Pedal Board

[stptak]

Morning -
I am putting together two new pedal boards for both my electrics and acoustics. I have had the signal chain ordered in a particular way for years and I was wondering how everyone else had put their boards together and why. Looking and open to fresh ideas.

My current signal chain is:
Filters and EQ — wah, auto-wah, graphic, and parametric EQ
Compressor
Boost — clean boost and/or buffer
Gain — overdrive, distortion, fuzz, etc.
Noise Gate — placed at this point in the signal chain because gain pedals are usually the noisiest
Volume Pedal — placed at this point in the chain to control the level feeding the amp without affecting the amount of input to gain pedals
Tuner — connected to the tuner output on the volume pedal; in this way it’s out of the basic signal path and always active
Modulation — phase shifter, tremolo, chorus, flanger, rotating speaker simulator, etc.
Delay — analog, digital, tape, etc.
Reverb

Thoughts?
Thanks!
Scott

[Karma]

All I do is either plug in or disconnect the LR Baggs Session DI at the end of the chain depending on if I am playing acoustic or electric.

Tuner>Wah>Compressor>Chorus>Delay>Reverb>Looper>DI >Amp

[JeffreyAK]

There are no rules, but I've always followed something close to this, https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/pe...on-pedal-order

I don't use overdrive/distortion pedals, since I get as much of that as I want from my amp, so for me the only thing that goes between the guitar and the amp is a wah pedal. Everything else goes in the effects loop.

But again there are no rules. I used to occasionally put a wah after a distortion pedal and run it into a clean amp, which gave some interesting sounds that were good for a few songs.

[Dru Edwards]

The chain looks fine, especially if you're happy with it. I have my tuner at the front of my chain that way I don't have to worry about turning off pedals in front of it to tune.

Does your amp have an effects loop? If so, I'd move some pedals there (reverb, delay, mod).

[fazool]

I run mine like this:

GUITAR-->tuner-->compressor-->phaser-->distortion-->reverb-->looper-->AMP-with-chorus


folks will often swap phaser and distortion - I played with it both ways and prever the non-traditional way I have it because I want the phased signal distorted as well.

[Jerry D]

The tuner should always go first.

[Erithon]

You could mess around by trying the compressor at different points. It'll have a different effect on the signal if it's at the beginning (where you have it), the end, or some other place like right after the volume. That volume pedal is another one you could experiment with placing at the very end. But, as noted above, there are no rules. Just mix things up until you find the sound you like.

Mine chain is: Tuner -- envelope filter -- compressor -- octave generator -- distortion -- chorus/flanger -- reverb

[Peegoo]

As was mentioned above, there are no rules, because tone is too subjective. But there are conventions, such as "time-based effects sound best in the effects loop," and "boost/overdrive/distortion sounds best into the front of the amp."

These are only guidelines, however, because different amps and different pedals all play together differently. And then you have the player's ears to satisfy too.

Pete Thorn has several vids posted on YT that discuss this topic, and it's the best order-of-pedals content I've seen so far. Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZi3jIihAVs

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Peegoo

As was mentioned above, there are no rules, because tone is too subjective. But there are conventions, such as "time-based effects sound best in the effects loop," and "boost/overdrive/distortion sounds best into the front of the amp."

These are only guidelines, however, because different amps and different pedals all play together differently. And then you have the player's ears to satisfy too.

Pete Thorn has several vids posted on YT that discuss this topic, and it's the best order-of-pedals content I've seen so far. Here's one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZi3jIihAVs

Pete Thorn is an amazing player. He debuted one of his new tunes on YouTube a couple of months ago it it just rocked.

[Paleolith54]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

The tuner should always go first.

Not so. Some pedals must see the signal directly from the pickups, but tuners aren't categorically among these. I've had my Turbotuner at various points in the chain, including the loop, and it worked equally well in each place. It's currently third in line behind my Digitech Drop and Wah pedals.

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by Paleolith54

Not so. Some pedals must see the signal directly from the pickups, but tuners aren't categorically among these. I've had my Turbotuner at various points in the chain, including the loop, and it worked equally well in each place. It's currently third in line behind my Digitech Drop and Wah pedals.

I don't doubt this works for you. But to be safe with later pedal additions, and to keep them from interfering with the signal chain, I stand by my statement - the tuner should always go first.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

I don't doubt this works for you. But to be safe with later pedal additions, and to keep them from interfering with the signal chain, I stand by my statement - the tuner should always go first.

I am no expert as I just got back into electrics a year and 1/2 ago but I did do a lot of research when starting to put together a pedal chain and honestly while it seems that " tuner first" is arguably one of, if not the most popular position, it also seems that this notion of tuner first is more of a preference ( albeit often based on the belief that is the purest signal from the guitar for tuning, ) . So I am curious as to why you think a tuner "first" makes later pedal additions "safe" or keeps the them from "interfering"
The reason I am asking is because arguably the next most popular position is last ( believing that is the position to get what is actually feeding the amp, in tune) .
And then last lastly it seems that having the tuner on it's own feed out of the chain completely ,is also considered by many the "ideal" location --- just asking questions on thinking, not arguing as currently I also have mine first .

[BoneDigger]

I put mine first. I like the idea of a clean signal going to the tuner. I have no idea if other effects, such as reverb, delay, or overdrive would effect accuracy, but I don't like to risk it.

[Jerry D]

From Guitar World, in an article
https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/whe...r-signal-chain
(which goes on and on and on)about how to set up pedals in the signal chain, at the end they say:

"I also didn’t mention a tuner, but that’s because a tuner really isn’t an effect. If you use one, the ideal location is in the very front of the signal chain right after the guitar as you don’t want the signal going into the tuner processed by any effects that might affect the tuner’s accuracy. Even better, get a loop switcher with a separate tuner output that keeps the tuner entirely out of the signal chain until you need to use it and that will mute the signal so the audience doesn’t need to suffer while you make adjustments."

End of discussion, I hope?

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

From Guitar World, in an article
https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/whe...r-signal-chain
(which goes on and on and on)about how to set up pedals in the signal chain, at the end they say:

"I also didn’t mention a tuner, but that’s because a tuner really isn’t an effect. If you use one, the ideal location is in the very front of the signal chain right after the guitar as you don’t want the signal going into the tuner processed by any effects that might affect the tuner’s accuracy. Even better, get a loop switcher with a separate tuner output that keeps the tuner entirely out of the signal chain until you need to use it and that will mute the signal so the audience doesn’t need to suffer while you make adjustments."

End of discussion, I hope?

Does not really "end" anything. Not only is it simply one persons opinion, written for an editorial for an online guitar mag. But more importantly look at the reason given , it's specious at best if not outright faulty logic . signal going into the tuner processed by any effects that might affect the tuner’s accuracy
If one simply turns the pedals to the off position, then there is no "Processing " occurring . So much for expert opinion 😜


But if that is what floats your boat carry on.