Effects set-up (Pedalboard 2)

After years of frustration over the poor standard of cheap pedalboards and their associated carrying cases, I finally bit the financial bullet and splashed out on a Pedaltrain 2.

The final straw came after my latest cheap case lightly brushed against a signpost on the Tokyo underground and knocked one of hinges off, causing the lid to "sproing" open and spill unsecured effect boxes onto the platform. Ah...the joys of poor quality velcro!

Mind you, I've only got myself to blame seeing as how I continued to use the case even though only one of the locks on the front of the case worked properly..

From top left to bottom right, the pedals are:

Electro-Harmonix Bass Microsynth, Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble, Boss OC-2 Octave, Custom Audio line selector/loop bypass pedal, EBS MultiComp, Korg Pitchblack tuner, SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe, Guyatone WR-m5 Wah Rocker, MXR Bass Auto Q and Boss DD-20 Giga Delay

It's all strung together with Custom Audio Japan cabling and Switchcraft jacks - not cheap, but far more reliable than the George L's non-soldered approach to pedalboard cabling. (Don't get me started on trying to locate a dodgy connection halfway through a live show...) Power comes from a Custom Audio AC/DC Station craftily stashed away below the board.

The Boss OC-2 goes through the loop bypass pedal and the Boss chorus is on the effects send/return of the SansAmp. The MXR Auto Q isn't true bypass, but I've used it for both recording and live work and I've yet to detect the slightest problem in terms of tone sucking. The on-board volume knob is perhaps no small help in this regard.

If you're keen to upgrade to a military strength pedalboard/case combo then you'll find all you need to know at the Pedaltrain web site. But be warned, you'll also need an industrial strength spine, as the case is built like - and weighs similar to - the oft-cited proverbial tank.