Pedal Line Friday – 8/21 – Cloud Meinhold

Today’s Pedal Line Friday submission is from Cloud Meinhold. 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.

Hello, my name is Cloud Meinhold, and I work construction for a living, and have done so since I was about 20 years old, I am currently 38. I started playing at about 16, learned some Metallica songs, and called it quits to start work in order to take care of my young family. I then proceeded to pick up the bottle for the next 15 years. I did quit drinking a little over 4 years ago, and picked up the guitar again after a several years of not practicing, or taking my playing seriously. I really did only know a few Metallica songs up until I got serious and started studying the Blues, and Blues Rock. I have been studying the work if Joe Bonamassa, SRV, Buddy Guy, BB King, and many, many more. Now I own 10 guitars, 9 electrics, and 1 acoustic. I have two pedal boards total that I use every time that I play or practice. I am currently woodshedding at home on my off time, hoping to start a Blues/Blues Rock band within the next couple years. My YouTube
channel is under Cloud Meinhold, just some cover work, vocal, and guitar. We met Joe Bonamassa this past April, and he signed my Bonamassa Epiphone Gold Top, I have the 2014 Pelham Blue version as well.

***Starting out with the “black board” or board #1: Counterclockwise from the bottom right.***

1. Hand Signed Mark Tremonti Signature Morley-Power Wah: This was the first pedal that I acquired from EBay last year, it was also the first auction that I had ever won. It was hand signed, and given away as a radio contest prize in Chicago a couple of years ago. It cost me $51.00 after a $25 off Ebay new member coupon, what a steal! Dials include: Wah Boost.

2. Way Huge Fat Sandwich-Distortion: A pedal by Dunlop, and Jeorge Tripps. This is one of the best distortion pedals that I have on board for that Rock & Roll tone, although there are many different tones that you can dial in. Dials include: Level, High Cut, Hi, Lo, and Distortion knobs. I picked it up as an open box deal, but still in 100% mint condition (packaging too), and all from Musician’s Friend for $85.00. If you take of the bottom cover, there are three more adjustments for fine tuning Drive, Highs, and Curve.

3. VOX Tone Garage V8-Distortion: A great distortion pedal with a tube built right into it. Specially designed circuitry allows for proper tube warming, and extended tube life. Great tube amp tone, screaming leads, and chunky rhythms. Powered either by 6 AA batteries, or a 9volt adapter. Dials include: Volume, Bass, Tone, Gain, and a Mid Shift toggle switch for added mid range boost.

4. DigiTech X-Series Metal Master-Heavy Metal Distortion: This is a great pedal for some a** kicking metal distortion. The morph knob is some what like a scoop/shape adjustment for the gain circuit. Very highly recommended if your having trouble getting a heavier metal sound. No gain adjustment on this one, click it on, and its balls to the wall! Dials include: Level, Low, Hi, and Morph.

5. DigiTech X-Series Hot Rod-Distortion: This pedal is a very versatile pedal. The morph knob allows you to go from old school distortion (Boss DS1/ProCo Rat) to a smooth, thick fuzz. Classic Rock tones a plenty at the turn of a dial. Dials include: Level, Tone, Gain, and Morph.

6. Ibanez Mini-TubeScreamer-OverDrive: The mini version of the smooth sounding classic TS-808. It has the legendary JRC4558 IC Chip. Small footprint, big sound. SRV, and beyond with this OD pedal. Dials include: Tone, Overdrive, and Level.

7. Ibanez BB9-Big Bottom Boost: This pedal is used as a boost for all of my lead work. When I need a good solid boost that doesn’t lose its bottom end, this is what I use. It’s also an excellent clean boost for thicker cleaner sounding chords. It is a vintage pedal from the 80’s, not sure the exact born on date. It has been very well kept, and continues to Rock hard to this day. Dials include: Gain, Tone, and Level.

8. Ibanez FL9-Flanger: Also a vintage 80’s pedal, which I am very proud to have on board. This pedal is the best flanger I have ever owned. Very well rounded, and just what the Dr. ordered when you want that swirling “low altitude plane flying by” sound. It is a straight ahead flanger with 4 simple adjustment knobs that allow for many different tonal options. Dials include: Width, Speed, Regeneration, and Delay Time.

9. BBE BlackSmith-Distortion: Modeled after the Plexi stacks of the 80’s, you get tons of classic hair metal tones out if this one. Really it is a nice distortion for solo work, add a bit of a boost and it sings, without being too gainy. Dials include: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume.

10. Digitech Hardwire w/ Stomp Lock TL-2-Metal Distortion: Killer metal tones can be dialed in on this pedal. It is a bit brighter than the Metal Master (#4), but it is also a bit more versatile. You can get sone really heavy Dimebag tones out if this one, or some down to earth Appetite For Destruction tones as well. Dials include: Level, High/Low 2way, Mid & Freq 2 way, Gain, and a tight (more mids & treb)/Loose (more bass, less mid’s and hi’s) toggle.

11. MXR Wylde Signature OD: A pedal that has a very distinct sound. It has a lot going on in the midrange area, it is really fitting of Zakk’s guitar work, but has a great time for Country, drop the gain and run the tone at about 2 o’clock, and its twang city. With the Gain maxed out it is a growler, a bit nasal, but in a good way. Can’t wait to try the Berzerker OD next. Dials include: Output, Tone, and Gain.

11. BlackStar LT Drive: The only OD pedal that I use more than the Ibanez Mini-TubeScreamer. It has everything you could as for in a pedal. It’s basically an amp’s overdrive channel in a little yellow rectangular box! It is warm, thick, and has enough gas in the mids, and highs to sound great for lead work, Blues, Rock, Blues Rock, it Rocks either way! It really is “the sound In your head”! Dials include: Tone, Gain, and Level.

13. Vox Tone Garage Trike-Fuzz/Double Octave: A mysteriously cool double octave pedal that can sound like something from outer space, a pipe organ, or a super low suboctave tone monster with the gain maxed out. I’ve played Rival Son’s “Electric Man” using it, and it just feels right, with both octaves on, it sounds like 3 guitars at once. Dials include: Volume, -2 Volume, +1 Tone, Gain, and a Both Octave -/+ toggle switch to chose Octave up, down, or both.

14. Vox Tone Garage Double Deca-Analog Delay w/ Modulation: This is a solid Analog Delay pedal, and with the modulation knob you get a Chorus w/ Reverb effect that can be added in as well. Dials include: Level, Modulation, Feedback, Time, and a Long/Short, or Both toggle switch.

15. Digitech X-Series Digiverb-Digital Reverb: This pedal includes a wide variety of Reverb types. No matter which type I need, I am guaranteed to find it here. Dials include: Level, EQ, Decay, and Type: 1-Room, 2-Plate, 3-Hall, 4-Church, 5-Gated, 6-Reverse, 7-Spring.

16. Digitech Hardwire w/ Stomp Lock DL-8- Delay/Looper: This is a great pedal witj several different dekay types, as well as a 20 second Looper. Dials include: Level, Repeats, Time, abd Function: .5-8 seconds delay, Reverse, Modulated, Analog, Slap, Lo-Fi, Tape, and 20 second Looper.

***Board #2: Counterclockwise from the bottom***

17. Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Signature Fuzz Face-Fuzz: The most expensive, and most highly acclaimed pedal that I’ve ever owned. It is a very smooth Fuzz, solos sing with this thing. I would’nt trade it for the world. Dials include: Volume, and Fuzz.

18. Digitech X-Series Hyper Phase-Phaser: From Phase 90, right out into outter space. This pedal reeks of coolness. Dials include: Speed, Depth, Regeneration, and Type: 1-Stage A, 2-Stage B, 3- Stage C, 4-Rise/Fall, 5-Trig Up, 6-Trig Down, and 7-Step.

19. Blackstar LT Boost-Clean/Dirty Boost: This is the only pedal that I keep on the entire time that I’m hooked into my rig. I have changed several of my guitar’s tone caps to Orange Drop .0033uf, .0022uf, and .015uf (Woman Tone), and im doing this the guitars lose a small amount of bass when the tone dial is full open (at 10). This helps put those lows back in, and add extra thickness, and volume. Dials include: Gain, Bass, and Treble.

20. BOSS CE-5 Chorus Ensemble-Stereo Chorus: This is my most favorite Chorus pedal ever. It has a very warm, and rich tone. It is a vintage analog model with the “blue Label” on the bottom of it. Its not going anywhere anytime soon. Dials include: Effect Level, Rate, Depth, and a Filter with a Hi/Lo Cut to Flat 2 way dial.

21. BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus-Stereo Chorus: A great Chorus pedal, although it is a bit thinner sounding than the CE-5 (#20), its still a warm, creamy sounding Chorus. It is a vintage analog model as well, bearing the illustrious “pink label”. Dials include: Effect Level, EQ, Rate, and Depth.

22. BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver-OverDrive: This is a great lead boost pedal, it does have a fairly raw distorted tone when the Gain is set high, but a llittle thin in the bottom end. Not a good clean boost, some Gain still gets through when strumming chords. Dials include: Level, Tone, and Gain.

23. ModTone Harmonic Tremor-Pulsating Pulsating Tremolo: This is a great trem pedal, its pretty straight forward, no frills. Crimson & Clover, over, and over, and over, and over…etc. etc.! Dials include: Rate, Depth, and Wave.

All pedal are connected using a combination of Fender pPatch cables, Digitech Hardwire Gold Plated Couplers/Patch cables, Planet waves Patch cables, and everything is powered by 1 lonely OneSpot adapter hooked up to 4 daisy chained linked together throughout both boards. I use Fender 10′, and 18.5′ straight to 90° cables to plug into the pedal boards, and my Crate 120watt FlexWave Head Running through a 90’s model Crate 4×12 cabinet.

Thank you Hank and everyone at Effects Bay very much for checking out my pedal boards & rig!

Sincerely, Cloud Meinhold.