Today’s pedal line is from Jack Roper. If you have a pedal line (doesn’t have to be in a board) for your rig, please email me a photo, bio, description of pedals and routing to pedalline@nulleffectsbay.com. Every Friday I’ll showcase a pedal line submission. Make sure you include any links to your band or music page.
Current pedal setup attached. I usually play into a Peavey 6505+ 112 combo amp, a small Orange Pix practice amp or a Hughes and Kettner Warp 7 Half Stack. I play a Fender Jaguar Big Block 66 Reissue, or a Epiphone Les Paul Custom Silverburst depending on what’s most suitable. I also have an Ibanez S470 and a Jackson Rhandy Rhodes 7 String. The board itself is a Diago Showman.
*Boss TU3 Chromatic Tuner*
Most important and useful pedal I’ve got but also the most boring!
*Snarling Dogs Blues Bawl Wah*
Has 3 Wah settings, White Room (Clapton), Voodoo (Hendrix) and Shaft (Samuel L. Jackson). All are cool to ply but Voodoo is the most well rounded setting. It also has the ‘Blues Bawl’ overdrive component which can be set to a screaming lead tone that can be waaay over the top or a nice subtle mild overdrive. Its a little noisy though so I tend to use this pedal only for the Wah function.
*MXR Blue Box (Octave)*
A crazy little pedal that adds a sub octave +2 down from the note you play. Tends to jump around a bit and make plenty of random noises. I’ve put it early in the chain because it tends to sound best with the compressor engaged after it and also sounds funky with the big muff and wah turned on. Best at full volume and mix around 2 o’clock.
*MXR Dyna Comp (Compressor)*
Standard compressor, I usually use it as a boost for lead lines.
*Maxon OD-9 (Overdrive)*
Pushes the other distortion pedals and tube amp over the top and tightens up the sound into the lead channel on the Peavey 6505.
*EHX Big Muff*
The standard American classic version, need to trade this for a smaller model so I can squeeze it on the board!
*Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion*
For busting out Nirvana songs and hard edged grunge. Stays at full distortion, tone around 11 and Level at 12.
*EHX Small Stone Nano (Phaser)*
In my opinion beats the Phase 90 hands down. Has a switch for differing depths and is nice and small. Rate usually between 9 and 11 o’clock for a nice slow whoosh.
*EHX Small Clone (Chorus)*
Some classic watery chorus effects with the switch in the down position and around 9-12 o’clock. Nice come as you are sound when combined with the DS-2, and interesting with delays. Tends to get a bit 80’s with screaming distortion.
*Boss DD-3 Digital Delay*
The classic essential Delay, I love this pedal and it stays front and centre on the board.
*EHX Holy Grail Plus (Reverb)*
Great for reverb soaked simple garage surf rock or some shoegaze. Stays on the spring mode, blend around 12, amount around 3. Flerb mode is great for laying down some backing track drone noises using the loop pedal, its a weird combination of flanger and reverb that sounds like a floating ghost might do if they existed.
*Akai Head Rush E2 (Looper / Delay / Tape Echo)*
Nice to use as a delay to have one before and after the reverb. The tape echo is also interesting for using in conjunction with the DD3 and sounds insane with the flerb, phaser and chorus. The looping function on this unit is good although the recording time is a little short. A very flexible piece of kit and the tap tempo is useful as the DD3 doesn’t have that ability.
*ISP Decimator (Noise Reducer)*
This is definitely needed to reduce the feedback noise from the Peavey amp when set on the dirty lead channel as I usually boost it using the OD9. Cuts out all the noise from the pedal line too, although can effect the delay pedals if its set too high. I only use this in the band room at loud volumes and usually stays around 11/12 o’clock.
Future additions…I’m looking to get an EHX micro POG next, possibly to replace the Blue Box (its a little too quirky!), and also fancy trying out a Jerry Cantrell Wah or the Morley Bad Horsie Wah. Also I’m lacking a flanger pedal and like the look of the Ibanez FL2.
Cheers
Jack Roper
