of people's boards on Reddit. And you see the Morning Glory on a ton of them, often described as an "always on" pedal. I don’t leave mine on all the time, but it is definitely a common add of special sauce that makes everything sound nicer. It’s some subtle boost and crunch that's easy to switch on without losing anything, or to stack grit into my drive effects which come afterwards.
I got the Triumph as a flexible EQ overdrive pedal. As with many pedals, I was directed to it by The JHS Show where it was described as [a better Bad Monkey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VclOC-r-hE). It saves me space over something I had done before which is putting an EQ pedal directly after a drive pedal to shape it. This lets me do that in one pedal. But then I went and stacked a total of four drive pedals on my board and that leaves me less interested in fine adjustments to the sound of each of them. Instead I leave this one dialed in somewhere that sounds different from the other three drive pedals and call it good.
I was charmed into the PG 14 pedal by the infectious energy of Paul Gilbert‘s [multiple](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtffSwbDK8I)[videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmvoAQUQzTk) done in partnership with JHS to promote the pedal. I had never heard Paul Gilbert play before, which makes it weird that I have his signature pedal (named for his shoe size) on my board. But this thing sounds freaking awesome. It gets to this crunchy almost glitchy space that sounds so raw and cool. So that’s the configuration where I leave it by default, but I also know from prior experimentation that I can turn it into a number of different sounds if I need to.
I regretted not buying a DS1 in the 90s when I should have. I probably would’ve played my electric guitar a whole lot more. This pedal sold 1.5 million units for a reason. It sounds great. Bright and crunchy, good for lead lines or for rhythm. I squeezed this off my board for a bit because I had fancy new pedals… but when I tried hooking it up again I realized it really did earn its slot. It's a classic.
I've never been ecstatic about my [EHX Small Stone](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Electro-Harmonix%20Nano%20Small%20Stone%20EH4800%20Phase%20Shifter%20V2%202021), as I could never get its phaser effect to be subtle enough for more frequent use. The Lillian fixes that handily by having a mix knob, but also so many other knobs that let me dial in a variety of gentle (or not gentle) phasing. That makes me a lot more likely to stomp this switch. Additionally, as one of my later acquired pedals I felt like I could choose one that I vibed with aesthetically, and the art on this pedal is great.
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[Walrus Audio Julia Chorus](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Walrus%20Audio%20Julia%20Chorus%20%2F%20Vibrato%20V2%202019)
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## [Walrus Audio Julia Chorus](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Walrus%20Audio%20Julia%20Chorus%20%2F%20Vibrato%20V2%202019)
When I saw the amazing art on the [Julianna](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Walrus%20Audio%20Julianna%20Deluxe%20Chorus%2FVibrato&product_type=effects-and-pedals), I stopped in my tracks. But chorus hasn't been an effect that I got on with well enough to warrant a board slot. So why not a chorus pedal that's for people that aren't so into chorus? The [Julianna demo video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iasHNSg4cJ4) from Walrus Audio sold me on this being a tone I was interested in… but the Julianna is the more advanced stereo version of the Julia, with a higher price to boot. So I opted for the Julia instead. And my instincts proved correct; I'm far more likely to use a mild chorus.
I love the sound of tremolo. Technically my amp has tremolo built in. But it lacks additional controls, and using the amp's tremolo has the drawback that I might want different levels of tremolo on different overdubs within my loops. So I got a tiny standalone tremolo pedal. The Tidewater meets that needs tidily. I can control the rate and it has an indicator light to help dial that in. Plus I can adjust the mix to give a more subtle volume modulation.
As mentioned in my [lessons learned](../../../2024/08/07/Pedalboard-Lessons.html), I was interested in a combo reverb/delay to cut down on wiring complexity. An often recommended option for that is the [Keeley Caverns](https://reverb.com/marketplace?product_type=effects-and-pedals&query=Keeley%20Caverns%20Reverb%20%2F%20Delay%20V2). In researching that I found the Parallax as a similar pedal with different options on the reverb side. It has a "shimmer" hall option, reverse reverb, and a "soft focus", all of which give me something my previous reverb ([EHX Holy Grail](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Electro-Harmonix%20Holy%20Grail%20Nano%20Reverb%202009
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) didn't have. There are an intimidating number of knobs on the Parallax. Or at least that's how it felt at first. This is one pedal where I've most engaged with its various settings. I can dial it in for a more standard reverb and a short "slap back" delay, or I can crank everything up and take it into orbit.
My experience with looping warrants its own post. But I'll summarize by saying that upgrading my loop pedal was one of my most researched and most impactful decisions. Specifically I opted to trade up for something that had rhythm and had 2 loops so I could do verse/chorus alternating improvisation. I use this constantly and I absolutely love it. The only thing lacking is that I want to get an [external foot switch](https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=Boss+FS-7+Footswitch) to add tap tempo.
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