What’s on Your Pedalboard? | Copywriter Edition

Sweetwater’s “What’s On Your Pedalboard?” is one of our most popular series on the Sweetwater YouTube channel. In it, our guitar guru, Don Carr, takes a deep dive into the pedalboards of popular artists, content creators, and pedal manufacturers. It’s always fascinating to see the choices artists make when selecting and arranging their effects pedals.

But just because you’re not a household name or a touring artist doesn’t mean that you don’t approach your own pedalboard with the same level of seriousness as the pros!

As many of you know, Sweetwater is filled with passionate musicians, including some serious guitar-playing gear geeks. We connected with several writers from the Sweetwater Marketing department to ask them about their pedalboards. It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that when these folks aren’t writing product pages or articles for Sweetwater’s inSync, they’re poring over their pedalboards, perfecting their selections, and reordering their signal chains to achieve the sounds in their heads!

Let’s check out six boards in this special Sweetwater copywriter edition of “What’s on Your Pedalboard?”!

Hunter Carter (SEO Writer)

My Shoes Aren’t the Only Things I’m Gazin’ At

This board has had plenty of changes throughout its short life. From being the ultimate shoegaze pedalboard to a neo-psychedelia tonal machine, it has covered a wide range of sounds and had a ludicrous number of pedals attached along the way. Some notable pedals I want to shout out are my always-on pedals, which include the BOSS CE-2W Waza Craft chorus pedal and the ZVEX Double Rock Vexter. The CE-2W has such a lush tone that sounds good no matter the settings, and the Double Rock serves as a boost on one side and a light overdrive on the other.

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Other pedals I use on almost every song I write are the Strymon Volante magnetic echo machine pedal and the Old Blood Noise Endeavors Fault V2, which is one of the most versatile overdrive pedals with its EQ section. I’d be silly not to mention the elephant in the room — the Moog Moogerfooger MF-103 12-stage Phaser.

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Hunter Carter’s love of music spans back as far as he can remember. From a young age, Hunter loved riding in the car with his parents, listening to late ’90s country and classic rock. He started his music journey at 12 when his parents gifted him an acoustic guitar for his birthday and has since been playing guitar and collecting pedals and amps. In his free time, Hunter enjoys playing and relaxing with his cats, collecting vinyl records (Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is his favorite), and recording music. Read Hunter’s articles here.

Jake Jenkins (SEO Writer)

A Bit-O-BOSS

When it comes to playing guitar, my primary goal is capturing great recorded guitar tones. I have a nice collection of pedals, but I don’t have a need for building a large gigging board. Instead, I opted to make some small, focused boards that are convenient to use, and each has a signature sound. My first board is all classic BOSS pedals built for ’80s-style rhythm tones. It starts with the cult classic BOSS FA-1 FET amplifier, which is an incredible tone shaper (check out this JHS The Clover preamp pedal for a modern version). Next up is a BOSS CS-2 compression sustainer, followed by the only nonvintage pedal on my board, the BOSS OD-3 overdrive pedal. For modulation, I went with the BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus. My version is from 1996, meaning it still has analog circuitry versus the modern CH-1, which is a digital chorus. Rounding out the board is the BOSS DSD-2 digital sampler delay. It has a unique record and playback function that can be activated via an external trigger. However, I mostly use it as a standard digital delay.

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My secondary goal with this board was to make it as neat and tidy as possible. The Voodoo Lab Dingbat pedalboard was a perfect fit for five BOSS pedals. I purchased the Power Package that includes the Pedal Power 2 Plus, a power supply that works with modern and vintage BOSS pedals. Pancake patch cables and a pedalboard essentials kit from Vertex Effects made cable management a breeze!

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When not writing about gear, copywriter Jake Jenkins is likely reading about gear, thinking about gear, or hunkering down in his home studio working with gear. Bitten by the recording bug over 20 years ago, Jake has spent innumerable hours running faders on a console or lost in the furthest reaches of his DAW. Lately, his attention has turned toward electronic music production, including analog synths, Eurorack, and sample-based sound design. His current recording project, Octavaphant, is a mainly one-man affair, with some much-appreciated assistance from his talented friends and colleagues at Sweetwater. Read Jake’s articles here.

Mac McDonough (Copywriter)

No-nonsense Hard Rock & Melodical Metal Board

I’m not a pedal snob; my Aclam Smart Track S2 pedalboard is designed to be streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective. The first thing my guitar signal sees is a first-gen Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie Electro-Optical Contour Wah pedal, which takes up about half my board. Next is a Mooer Yellow Comp, which is a budget-priced clone of the revered Diamond CPR-1 Compressor. I use this optical-style compressor as an always-on sweetening effect, even in high-gain applications. The final stompboxes before my amp’s input are a Way Huge Green Rhino MkIV overdrive pedal, which is used to boost my amp’s dirty channel, and a DOD Carcosa analog fuzz pedal.

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In my amp’s effects loop is a BOSS GE-7 7-band EQ pedal. I love to crank the mids on my amp, so I use the GE-7 to dial out any resultant midrange honkiness. The last pedal in my loop is a Zoom MS-70CDR MultiStomp chorus/delay/reverb pedal. The Zoom is a true Swiss Army knife. I use it to replicate the effects I’d typically plug into in my studio, such as detune, chorus, delay, reverb, and even a dbx compressor for ’80s-style clean tones. Last but not least, I have a BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor pedal integrated using the 4-cable method, along with an ART CleanBOX II 2-channel hum eliminator at my amp’s input to keep things noise- and hum-free. The board is powered by an MXR M238 Iso-Brick 10-output isolated guitar pedal power supply. I play mostly melodic hard rock and jazz fusion, and I’ve found that my humble pedalboard really delivers the goods.

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Jeffrey “Mac” McDonough started studying classical violin at the age of nine, but his destiny changed significantly after he plugged an electric guitar into a distortion pedal for the first time — a Pandora’s box that his parents probably wish he hadn’t opened. Mac was bitten by the recording bug in the late 1980s while experimenting with a TASCAM Portastudio and a malfunctioning Shure SM58. He interned in several pro studios throughout the 1990s, after which he began tracking and mixing in an ADAT-based project studio. Aside from writing about gear, Mac currently works on freelance recording projects in his home studio, affectionately named “Mac’s Playpen.” Read Mac’s articles here.

Nathan Marona (Copywriter)

The Holiest of Holeyboards

Here are a few constants on my ever-changing board:

The spacious power supply accommodation of the Holeyboard Pedalboards 123 complete pedalboard drew me in initially. I also love the brand’s footpedal modules. I regularly stack two Module 3’s to accommodate footpedals or a BOSS RC-500 Loop Station compact phrase recorder pedal. Holeyboard’s zip-tie mounting system also cuts down on dust and pet fur buildup near my gear.

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Keep those headlamps handy because the EarthQuaker Devices Afterneath V3 reverb pedal is the real McCoy of “cavernous” reverbs! Afterneath takes the mystery and sprawl of cavern systems seriously; it’s filled with drippy river caves, stalagmites, and treasure caches you’ll want to lose yourself in — great for solos but even better for soundscapes and swells. The BOSS BD-2 Blues Drive pedal is my go-to for seasoning cleans and spatial effects — it adds tube-like sparkle and is genre-agnostic! Optical compressor pedals are trendy for a reason! This value-packed Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone compressor/sustain pedal nails creamy compression with substantial headroom and just enough control (including a blend knob).

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Daydreaming about music almost outdoes the real thing — or at least that’s the case for Nathan Marona, who grew up in the enigmatic swamp of the Florida Panhandle. Nathan shaped his writing and music chops studying literature in college and found himself equally as drawn to the backstories behind genres, bands, and gear as he was to the music. His appetite for deep dives led to a few independent Internet blogs, a zine called “Nascar Noir,” and now articles here at Sweetwater, where gear and great stories collide. Read Nathan’s articles here.

Kevin Osborn (SEO Writer)

Behold, Faxcalibur!

This board was born out of a need (desire, really) to access my desktop amp sims onstage.

I’d happily been using a Kemper Profiler Stage floorboard amp profiler, a Headrush MX5 amp modeling guitar effects processor, and even an iPhone live for years. But I found myself wanting more. “More power!” I declared one day in my best Tim Allen grunt. So, I threw a PC on my pedalboard, and the concept started to take shape.

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The heart of this rig is an XTONE XSonic switcher/interface running into a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet. The XSonic has a speed and quality I really enjoy — probably because it runs at sample rates up to 192kHz. And, of course, with the Surface being a full-fat PC, I have access to desktop versions of my Kuassa, ML Sound Lab, Neural DSP Tone King Imperial MKII amp and effects suite software, IK Multimedia TONEX Max amp/cab/pedal modeling software, Ampeg SVT Suite bass amplifier plug-in, and other guitar and bass suites. Shout-out to Rig Doctor Mason Marangella for his recommendation on the tablet mount. It screwed right into my Templeboard; I didn’t even have to drill anything.

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Incorporating Blue Cat Audio PatchWork was where it all came together. This MIDI-capable VST host allows me to recall some pretty sophisticated presets across multiple effects ecosystems with the press of a switch. Let me tell ya: you haven’t played live until you’ve had FabFilter Pro-Q 3 EQ and filter plug-in or the Universal Audio AD Hitsville Reverb Chambers plug-in running on your live sends!

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The Shure GLXD16+ digital wireless guitar pedal system is on loan from our friends at Shure. So far, it’s been rock solid. It feels like cable to me. Really intuitive and easy to use. Plus, it auto-scans between 2.4 and 5.8GHz, so you always get the best channel. The silent tuner is an added feature I’ve also really enjoyed. 

Rounding out the rest of the rig is a Dunlop DVP4 Volume (X) mini pedal for volume control and a couple 65-watt power banks so I can run the board away from shore power. 

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Let the record show I still love physical amps and pedals. But for me, recallability trumps everything else. We’re finally getting to the point where digital can pretty consistently deliver what I expect to hear from a vintage Vox or a cranked Marshall. Either that or my ears are failing at an inverse rate!

Kevin Osborn is a staff writer for Sweetwater and a gear geek of more than 20 years. He first caught the music-making bug at age 12 when he discovered a love for drums, songwriting, and multitrack recording. He holds degrees in tech writing from Missouri State University and recording arts from Recording Workshop. Outside of Sweetwater, Kevin plays guitar for his church and writes and releases music with lifelong friend Logan under the name Geoff Jeffries. Read Kevin’s articles here.

Aidan VandeStadt (Copywriter)

Handbuilt Board for Psychedelic Cosmic Travels

For psychedelic sludge, grungy alternative, and cosmic soundscapes alike, meet my oversized and underpowered pedalboard! It uses some of my favorite pedals to access all of my humbly decided effects essentials. The roster includes the fuzzy Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff Pi, the shimmering Electro-Harmonix Canyon delay and looper pedal for multidimensional exploration, a Dunlop GCB95F Cry Baby Classic wah pedal, and an onslaught of BOSS boxes for loop, octave, tremolo, and phaser effects.

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It’s a collection of pedals that both records and plays well onstage and in my studio while harboring an enormously inspirational palette for my creative space. Powered by an Accel 8 source and monitored via a Snark pedal tuner, this hefty effects haven will churn out imaginings anytime and anywhere — assuming you can haul its hulking homemade solid-wood frame!

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Aidan VandeStadt’s self-immersion into the universe of writing and musical experimentation has been an ongoing journey since he could hold a pencil and hum a tune. His enthusiasm led him to the Ohio University English Department and School of Music, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in writing with a minor in music and where he also sang and toured with the Singing Men of Ohio men’s choir and worked with WOUB radio station in Athens, Ohio, as a music director and DJ. Aidan is a multi-instrumentalist, specializing in both percussion and guitar, and he has enjoyed playing in several bands over the years while writing, recording, and producing musical projects on his own and for his friends. Read Aidan’s articles here.

So... What’s on Your Pedalboard?

Whether you’re looking to build a meat-and-potatoes mini board or a tour-worthy mega board, Sweetwater has the gear that you need! Check out our huge selection of guitar pedals, pedalboards, and accessories, and build the board of your dreams!
The post What’s on Your Pedalboard? | Copywriter Edition appeared first on inSync.