ilovefuzz.com

in a popular manner of last few weeks, i decided to write about my own growth... i'm not posting guitars - i'm tracking down my pedalboards Sorry, i'm one of the young here, i lack decades of experience... but pedals are my hobby...

i'm doing this, because i'm in a mood to do this and i don¨t blog
also because you - ILF people - are absolutely responsible for the last few "stages"

WARNING: IMAGE QUALITY WILL VARY... ALSO SOME WEIRD TONAL ABOMINATIONS WILL OCCUR... also it could be funnier also i'm not a native speaker and this is gonna be quite difficult for me, sorry for any mistakes

so...
STAGE ONE - FIRST TOUCHES

this photo dates to December 2008. I just got my first tube amp (Laney VC30) and decided to take a first photo of my pedalboard... what preceded? first rig ever was a Zoom 707II multieffect unit... then those pedals appeared... as i recall, i just got the Reel Echo and it was still working pretty fine. This was also the first time i tried nano Dr.Q by EHX



Dunlop CB Mister (wah/volume/boost) -> Rocktron Zombie (my first stompbox ever) -> EHX nano Dr.Q -> Danelectro Reel Echo (broke really soon, was cool tho!)

Notice the vortex of wild wires of death... yeah, i hadn't had it figured out yet at all i'm not even gonna comment on the book underneath the wah

STAGE TWO - SHAPING MY OPINIONS

February 2009

So the Dano broke on me (stupid time slider )m but because o had bought it new, i got refund and i could try again... I remember that before i got the DD-20, i also tried Carl Martin Red Repeat for the first time, but it didn¨t have a chance to get to any photo... will appear later tho!



Dunlop CB Mister -> Tech21 GT-2 -> Boss DD-20

I tried the famous GT-2 - wasn't pleased. Too compressed, PROCESSED is the key word... but by that time, i dug it alot... i didn't know better DD-20 was cool as hell

STAGE THREE - PEDALBOOM
can't date it precisely, but it existed somewhen between february and september 2009

I wanted a distortion that wasn't as compressed and sounded good... and out of nowhere appeared Damage Control Solid Metal i saw tubes and i was like "YEAH, TUBES, THAT HAZ TO BE AWSUM" and bought it - the price wasn't bad. Then i decided to step up a bit and swapped the Crybaby for Morley Power Wah Volume... i also discovered my favourite phaser up to this very day - Boss PH-2 (i bought it because i was a big Incubus fan in those days... i still am, but not as much...). I got the cute little Ibanez flanger for free with my new guitar (i bought the Yamaha tele around then, i still rock it) and my friend borrowed me my first fuzz ever - Ibanez FZ-7 instantly i fell in love with the 100% damaged speaker option...



Morley PWV -> Ibanez FZ-7 -> Ibanez FL5 -> Boss PH-2 -> DC Solid Metal -> Boss DD-20

that was indeed a pedalboom for me i jus experimented and really quick, it got downsized/changed again... the Solid Metal was too "metal-y" for me, the Ibanez Flanger was too Flanger-y for me... you know how it goes

STAGE FOUR - NEVERENDING CHANGE
September 2009

I ditched the DD-20 for EHX SMMH i got from my friend... i keep on saying that SMMH is my favourite delay, but more on that later... DC Solid Metal got changed for this neat version two Visual Sound Jekyll&Hyde that is my all time favourite double dirt pedal of all the time - incredible distortion! Sadly it has a TS in it that is really weird... i decided to try the Guyatone Noise Reduction to get rid of any noise coming from the VIsual Sound - WORST IDEA EVER. That box is supposed to be called "Tone Reduction", since it destroys your signal either turned off or on... got thrown of really fast



Morley PWV -> Boss PH-2 -> Visual Sound J&H -> EHX SMMH -> Guyatone NR-2 (THE PAIN!)

the photo on the footswitch is of my ex... even though i kinda have similar opinion on her as on the Guyatone thang, she had some pros


STAGE FIVE - DISCOVERIES AND A COMEBACK OF THE EVIL DOCTOR
October 2009

Yeah, to keep the long story short - i decided to try the Doctor Q again, because i didn't know about the internal trimpot first time... i was hoping for magical results of tweaking it... didn'T happen. I don't think i can really recommend the pedal even though it can sometimes produce quite good filtering for the price... didn't like it for funk tho and i think that'S a bad thing for an envelope filter...
Also - my first encounter with Big Muff ever... and I also discovered tremolo... this is a cheap Mars Effects tremolo i bought on ebay
And this was also after my revelation i don't need wah pedal anymore... i stil regret selling it



EHX nano Dr.Q -> Boss PH-2 -> Visual Sound J&H -> Sovtek BM -> EHX SMMH -> Mars Eff. Pulsating star tremolo

The black sovtek is pretty BIG sounding, but as i learnt the hard way, it get's lost in the band mix really easily and i'm talking about a rock trio with a bassplayer playing straight to the amp
The Mars Eff. is some company similar to Biyang i'd say... without the good stuff... they're cheap chinese knockoffs. The tremolo sounded quite mediocre, but the worst part is that it had a major flaw that i still don't understand... on 10 o'clock of the Rate know there was this place when the know was really stiff and the pedal didn't... tremolo but the good part is that i discovered the power of superbright blue leds.. .the first time i plugged it in and turned it of BY A HAND is still in my mind.

STAGE SIX - VIDEOTAPED
February 2010
don't have a photo, but i have a video with a cool loop...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Rj9LUNtT4[/youtube]

EHX White finger -> Boss PH-2 -> Visual Sound J&H -> Sovtek BM -> Mars Eff. Pulsating star tremolo -> EHX SMMH

let me explain the compressor affair - i wanted to try a compressor to make an opinion. This thing popped up for a good price, so i bought it and really liked it - it beautifully beefed up my single coil in bridge position... but then i changed the SC for The Chopper, which is a humbucker and the magic was gone - it sounded incredibly redundant and stupid so i traded it for...


STAGE SIX - WELCOME, BOUTIQUE!
april-ish 2010

... F5 Tap-Tremolo prototype. Got it directly from it's builder seemed so cool to me... especially the tap function!
I also swapped the Big Muff for my first boutique fuzz - an awesome hand made clone of Si Fuzz Face made in czech republic. this great guy calls himself "Electronic Orange" ( http://www.electronicorange.cz/ ) and he's awesome - builds good stuff and is really great do dealy with... he also modded my Disaster Transport and is currently repairing my fried Fuzz Factory clone. BTW he builds an incredible univibe clone that got a really good review over at gilmourish.com!



EHX White finger -> Boss PH-2 -> Electronic Orange Moon Face -> Visual Sound J&H -> F5 Tap-tremolo -> EHX SMMH

STAGE SEVEN - CLONING AND I HATE PEDALS PUT SIDEWAYS
July 2010

basically i got apetite for experiments again so i got myself built a Green Ringer clone with blend knob - for those who don't know, Green Ringer is a monophonic octave pedal, more or less clean. I had it built and laying around for some time (i remember using it with the Big Muff, IMMENSE TONE) but this was the firts time it got to the official pedalboard.
And sadly, due to brief financial crysis i had to sell my PH-2... then i was ok again so i bought something more expensive.. makes sense alot?



EHX White finger -> Electronic Orange Moon Face -> Green Ringer clone -> EHX Stereo Polyphase -> Visual Sound J&H -> F5 Tap-tremolo -> EHX SMMH

I HATE PEDALS PUT SIDEWAYS, but that was the only way i could patch them together... at least it didn't last for long...

STAGE EIGHT - REBOUND WAH, ONE DELAY =/= ENOUGH AND I HAVE A SECRET

I got the Red Repeat again? yep, why not... unlike the Dr.Q i really liked it the first time (i recall i just had to sell it to get something else) and i liked it the second time, too... those things have ABSOLUTELY STUPID bypass tho
Also as you can see i decided i'm cool nuff to get a wah pedal again... i got it traded for a small MIDI keyboard, it was just a regular GCB-95, but i really liked it had quite a good range!
The most important change was that i got rid of the Visual Sound and bought a Cbread DLS. It suits our band more tonally and also it's really good with my by-that-time-new amp (George Dennis)



Dunlop CB -> Electronic Orange Moon Face -> EHX Stereo Polyphase -> Catalinbread DLS -> F5 Tap-tremolo -> Carl Martin Red Repeat -> EHX SMMH

you see that orange patch cable? that mofo was probably a few decades old, from the time of communism in our country... of course it was the only pedal i had with this lenght that i needed... and of course it fucked up in a middle of a show

STAGE NINE - AFTER ILF, THE THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME AGAIN
fall 2010

You people just have your way how to fuck with me I think the title is clear enough... after i joined this place, my pedalboard changed... the Moon Face instantly wasn't noisy and cool and interesting for me enough, the Red Repeat wasn't... i actually don't recall why i sold it this time... it just wasn't red enough, OK?!

instead i got a Fuzz Factory clone, redesigned to Rainbow Factory fuzz by my GF for delay, i've chosen Disaster Transport and besides initial problem with volume drop that even a certain (EQD) builder couldn't help me overcome, it's totally great (i got it upgraded by the electronic orange guy) I just love it...



Dunlop CB -> Rainbow Factory fuzz -> EHX Stereo Polyphase -> Catalinbread DLS -> F5 Tap-tremolo -> EQD Disaster Transport -> EHX SMMH

Notice the little piece of paper with my favourite settings for the Rainbow Factory... yeah, i probably lost it but it was really great sitting down, turning the knobs and in one day coming up with a bazillion new sounds

STAGE 10 - HOW I GOT THE CASE FILLED WITH JOY
january 2011

my goal was completed... i filled my case with pedals! by a complete chance everything in this rig had it's place and it just made me so happy... not tonally tho
So after being mocked (not really) for having just one fuzz, i bought The Great Destroyer... but i was probably expecting too much from it... or too little? it was quite good on some settings and i can'T deny that's the most HUGE sounding fuzz i've played. But it's made to make noise and i wasn't the right person for it - i admit
Also i had high expectations for Boss RV-3... it's sometimes desribed as a holy grail of reverbs... not for me it's not. It sounded either too sterile and weird or not deep enough.
But i was so happy with the looks of this pedalboard



Rainbow Factory fuzz -> Dwarfcraft TGD ->Dunlop CB -> EHX Stereo Polyphase -> Catalinbread DLS -> F5 Tap-tremolo -> EQD Disaster Transport -> EHX SMMH -> Boss RV-3

a fun fact... when i tapped the footswitch to change channels, i sometimes accidentaly turned the Volume knob on TGD over 9 o'clock... you don'T want to do this in a live situation ... I DID... for a few times...

STAGE 11 - ROCKING OUT, GAZING INTO THE FUTURE...
NOWADAYS

Ok, this is the current pedalboard... i have to explain

when you look to step 10, there's a lot of knobs, right... i have to admit, those knobs weren't turned as much as they should be... for example since i got Disaster Transport, i used it almost more than SMMH... and the F5 Tap-Tremolo? i can't justify having a pedal that big for one regular tremolo sound i don't even need tap tempo for those big effects are great for recording, but i didn't use the potential in a band situation - i'm just not like that
After a few weeks, my goal was completed... RV-3 was sold and replaced by Holy Grail... a great choice imho Tap-Tremolo was swapped for Boss TR-2 that'S really great exactly what i need - a small, dependable and good sounding tremolo SMMH was swapped for Wampler Faux Tape Echo - thanks to Kayzer - and i'm absolutely happy with it what a great pedal... again, fairly small, dependable, awesome sounding, really pleasing... i might also sleep with it... last but not least - TGD was traded with jwar for Frazz Dazzler and even though i haven'T yet tried it on a decent amp, i have to say i already love it Oh and Bellyheart sold me a Crybaby 95Q that i wanted for the spring and automatic turning on and i never looked back



Rainbow Factory fuzz -> Dwarfcraft TGD -> Dunlop CB95Q -> EHX Stereo Polyphase -> Dr.Scientist Frazz Dazzler -> Catalinbread DLS -> Boss TR-2 -> EQD Disaster Transport -> EHX SMMH -> EHX Holy Grail

of course this pedalboard isn't flawless - you see the gap on the right? that really bugs me i also hate the fact the Rainbow Factory can't be put after a wah... and frankly those horizontal boxes are A PAIN IN THE ASS, especially when you have just one... I'd also love to change Stereo Polyphase for something different, because it can't really do a decent leslie sim, or at least i can't find it... and it's again a bit complex and not really practical on stage...
but i'm aiming quite high for a replacements (Subdecay Proteus and Ibanez PT-909) and i can't really afford this right now (i could, but i have to save up for university and i want to buy a new guitar from my money soon-to-be-made on a summer job in scotland so i can't use that money for my university life... OR i just don't want to )


long post is long... i guess i'm not the best writer, i'm just not used to something like this if anyone read through it - much props and thanks

questions? shoot!

On stage 4 did you put her face there after you broke up so you could stomp on it repeatedly?
That'd be a good idea..


Nice work though dude, you can definitely see your progress!

ps, i'm still in stage one

to add to my last post,

one recommendation:
New Power Supply. LOL.

But seriously.

I read it. Always fun to see what people were like before ILF.

Your board has definitely changed for the better though.

Great and funny to read post! Thanks!

Rygot wrote:I read it. Always fun to see what people were like before ILF.

Your board has definitely changed for the better though.

it's absolutely more sonically pleasing thanks for reading!

Bennetts wrote:On stage 4 did you put her face there after you broke up so you could stomp on it repeatedly?
That'd be a good idea..

no, unfortunately not

Bennetts wrote:to add to my last post,

one recommendation:
New Power Supply. LOL.

But seriously.

true, BUT there's this problem that i'd still need a separate PS for stereo polyphase (it runs on 24V) and DLS (i run it on 12V)... and it'd have to have separated grounds, because Holy grail makes unpleasant noises while daisychained...

and when you think about it, there's not many powersupplies that deliver... it really drives me mad how can someone make a powersupply for a lot effects and not make it with separated grounds, YEAH, TREX, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU

univalve wrote:Great and funny to read post! Thanks!

thanks, buddy

Its amazing what a forum does to a dude's taste in gear. Ignorance is bliss for the wallet.

When you decide to flip that Frazz, send it my way!

Green Jacket wrote:Its amazing what a forum does to a dude's taste in gear. Ignorance is bliss for the wallet.

When you decide to flip that Frazz, send it my way!

don't play with me yeah, i'll keep that in mind

ILF is great because before ILF i mainly knew about some boutique builders... but the whole boutique thing was shrouded in a cloud of diamonds (i'm speaking about ToneCzar for example)... yeah, i knew about Devi, that's all - you see boutique stuff is fairly unknown here

when i joined ILF, i discovered some awesome builders making great pedals for very reasonable prices the weird thing is i don't have anything by them (i'm talking about Mellowtone for example), however it kinda opened my eyes

I love gear progression posts! You've got some nice stuff

Also...have you come across any awesome unusual/knockoff gear around there?

Achtane wrote:I love gear progression posts! You've got some nice stuff

Also...have you come across any awesome unusual/knockoff gear around there?

this one time i've come across used Frantone Glacier... the seller wasn't able to sell it for so long, he dropped the price to something about 160$

i didn't have the money, BUT FUCK!!!

i also remember used T.Organ crybaby for a reat price... sometimes something appears, but there's an absolute shortage of people interested in this kind of stuff here

thanks

Awesome Board Evolution!

I like the snake pit as well.

thanks!

Yeah, this was a nice little history. I wish I still had pics of all my different board configurations. I could go through them with text, but it's not as interesting or fun.

C

p.s. FUZZHUGGER

Shit! That rules! The steady evolution was really interesting.

I like this progression idea too. How 'bout we make this a progression thread? I mean, that would be fun. I'll go second. (IMPOSE MYSELF ON ALL YOU GUYS)

PART ONE: MODEST-EST OF BEGINNINGS

I had all of these pedals previously, and it wasn't until I found an old TV tray and bought a 1Spot that I thought about making a pedalboard. I used mostly the giant silver Tone Machine clone, which previously was the only pedal I used. Yes, I realize I didn't have a tuner. In fact, I didn't have a tuner for the longest damn time.

PART TWO: TIME PASSES, AND I REGRETFULLY DO NOT DOCUMENT MUCH UNTIL....

This is my board a week after finding out about ILF. I found ILF due to buying a TGD ( )and getting a free Shoe Gazer from Devi. I started at her forum, and moved over here shortly thereafter. I also had a RAT that was really filled with both win, and inconsistency. Shortly after fixing it, I sold it to fund my Grabber purchase. I miss it sometimes. The Headrush was neat for a while, but it just sat there and looked pretty. Still using the TV tray, which was now propped up with two pieces of wood. Absent from this pic for some reason, but I still had it: my eternal love, the Rusty Box.

PART THREE: DONOVAN IMPULSE BUYS A DISTORTION +

I was all like and meh, and quickly gave it to a friend as a birthday gift.

PART FOUR: THE BOARD REACHES A MOMENT OF ZEN

This still is one of my fonder moments of pedal-dom. I really dug every pedal I had on this board. This was the board I recorded the Star Commander album with, and played so many shows. I knew what every pedal did, and every pedal did exactly what I wanted them to do. Lots of good times. ESPECIALLY WITH THE SINGING TREE JESUS SHIT I MISS THAT.

PART FIVE: I GET BORED AND TRADE OFF HALF OF MY SHIT

Lots of exciting change. I get the Algal Bloom, the NPN (which is now used by the guitar player in one of my bands, sigh), the MXR analog delay, and the DSD-2. So much experimentation with this. I had no idea really what I was doing. SO FUN.

PART SIX: DONOVAN ADDS A CHORUS

Ha.

PART SEVEN: THE TV TRAY REACHES CRITICAL MASS

Holy shit I crammed a ton on this motherfucker. Got the Sound Shank, the Behringer bass synth, and NBABMF came in with my ILFSS gift, WHICH FUCKING RULED YESYESYESYES CC/DC AND LOGAN 5 HOLY SHIT! But, it was too cramped. Waaaaaaay too cramped for live performances.

PART EIGHT: GORM BOARD TO THE RESCUE!

Look at all that space! HOLY SHIT! Also, check that sweet new Bit! This new board I was really pleased with, and still am digging (the board itself). The pedals, I was not as content.

PART NINE: CURRENT DAY

I'm feeling pretty alright about this one. Microsynth takes up a bit much space, but for the moment it can live. Also, all my other pedals I really enjoy. A lot.

Sooooo, yeah. How about you guys do this too so I don't feel awkward and intrusive?

This reminds me that I need to take a pic of my small pedalboard now. It's hugely different from last year, when I just bought stuff because I needed something to start with.