Minimalistic rig

[Thundergod]

I recently played a couple of gigs with just an amp, 2 pedals, 2 cables (+a patch cable) and 1 guitar.

 

I loved the sound during sound-check. I loved the sound during both shows. I love the simplicity of it and how there are no major variables.

 

Anyway, in today's economy and being a higher level OCD dude, I keep thinking I have to sell everything else LOL.

 

I really don't like having stuff around that don't get used at all.

 

But that's not the problem. On a daily basis I find myself surfing the net for replacements for what I'm about to sell.

 

Maybe this thread should be titled "is there a psichoanalist in the house?"

[Thundergod]

I have to admit, I keep coming back to this particular rig. No matter how I try to use something else and how many times I fall in love of a new amp, guitar or pedal. I keep coming back to this one.

 

The last thing to go was the wireless system. It's on sale now. I just took it out as a means of having one less thing to worry about. And I haven't missed it a all (it's not like I play arenas and huge stages anyway, 18 feet of cable is more than enough from amp to pedal and the same from pedal to guitar).

 

 

The things I regret selling are pedal tuners. I am using a clip on tuner on the headstock and while it's small, trusty and cheap I think I liked the pedal units better. I might get the poly tune again or one of the korg pitch black tuners.

[Dub-T-123]

I know what you're sayin man. Lately I've been playing with my tele, an overdrive, a fuzz, and my ac30. I don't want a big pedalboard for playing with a band. I want a small board that I can fit like 4 pedals on (so I can have some delay yeahh)

 

But I'll keep building and collecting pedals even if I don't use them in a band I just want to hoard them.

[Bender 4 Life]

sounds like you got it nailed TG......

 

my rig's skinned down to a Blues Junior, cable w/automatic killswitch end on guitar end (Ernie Ball "Ultraflex" Cable), and whatever flavor/tuning guitar I want.

luckily, my ocd manifests in counting, straightening, symmetry, and (occasionally)blinking.

 

oh, and spending too much time on the 'puter

[daveinspain]

Hey TG, yeah I'm doing fine with my Engnator Rebel 30 and a Boss ME 50... The Boss has everything I need, verb, distortion, delay and chorus and tones of other stuff that I don't use. Easy set up... Might be fun to have a looper though...

[damian]

I understand completely........However, I prefer having many many options to choose from to set up a simple rig......

 

Consistant for a live rig is a 1X12 tube combo on an Atlas Stand, Les Pauls, and a flask......................

 

All of us players of a certain level of playing will sound about the same regardless of what we use,

 

but the differences really show in the recording world..........Less so playing live...............

[Sinner 13]

I recently played a couple of gigs with just an amp, 2 pedals, 2 cables (+a patch cable) and 1 guitar.

 

I loved the sound during sound-check. I loved the sound during both shows. I love the simplicity of it and how there are no major variables.

 

Anyway, in today's economy and being a higher level OCD dude, I keep thinking I have to sell everything else LOL.

 

I really don't like having stuff around that don't get used at all.

 

But that's not the problem. On a daily basis I find myself surfing the net for replacements for what I'm about to sell.

Maybe this thread should be titled "is there a psichoanalist in the house?"

 

 

Dude, So true.

you are not alone, I catch my self doing it constantly.

[Silenced Fred]

Like Dub, I'm trying to downsize my pedalboard to about 4 or 5 pedals.

 

But I'm the ultimate minimalist cuz I play acoustic butches!

[Thundergod]

I know what you're sayin man. Lately I've been playing with my tele, an overdrive, a fuzz, and my ac30.

 

Same here. Right now it's a tele, ac30 and bulldog distortion (2 channel OD/dist tube pedal from vox). Really happy with it.

[stein]

Like Dub, I'm trying to downsize my pedalboard to about 4 or 5 pedals.

 

But I'm the ultimate minimalist cuz I play acoustic butches!

DOWN to 5? ...lol

[EVOL!]

In the late nineties, early two thousands I got into the habit of bringing everything and the kitchen sink to gigs. With my last serious band I paired it down to

 

- one amp

- smaller Rubbermaid container with pedal board, cables, and guitar stands

- two guitars: one main and one backup

 

Made gearing in/out and setup soooo much easier. And I didn't take up half the van with my junk.

[Silenced Fred]

DOWN to 5? ...lol

 

tuner, fuzz, overdrive, phaser, delay. I still need a good overdrive, and I think I'm gonna start selling off some of the fuzz I don't use that much to fund it.

 

And I need a phaser

[Thundergod]

I've come to the conclusion I hate options LOL

 

I have some OD/dist pedals that sound slightly different and some times I don't know which one to use. Same for delays and modulation pedals. Same with amps and guitars.

 

My problem is I want to take them all to gigs and rehearsals because all of them have little differences. But then Even if I do bring the whole bunch I end up using only my standard rig. :D

 

I remember taking 6 guitars (with hard cases), a multi guitar stand, 3 amps, and AB switch, a pedalboard with 17 pedals and a wireless to a gig one time (a couple of years ago) and while it was a blast (to play different songs with different guitars) I don't think a) it was the most practical thing to do, B) it was necessary, c) there were huge differences in tone from one rig to another and d) anyone noticed.

 

Then seeing pictures taken by a friend's girl I thought it was ridiculous.

[Thundergod]

Having too many options makes it difficult for me to chose what to use and when to use it.

 

There have been times I've spent more time deciding what to use (and setting everything up with different stuff) than playing.

 

But when a simple rig I spend more time playing as there's less to noodle with.

[stein]

Lol...you guys crack me up.

 

Being a slight troll here, but I think (to me) more than 2 pedals is a lot.

 

It is hard to think of more than that as "minimalistic". I mean, how about maybe a tuner, and a booster of some sort? (be it fuzz, od, or whatever?).

 

I mean, there is something to be said to just a guitar and amp, and having THAT be your sound or tone.

[Silenced Fred]

Lol...you guys crack me up.

 

Being a slight troll here, but I think (to me) more than 2 pedals is a lot.

 

It is hard to think of more than that as "minimalistic". I mean, how about maybe a tuner, and a booster of some sort? (be it fuzz, od, or whatever?).

 

I mean, there is something to be said to just a guitar and amp, and having THAT be your sound or tone.

 

I'm all for that, but there's a time and place for just a guitar to amp. You can't get fuzz out of just a guitar to amp. You can't get delay with just a guitar to amp.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I think for most people, guitar to amp is their main sound, but if you can use fuzz, delay, phasers, whatevs, why not?

[ShredAstaire]

Hey if you're ok eating plain food than Guitar to Amp is fine...some people like some herbs and spices in their food.

[stein]

I'm all for that, but there's a time and place for just a guitar to amp. You can't get fuzz out of just a guitar to amp. You can't get delay with just a guitar to amp.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I think for most people, guitar to amp is their main sound, but if you can use fuzz, delay, phasers, whatevs, why not?

Oh yes of corse. NOTHING wrong with effects, IMO. And, they can be cool.

 

But first, YES you can get fuzz from an amp. Just crank the SOB. Delay? Sure you can. If you want that slapback effect, play it in place with hard surfaces.

 

I mean, besides using effects for cool sounds that are interesting, suppose not having them and just using ONE thing at your disposal: Choosing with notes/chords to play and how loud to play them? You can do that regardless of what the amp sounds like, wether it is distorted or not.

 

Not saying one way is better (minimalistic or not). But, I DO find it kinda funny how some poeple view "minimalistic" differently. The perspective of getting minimal to just guitar, into PEDALBAORD, into amp I find kinda funny.

[Silenced Fred]

Oh yes of corse. NOTHING wrong with effects, IMO. And, they can be cool.

 

But first, YES you can get fuzz from an amp. Just crank the SOB. Delay? Sure you can. If you want that slapback effect, play it in place with hard surfaces.

 

I mean, besides using effects for cool sounds that are interesting, suppose not having them and just using ONE thing at your disposal: Choosing with notes/chords to play and how loud to play them? You can do that regardless of what the amp sounds like, wether it is distorted or not.

 

Not saying one way is better (minimalistic or not). But, I DO find it kinda funny how some poeple view "minimalistic" differently. The perspective of getting minimal to just guitar, into PEDALBAORD, into amp I find kinda funny.

 

I'll make you a recording of fuzz, and I want you to match it with just an amp. deal?

[Thundergod]

My approach to minimalistic is a guitar a pedal (2 at most) and an amp.

 

And that's what I'm enjoying the most right now.

 

I can see how a boss me-50 can be considered minimalistic as most pedalboards come with lots more options and switches and menus and crazy stuff (unlike that one, that functions like 3 pedals + wah).

[Californiaman]

For me it's basically an amp, an overdrive, some fuzz and some delay.

But that can change anytime depending on what I want to accomplish.

Last week it was some deja vibe because I was going for that Robin Trower thing.

[FirstMeasure]

Hey if you're ok eating plain food than Guitar to Amp is fine...some people like some herbs and spices in their food.

Right. Hard boiled eggs are good with minimal effects, but an Omelet need some flanger, overdrive, and a touch of delay, otherwise it's just scrambled eggs.

[FirstMeasure]

I'm all for that, but there's a time and place for just a guitar to amp. You can't get fuzz out of just a guitar to amp. You can't get delay with just a guitar to amp.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I think for most people, guitar to amp is their main sound, but if you can use fuzz, delay, phasers, whatevs, why not?

Exactly. I use 5 or so pedals, but it's not like they're on all the time. They're there for when a sonic change is in order. However I have known guitarist who Dial in "Their Sound" with a wash of effects and play everything with that sound. To each his own.

[Silenced Fred]

Exactly. I use 5 or so pedals, but it's not like they're on all the time. They're there for when a sonic change is in order. However I have known guitarist who Dial in "Their Sound" with a wash of effects and play everything with that sound. To each his own.

 

Honestly, including tuner, I will probably end up with like 8 pedals, but each one is different, not like 8 different types of fuzz or whatever.

 

I never got people who's base sound is just effects

[FirstMeasure]

Honestly, including tuner, I will probably end up with like 8 pedals, but each one is different, not like 8 different types of fuzz or whatever.

 

I never got people who's base sound is just effects

What really gets me is guys who spend a couple grand on the perfect tube amp, then put everything through the clean channel and switch on their effects. Effectively taking the Power Amp and replacing it with a $60 distortion pedal and burying it in Chorus or Flanger .