Amongst all of your DIY pedals, are there any commercial pedals, or are you 100% "If I didn't build it, it ain't in my chain?"
What big-name effects are:
A) currently on your board
B) in rotation or get at least occasional use
C) never get used but are collectible or you haven't gotten around to selling them yet
For me, it goes like this:
Always on my board:
- TC Nova Delay
- TC Nova Dynamics - this is great for acoustic, electric, and bass and I can get slow gear-ish stuff with the gate
- EB VP Jr
- ISP Decimator
- Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
- Crybaby - heavily modded
In rotation:
- MXR Script Phase 90 - real deal 70's era. Got it for $30 non-working on Craigslist and fixed it. Didn't expect it to be useful but I love it.
- Boss CE-5 - the earlier analog version. Gets occasional use.
- Digitech iStomp - I have two of these and they get regular use, pretty much never for dirt though
- BBE Sonic Stomp - Yes, I have a turd polisher. Don't hate on me. This will eventually be replaced by a Bloviator
- ProCo Turbo Rat - Because I got it for free. It's really not fair to call it a Turbo Rat because I've done so many tweaks to it.
- Ibanez UE400 - Not really a pedal but I love it. I plan to build a tolexed rack enclosure for it eventually. I will leave space for a UE405 in case I can ever find and/or afford one.
Paper weights:
- Digitech Bad Monkey - My first pedal! And the first pedal I modded. I can't bring myself to let it go but I never ever use it
- DOD Milkbox - My second pedal. I don't have a use for it but it's cool. I'm sure I'll sell it whenever I get around to it because there's no emotional attachment at all. It does have a battery door!
TC hall of fame reverb, Deluxe memory man with tap tempo (1100ms), boss RC-3, ehx freeze.
I run multiple pedal boards, but I have a mixture of DIY and commercial on each one. Honestly, I've owned and used more commercial pedals than I can even think off! I've owned or played just about every mainstream Boss pedal available, used the Line6 stuff and the Digitech stuff and the MXR stuff and the DOD stuff and the... well, just about all of the stuff. I've owned a real 1982 Ibanez Tubescreamer, sold it, and built one I liked just as much. There are some pedals I still have and use.
Here are some examples of Commercial units I have that I feel couldn't be replaced with a DIY version:
1. Strymon El-Capistan: This is a super rad pedal, and although I've built pedals that are close in sound, there's a lot to be said for a good unit like this one. It has a lot of features for a delay pedal, and although the price is high, I think it would be hard to beat with a DIY pedal. The Hamlet+ is as close as I've come to building something that I would use in replacement that's DIY.
2. Strymon Timeline: There is no way anyone could DIY what this thing does. I use the banks of presets, and control it with Midi. Unfortunately, nothing DIY even comes close at this time.
3. Strymon BigSky: Reverb is a big area of DIY that's not even close to competing with the digital units available out there. This is a fairly new pedal for me (2 weeks now?) but I'm really enjoying it. I use the presets and I use the Midi control, and there's nothing DIY that comes close at this time also.
4. Boss RV-3: This one lives in my Acoustic setup. Again, DIY reverb isn't close to doing what the commercial units out there do.
5. Boss RV-5: I use this one with an electric setup as well. Again, DIY reverb isn't up to what this unit does.
6. Polytune/Boss TU-2: It doesn't make sense to DIY a stage tuner when the available options out there are great and can be had used for 50-75 bucks. I have a few tuners on various boards, and I wouldn't bother with a DIY option for this. I'd like to buy a couple/few more polytunes to be honest.
7. Ernie Ball Volume Pedals: I have a full size and a Jr. I know DIY options might be available in the form of Wah enclosures, but for the cost of one of the PPP or Mammoth wah enclosures I can almost buy one of the full size units used, and I can definitely buy a VPJR used.
8. Digitech Jamman Solo: DIY loopers are fun, but they're generally lowfi. I needed a looper/sampler that I could both store performances on and control easily, and the Jamman Solo was the best option when I was looking. The DIY world might be able to give me something close to what I'd need, but the fidelity would need to be raised.
9. Digitech Whammy IV (limited Chrome edition): DIY a Whammy? You crazy! Nuff Said.
10. Eden Bass Pre/DI: This little box is the heart of the David Eden World Tour Preamp in a little pedal instead of a Bass head. Instead of a power amp it features a transformer based DI output as well as a 1/4" out for a power amp. I use it for recording bass, and I'm looking into powered cab options to run this as a preamp with my bass rig.
I also have a few units that I think could be replaced, maybe even easily, but probably won't for whatever reason:
1. Vox Wah/Crybaby: I have a couple wahs, and while the DIY version I own is pretty awesome, Wah's are very individual and sound different unit to unit. I have a Vox Wah I've loved (and modded) for a long time, and I bought a Crybaby used that I was gonna mess with and then felt didn't need messing with.
2. Empress Tap Tremolo (V1): I love trem. It's my favourite modulation effect. The Tap Trem from Empress is a fantastic trem, and while the tap tempo element may not be everyone's favourite effect, one of the features it has is a patterned tremolo that's really fun to play with. I can (and have) DIYed a Tap Trem, but the Empress is one I'll likely keep permanently.
3. Barber Tone Press (limited Red version): I always use compressors and I leave them on all the time. I never turn them off really. I also really like special editions of pedals, and so when Dave Barber was selling limited Red versions of his Tone Press, I bought one. His pedals are very, very reasonably priced for the quality, and I won't sell this pedal.
There are a few pedals I own that are cool, but I'd totally sell them if I could:
1. Blackout Effectors Whetstone (limited White version): Hopefully the Stone Cold will replace this one for me.
2. Way Huge Pork Loin (Signed by Bonamassa): DIYing this one would be tough, and it's a great effect, but dirt effects are so common and mostly sound similar, so I can get similar tones from my DIY pedals. This ones extra cool cause it's signed and settings marked by Joe himself, so it's a bit of a collectors thing.
Quote from: jkokura on May 01, 2014, 04:13:27 PM
8. Digitech Jamman Solo: DIY loopers are fun, but they're generally lowfi. I needed a looper/sampler that I could both store performances on and control easily, and the Jamman Solo was the best option when I was looking.
I had a Jamman Solo that I could never quite bond with. It felt like too many features stuffed into too few controls. I built an aux switch pedal that helped but I also became convinced that my loops were a tone-sucked version of the original. It was my first experience with a looper though. I hope to get a TC Ditto eventually. I think it will be more suitable to the way I would use one.
There are two pedals that I have purchased multiple times.
1. Ibanez DE-7 delay/echo. I don't know why but I love the voicing of the echo portion
2. Ernie ball volume. Always useful.
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On my board: Malekko 616, Ernie Ball VP, and El Capistan.
I could probably replace the 616 with a Hamlet if I really wanted to claim that I built every analog pedal on my board, but I just have a softspot for the Malekko, it sounds good, I don't have an extra Hamlet, and I'm down to the last last last PCB for it, and I'd have to add modulation in any case.
I can't build anything even remotely approaching the El Capistan, and I can't machine a volume pedal.
I really like my Timeline, Mobius, and Ditto and I love my Mojovibe.
Always on my board:
- EB VP (the giant tone-sucking monster one)
- Polytune (maybe doesn't count...)
In rotation:
- BTMB Maggie
- Digitech iStomp
Paper weights:
- Dunlop crybaby wah. My 1st pedal ever (ca 1992)! I don't use wahs these days though.
The only thing i always use is a pitchblack pedal tuner.
I havent built a wahwah yet (and im not sure it will happen?) so i use my crybaby. Not always but often.
I havent built a chorus either, but its not necessary to me. I have an old Ibanez Stereo Chorus, good one, but again, i dont use chorus.
Cheers
There are a few staples on my board but over the last year I have replaced most of my everyday effects with hand built ones or modded variants.
Always on my board:
Barber Tone Press (Until I build a compressor I like)
Strymon TimeLine
Neunaber Stereo Wet (May change soon)
Rotate/as needed:
Various old big box Electro Harmonix effects
Death By Audio Fuzz War
Cody
Barber Direct Drive
Barber LTD
Visual Sound Tap Delay
I have many commercial pedals. The ones I generally use include:
• Deluxe Memory Man XO
• Hardwire Reverb
• Pharaoh Fuzz
TC HOF mini
until not long ago a MXR Carbon Copy which is now replaced by a Multiplex
The only commercial pedal that's on my board right now is an EHX Electric Mistress. I've never been able to get my Current Lover to sound as good or better. Been meaning to convert it to MN3007@15V but haven't gotten around to that, could be an improvement. An MXR Carbon Copy is used occasionally, and sometimes, just for shits and giggles, I break out my old beat up CryBaby.
Almost forgot: the most important pedal on the board is still commercial, KORG DT-10 Tuner. That thing just rocks!!
Paul
Down to just one commercial pedal: TC Polytune. I recommend it highly.
Right now I have the following on my board:
EHX Pulsar - I've thought about building a Trem, but I just don't seem to use it a lot and the Pulsar sounds really good when I do. Just wish it was tap.
Boss DD-7- I run this in tandem with a Multiplex Jr and really just keep it for tap functionality and the long delay times. I've thought about replacing it with a Strymon though.
Ibanez CS-9- I modded this and absolutely love this chorus pedal. I've got the parts to build a Pork Barrel, but I think I've talked myself out of it. Just can't see the need when I like this one so much.
VP jr
I'm happy to say that the other 7 pedals I run all the time are DIY.
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Most of the commercial pedals that i own are part of my vintage collection so they don't get a spot on the board simply because i have DIY clones of most of them and they don't ask for specific power supply or simply the weight and real estate that those pedals mean when used.
The commercial stapple on my board are:
TC Polytune Mini
Maxon AD999
In rotation:
Maxon OD820, depends of my mood i guess, sometime it's my favorite OD ever to boost and clean up the lead channel of my amp, sometime a klone will take is place.
TC Ditto Looper, if not used in the shop side for fine tuning other circuits it's on the board to actually tweak pedals that i'm working on, might need to buy a second one because i really like it.
There's something about the AD999 that just can be done by any other delay pedal that i've tried, the way it «opens up» the sound is ridiculously awesome, even with a minimum of delay mixed in is effect on the perceptible «width» of what's coming out of the amp is stunning, it's pretty much set as a always on pedal and i stack my other delays on top of it and it works flawlessly.
Only other commercial pedal that i'm considering to have on my board as a staple is the Way Huge SupaPuss, got an AP3 that was built by Morgan and that thing is lots of awesomeness, i need the next step of that thing.
On my bass board Permanently:
-Boss Ge7B (the older, brown and gold bass eq) - i'd love to diy one, but it'd have to have faders rather than rotary controls...
-xotic x-blend. Basically three pedals in one. True bypass effects loop; blender for effect loop, with controls for gain/treble/bass on the clean signal; and also runs as a pretty nice clean boost.
(i would DIY this one, if I could figure out the switching...)
-EHX SMMWH - delays and loops. im still learning to use this one, there are so many sounds in there
-ibanez AD9 - this has probably been on my board longer than anything else. my favourite analog delay.
the DIYs on my board are a hotcake and Big muff. and ocassionally a lowrider. Soon to be replaced with a bigmuff, Rat, hotcake, kingslayer 4-in-1
In rotation:
I have an original BeeBaa that sometimes comes out to play, along with a roland AP2 phaser
I've gotten fairly brutal about selling stuff that isn't getting used. of course that means I end up buying the same thing again later when I decide maybe I could use it. generally, i am wrong though ;)
Barber Tone Press
TC Polytune and HOF reverb
Boss Bluesdriver
Way Huge Pork Loin
Seymour Duncan Vapor Trails Delay
Ditto Looper
Lovetone
Dr Scientist
Strymon
Boss
Digitech
Electro harmonix
Way huge
I forgot to mention my other commercial ones I like but haven't used in a while: Digitech PDS1002 (I have two of them) and a real deal 4xSAD1024 DMM (that one needs a tune up). And, of course, my XP ALL which I bought from Greg here on the forum. It's pretty rad.
Zcat sample/chorus/delay
Other that that everything on my board is built by me.... Except my ditto looper and tuner
Korg Pitchblack. On the basis of "I can't build one". The only pedals I can't really build something close to are the digital ones, like the HOG, and I can get by without those perfectly well (and the Lowrider is an acceptable substitute, it's not like my playing is that good anyway.)
Plus I got into this for the cheapness aspect as much as the fun (more the fun, if I'm honest.)
Ditto and RV-3, sold every other production pedal. These two just come in handy
I love my DMM TT1100.
Josh
No matter how many overdrive pedals I build, I keep coming back to my Visual Sound red version 1 Jekyll and Hyde. It's just a really usable, versatile pedal.
I also just bought a ditto looper that I think is going to be an invaluable tool for both practice and testing/tweaking diy circuits.
I still use my Line6 echo park, but I'm pretty sure it could easily be replaced with something diy with taptation since I really don't use delay that often.
Boss TU-2 (I've heard the TU-3 is a little noisier... anyone?), Boss NS-2 noise suppressor, Boss trem (I will build a trem to replace this) and a DD-3. I had hoped to replace the delay with a cave dweller, but it's just way too dark, especially with distortion. Oh, and a Crybaby. The other 11 pedals on my board are all diy... with a few more coming up soon, hopefully!
Right now, I must have my Blackstar HT-Dual. A tuner pedal of any sort. Pretty much any wah will make me happy too.
I got by for years with just an Arion tuner (not even chromatic, just EADGB), a DS-1, and a crybaby though...
I do not possess any commercial pedal, but my guitar teacher does and I particularly dig 3 of his effects.
1) Budda Budwah
This thing has a HUGE tone, really fat and powerful. If the Crybaby sounds like a newborn baby crying, the closest thing the Budwah sounds like is the All Blacks doing their signature haka dance.
2) Carl Martin Chorus XII
A great chorus. Both in mono and stereo mode it just sounds great; best pedal I've heard, second only to the Roland JC-120 built in chorus.
3) Carl Martin Plexitone
The High Gain section is good, and so is the boost (which is put after the drive section), but the reason I really like this effect is the crunch channel: it is punchy and not muddy at all and it does not mask the tone of the guitar you use.
Anyway, I should mention I own a Zoom G5 digital multi-effect unit. It's really great for what it's worth: the only simulations that I do not like really much are the overdrives, some really high-gain distortions and some amps. The crunchs it has sound good though.
Neunaber WET reverb. I LOVE this thing. So utterly simple to use, yet it sounds incredible on just about any setting. No bullshit, just a great sounding verb.
Then there's Brian Neunaber. It's essentially a DSP pedal as far as I can tell and he enjoys tweaking and adding other options to it. He takes suggestions from users and implements them. All these updates are free.
Then there's the fact that you can update the pedal as any of his other stereo pedals if you want. Which is off the wall awesome. Again free.
I just love the effect and the guy's attitude to his users. I will always have a WET reverb.
My other commercial effect that I still have is an EQD Rainbow Machine. Just because it's batshit crazy.
Had a Subdecay Prometheus for a while that was awesome too.
I'm pretty sure Neunaber is the guy who developed/patented the Belton brick.
Quote from: culturejam on May 02, 2014, 03:42:33 PM
I'm pretty sure Neunaber is the guy who developed/patented the Belton brick.
Yep. I built a reverb with the original big brick right off his application circuit that sounded great.
Fairly sure it is the same fella.
I just have a Barber Tone Press and Malekko 616 left from a slew of commercial pedals. All else DIY—although a Strymon might be in the offing.
Seems like a few people have this Barber Tone Press, would really like to try it, will have to hit the music ships in town and see if they have it. Love the idea of the parallel compression.
Neunaber WET
Always on my board: boss tuner
+1 on Nova Delay, Line6 MM4, and Korg tuner (too big but works so well I can't see replacing it) are fixtures. I'll toss a Voodoo Vibe on the board from time to time and a Source Audio Multi Distortion.
For all the TS type pedals I've built, the Mad Professor Little Green Wonder still finds a spot on my Pedal Train Nano a lot. It's just so nice with a booster in front and a Carbon Copy after it. That and a Polytune or Korg DT-10 tuner basically gets me gig ready, the rest is extras. I also like MXR Bass Octave Deluxe. MXR has its stuff down in my book, basically. Ernie Ball Volume Pedal also greatly appreciated, but I hardly ever use it (I mostly jam and it's not really a light pedal to carry around casually).
And, I jumped at the opportunity to get a Boomerang Rang III Looper second hand when I had the chance. Went to the guitar store the minute they opened and they were just about to reply to an e-mail from another interested customer. Great, great looper, not as big of a learning curve as it seems.
Boss TU2. Great tuner plus mute function is good for switching guitars
Dunlop 535Q. Versatile wah
Axess electronics footswitch and grx4 loop switcher (I don't like to tap dance)
TC Elec. Ditto. Really simple great for practicing/songwriting
I really like my SD-1, gonna do a bleed through mod soon, but that's pretty much it ;D
I have 3-4 commercial pedals besides my Polytune2. I don't think it should count as a viable DIY tuner doesn't exist.
Washburn Mad Dog Phaser
TC Transition (Flashback)Delay
Timmy (does this count?)
Rocktron HEX Volume
edit: Forgot my volume pedal
Nope... new post
Quote from: flanagan0718 on May 01, 2014, 04:30:27 PM
There are two pedals that I have purchased multiple times.
1. Ibanez DE-7 delay/echo. I don't know why but I love the voicing of the echo portion
2. Ernie ball volume. Always useful.
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I've owned 2 DE7s. Love the way it processes the repeats in echo mode. I sold the last one I had, sometimes wish I had it back. I just hated the footswitch! Completely unreliable.
Quote from: Dc10 on May 04, 2014, 04:16:05 AM
Quote from: flanagan0718 on May 01, 2014, 04:30:27 PM
There are two pedals that I have purchased multiple times.
1. Ibanez DE-7 delay/echo. I don't know why but I love the voicing of the echo portion
2. Ernie ball volume. Always useful.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've owned 2 DE7s. Love the way it processes the repeats in echo mode. I sold the last one I had, sometimes wish I had it back. I just hated the footswitch! Completely unreliable.
yeah I do wish the foot switch was better.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Always on my board
Boss od1
Boss ce2
Ibanez fl9
I have sold or am selling nearly all my commercial pedals since I got into DIY.
Some I find hard to part with, because they sound so good: Black Arts Black Forest, Barber LTD SR and Keeley Fuzz Head, although they might eventually go, though I've had the latter two for a very long time.
Same with the Barber Tone Press, which gets a lot of love in this thread, and for good reason, but I let mine go because I have too many compressors, even with a blend knob, and got a good price for mine.
Way Huge Pork Loin will stay because of all the many boost and drive pedals I've built, none are as versatile and hardly any can sound so fat.
The Malekko Vibrato will go once I find a DIY vibrato that is as easy to use: true pitch vibrato with just Speed and Depth controls. Wink wink to you PCB makers.
The Radial Bigshot ABY will go when Brian releases his ABY PCB.
The Mojo Vibe will go if the ROG Tri Vibe I'll build can get these sounds or if I ever build a Harbinger.
I guess this leaves the Tech 21 Roto Choir because no DIY pedal will get these true Leslie sounds at this quality and with this many features.
Edit: Forgot tuner pedals.
Since I don't play in a band or for any other people then myself and I just do the DIY thing as a (excessive) hobby, I don't really had any commercial pedals. I just have a crappy Ibanez distortion that I got from a friend for 10€ when he got his Marshall amp with a good drive channel and a Behringer Chorus that my brother got me once.
But there is quite a list of things that I fancy:
* EHX cathedral reverb
* EHX memory man (all versions basically)
* Boss DD-20 (I saw that soooo many times with my favorite bands that I want to try this really badly)
* Digitech Jam Man (I just love Loopers. There is some really impressive stuff musicians do with it.. solo artists adding more and more layers like Final fantasy (not a guitarist but still awesome) to get the sound of a whole band or just bands adding a 6th guitar layer to further confuse me at figuring out who's playing what part :D )
Korg dt10
Wah (usually Morley dragon wah II or Dunlop crybaby classic)
Digitech whammy IV
Paul Gilbert airplane flanger
I've used exclusively DIY pedals for several years now.
I've got three boards and crates of home made pedals.
Only two exceptions on my boards, a Turbo Tuner (always) and an EH Super Ego (sometimes.)
I do have a fair collection of various commercial pedals for home and studio use too.
Often I gig not only with DIY effects, but also DIYed guitars and amps.
Wow so, yeah I use a lot of commercial pedals and build a shit ton of DIY to give/sell
Commercial pedals:
Polytune2
Rocktron Hex (Front Volume)
Behringer Noise Reducer
Washburn Bad Dog Phaser
Timmy (does this count?)
TC Transition
EB Volume (Rear)
TC Nova System !!
I like line6 m9. I know that quality ain't like damage control/strymon/eventide but it sure sounds good :)