Filbert Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 So reading this thread the other day, inspired me to buy a Boss GE-7 EQ pedal and I have spent an hour or so productively fiddling with it so far. Haven't found that 'holy grail' setting just yet but I am encouraged enough by the results so far to keep trying. It got me thinking though as a good idea for discussion, what is your 'secret weapon' pedal (for those of you who use pedals, of course)? What is the one pedal that you absolutely, positively cannot do without? Just to kick it off, this is mine: Which is the ThorpyFX Fat General pedal. Never previously paid much mind to compression pedals but after reading reviews of this and after buying one, it never leaves my board and is never switched off - I find it that essential to my tone. So what say you? Show me your secrets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I'm not sure if I have a secret weapon. every once in awhile I'll travel light to a gig and just take my tuner. on those nights I seem to miss my Wah the most. I love a touch of delay on some tunes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I don't use effects that often, but I always need me some reverb. So I got me one of these. Anasounds Element Analog Reverb Tank - Le Truand Bundle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Like Bill I have to have a touch of reverb. If I don't take my Fender Super 60 combo (has reverb) to the gig, I take my Marshall Reflector pedal. For drives I use a VS Route 66 (v2) and an Xotic AC+. Thorpy has/have a very good rep in the UK now, must try some of their pedals out sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 I find the GE-7 very useful. And too noisy. I still use it, though. I need all my pedals for our setlist, so I couldn't pick just one. The most fun one is the TC Electronics delay. Highly recommended. You can't run it on batteries though - I thought mine was broken. No, turns out it just drains a 9V battery in a couple hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G Mac Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 My secret weapon is...nothing. That is, unless you count a channel switch. No reverb, no delay, phaser, chorus, flanger, nothing. People always ask me how I get such a great tone...I just play the thing. I do, however, have a system for dialing in whatever amp I'm using. I've found that the freedom of not using effects is quite liberating. I used to use a ton of rack-mounted stuff and one night at the gig it crapped out on me (a faulty cord in the chain). When I unplugged from my toys, I found that my sound was awful! I sold it all the next day! Now, I carry a spare cord, and some spare tubes, just in case. When I record, I let the engineer put on whatever he/she wants which gives them a lot more freedom to sculpt the sound. I must say that I've grown to love just the way a guitar sounds on its own! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Just my stage tuner. It's the Snark stage tuner. Big bright letters that are easy to read in low light. I could do without most of the rest. My amp has a clean/crunch and overdrive1/overdrive2 along with a little reverb. I use a chorus pedal for a few songs and occasionally my wah pedal. That's about it. I don't even use the tuner much since mine stay in tune pretty well once they acclimate to the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticsg Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Not really into pedals. However, I do use a TS-808 tube screamer with the 50w Bassman head. I don't use anything with the Marshall stack. Oh, and I have a Wah laying around here somewhere... Doesn't everybody?? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 secret weapon? Damn I aint got one.. now what?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 1 minute ago, kidblast said: secret weapon? Damn I aint got one.. now what?? Find arcticsg's Wah... there ya go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I am of the Billy Gibbons and my buddy Eric Johnson schools of guffaw worthy guitar bullshite to explain how I do whatever it is I do. I have so many secret weapons I need an app to keep track of them. So I could tell you a couple, but you would be well advised to not believe a word I say. My main secret weapon? Three way switch on Strats. Don't do no 5 ways, take them out immediately, while replacing the pickups with my secret other secret weapons. There, you got one, free of charge. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 (edited) 27 minutes ago, rct said: ...My main secret weapon? Three way switch on Strats. Don't do no 5 ways, take them out immediately... Interesting. Do the current 3-way work in the same manner as the older 3-way? With my '64 I could get three different o-o-p tones between neck/middle and two o-o-p between middle/bridge. I've considered putting a 3-way in my current Strat but so far have been simply too lazy to get around to doing it... Pip. EDIT : As to the OP; like a few others here nowadays I just plug a guitar straight into the amp. Back in the '80s I sometimes used a Big Muff Pi for the heavier stuff to beef-up the aforementioned '64 but my amp (Music Man 2x12 '65' with spring reverb) has a very cunning piece of circuitry whereby no fewer than four(!) o/d stages combine with one another at different vol settings so that max o/d can be had at very low volumes but as the master vol is rolled up the 'artificial' o/d gives way to good old-fashioned natural valve o/d. That Leo Fender had some interesting ideas... Edited August 21, 2019 by pippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 17 minutes ago, pippy said: Interesting. Do the current 3-way work in the same manner as the older 3-way? With my '64 I could get three different o-o-p tones between neck/middle and two o-o-p between middle/bridge. I've considered putting a 3-way in my current Strat but so far have been simply too lazy to get around to doing it... They do. The springs are even better now though. In pictures I have from them days, you can see the match stuck in there to hold it in place. By the time Fedner decided that quack was cool and everyone wanted it so they erroneously put in 5 way switches, quack was long over. We got bored with it fast, even Eric did. Once the 3 way was gone and you didn't have to break your guitar to get that sound it was just no fun any longer. I don't ever quack, haven't since back then. I do go from back to front and back, sometimes quickly. Never, well, rarely ever use the middle, I used to take them out. I also wire the bottom tone pot to both back and middle as it will help Mrs sell these highly modified guitars should she have to. I used to unwire the tone pots on all of my guitars, only volume. A real pain if you want to trade in a hurry. There, another free secret weapon or so. I also have vague memory of turning the jack plate upside down on strats, so it bulged out not caved in. That didn't last either, not that I ever did that in my vast pantheon of tonal secret weapons. Mentioned it for a friend. rct 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I farted into a pickup once... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 7 minutes ago, Big Bill said: I farted into a pickup once... How was your sustain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 Great, reverb was a bit wet! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticsg Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 7 hours ago, merciful-evans said: NiCE!! 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 8 hours ago, Big Bill said: I farted into a pickup once... Where Big Bill goes, nothing grows. I like a touch of delay and reverb for everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 19 hours ago, Big Bill said: Find arcticsg's Wah... there ya go... Got a wah,,(2 actually!!) but., hardly for me a secret weapon,, with all my awesome chops, and thundering rythm licks,, don't ya know.. I think I need something more nuclear... 😏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 (edited) 10 minutes ago, kidblast said: Got a wah,,(2 actually!!) but., hardly for me a secret weapon,, with all my awesome chops, and thundering rythm licks,, don't ya know.. I think I need something more nuclear... 😏 Try my farting into the pup method.... ***Warning*** You might empty half the bar, thus never getting to play there again. Also kills the tips... Edited August 22, 2019 by Big Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Big Bill said: Try my farting into the pup method.... ***Warning*** You might empty half the bar, thus never getting to play there again. Also kills the tips... and that's how we ended up in Fart Court your honor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 3 hours ago, kidblast said: Got a wah,,(2 actually!!) but., hardly for me a secret weapon,, with all my awesome chops, and thundering rythm licks,, don't ya know.. I think I need something more nuclear... 😏 Well said. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 1 hour ago, rct said: Well said. rct I learned that stuff from one of my heroes... Oh wait... LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 Only pedal I use (if you can call it an official pedal) is a talk box. I've been playing Rocky Mountain Way and Do You Feel for over 40 years.😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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