Suitable pedalboard

Stompbox

So looking st a Boss ME-50 at the mo. Tis within my price range and seems nice.Currently using a Microcube and Strat,like Indie/Alternative sorta music eg.Arctic Monkeys,Kooks. Just wondering which pedalboard would benefit my playing the most? Cheers

demanufactured

none

not being sarcastic but a lot of thopse band have fairly plain guitar tone , just a distortion pedal and maybe a chorus

feylya

The ME-50 is a damn nice pedal though.

Stompbox

demanufactured wrote:

none

not being sarcastic but a lot of thopse band have fairly plain guitar tone , just a distortion pedal and maybe a chorus

I know what you mean but I'd still like to have the other effects for other songs.

TelePaul

Hey, I've found stand alone boxes to be far better than the consolidated floor processors. If you're not sure what you want, I'd start with E Bay. The cool hting about stand alones is that the quality of each pedal, IMO, is better than the presets on a floor procesor, especally the distortion. What guitar are you using??

My chain looks like this, it might give you some ideas...I play blues, rock, pop, metal, grunge....whatever, with a Tele or Strat.

Guitar -> Dunlop Original Cry Baby -> Boss CS 3 Compressor -> Boss NS 2 Noise Suppressor (send) -> Boss SD 1 (as a booster) -> Boss DS 2 Turbo Distortion -> Boss GE 7 Grahic EQ. -> Boss PH 3 Phase Shifter -> Boss NS 2 Noise Suppressor (return) -> Boss CE 5 Chorus -> Boss DD 3 Digital Delay-> Boss FV 50 (Volume Pedal) -> Marshall

Voodu Child

TelePaul wrote:

Hey, I've found stand alone boxes to be far better than the consolidated floor processors.

A good floor (or rack) processor is no more evil (and probably a LOT less) than a huge chain of average quality floor pedals IMO.

TelePaul

voodoo_child wrote:

A good floor (or rack) processor is no more evil (and probably a LOT less) than a huge chain of average quality floor pedals IMO.

My friend and I had this discussion...he loved his ME 50, but bought a cry baby and was converted to stand-alones. For me, it's the distortion. If a floor processor simulates the distortion, it's not worth a damn, it doesn't produce the authentic analogue clip. Most people favour the old analogue stuff...Andy Summers of Sting still uses his Boss CE 1, Eric Johnson uses the Crybaby Wah. I think if you're starting off with pedals, as is the case with the guy who started this post, stand alones are cheaper...there's a tendency with people when they buy a floor processor to turn everything on at once and see what happens. Also, 2 or 3 decent Boss pedals - and Boss make excellent gear - will cost you more than the rack processor.

John

I'm a standalone guy all the way. I like being able to tweak everything while playing, you don't have that freedom with the likes of the ME-50 (i.e. when I'm in the middle of rocking out, I don't want to have to go into settings, shuffle through to the effect, etc. I just want to tweak the knob slightly and keep going). Plus if something breaks, with stand alones it's only one part of your setup gone, with an all-in-one you've lost everything.

Voodu Child

John wrote:

I'm a standalone guy all the way.

For the purpose of the OP, id be happy enough to recommend the ME-50.

The whole pedals vs multi-fx thing is really for another thread. Personally I wouldnt let a crybaby anwhere near my signal chain anymore, and i'll be dead in the ground before i put ten boss pedals in a chain.

Rustar

As an ME50 owner, I heartily concur. You can easily enough switch between 3 sounds in a bank without bending over. And if you need more than 3 sounds per song playing live....well, get a keyboard player or re-evaluate.

The noise suppression and compressor are awesome for recording or playing live. That plus delays, the ODs/distortions, tone thinners/fatteners and the multi-pedal (volume, wah, and other stuff) make it a great piece of kit.

Check out the interactive tour here (you need Flash, and it takes a few seconds after clicking to hear the sounds):

http://www.bosscorp.co.jp/PRODUCTS/EN/ME-50/demos.html

TelePaul

I guess its another case of try-before-you buy, both options have a wide variety of examples on the Boss site. And I'll stand by Boss pedals, look at all the pros that use them. I don't know how much the ME 50 retails for right off, but you might be better looking at a new amp...the micro cube is cool, but isn't it already laoded with effects? Maybe put the money towards a Fender Blues Junior?

TelePaul

voodoo_child wrote:

Personally I wouldnt let a crybaby anwhere near my signal chain anymore

What wah are ya using?

Rustar

TelePaul, this picture that you posted is the greatest argument I've ever seen AGAINST using discrete pedals! Lol!


https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/82407/36770.jpg


Edit: I do agree with TelePaul though, eventually you're going to want a little more amp power to take advantage of whatever effects you buy.

Giblet

Individual pedals can be a pain in the arse too. I love my GT-8, you couldn't customise most effects as much as you can with this unit.

Also, with the ME-50, it's easy to set up a bunch of patches and switch manual mode on or off as required to get a bunch of effects.

ferdi

i've come to the conclusion that pedals are for pussies.

the only effects you need are volume up and gain, MORE GAIN!!!!!!

david

Buy an amp first, then single effects. Just because boss sold a zillion pedals doesnt make them the best. I cant think of more than three boss pedals i actually like... DM2/DM3/PS2. Theyre generic tbh, you can get some much nicer effects from more obscure companies often at half the price of their boss counterparts

Karl Hungus

I'd second the recommendations of a new amp. Get a decent tube combo, then worry about effects.

feylya

TBH, if you're not currently jamming or playing in a band, the GT-8 and a pair of headphones are great. It's all I'm using at the mo.

TelePaul

Yeha my pedal board is messy; I use my pedals at jamming sessions in other people's places, loan 'em out to friends etc so its not really viable for me to velcro them down to a dedicated board. I've since got right angled jacks which obviosuly tidy things up alot. But if I have to choose between tidiness or a better tone, I know what I'm going to choose...I you want convenience, buy a Variax and a Pod. Nuff said.