Grateful Dead Music Forum

So I finally got my rig more or less in line and was hoping for some advice on the order of the effects chain. Basically, what order are pedals supposed to go in?

'57 reissue strat > effects > '65 reissue twin reverb

Effects - in their current order

Boss TU-2 tuner >
Barber Tone press (comp) >
Barber LTD SR (OD) >
E-H Nano Small Stone (phase)
Ibanez Tube Screamer - (OD) >
EMMA Discombobulator - (envelope follower)
Boss DD-5 (delay)

Any comment is greatly appreciated. Let me know what else I need or which of my pedals need to go. Any input is good and my feelings will not be hurt.

Of couse, if this has been covered please direct me to the link.

Thanks.

SG
Wah
Phase
Flange
Delay
Delay
Compressor
Overdrive
Delux

That is interesting that you put the compressor so far back in the line. I have mine right after my wah (which is first)

I will have to try that to hear how it sounds.

Wah
compressor
blues driver
mxr distortion +
delay
chorus
noise suppressor
loop

Here's what I'd do. Damn, I love my Emma.
'57 reissue strat >
Boss TU-2 tuner >
Barber Tone press (comp) >
EMMA Discombobulator - (envelope follower)
Barber LTD SR (OD) >
Ibanez Tube Screamer - (OD) >
E-H Nano Small Stone (phase)>
Boss DD-5 (delay)>
'65 reissue twin reverb

Trial and Error, Experiment, and Season to Taste. There is no wrong order. You have to find what works for you.

The order on my boards:

1. Tuner
2. Compressor (Digitech RP100, in live settings Compressor is all I use it for)
3. Wah (Dunlop Hendrix Wah, a copy of the Thomas Organ Vox Wah)
4. Envelope Filter (Electro Harmonix Q-Tron)
5. Chorus (Electro Harmonix Small Clone)
6. Delay (Arion S.A.D.1, wrapped in tone-enhancing duct tape)
7. Distortion/Fuzz (Sabine FuzzTortion, its a blendable Fuzz and Distortion)
8. Overdrive for boost (Danelectro Daddy-O)
9. Overdrive, always on (Ibanez Tube Screamer)
10.Volume Pedal (Morley Lil Allligator)

Sure, it seems like a lot. And honestly, I might use only a few pedals only once or twice per set. And only two of my pedals will be on all the time. Less is more, I find I'm happiest with my sound when the amp is run right up to a wee bit of power tube clip and one or none of my pedals are on.

I like the Compressor with my Thinline Telecaster on cleaner fingerpicking or walking-root-note rhythms, but only a wee bit, just enough to boost the quiet stuff and tame the notes I hit too hard.

I prefer my "Special Effect" effects (wahs, delay, chorus etc) to go before my overdrive/boost/distortion effects. To my ears, it sounds very "'80s Hair Metal" to have chorus and distortion/overdrive going at the same time, and wah's and envelope filters sound more natural if they come before the clipping.

I have the Fuzz/Distortion for those times when such knuckledragging tones are needed.

I use the Dano Daddy-O to boost my guitar solos, dialed in with the level up and the gain down.

The Tube Screamer is on most, or all, of the time. I really crank the level and keep the gain very low. This way I'm pushing the amps preamp tubes to a wee bit of clip and saturation. It adds definition to subtleties in my playing (i.e. my mistakes are more pronouced and audible).

Ah, there was a time when I was just Guitar -> 20 foot cable -> Amp kind of player. I think I was smarter back then, fewer gadgets to hide behind.

[/b]

guitar FX loop send >
Boss PSM-5 Power Supply/Master Switch loop send>
>> Boss OC-2 Octave>>
Boss PSM-5 loop return>
70's Mu-Tron III (envelope follower)>
BBE Crusher (distortion)>
70's Mu-Tron Phasor II (Rate controlled by Bespeco Vol. pedal)>
70's Thomas Organ Wah *or* Chicago Iron Parababy Wah(in Vox shell)>
70's Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay>
guitar FX loop return>
guitar output>
tube preamp w/spring reverb>
SS power amp>
1x12 cab w/ JBL E-120

My Arion Stage Tuner pedal is on my board, but it sucks tone so I manually switch the Tip plug of the loop "Y" cable from the PSM-5 input to the tuner input when I want to use it, and back. Takes a second.

I might, on rare tweaked-out occaission run a Chicago Iron Octavian in front of the OC-2. Crazy, evil combination!

Anyhoo, it took me decades, but I finally came around to using wah at or near the end of the chain (but before delay)... so much meatier. Little The Soup moment there...

Just exactly perfect. Muchos gracias!

Hey HD,
Try putting your emma after your comp and move your phasor later in the chain, but before delay. Try it, but if you like it the way you have it, have at it.

My setup is
Gibson 335>Boss CS-2 compressor>EH Mini Qtron>Arion Octaver>Analogman silver mod Tube Screamer>Korg AX1G MultiFX (Dont laugh--I use itfor phase and flange type effects and tuner, as well as an awesome ring mod)>Boss GE7 EQ> Boss DD-5 delay (with tap tempo and analogman mod to control the volume of the repeats with a gigantic boss expression pedal> Boss RC2 Looper> Ampeg Superjet 12T (with tremolo and reverb)...
Whew.
I am soon adding an 80's Boss HM2 Heavy Metal pedal for those 80's jerry distortion sounds.

I have no such thing as a fixed pedalboard, but I hook up a wah (Dunlop CryBaby) and some overdrive or distortion most of the time and always place the distortion before the wah. Hendrix used to do it like that and to me it sounds much better when used together.

Ah, there was a time when I was just Guitar -> 20 foot cable -> Amp kind of player. I think I was smarter back then, fewer gadgets to hide behind.

AAAAhhh,,, meee too! For years I was a straight player. I love me my gear now, though.